Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Universal House of Justice, The Baha'i World: Volume 20 (1986-1992), Haifa: Bahá'í World Centre, 1998, bahai-library.com.
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THE BAHA'f WORLD
VOLUME XX

142- 148 OF TH E BAHA'i ERA
21 APRIL 1986- 20 APR fL 1992 A.O.
Th e Mashriqu 'l-Adhkar in New Delhi, India.
THE BAHA'i WORLD
AN INTERNATIONAL RECORD

Prepared under the supervision
of the Universal House ofJustice

VOLUME XX

142-148 OF THE BAHA'i ERA
21 APRIL 1986-20 APRIL 1992 A.D.

BAHA'i WORLD CENTRE
HAIFA
1998
© 1998 The Universal House of Justice
All Rights Reserved

NOTE: The spelling of the Oriental words and proper names used
in this volume of Th e Baha'i World is according to the system of
transliteration established at one of the International Oriental
Congresses.

ISBN 0-85398-994-X

A Cataloguing-in-Publication entTy is available
from the British Library

Set in Times New Roman at the Baha ' i World Cenháe
Printed in Italy, Stamperia Va ldonega
PREFACE
THE successive volumes of The Baha 'i World have come to be anticipated by Baha'is as
the record of their own collective endeavours on behalf of their Faith, of the establishment
and development of its administrative order throughout the world and as the source of data,
both historical and statistical, relating to the rise of the Faith during its fo rmative age.
For librarians and students The Baha 'i World represents a source of authentic inf01mation
about the aims, tenets, history, activities, organization and growth of a world religion that is
attracting ever-increasing public interes t. The editors therefore seek to preserve an even
balance between the presentation of material of supreme interest to believers and of a fai r
and objective picture to enquirers. In this they are guided by the policy of Shoghi Effendi,
Guardian of the Baha'i Fa ith, who directed the compilation of the successive volumes from
I to XII covering the years 1925 to 1954. The first volume, known as Baha 'i Year Book, was
in fact a one-year survey ; the next seven volumes were biennial, terminating in 1940;
vo lume IX recorded the four years from 1940 to 1944; volume X was again biennial and
volumes XI and XII presented the periods 1946 to 1950 and 1950 to 1954 respectively.
All these volumes were published in the United States under the supervision of the
Guardian of the Baha ' i Faith and the aegis of the National Spiritual Assembly. Volume XIII,
which recorded the passing of the Guardian and the course and completion of his Ten Year
Crusade, covered the entire period from 19 54 to 1963 and was produced under the guidance
of the U niversal House of Justice, which thenceforth assumed responsibility for publication.
CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

AIMS AND PURPOSES OF THE BAHA'I FAITH, by David Hofman

PART ONE
THE BAHA 'i REV ELATION

I. EXCERPTS FROM THE BAHA ' i SACRED WRlTINGS
1. Baha'u'llah ... .... ... ........ ................ .... .... ....... ........... .. ... ........... ... .... ........ ...... ... 11
2. The Bab .......... ...... ... .. ......... .. ..... ...... ..... ... ... .. .... ............... ...... .... ... ... ...... ....... . 17
3. 'Abdu'l-Baha .. ..... ........................... ..... ... ...... ... .. ...... ......... .. ..... ..... .... ...... .... .. 23

II. EXCERPTS FROM THE WRlTINGS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI
Excerpts from Call to the Nations 29

PART Two
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES

I. THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF ' ABDU'L-BAHA'S VISIT TO THE WEST
1. The Visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to the West .......................... ............................... 53
2. Commemorations of 'Abdu ' l-Baha 's Visit to the West 75

II. THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE F IRST S EVEN YEAR PLAN IN THE AMERICAS
1. The First Seven Year Plan of the Baha ' is of the United States and Canada . . 78
2. Fiftieth Anniversary of the Faith in Latin America Celebrated 90

III. THE TEN Y EA R CRUSADE AND THE KNIGHTS OF BAI-IA 'U'LLAH 93

Vll
CONTENTS

PART THREE
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA 'f ACTIVITIES

I. THE SIX YEAR INTERNATIONAL TEACHING PLAN 1986-1992
1. The Completion of the Six Year International Teaching Plan
A. The Baha'i World Centtáe
a. Publication of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in English ......... ........... ............ ..... . 115
b. Education of the Baha'i World in the Law of J:Iuq11qu 'llah ..... ......... 116
c. Restoration and Protection of Holy Places ......... .. ..... .. .. .. ... ............... 120
d. Signing of the Status Agreement ...... ............. ............ .................... .... 123
e. The Arc and Tenaces on Mount Carmel ............................ ............... 124
f. Broadening the Basis oflnternational Relations of the Faith 131
g. Turmoil in the Middle East Enveloped the Holy Land .............. ........ 133
B. World-wide Objectives
a. Carrying the Healing Message of Baha'u ' llah to the Generality of
Mankind .. ... .. ... . . ....... .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. ... .. ... ... . .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ... ... . ... .. .. . 136
b. Greater Involvement of the Faith in the Life of Human Society 149
c. Increasing the Worldwide Availability and Use of Baha ' i literature 157
d. Further Acceleration in the Process of Maturation of Baha'i Con1ll1unities .... .. .. ... .. .. . .. ... .. .. .. . .. ... .. ... .. .... .. ... .. .. ... ... ... ..... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ... ... . .. ... .. . 160
e. Promoting Universal Participation and the Spiritual Emichment of
Individual Believers ............................................ .... ... ... .............. .... ... 170
f. Baba 'i Education of Children and Youth and Baha ' i Family Life 174
g. Pursuing Social and Economic Development Activities in Well-Established Baha'i Communities ..................... .......................... ...... ..... ...... 179
APPENDIX: "Health, Education and the Role of Women" .. .... ......... .... ... 191
2. Expansion and Consolidation of the Baha'i Faith: Sun1ll1aiy Statistics of the
Six Year Plan 1986- 1992.............................. .. .. ... .... .... ...... ...... .......... 192

II. THE Two YEAR SUBSIDIARY PLAN 1990- 1992 196

III. INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 1986- 1992
1. The Opening of the Fourth Epoch of the Formative Age ................. .. ......... . 225
A . A Letter from the Universal House of Justice .... .... ... ..... .... ..... .. .... ... ...... . 229
B . Statement by the Research Department on the Epochs of the Formative
A~ ..... .. ... ................................................................ .... ........ ...... ..... .. ..... .. 23 1
C. International Collaboration Goals .... ......................................................... .. 236
D. Public Recognition of the True Character of the Baha'i Community
a. "World Religious Statistics" ........................................ ......................... . 239
b. "What is the Baha ' i Faith?" .. ..... .. ........ .. ... .. ................................ ....... ... . 242
2. Survey by Continents
A. Africa ....... .... ... .. .... .... ... ..... ..... ..... .. ... ....... ............ .... ..... ... ..... .. ................. . 247
B. The Americas 269
C. Asia 303
D . Austtáalasia and the Pacific Islands 325
E. Europe 349

Vlll
CONTENTS

3. The Persecution and Defense of the Baha'i Community ofiran 1986-1992
A. The Baha'i Question .. .. .... ............ ....... ...... ....... ..... ........ ...... ...... .... .... ...... . 371
B. Baha'is Killed in Iran Between Ri~van 1986 and 1992 ......... ....... .. ...... .. 383
C. Baha 'is Killed in iran (1978-20 April 1992) ....... .. ............. .......... .... .. ... . 390
D. Baha'is Who Disappeared Without Trace in Iran and are Presumed Dead
(1979-20 Apri l 1992) ........... ......... ............. .. ....................... .. .. .. ............. . 398
E. Response of the United Nations to the Persecution of the Baha'is (1980-
20 April 1992) .... ....... .. .......... ... ............. ...... .... ..... ..... .................. .. .. ........ . 401
4. Women's Activities 409
5. Youth Activities
A. Youth Year of Service 421
B . European Baha'i Youth Council ... .... .......... .. ....... .... ............ ............ ..... . . 432
C. Special Youth Projects .............................. ..... ....... .. ........ .... ................ ... . 443
6. Baha'i Scholarship
A. The Establishment of Baha'i Chairs at Universities ....... ..... ..... ..... ..... ... . 45 3
B. Baha'i Courses in Universities .............. ...... ........................... ... ... .. ... .. ... 456
C. Landegg Academy and Institute of International Education and Development 45 7
D. General Systems Research Conference, Budapest 1987 .. ............. .. ..... ... . 459
E. The Associations for Baha'i Sh1dies .............................. .. ...... ................ . 461
7. Baha'i Professional Associations ... ............................. .. ............................... . 471
8. Use of Computers by the Baha'i Community During the Six Year Plan 481
9. Relations Between National Spiritual Assemblies and Governmenta l and
Non-Governmental Organizations and with the Public in General ............ .. 485
A. Brazil: Constitutional Reform .............................................. ......... ...... .. . 485
B. South Africa: Views Submitted on Constitutional Reform 493
C. Singapore: Statement on National Ideology ............................ .... .... .... .. . 500
D. United States: Statement on Racia l Unity ........................ .. ...... ............ .. 502
10. Individual Rights and Freedoms in the World Order ofBaha'u'llah 508

IV.BAl-IA'i INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION
1. The Baha'i Faith and the United Nations: Summary of the Years 1947- 1986 519
2. The United Nations Office of the Baha'i International Conununity 1986-1992 521
Am1ex I ....... ................. .. ..... ... .......... ..... ... ....... ..... ....................................... . 527
A1mex II ... ........ ..... .................................. .. ..... ..... .. ........ ....... .. ... .. ... ....... .... .. . 529
Am1ex III ..... .... ........ ....... .. ..... .. ........ .. ..... .... .. ..... ...... ................. ..... ..... .. ...... . 536
3 . The Office of Public Information 537
4. The Baha'i Office of the Environment 541

V. RECOGN ITI ON OF THE BAHA ' i FAITH
I. Incorporation of National Spirihrn l Assemblies ........................................... 544
2. Incorporation of Local Spiritual Assemblies .. .. ... .. .. ....... .. ........................... . 550
3. A Selection of Other Documents Recording Official Recognition of the Faith
4. The German Court's Legal Recognition of Assembly Status ... ................... 554
A. The decision of the Federal Constih1tional Cami, in German....... .... .. .. .... . 571
B . A Translation of this Deci sion into English.............. ......... ............... .......... 572
C. An E lucidation of the Abbreviations Used 600
D . Decision of the German Court: Background and Significance................... 602

IX
CONTENTS

PART FOUR

THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH

I. THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
1. The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice 609
2. The Sixth International Convention for the Election of the Universal
House of Justice .. ... ... . ... .. ..... ....... .. ... .. ... .... .. .. ... .. .. .............. ...... .. ... . .. .. .. . ... ... .. 618
II. THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD
1. The Hands of the Cause of God and the Extension of their Functions
into the Future
A. The Rulers and the Learned .. .... .. ... .. .. .. ..... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... . .. .. .. .. ... ... . .. .. .. ... 624
B. The Hands of the Cause of God ............. ............. .. .. ........ ........ ..... ..... ...... 625
C. The Continental Boards of Counsellors 626
D. The International Teaching Centre ............ .......... ........................... ....... .. 630
2. The Work and Travels of the Hands of the Cause ............ ........................ ... . 634
3. Hands of the Cause Who Represented the Universal House of Justice at
Conventions for the Election of National Spiritual Assemblies ................. . 672
4. The Development of the Institutions of the International Teaching Centre and
the Continental Boards of Counsellors ... ........... ... ... .................... ..... .. ......... . 673

III. THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
1. Introduction ........... .......... ........................ ........................................ .......... .... . 694
2. A Model Declaration of Trust and By-Laws for a National Spiritual
Assen1bly .................. ... .................................................. .......... ..... ................ . 696
3. A Procedure for the Conduct of the Annual Baha'i Convention ........ ... ...... . 705
4. New National Spiritual Assemblies 708

IV. THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
1. Introduction ............................................................... ........ .. ... .................... ... 718
2. By-Laws of a Local Spiritual Assembly ........ .......................... .......... .... ....... 720

V . THE INSTITUTION OF THE MASHRJQU'L-ADHKAR
1. Foreword, by Horace Holley ... ..... ........................... ............. .............. .... ...... . 728
2. The Spiritual Significance of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar .... ........ ..... ............. ... . 729
3. The Dedication of the first Mashriqu'l -Adhkar of the Indian Sub-Continent
and the International Teaching Conference, New Delhi, India, 1986 ........... . 731
4. The Temple ofBahapur as Silent Teacher ......... ....... ........ .... .......... ............. . 743

VI. THE NON-POLITICAL CHARACTER OF THE BAHA'i FAITH
1. Excerpts from the Writings of Shoghi Effendi 754

VII. RELATIONSHIP TO GOVERNMENT
I. Loyalty to Government ..... ............................ ....... ....... .. ... .......... ... ... ................. . 761
2. The Baha'i View of Pacifism ........................................ ............ ..... ........... ...... .. 762
3. Summary of the Guardian's Instructions on the Obligations of Baha 'is in
Connection with Military Service ................. ... .. .................. ......................... 762

x
CONTEN TS

VlII .BAHA ' i CALENDAR, FESTIVALS AN D DAT ES OF HI STORJCAL SIGN IFICANCE
1. Foreword ............... ... ... .. ... ... ....... .. ....... ............ .... .. .......... ... .. ................ ... .. ... .
2. Baha'i Feasts, Atmiversaries and Days of Fasting ................... .... .. ............. ..
3. Baha ' i Holy Days on Which Work Should be Suspended ..................... ..... .
4. Additional Material Gleaned from Nabil ' s Narrative Regarding the Baha'i
Calendar .... ........ ................................................... .. ............. ... ... .... .... .. ...... ... .
5. Historical Data Gleaned from Nabil 's Narrative Regarding Baha'u' llah
6. Dates of Historical Significance in the Rise of the Baha'i Faith ... .... ...... ... . .

PART FIVE
IN MEMORIAM
Ahdieh, Mansour ....... .... ..... .... 873 Hopper Welsh, Eleanore Lorraine
Alm1adiyeh, Hedayatoullah 984 (Rene) ... ......... ...... ...... ... ......... . 916
Aidun, Gol ............................. . 860 Iqani Koirala, Masheed 844
Ariki, Pa Tepaern ............. .... .. 953 Jarral $alal:i ............. .. ....... .. .. .. 931
Ashton, Beatrice Owen .. ....... .. 896 Jensen, Knud ................. .. ...... .. 885
Baghdadi, Adib Radhi 912 Kanyerezi, Max .............. ....... .. 1013
Bagley, Florence E. .. ......... .... . 1003 Kavelin, Howard Borrah 821
Bausani, A lessandro .... ... ...... .. 895 Kazemzadeh, Kazem ......... .. .. . 945
Bernal De Sanchez, Aura Maria 838 Khabirpour, 'Aziz .. ....... .. ... .... . 832
Bishop, Helen Pilkington 1005 Khadem, Zikrnllah ............ ... .. . 839
Blakely, Elsa Lilian (Judy) 929 Khan, Fazal Mohamad 784
Camey, Magda lene Margaret 1021 Khazeh, Jalal ........ ............. .. ... . 788
Caswell, Louise ............ ........ .. 867 Khianra, Dipchand L. ..... .. ..... . 829
Dobbins , Bertha .... ... ........ ...... . 848 Laws, Frederick .. .. .............. ... . 892
Duna, Rudolfo ........ ..... ......... .. 846 Leong, Yan Kee .. ... .......... ... .. .. 834
Evans, Esther .. ..... ... ........... .. .. . 942 Lindstrom, Shirley ........ .. ... ... . . 920
Featherstone, H. Collis 809 Lohse, Doris .......................... .. 970
Fitzpatrick, Henry Bertran 877 Lutchmaya, Roddy Dharmah 940
Fozdar, Shirin ........................ . 1027 Macdonald, Charles ............ .. .. 1015
Francis, Dorothy .......... ... ... .... . 990 Malakooti, Ehsanollah 943
Friedland, Eberhard K. 1025 Master, Mahvash .......... .... ...... . 977
Garcia Vazquez, Manuel 955 Mazakmat, Apelis .................. . 853
Giachery, Ugo ............ ..... .... .. . 777 McLaren, Edith ..................... .. 1011
Gualavisi Farinango, Rufino 965 McLaughlin, Robert W . 950
Gulick, Robert, Jr. .. .. .. .. ........ .. 882 Menking, JoAnne L. ............... 907
Habibi, Habib ........... ............. . 947 Mingorance Fernandez, Jose 837
I:Iaddad, Akbar .............. ........ . 991 Munje, Harilal ....................... .. 933
Haenni de Bons, Mona 1010 Nahvi, Saeed ..... ............. .... ... .. 871
Harvey, Winnifred ..... ...... ...... . 988 Navidi, Azizollah .... ...... .... ..... . 886
Hawthorne, Rose ....... .... ... ..... . 914 Newman, Beatrice ............... .. .. 937
Heller, Frances .... ..... ............. . 998 Nielsen, Lotus ............. .......... .. 101 8
Hoahania, Hamuel ...... .......... .. 843 Nounou, Salim ...... ................ .. 975
Hollibaugh, Eleanor ....... .. .... .. 868 Olson, Cynthia and Edgar 899
H0eg, Johanne ........ .. ............. . 923 Ortiz Gutierrez, Aparicia 960
XI
CONTEN TS

Papai, Ludwig ... ... .. ................ . 997 Suleimani, Suleiman .... .. .. ....... 889
Parsa Mazzoni, Noranieh ....... . 995 Sumah, Mohamed Lamin 875
Perks, Thelma .... ............ ...... ... 903 Tanyi Tambe, Solomon 968
Quigley, Robert Joseph 949 Te Paa, Epluáaim ...................... 971
Rice-Wray, Edris Rawshan 958 Trojankova-Bendova, Juliana 857
Rezvani, Monireh .................. . 1001 True, Edna M. ....... ......... ......... 925
Robarts, Jolm ................... ...... . 801 Umegae, Kazutomo .. .. ......... .. .. 1026
Saavedra Gallardo, Melit6n 921 Val~id-i-Tiluáani , Qudratu' llah 825
Sabet, Habib .......................... . 961 Vajdi, Khodadad H. ........... .. ... 957
Sabet, Ros tam ..... .............. ..... . 963 Villiers-Stuart, Jane .... .. .... ... .... 981
Sala, Emeric ........................... . 993 Walker, Zlmarian Stoakley 935
Sanchez Matiinez, Juan 880 Warde, Shirley A. ............. . . . . . . 1023
Sears, William ....................... . 795 White, Tumanuvao William 851
Shayani, 'Azizu' llah .. ......... ... . 910 Wi1manik and Mubarak ... ....... . 827
Sivapiragasam, Kandiah 891 Wolcott, Charles .................. .. . 818
Stebbins Dodge, Isabelle 858 Wotih Lamb, Dora (Dee) 918
Storch, Juanita Marie ..... .. ... ... . 863 Zucker, Arthur Allen .... .......... . 1009

PART SIX
DIRE CTORY, BlBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY

I. BAI-IA 'i DIRECTORY
1. The Universal House of Justice ...... ..... ......... ... ..... ........ .. ............ ... ... ............ . 1033
2. The Hands of the Cause of God .. ................ .. .... .. ... .. ............. .... .. .. .... ...... ..... . 1033
3. The International Teaching Centre .. .. .. .... ..... ..... ... .. ... .. .. ..... ......................... .. 1033
4. Continental Boards of Counsellors ... .... ............ ... ....... ... .... .... ... ................ .. .. 1033
5. Baha ' i International Community .................. ... ..... .... .................................. .. . 1034
6. Na tional Spiritual Assemblies ....... ...... ..................... ..... ..... ..... ... ...... ... ....... ... 1034
7. Baha ' i Publishing Trusts .. ............ ..... ... ........ .... .... .... .. ..... ......................... .. ... 1035

II. BAI-IA 'i BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Baha 'u'llah's Best-Known Works 1037
2. The Bab's Best-Known Works 1039
3. 'Abdu ' l-Baha's Best-Known Works in English ......................... .. .............. .. 1040
4. Some Compilations from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, the Bab and
' Abdu'l-Baha ...... ....... ...... .... ... .. .. ......... .. ........ ... ...................... ....... .... .. ... .. ... .. 1041
5. Shoghi Effendi' s Best-Known Works .. .... ...................... .... .. ... ..... ........... ..... . 1042
6. Language and Literature Achievements ........ .. .... ... .. ... ......... .. ........ ......... ...... .. .. 1043
7. A Bibliography of Theses Relating to the Baha ' i Faith ... ...... .... ......... ....... .. . 1044
8. A Patiial Listing of Cunent General Baha'i Periodicals
A. Produced Under the Auspices of Baha 'i Institutions ... ....... ......... .... ... ... . 1048
B. Produced Under Non-Institutional Auspices ............... .. ... .. .... .... ..... ..... .. . 1049
9. A Partial Bibliography of Conm1ercially Produced Slide Shows on the Baha' i
Faith, 1971- 1992 ............................................ .. ......... ........... ....... ... .... .. ...... .... 1049

XII
CONTENTS

III. ORIENTAL TERMS
I. Transliteration of Oriental Words Frequently Used in Baha'i Literature 1053
2. Guide to Transliteration and Pronunciation of the Persian Alphabet 1055
3. Notes on the Pronunciation of Persian Words ............. ...... .............. .. ........... 1056
4. Definitions of Some of the Oriental Terms used in Baha'i L iterature 1057

PART SEVEN
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS

I. ESSAYS AND REVIEWS
1. The Suffering, Tribulation, Exile, Captivity, and Confinement ofBaha'u'llah,
compiled by Donald R. Witzel ............ ... .......... .... ......... ... ..... ... ... ... .. ..... .. ...... 1069
2. The Concept of Law in the Baha'i Faith and the Law ofI:Iuququ'llah,
by Amin Banani . .... .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. ..... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 1086
3. Interdependence of Baha'i Communities-Services of North American
Baha'i Women to Iran, by Baharieh Rouhani Ma' ani ... ...... ...... ... ..... .. ......... 1091
4. Jamal Effendi, by Elham Afnan ............. ....................................................... 1115
5. The Fundamental Principle: Agriculture and the Promise of Peace, by Paul
Hanley ...... ... .......... .. .. ..... ..... .......... ...... ......... ....... .... ...................................... 1119
6. The Spiritual Role of Art, by Ludwig Tuman .................................. ....... ...... 1136
7. Altruism and Extensivity in the Baha' i Religion, by Wendy M. Heller and
Hoda Mahmoudi ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. ..... .. . .. .. ... .. ... .. .... ..... .. .. ... .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .... 1159

II. VERSE 1170

III. MUSIC 1188

X Jll
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Frontispiece: The Mashriqu' l-Adhkar in New Delhi, India

Part One: The Baha'i Revelation

Page
An ornamental eagle in front of an entrance to the Mansion ofBaha'u 'llah at Bahji 10
The doorway into the courtyard of the Mansion ofBaha'u'll3h at Mazra'ih ........ . 13
The western doorway into the Shrine of the Bab ... ............ ..... .. ...... .... ....... ... ........ . 16
Detail ofone of the columns along the Arcade of the Shrine of the Bab ....... ..... ... . 19
The House of 'Abdu ' l-Baha in 'Akka, known as the House of' Abdu ' llah Pasha ... 22
Detail of the House of'Abdu ' llah Pasha, in 'Akka 25
The Seat of the Universal House ofJustice, on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel ..... 28
Details of the pillars and gardens surrounding the Seat of the Universal House of
Justice ....... .. ... ...... .. ..... .. .. ..... ...... ... ... .. ..... ........................... .................... ....... . . 37
Detail of a column and window of the Seat of the Universal House ofJustice ..... . 42
The Resting Place of Shoghi Effendi, in the Great Northern Cemetery, London,
England .... .......... .. ............ .... ... ...... ..... ...... ..... ... ....... ..... ...... ...... .... ......... ... .. ... .. . 49

Part Two: The Commemoration of Historic Anniversaries

' Abdu ' l-Baha, the Master, in New York City; June 1912 ..... ... .. ............ ... ..... .... ... . 52
'Abd u'l-Baha in London, Eng land; September 1911 .................... ... .......... ... ....... . 56
' Abdu'l-Baha with Baha ' i friends in Chicago, Illinois; May 1912 ..... ....... ..... ..... . 60
'Abdu ' l-Baha in Brooklyn, New York, with His secretary, translators, and companions; June 1912 .. ..... .... .... ................... ..... ........... ... ..................................... . 62
'Abdu' l-Baha meeting with friends in Oakland, California; October 191 2 .......... . 63
Banquet for ' Abdu'l-Baha in New York City; November 1912 ................. .. ..... ... . 66
'Abdu ' l-Baha with Baha' i friends in Ess lingen , Germany; April 1913 ... ........ ... ... 71
' Abdu'l-Baha with friends in the Austro-Hungarian Empire; April 1913 72
Pioneer Vivian Lismore with Baha'i fr iends in Havana, Cuba, in 1943 .......... ... .. . 79
Pioneer Gayle Woolson during formation of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of
San Jose, Costa Rica in April 1941 .................. ...... ...... .. .... ....... .................. ...... . 82

XIV
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Pioneer Louise Caswell visiting Baha'i friends in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in
October 1941 ... .. .. ... .. ...... ... .. ... .. .. .. ...... .. ... .. ........ ... .. ... .. .. ... ... .. .. .... ... ... ... .. ...... .... . 83
Pioneers Gladys Stua1t and Cora Oliver visiting a group of believers in Belize,
British Honduras, during the first Seven Year Plan ........................................... 86
Pioneers Honor Kempton, Helen Robenson, and Dagmar Dole in Anchorage,
Alaska, in January 1944 ......... .. .. ....... .. ............................................................... 88
The fiftieth anniversary of the fo1mation of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, being celebrated in October 1990 ...... ..... ............................ . 89
Th~ fiftieth anniversary of the Baha'i community in El Salvador being celebrated
in November 1989 ......... ....... ............... ............................................................. . 92
Friends gathered in Sydney, Australia, to commemorate the Centenary of the
Declaration of the Bab; May 1944 .... .. ............................................................... 98
The Hand of the Cause of God Leroy Joas greeting the friends on behalf of the
Guardian during the first Intercontinental Conference, held in Uganda in 1953 . 99
Knights of Baha 'u' llah to the Orkney and Shetland Islands, Charles Dunning and
Brigitte Hasselblatt, posing together in the 1950s ...... .. ..................................... 102
Knights of Baha'u'llah to the Solomon Islands, Alvin and Gertiude Blun1, with
their daughter Keithie, Mr. John Mills, and the Head of the Bamu Tribe; 1954 . 103
Knight ofBaha'u'llah to Goa, Feroza Yaganegi, with Mrs. Gulnar Aftabi; 1953 .. . 103
Knights of Baha'u'llah to French Togoland, Vivian Wesson and David Tanyi,
with new believers in Accra in 1956 ...... ......................... ........ ........................... 104
Knight ofBaha'u ' llah to the Queen Charlotte Islands, Edythe MacArthur; 1953 . 104
Knights ofBaha'u'llah to the Canary Islands, Gertrude Eisenberg, and George and
Marguerite True, with Bany Tme; 1953 ................................... .. ...................... 105
The first Baha'i World Congress, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1963 112

Part Three: International Survey of Current Baha'i Activities

First page of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, in the handwriting of 'Abdu ' l-Baha 114
Attendees of the I:Iuq11qu'llah Conference held in Haifa in January 1987 ............ . 116
A deepening on the law ofl:luququ'llah in Kenya; November 1990 ..................... 119
A luncheon held as part of the opening ceremonies of the north wing of the House
of 'Abdu' llah Pasha; Apri l 1990 ...................... .. ................................ 120
Restoration of the stencilled artwork on the balcony of the Mansion of Baha 'u ' llah
atBahji; October 1987 ..... .. ................................ .. .......................... .................... 121
The ceiling of the colonnade of the Sluáine of the Bab, being refinished in 1991 122
A Status Agreement between the Governn1ent of Israel and the Baha'i World
Centre being signed; April 1987 .................................................. .. ...... .. ............ 123
Members of the Universal House of Justice with architects Husayn Amanat and
Fariburz $ahba on the consháuction site; March 1988 .......... ...... .............. .. ........ 125
Earthwork on the terraces below the Shrine of the Bab; October 1991 .................. 126
The pool on Terrace Nine, built during the Ministry of' Abdu '1-Baha, incorporated
into the new te1Tace design .... ........ .. ......................... ....................................... .. 126
Excavation of the site of the Centre for the Study of the Texts; Februa1y 1992 ..... 127
Model of the buildings planned for the east and south side of the Arc .. .. .. ............. 128

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1 '.•
LIST OF ILL UST RATIONS

The Hand of _tJ1e Cause. of God Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum greeting the
President of the Marshall Islands, Amata Kabua, during his visit to the Baha'i
World Centre in June 1990 .. .... ... .. ... ...... ... ..... ... .. .. ... .... .. .. ... .. .. . .. ... .. .. ... . .. ... .. .. ..... 129
The Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar FurUtan greets Dizzy Gillespie during
Mr. Gillespie's visit to the Baha'i World Cenháe in July 1991 .. ....... ...... ... .. .... ... 129
Members of the Universal House of Justice with the Prime Minister of the Cook
Islands, Sir Thomc,is Davis, during the Prime Minister 's visit to the Baha'i
World Centre in August 1986 .... .. .. .... ..... .... .............. ..... .......... .......................... 130
The Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar Furutan accompanying the President of
Israel, Chaim Herzog, during his visit to the Baha'i World Cenháe in May 1989 130
The President of Honduras, His Excellency Jose Azcona-Hoyo, visiting the Baha' i
World Cenháe in May 1987 .. ......................................... ............ ................ ......... 130
The British Ambassador to Israel, His Excellency Mark Elliot, and Mrs. Elliot,
visiting the Baha'i World Cenháe in June 1989 ........... ....... ..... ..... ......... ....... .... .. 130
Participants in the External Affairs Conference held in Langenhain, Germany,
in November 1987 ....... .............. .. .... .... ..... .... .. ..... .............................................. 132
Participants in the External Affairs Conference held at the Baha ' i World CentTe
from 30 December 1988 to 1Januaty 1989 ......... ........ ...... ...... ....... ... ........... ..... 133
Baha'i World Centre staff helping each other learn how to use gas masks in
November 1990 ....... .. .......................................... ..... ..... ... .......... .. .. .... ..... ... ....... 135
Baha ' i youth from Antsirabe, Madagascar, walking to a village to teach the Faith
in April 1988 ............... ... .............. ........... .................................. .................... .. ... 136
In India, a bicycle for two was made in 1989 to facilitate teaching work .. ............ 139
In the Solomon Islands, a motorized canoe being used as a Maritime Teaching
Institute; 1991 .. .. .. ... ... .... ... ... .. ..... .. ..... ... ... ... .. ... .. .. .... ... .. .. ..... .. ...... .. ..... .. ... ...... .. .. 140
A teaching team emailing a new believer in Macau in May 1989 .... .. .... ........ ... .. .. 142
El Viento Canta performing during the Baha'i International Music Festival held in
Gaborone, Botswana , in December 1989 ...... .. .. .......... ...... ..................... ..... ...... 144
Irish Baha'i youth taking part in a Walk for World Peace in October 1987 ........... 147
Counsellor Beatrice Asare presenting the Peace Statement to the Asantahene of
the Asante State of Ghana in September 1988 ................................................... 150
Counsellor Viol ette Haake presenting the Peace Statement to the Deputy Prime
Minister of the Cook Islands in October 1990 .. .. ... ...... .. .. . .. .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. . 150
Baha ' i representatives presenting the Peace Statement to NATO Base persom1el in
Keflavik, Iceland, in October 1988 .. .. ... ........ ... .... ................ ................... ........... 150
Baha'is in Lesotho receiving the United Nations' "Peace Messenger Award" in
September 1987 ............... ..... .................... .... ...... .... ... ........ ............... .. ... ............ 152
Mr. Dexter King, son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Baha ' i Peace Conference held in Oslo, Norway, in October 1986 .... ... .................. ...... .......... ..... .... ... 153
The President of France, His Excellency Franc;:ois Mitterrand, with a Baha' i pioneer to Reunion at a reception in Paris in March 1990 ... ........ ..... ..... .... ........ ..... 156
The booth staffed by the Baha'i Publishing Tmst of Argentina during the International Book Fair held in Buenos Aires in April 1989 .. ....... .... ...... .. .. .... .... .... ..... 158
Counsellor Edith Senoga visiting Baha ' i communities in western Uganda in Febmary 1990 .... ....... ........................................ ............... .. ....... ..... ... ... .. .................. 161

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The National Spirihial Assembly of the Baha'is of French Guiana with two Auxiliary Board memb.ers in April 1987 .......... .... .. ........... ......... ........................... ..... 163
Participants in the National Convention of the Baha' is ofCiskei in April 1987 164
Members of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is of Jamaica at the
International Convention in Haifa, Israel, in April 1988 .. ..... .. .. ...... ... ... ... ....... .. 165
Counsellor Violette Haake at a meeting with Auxiliary Board members in New
Caledonia in November 1991 ............................ .................. ....... .... ... ..... ... .. ...... 165
Participants in a conference for Auxiliary Board members ' assistants held in Swakopmund, Namibia, in July 1988 ........ ..... .. ......... ................ ... .. ......... .... ...... ... .... 166
Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre Magdalene Carney visiting with the National Spirihial Assemblies of Senegal and the Gambia ............ 166
The Hand of the Cause of God Amah1 ' l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum opening the
Local Baha'i Centre in Sheun"g Simi, Hong Kong, i1~ November 1990 ............... 168
Counsellor Lucretia Warren with members of the National Spiritual Assembly of
Mozambique in front of their newly acquired National Centre, March 1989 .... 168
The new offices of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Kiribati,
dedicated in 1989 ... .. .. .... ........ .. ..... .. ... .. ......... .. ... ..... ....... ...... .. ....... .... ...... ... ... ... .. 168
Friends gathered for the inauguration of the Baha'i Centre in Ndava, Burundi, in
October 1989 .... ..... ..... ... ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. ....... .. ... .. ... .. .. ... ..... ... .... ... .... .. ...... .. ... .. 168
Children in a Baha'i tutorial school in Ngoakiri, Central African Republic; 1987 .. 174
A Baha'i children's class in Florida, Uruguay, in November 1988 ...................... . 175
A Baha ' i tutoria l school in Chaco, Paraguay, in March 1989 ................................ 176
The wedding of two Baha 'i couples at the Lenakel Baha'i Centre on Taima Island,
Vanuatu, in January 1987 ....... .. .......... ....... ...... ....... ... ... .. ..... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ...... ... .. ... 177
Children from the Inarajan Baha'i School on Guam, in the Mariana Islands, planting acacia seedlings in October 1990 .............. ................................... ........ .. ... ... 179
An experimental pepper farn1 being developed in Sarawak, Malaysia; 1988 181
The Dorothy Baker Centre in Bolivia, used for environmental studies; 1987 ........ 181
In Switzerland, Baha'is participating in the annual clean-up of marshland
fo1med where the Rhone Rivers flows into Lake Geneva; March 1992 181
A Baha ' i doctor prescribing medicines to a patient she examined during a free
medical camp held on Bhit Island near Karachi, Pakistan; 1989 .. .. .. .... .... .... .... . 184
Inauguration of a public well built by the Local Spiritual Assembly of Bata,
Equatorial Guinea; November 1988 .. .................... ......... ... ......... .... ...... .... .... ..... 185
Participants in a fence-making course held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as a rural
development project in November 1988 ........ .. ........... .. .... ........ .. ..... .... ...... .. ...... 186
A geography lesson at the Baha' i School of the Nations in Aracibo, Puerto Rico,
in April 1992 ... ..... .. .. .... .. .. ...... ... .... .. .. ... .. .......... .. ..... .. .. .... .. .. ..... .. .. ........ ..... .. .. .. .. . 187
The children of the Mbabane Pre-School in Swaziland singing a song; 1987 187
A Mobile Baha ' i Institute in Cotonou, Benin, in January 1989 ...... ... ... .... ..... ..... .. . 189
The first Nineteen Day Feast possible since the 1930s was celebrated in Moscow
inAprill989 ...... ........ .... .. ...... ........ ..... ........... .. .................................................. 197
The first open teaching project in modern Russia; Murn1ansk, July 1989 ..... .. .. .... 200
A music group spontaneously forn1ed during a teaching project in Neptune, Romania, in July 1991 , attracting large crowds to gather around Baha 'is .................. 202

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Travelling teachers from Brazil singing for youth in Poland in 1990 ............... ..... 202
Members of El Viento Canta being interviewed at a radio station in Zagreb, Yugoslavia; 1990 ............ ....................... .............................. .................. ...................... 202
Participants in the first National Baha'i Conference of the Soviet Union, held in
February 1990 near Moscow ...... .................. ................................................ ..... 202
A group of Baha'is spent three weeks sailing on a Viking-styled ship down the
Volga and Don Rivers teaching the Faith during the summer of 1990 .. ... .... .. .. . 204
The Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar Funltan visiting Baha ' is in Samarkand
in April 1990 .. .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .. ..... ... .. ... .. ... ...... ....... .. ... .. .... ........ .... .. ... .. .... ........ ... .. .. 206
A Baha'i delegation met with the President of Albania, His Excellency Ramiz
Alia, in his offices in Dunes in November 1991 ............... ..... ........................... 206
Baha'is attending the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace, held in Ulaan-Baatar,
Mongolia, in September 1990 ... .. .... .... ... .. ... .. ... .. ..... ... . .. ..... .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .... .. ........ 209
Knight ofBaha'u'llah 'Abbas Katirai, who arrived, with his wife, Ric;Jvaniyyih, in
Sakhalin in March 1990 ................................................................... ... ............... 212
Baha'is in Tallin, Estonia, in June 1987 ............................. .................................... 214
Pioneers in Riga, Latvia, holding their first Nineteen Day Feast in September 1989 214
Baha'is attending the National Teaching Conference held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in
October 1991 ...... ... ....... ..................... .. ..................... ....... .............. .... ... ......... .... 216
Participants in the regional conference held in Odessa, Ukraine, in February 1992 216
Baha'i youth from several countries staffing a display in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, in August 1990 .... .. ..... ..... .. ... ..... .. ... .. ....... .... .. ... .. .......... ..... ............ .. .. .. ... .. .. . 218
Five members of New Zealand's Youth for One World, who travelled to teach in
eastern Europe during the summer of 1990 ... .. .. .. ... .. ... .. ..... .. ..... .. . .. ............ .. .. .. . 219
Knight ofBaha'u'llah for Mongolia Sean Hinton, seated with the first native Mongolian Baha'i, Oyundelger; 1990 ........... ..... ................... ............ ... ..................... 220
Friends posing with the first issue of the Russian Baha'i newsletter, The Express,
publishing in December 1991 ............... ............ ................................................. 224
Members of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Marv, Turkmenistan, Russia.
Elected in September 1990 .... ...... ......... .. ... .... ... .. ...... .. ... ..... .. ... .. ... .. ........... .... .. .. 224
Counsellor Donald Rogers meeting with community members in Kingston, St.
Vincent, in May 1986, to consult about the Six Year Plan ............................ ... . 226
In Thailand, Baha'is living in refuge camp "Site Two" were married during aceremony held in October 1987 227
American Baha'i ente1iainers Leslie and Kelly holding a press conference during
their teaching trip to Taiwan in May 1986 ............................ ... ... .. ..................... 235
Two Baha'i youth pariicipating in a cross-border teaching project held in Zacatecas, Mexico, in July 1987 .... .. ..... ............. .. .............. ....................................... .. 237
In St. Lucia, representatives of National Assemblies from thirteen eastern Caribbean countries gathered for a planning session held in October 1987 ....... ........ 238
Representatives of fiv e National Assemblies and Baha'i International Community
offices in New York and Geneva met to discuss external affairs; Febmary 1988 238
Pope John Paul II meeting the Baha'i representative to the World Conference on
Religion and Peace held in Italy in July 1991 .. .. .. ... .. .. . .. ..... .. ... .. .. ...... .. ...... ... .. .. . 245
Presentation of the Peace Statement to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, the
Right Honorable Sir Lynden Pindling, in February 1988 ................... ........... .... 245
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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIO NS

Liberian Baha'i refugee children in Cote d'Ivoire, March 1991. "Perchance ... the
brilliant pearls of the Kingdom ... " .......................................................... ......... . 246
The President of the Seychelles, His Excellency Albert Rene, meeting with a
Baha'i delegation in Victoria in December 1991 ........................................ ..... . 248
Baha'is taking part in a parade on the anniversary of the proclamation of independence of the Central African Republic, December 1986 .... .............................. . 249
During a teaching conference in Assomada, Cape Verde, in 1987, two youth
present a theatrical piece about teaching in Iran .... ................................... ........ . 250
In Burkina Faso, a training and refresher course for primary health workers being
held in Koalio in May 1990 ................................ ........... ... ..... ... .... .. ... ... ....... ..... . 252
In Lome, Togo, children in the Rainbow International School and Kindergarten
during a Peace Festival held in March 1990 ......... ........ ......... ....... .... .. ..... ... ... .. .. 252
A literacy class being held in Ginkongozo-Rugazi Prefecture, Rwanda, in 1988 252
Staff members at Radio Baha'i Liberia (ELRB) in Monrovia in March 1987 254
The Baha' i booth during the Transkei Agricultural Show held in Umtata in October 1990 ....... ............. ............................ .. .......... ..... ........................................... . 255
Two young musicians playing at the Baha'i International Music Festival held in
Gaborone, Botswana, in December 1989 ........ .... .... ....... .................................. . 256
The Baha'is of Manzini, Swaziland, laying the cornerstone of their regional
Baha'i Centre during a ceremony held in October 1990 ................................... . 258
Participants in a Family Life Conference held in Limbe, Cameroon; February
1991 áááááá ááááááá ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá áááááááá áááááááááááááááááááá áá ááá ááá ááááááááááááááááááá 259
Pottery being created during the National Baha'i Women's Conference in Nakuru,
Kenya, in February 1989 ............. ..... ................................................................ . 259
A group ofBaha'is who walked 800 kilometres from their village to attend a conference held in the Fizi Zone of Zaire in July 1989 .... .... .... ....... ..... .... ... ...... .. ... . 259
New Baha'is in Lewfen, Senegal, who embraced the Faith during the Viera Teaching Project in 1988 ........... ..... ..... ....... ..... ........... ....... .. ........ ..... .. .......... .. .... .. ...... . 259
Youth participating in the 'Star 88' teaching project in Botswana; June 1988 261
Counsellor Lally Wanen visiting with friends in the village ofKabwafu, Malawi,
in August 1990 .. ...... .......................... ..... .......... .................. .............................. . 262
Teaching institute held at the William Masehla Baha'i Institute in Zambia; 1986 264
Participants in a deepening seminar held in Gueckedou, Guinea; December 1990 264
Baha'is helping with construction of their new Teaching Institute at Titye, Kashlu,
Kigoma, Tanzania in 1990 ... ................... ....... ............................. .. ............... ..... . 264
On Rodriquez Island, friends in La Ferme pose with Counsellor Gilbert Robert
and his wife, Daisy Robert, during their visit in October 1990 ......................... . 266
Friends working together to make mud bricks for the new Baha'i Primary School
in Yakandor, Pujehun District, Siena Leone; 1987 .................................... .... ... 266
A Teaching fastitute being held in Bamako, Mali, in December 1987 .............. ... . 266
A Baha'i doctor offering medicine to Liberian Baha'i refugees in Cote d'Ivoire .
March 1991 ...... ........ ...... .......... ... ... ... ..... ............. .... ..... ....... .............................. . 267
Friends attending the Baha'i International Peace Conference in San Francisco,
California, in August 1986 ...... .................... ............. ....................................... .. 268
Friends with plaque presented to the Brazilian Society of Educators for Peace;
1989 270
XIX
LI ST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Members of the Raul Pavon teaching team with women in Puno, Peru. 1990 271
Singers Seals and Croft participating in the Martin Luther King Day Parade in
Atlanta, Georgia, in January 1991 .. .. .. .. . .. .. ... .... .. ... .. ... ..... .. ..... ... .. ....... ...... .. ... .. .. 272
Baha'is in Havana, Cuba, welcoming visitors from Mexico in November 1996 273
In the United States, First Lady Barbara Bush welcomes a Baha'i International
Community representative to a White House reception held in June 1990 274
In Guadeloupe, a Baha 'i reads "Education for Peace" during a World Religion
Day progranm1e held in January 1987 ............... .. .............................. ................ 274
In Trinidad, Baha' is gather to commemorate the United Nations' Human Rights
Day in December 1988 .. ............ .. .............. ...... ..... ..... ... .. ..... ........ ..... ...... ..... ... .. . 274
A Radio Baha'i, Bolivia, staff member during a campaign to fight cholera; 1991 278
A Radio Baha'i, Panama, staff member preparing to broadcast music; 1987 278
The staff of WLGI, the Baha'i radio station in Hemingway, South Carolina, in
November 1987 ................... ................. .. ..... .... .. ..... ............. .............. .......... .... .. 278
Exterior view of the facilities for Radio Baha' i, Chile; February 1988 .................. 278
Friends teaching the Faith during a radio interview held in Colima, Mexico; 1987 279
A staff member of Radio Baha ' i, Ecuador, interviewing a villager; 1987 ............. 279
Some of the friends who produce the weekly Baha' i radio programme in the Guajiro language in Maracaibo, Venezuela; 1990 ....... .......................... .... .... ....... ... 279
Exterior view of the facilities for Radio Baha' i, Peru; 1988 279
A Garifuna Baha'i teacher in the Carrib Territory of Dominica; 1991 285
Participants in the second Regional Youth Conference for the Caribbean, held in
Grenada, August 1988 ........ ..... ....... .... .. .... .......... ...... .. .............................. ......... 288
Participants in a youth conference held in Barbados in August 1990 ....... .. ...... ..... 289
Teaching on the island ofCayemite, off the coast of Haiti, in November 1989 290
Baha ' i participants in an orientation for a teaching proj ect in Belize; June 1990 290
Children performi ng traditional dances in the Guaymi Cultural Centre in Panama.
April 1989 ............... ....................... .. .. ....... .......................... ............................... 292
Friends gathered at the Peigan Baha ' i Institute, Alberia, Canada ; December 1989 295
A Toba Baha ' i woman in the Chaco Region of northern Argentina ; 1989 296
Students of violin at the School of the Nations, Brasilia, Brazil; 1988 .................. 297
Exterior of the Maxwell Baha'i School near Vancouver, Canada; 1992 ....... ......... 297
A Baha'i tutori al school in the Guajiro Region of Colombia; 1987 .................. ..... 297
Nicaraguan youth who took training classes in children's education; January 1992 297
Participants in a workshop that was part of the Baha'i winter school in Haiti;
March 1987 ................... ......... .... .. ... ... ..... ..... .... ......... ............. ............................ 300
Martinique 's ninth National Convention, held in Fort-de-France; 1992 ...... ....... ... 301
Members of a Baha ' i Regional Native Council in Panama taking a break from
their meeting to visit the House of Worship ; June 1991 .. .... ... .. ... .. ... ........ ... ... .. 30 1
In Bermuda, friends gathered for a winter schoo l held in February 1987 ..... ..... .. .. 301
A moilier and daughter at the Local Baha'i Centre in Tai Dong, Taiwan; 1988 302
Baha'is consulting during the Vajdi Memorial Teaching Project held on Great
Nicobar Island in February/March 1990 .... ...................... ............... .. ... .......... .. .. 306
Presentation of the Peace Statement to the wife of the Minister of Lands and Land
Development of Sri Lanka; June 1988 ..... ........ .................. ........ .... .................. . 307

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LIST OF ILLUSTRAT IONS

T he Crown Prince of Thailand receiving a handmade art object from a young representative of the Sp iritual Assembly; September 1989 ..... .. .......................... ... 308
The Minister of Tourism for Nepal , Ram Hari Joshy, award ing a prize to a w inner
of the Baha' i youth song contest held at Naw-Ri'.1z in Kathmandu ... .. .. ... .......... 308
The Prime Min ister of Bang ladesh, Begum Khadela Zia, presenting Counsellor
Jab bar Eidelkhani with the "Young Scientist Award 1990"; July 1991 ... . ......... 308
An Auxili ary Board member speaking about individual transformation during an á
interfaith seminar held in Coimbatore, India, in January 1991 ....... .......... .. ....... 3 10
T he Hand of the Cause of God Amatu' l-Baha Ri'.1!)iyyih KMnum visiting w ith students from the School of the Nations in Macau in May 1989 ........................ .... 312
The Prime Minister of India, H is Exce llency Raj iv Gandhi , presenting a "Friends
of Trees Award- 1986" to a representative of the Rabbani School ... ........... .. .. 312
Students in a class at the Tadong School in Ranipul , Sikkim, in 199 1 312
Participants in a Ba ha'i Children 's Institute held in Larut Matang, Ma laysia;
December 1987 ..... ... . .. ... . . ... ... .. .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. ..... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ...... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. ... . 312
A Baha' i doctor during a three-day med ica l clinic sponsored by the Nationa l Spiritual Assembly of the Phili pp ines at Naw-Ri'.1z 1987 .. .. ..... .... ... .... 3 15
T he Local Baha ' i Centre at Ban Vieng Kham Ta i, Laos, dedicated in May 1986 . 3 17
T he Local Baha'i Centre at Mandalay, Myanmar, dedicated in January 1991 3 17
Baha'is participating in a World Religious Book Ex hibition held in Tokyo, Japan,
inJuly 1990 .. ....................................... ..... ..... ..... ...... .. ..... ................. ................. 318
Baha'is participating in the third International Book Fair held Beijing, China, in
September 1990 . .. . .. .. .... ... .. .. ... .. . . ... ..... .. .. ... .. ... .. ... ... ... .. ... .. .. .... . ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....... 318
A Mangyan Baha'i family on its way to a teaching conference he ld in Mansalay,
Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, in 1986 ...... .............................................. ......... 322
Baha'i children in Singapore supporting the co untry's Green and C lean Week in
November 199 1 by designing and displaying banners about the env ironment .. 323
Two Baha' i friends at a National Teachi ng Conference in Sydney, Australia, "in
December 1987 .... .................................................... ..... ..... ........................ .... .... 324
Traditional dancers fro m Kimama vi llage in the Western Province of Papua New
Guinea during a teaching project in 1989 .. .... ........... ............. ............. .... .. .... .. ... 326
Baha' is dancing during a National Teaching Conference held in Ap ia, Samoa, in
July 199 1 .. .... ........ ... ....... .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .................................. .... .... ...... ......... ........ 327
A New Zea land Baha' i with a long spear-like Maori weapon he turned into a digging tool as a g ift fo r the Baha'i House of Wo rship in India; 1988 ......... ......... .. 328
Four Samoan Baha'i women visiting the Cook Islands in September 199 1 as part
of the Ocean of Light proj ect .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. ... .. .. .... . ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. . .. ... ... . .. .. .. .. .. . .. . 329
Mr. Peter Kaltoli, the first loca l person to become a Baha'i in Vanuatu (then ca lled
the New Hebrides), w ith Counsellors Bruce Saunders and Sirus Naraqi in 1991 330
Counsell or member of the International Teaching Centre Donald Rogers visiting
Baha'is in Perth, Western A ustrali a, in 1990 ............... ... ........... ..... ................... 33 1
In the Marshal l Islands, President Amata Kabuajoining Baha ' is during a dinner to
commemorate the Internati onal Year of Peace; October 1986 .......... ..... ........... 334
In Western Samoa, Baha'is wa lking with the conmrnnity's fl oat in a parade to ce lebrate the 25th anniversary of the cou ntry's independence; June 1987 ............. 334

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

In the Solomon Islands, Baha'i youth with the float they created to help celebrate
the 10th anniversary of the country's independence; July 1988 ..... ................ .. 334
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Eastern Caroline Islands; 1987 336
Baha'i representatives to the meeting sponsored by the South Pacific Commission
and held in Fiji in September 1988 ........ .. .. .. .. .... ...... .. ............ .. .. .. ........ .... .......... 340
Children attending the Baha'i kindergarten KoloJo 'ou, Nuku'alofa in Tonga; 1990 342
Members of the group Youth for One World, which formed in 1990 to use music
to proclaim the Faith, posing in Masterton , New Zealand .. .......... .. ........ .......... 343
A special prayer service held at the Baha' i House of Worship in Samoa during the
summer school in January 1987 ........................................................................ 346
A day-long gathering for Baha'i families and their friends held at the Baha' i
House of Worship in Sydney, Australia, in 1988 .............................. .. .......... .... 346
Participants in the European Baha'i Youth Conference held in July 1989 in the
Netherlands ............. .... .... .. ..................................... ... ................ ... ...................... 348
A view of the Great Eastern Conference held in Dieburg, Germany; March 1987 350
A mural painted by Baha'i youth of the Canary Is lands in 1988 .. ...................... .. .. 352
The Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery celebrating his 90th birthday
during the summer school held in Filipstad, Sweden, in July 1986 ..... .. .. .. .... .... 353
Balloons being released in San Marino ' s main square during the European Baha'i
Youth Conference held in July 1989 ... .. .... .... .... .. ... .... .......... .. ................ .. ......... 354
Participants in the National Baha' i Youth Conference held in Sete, France, in 1989 356
Romani (Gypsy) Baha ' is ofTorreviej a, Spain, celebrate Naw-Ruz in 1987 .. .. ..... 358
Mrs. Meherangiz M unsiff w ith a family of Gypsies she met during her trip to
Lappeeranta, Fi nland, in July 1987 .. .... .... .... .. ...... .... .............................. .. .. .. ...... 358
Participants in a teaching project held in Cyprus in 199 l 358
Counsellor Loui s Henuzet receiving the "Peace Messenger Award" on behalf of the
Baha'i community of Belgium during a ceremony held in Brussels; 1987 .. .. ... 360
A group of new Baha' is in Koyuslukow, Sivas, Turkey, gathering to establish their
first Local Spiritual Assembl y; January 1992 ..................................... ........ ....... 361
The first International Dialogue on the Transition to a G lobal Society being held at
Landegg Academy in Switzerland in September 1990 ...................................... 362
Baha' is receiving a commemorative stamp issued by the Post Office of the United
Ki ngdom to honour Bernard Leach, a potter and a Baha'i; November 1987 ..... 364
An exhibition of Baha' i books held as part of a Congress on Religious Studies at
the New University in Lisbon, Portugal, in January 1992 ...... .. ......................... 366
An exhibition of Baha'i books displayed during the International Book Fa ir in
Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in October 1990 .. .. ...... ..... ............. .. ........... .. ................ .. 367
Oneworld Publications' edition of The Hidden Words ofBaha ' u'llah displayed in
a Sherratt & Hughes bookstore in the United Kingdo m in July 1989 ...... .. .. .. .... 368
The Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone with other participants in the
summer school held in Iceland in August 1987 ......... .. ........ ....... ....................... 369
Participants in the opening of the first Baha' i Schoo l in Vej le, Denmark, in September 1989 ..................................................... ..... .. ..... .. .. .. .... ..... .. ..... ........ .. ...... 369
The House of the Bab in Shiraz, being demolished by Iranian authorities soon after
the Islamic revolu tion in 1979 .................. .. .......... .. .................... .... ..... .... .......... 370

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LIS T OF ILLUSTRATIONS

A photograph taken around 1896, showing a Baha'i father and son in chains after
being arrested with fellow Baha'is. Both were subsequently executed ............ 372
A photograph taken in May 1955, showing members of the Shah's army and Muslim leaders joining in the destruction of the National Baha' i Centre; Tihran, Iran 373
The House of the Bab in Shiraz, a place of pilgrimage for Baha'is, was destroyed
by Revolutionary Guards in 1979 and later completely razed .. .. .. .. ..... ..... .... ..... 375
Shortly after the Islamic Revolution , the National Baha' i Centre in Tihran was
confiscated by authorities ... ... ... .. ... .... ...... ... .. ...... ........ ...... ...... ........ .... ... .... ....... . 377
Destruction of a Baha'i cemetery in Shiraz in 1979 ........ .. ... ... ............... .. ... .... .. .... . 381
Light fixture on the colonnade of the Shrine of the Bab .... ... .... ..... ..... .... ....... ....... .. 382
Individual photographs of some of the martyrs .. ........................ .. ....... ................... 399
In the Gambia, participants in a Baha'i Women 's Institute held in the Regional
Baha' i Centre of Latri-Kunda in 1987 .. .. ........ .. .................. ... ......... ..... .. ... ....... 408
In the United States of America, a reception to honour Laura Dreyfu s-Barney held
at the UNICEF House in Washington, D.C., in July 1988 ................. ...... ..... .... . 408
In Chad, the "Roses Noires" Baha'i women's group ofSarh learning sewing skills
in June 1988 ............ ... ...... ..... ..... ....... .......... ... .. ....... ........ .... .. ................... ......... . 410
In Malaysia, Richard and Mona Grieser meet with participants in the "Traditional
Media as a Change Agent" project in Sarawak; 1992 ............. ... ...... .... ..... ...... ... 412
In Luxembourg, the Baha'i Women 's Union organized a conference with concert
heldin0ctoberl988 ........ ..... ..... ........... ................. .......... .... ..... .. .. .... .... .. .......... 413
In Mexico, Rosalinda Espinoza de Frazelle talks about "Women and Peace" during a Baha'i women's conference held in 1987 ..... .. ........ .. ...... ....... .... ........ ....... 413
In Bangladesh, Shirin Boman addresses a Baha ' i women 's conference held in
Dhaka in 1986 .... .......... ........................... ..... ... ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. .. ... ....... ................. 413
In Kenya, one of the fri ends makes a point during the National Baha' i Women 's
Conference held in the Nakuru Baha'i Centre in February 1989 ... .. ... ...... ......... 413
Uruguay hosted an International Baha ' i Women ' s Conference held in Montevideo
in October l 989 .. ..... .... .. .. .. . .... . .. .. ..... ..... ... .. .. .. ... ..... . ... .. .... ... .... .... .. ...... .. .. .. .. ... ... 414
A Pacific Baha'i Women's Conference held in Hilo, Hawaii , in mid-1991 415
Louise Profeit-Leblanc gives a presentation during the Conference for the Association for Baha'i Studies held in Irvine, California, in September 1989 ............. 417
In the Solomon Islands, Baha'i women and children presenting their custom dancing during the Women ' s Week celebrations held in September 1988 ....... ...... .. 418
In Pakistan, a public meeting held in memory of Tahirih was organized by the
Local Ladies Committee of Karachi; August 1989 .. ...... .. ...... .... ...... .. ...... ...... ... 419
In the Philippines, President Corazon Aquino and the Vice President of the All
Nations Women's Group, a Baha ' i, in May 1990 ..... ..... ........... .............. .. .. ..... .. 420
Participants in the Rubi Institute International Training Course for Tutorial School
Teachers and Preparation for Youth Year of Service, Colombia; November 1986 422
Youth volunteers in "The Temple Brigade" helping to clean the Baha'i House of
Worship in New Delhi, India, in 1988 .......... .................................... ........ ..... ... 423
Some of the youth serving at the Baha'i World Centre in March 1990 ..... .... .... ..... 424
A Baha' i youth of Vanuatu with students of the literacy class he teaches on Tanna
as part of his Year of Service; February 1992 ... ........... ...... ... .... ............... ... .. ... .. 426

XXlll
LIST OF I LLUSTRA TIO NS

Youth Year of Service volunteers went into the Kalahari Desert in Botswana to
hold deepenings for the Baha' is who live there; October 1987 .. ...... ..... ...... 427
In Hawaii , American Baha' i youth cooking during a two-week-long summer camp
held on Maui for Russian youth in 1988 ........... ....... ... .. ..................................... 428
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, a Sparks for Peace team of Baha ' i youth reinstalling a
fence as a service project in a national park in 1989 . .. ... ... .. ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. ....... .. .. ... 428
In the Dominican Republic, a yo ung graduate of the Olinga Institute courses in
service to the Cause teaching a children's class in 1991 .................................... 428
In Luxembourg, Baha'i youth volunteers working to clean and maintain the Garden of Wiltz; 1990 ....... .. .. .... .... .. ... ... .. ....... .. .... ............. ........ ........ ... ... .. .... .. ... .. .. . 429
In Uganda, part of the youth programme during the summer school in Mbale was
to help clean up the local hospital ; 1991 ... ..... .................................................... 429
In Tonga, a Baha'i youth group after cleaning downtown Nukualofa in support of
World Health Day; 1990 ........... ... .. ...... ...... ... .. ... ..... ..... ........ ........... ........... .... .... 429
In Scotland, youth participants in Operation Mona, after cleaning up a section of
the River Clyde in July 1986 .. .... .. .. ..... ..... ....... ..... .. ........ ......... .. .... .... .. ........ ...... 430
In Singapore, yo ung Baha'is after helping to clean up a beach as a community service project in 1990 ... . .. ... ... ........ .. .. .. ..... ... . ..... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ... .... ... ..... ........ .. .. .... .. . 430
In St. Vincent, children and youth participating in a Baha' i-sponsored activity to
clean up Villa Beach; April 1992 ... .... .... .. .... ....... ......................... ...... .... ....... .... 430
In Panama, Baha' i youth performing cultural dances as part of the International
Day of Peace activities in Boca de! Monte; 1989 ....... ......................... ........ ...... 431
In Nigeria, members of the Baha ' i youth ' s football club, called The Peace Makers,
during the semi -final match in a local soccer competition; 1987 ............... ....... 431
In Taiwan , six youth who enro lled in the Faith during the Muhajir Teaching
Project in 1987 are members of three ethnic minorities .. .............. .. ......... ... ..... . 431
The third Peace Moves '89 Regional European Youth Conference, held in July
1989 in Madrid, Spain ..... .............. ........ ....... ....... ....... .......... .... ....... ....... .... 436
The members of the first European Baha' i Youth Council after their first meeting
in London , England, in November 1989 ..... ..... ..... ......... ... ........... .... .... ... ...... ... .. 437
Participants in one of the four European Youth Conferences held in the summer of
1991 took place in Neptune, Romania .. ... .. ........ ... .... .... .......... ..... ........ .............. 439
Participants in the George Adam Benke Project in Bulgaria attending the National
Teaching Conference held in Plovdiv in October 1991 .... ....... ...... .......... .......... 440
The members of El Viento Canta before beginning their tour of Europe in 1988 .. 443
Members of El Viento Canta with children on the grounds of the Baha ' i House of
Worship near Kampala, Uganda, during their tour of Africa in 1989 ... ............. 444
Members of El Viento Canta in U laan-Baatar, Mongolia, with Knight ofBaha'u ' llah,
Sean Hinton, and some of the first Mongolian Baha'is; 1990 ............. ....... ....... 445
Members of the Wildfire Youth Theatre Group during a performance in New
South Wales, Australia, in February 1989 .. .......... ... ..... ... ...... .......... ..... ..... ........ 449
Light in the Darkness performing during the European Baha'i Youth Conference
held in Neptune, Romania, in July 1991 .. ......... ....... ......... .... ... ..... ...... ...... .... ... .. 450
Musical entertainment being presented during a youth conference held in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania, in November/ December 1991 ........... ...... .... .... .... .. .... .......... 451

XX IV
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Participants in Austria's National Youth Conference; Spital am Pyhrn; 1992 45 l
The Prime Minister of Guyana, His Excellency Hamilton Greene, addressing the
Caribbean Baba 'i Youth Conference held in Georgetown in August 1989 451
Friends attending a youth institute in P01t Moresby, Papua New Guinea, in
December 1988 .. .. .. .. ... .. .... .. ..... ... . .. .... .... .. .. .. ... ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .... ..... ... .... ....... .. .. .. ... .. 452
Participants in a quiz held during the National Youth Conference in Lahore, Pakistan, in September 1988 ............ ......... .... ............... ......... ........... .......... ..... .... ...... 452
A group photograph taken during the International Youth Conference held near
Harare, Zimbabwe, in August 1990 ....... .. .. ...... ... ............ .... ... ............ ... ............. 452
Two guest lecturers and friends associated with the Chair for Baha'i Studies at the
University oflndore, India, in January 1992 .. ........... ......... ..... ... ......... .. ... ...... ... 455
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Ru l~iyyih Khanum and Dr. Erwin
Laszlo followipg the General Systems Research Conference in Hungary; 1987 460
Participants in the Australian National Baha ' i Studies Conference, held in Adelaide in March 1989 .. .... ... ..... .. .. .. ...... .. ... .. .. .... ..... .. ... .. ... .. .. ....... ... ... ..... .. .. ... .. ... ... 461
The first meeti ng of the Association for Baba ' i Studies in East, Central, and South
Africa being held in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 1990 ........ .......................... 463
The Association for Baha'i Studies, French-Speaking Europe, holding its third
annual meeting in Luxembourg in November 1986 .......... .... ................. .. ......... 465
The Association for Baha'i Studies, German-Speaking Europe, during its fifth
ammal conference, held in Austria in 1989 ... ................... ... ....... .. .... ...... ..... ...... 466
The Association for Baba 'i Studies, Japan, during its first a1mual conference, held
in Tokyo in December 1991 .. .... .. ... .. ... .. ............................. ....... ....... ... ..... ......... 467
A speaker during the thirteenth meeting of the Association for Baha'i Studies,
N01th America , held in Ottawa, Canada, in October 1988 ........ ..... .............. .. ... 468
A Seminar on Intercultural Issues preceding the Conference of the Association for
Baha ' i Studies held in Irvine, California, in 1989 ... ....... .. ..... ...... .. .................... 469
The Association for Baha'i Studies, Papua New Guinea, holding its second conference, in Po1t Moresby in May 1989 .. ........................................ .......... .... ...... 470
A member of the Baha'i International Health Agency visiting the home of a
Baha'i Health Education Agent in Sarh, Chad, in June 1988 ... ............ .... .... .. ... 4 72
The European Baha ' i Business Fomm ho lding its second a1mual conference in
Paris, France, during the late summer of 1991 ... ............ .... .... .... ... ..... ..... ... .. ... .. 476
Participants in Art Forum '9 1, held at the Baha'i Conference Centre in De Poort,
Netherlands .. ... ..... .......................... ...... ... .... ...... .... .. .............. ........ ..... .......... ... ... 479
Art Forum East, held in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, in July 1991 ........................ 480
Students at the Tadong Baha 'i School in Sikkim, India, learning to use computers
as part of their regular curriculum; 1991 ...... .. ... ..... ........ .... ... .... .... .. ... .. .. ... ... ... .. 483
Dr. Ethel Martens at the Baha'i Internationa l Community display during at the
World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland, in May 1988 . .. .. ... .. ... . .. 524
A representative of the National Assembly of the Baha 'is of Brazil receiving the
United Nations' "Peace Messenger Award;" September 1987 ..... .. ................... 526
Baha'i International Conmmnity representatives Mrs. Mary Sawicki Power and
Mrs. Tinai Hancock at a South Pacific Committee Conference held in Suva,
Fiji, in September 1988 ...... .. .................................. ............ ............................ ... 535

xxv
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Rul:J.iyyih Khanum presenting a
copy of the Baha'i Statement on Nature to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in Winchester, England, in October 1987 .... .. ..... ...... .. ... ......................... 541
Certificate of Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
the Cook Islands; 2 February 1989 ......... ... ......... .. ........ ....... ..... ......................... 545
Recognition of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Guinea-Bissau
in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution; 7 July 1988 .... .... ... ..... .. 546
Receipt of the Declaration of Trust for the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha'is of Guinea; 29 May 1986 (first page) .................................................... 547
Certificate of change of name from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is
of South and West Africa to the National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa;
27 March 1987 .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .. . .. .. ... .. .. . .. ... .. ... .... .... .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. ... ........ .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. . 548
Certificate of Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha 'is of
the West Leeward Islands; 23 October 1991 ..................................................... 549
Decree by the Government of Quebec, Canada, regarding the Civil Registtáy of
Baha'i Local Spiritual Assemblies in Hull, Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec,
Longueuil, and Montreal; 1990 (first page) ....................................................... 551
Registration of the Baha'is of Ashkhabad of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic by the Council of Religious Affairs at the Council of Ministers of the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics; 25 Janua1y 1990 ................................................. 552
Recognition of the Baha 'is of Dushanbe of the Tadzhik Soviet Socialist Republic
by the Council of Ministers ofTadzhikistan; 14 November 1990 .......... ........... 553
Appointment by the Attorney General of a Baha'i Marriage Office in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Effective from 10 March 1988 ............................. 556
Approval of a legal representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha'is of Burundi by the Minister of Justice, dated 12 October 1988 ............. 557
Letter from the Ministry of Finance of Equatorial Guinea, recognizing the right of
the National Spiritual Assembly to be exempt from taxes; 29 April 1986 ........ 558
Certificate of recognition of the Lomaivuna Baha'i Kindergarten by the MinistJ.y
of Education of the Government ofFiji; 21August1987 .................................. 559
Circular Letter from the Minister for the AdministJ.áation of the Territories of
Gabon stating that the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Gabon 560
may carry out all activities; 6 May 1987 .......................................................... ..
Ce11ificate registering the offices of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Baha' is of Ireland as a place for the solemnisation of marriage; 8 September
1988 ááá áááááááááááááááá áááááááááááááááááááá ááá ááá áá ááá ááááá ááá ááá áááá áááá áááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá 561
The Malawi Gazette Supplement, dated 7 November 1986, giving notice of the
licensing of the Baha'i Centre in Limbe, and the Baha'i Teaching mstitute in
Amalika Village, as a place for the celebration of marriages ......... .. ...... ........ ... 562
Rental agreement between the Baha'i Property Incorporate and three individuals
for a Baha'i Centre, filed with the clerk of Courts on Santo Island, Kwajalein
Atoll, in the Marshall Islands; 14 November 1986 .................. ....... ..... ....... ....... 563
Letter from the Department of Education for the Conunonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands recognizing Baha'i Holy Dates when children may be excused
from classes; 10 September 1987 ....... .. .......... .......... ............................... .. ........ 564

xxvi
LIST OF IL LUSTRAT IONS

Notification by the Government of Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs and
Minority Affairs of the appointment of a Baha' i on the Advisory Council for
Minorities Affairs ...................... ............... ............. ..... ...... ..... ... ....... .................. 565
Certificate of Registration of a Permitted School in Papua New Guinea for the
Baha' i Study Centre to operate as a high school; 14 November 1986 ...... ..... .... 566
Marriage contract of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Philippines, which was approved by the government in 1987 ... ........... .. .................... 567
Certificate of Registration by the Republic of Zambia of the William Mmuthe
Maseltha Baha' i Institute; 5 October 1988 ........... ... ...... ... ............... .... ....... ...... . 568
First Day Cover of a commemorative stamp portraying the House of Worship in
Apia, issued by the Government of Western Samoa for Christmas 1988 .. .. .... .. 569
The Postal Department of India depicted the House of Worship in New Delhi on a
postage stamp to mark the Diamond Jubilee of that city .................... .... .... ... ... . 570

Part Four: Th e World Order of Baha 'u 'llah

Partial view of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice from the south 608
Five Hands of the Cause leading friends attending the International Convention
towards the Shrine of the Bab for the observance of the Ninth Day ofRic;lvan ... 619
A delegate casting her ballot during the election of the Universal House of Justice
during the International Convention held at Ric;lvan 1988 .. .............. ... ... .. ... ... ... 619
A delegate expressing his views during a consultative session during the International Convention .. .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ...... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... .. ... ... ... ... ... .. .... .. . .. . .. ... .. 620
A delegate during one of the special continental sessions held as part of the International Convention . ... . .. ... .. .... .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. . .. ... ..... .. ..... ... ... .. ..... ... .. ... .. .. ... . .. .. . .. 620
The Hands of the Cause of God Amatu ' l-Baha Ri'1l;iyyih Khanum, Dr. 'Ali-
Mul;ammad Varqa, and William Sears during International Convention, 1988 .. 622
The members of the Universal House of Justice elected at Ric;lvan 1988 .. .. ... .. ...... 623
The Hand of the Cause Jolm Robarts and his wife planting a tree in Northern Ireland during their visit there in August 1986 .......... .. .... .......... .. .......................... 638
The Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone and his wife attending the National
Convention in Mauritius in May 1987 ... ... ... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. . .. ... . .. ... .. .. .. ...... .. . ...... .. .. . 642
Amatu ' l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum presenting a copy of the Peace Statement to the
Governor of Macau in April 1989 .. ....... ... ...... ....... .... .... .. .. ... ... .... ........ ........... ... 653
The Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery with Lilian Alai and Tosi Malietoa during the National Convention held in Apia, Western Samoa; April 1989 653
The Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone and his wife attending the Aboriginal Baha'i Institute held in Forsayth, Australia, in June 1989 ................ ........... 656
The Hand of the Cause H . Coll is Featherstone and his wife visiting Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam, in August 1989 ...... ... .. ............. ... .......... ........................... .. ........ 658
Amatu ' l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum meeting the President of Argentina, Dr. Carlos
Menem, during the "Uniting the Americas" conference; Febrnary 1990 ....... .. . 662
The Hand of the Cause Mr. 'Ali-Akbar Furutan visiting with members of a Baha 'i
fa mily in Dushanbe, Tadzhik, in the Soviet Union, in March 1990 ... .. .......... .... 663

xx vii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The Hand of the Cause of God Wi ll iam Sears in Worcester, Massachusetts, in
October 1.99 1, encouraging the friends to fil l the Six Year Plan goa lsá .. ... L .. ... 668
The Hand of the Cause Dr. 'Ali-Mul?ammad Varqa with Baha'i children in Greenland in Apri l 1992 ........................................................................................ .. .... 67 1
T he members of the Uni versal House of Justice, fi ve Hands of the Cause of God,
Counsell or m embers of the International Teach ing Centre, and members of the
Continenta l Board of Counse ll ors in Haifa in May 1988 .................................. 682
Counsellor Beatrice Asare be ing greeted by member of the U niversal House of
Justice Dr. Peter Khan in the Seat of the International Teaching Centre; 1988 .. 682
The Hands of the Cause of God Dr. 'Al i-MuJ:iammad Varqa, Wil lia m Sears,
Amatu' l-Baha Rlil?fyyih Kha nu m, 'Ali-Akbar Furu tan, and H. Coll is Featherstone at the Mansion of Mazra' ih during the Counsell ors' Conference; 1988 .... 683
Coun sell ors Robert Harris and Arturo Serrano consu lti ng w ith Coun sellor member
of the International Teaching Centre Dr. Magdalene Carney; May 1988 ......... 683
The members of the Inte rnati onal Teaching Centre; June 1988 ...................... .. ..... 685
The Continental Board of Counse ll ors for Africa in 199 1 .............................. .... ... 688
The Continental Board of Counsell ors fo r the Ameri cas in 199 1 688
T he Continenta l Board of Counse llors for Asia in 199 1 690
T he Continental Board of Counse ll ors for Australasia in 199 1 ... ........ .... .......... .. .. 690
T he Continental Board of Counsell ors for Europe in 199 1 .. .. ....... .. ............ .......... . 69 1
In Suriname, Counsellor Jacq uel ine Delahunt consu lts w ith Mrs. Terry Madison
during the National Convention held in Paramaribo in April 1990 .................. . 692
In Czechos lovakia, Counsell or Rul?u' llah Mumtazi visits with frie nds in Prague in
December 1986 ................................................ ..... .. ....... ...... ............................. . 692
In Hawaii , Counsellor Gayle Morri son during a meeting w ith the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands and the Local Assembly of Honolulu ; 1987 692
In Ko rea, Counse llor Kim Myung Jung j oins in the celebrati on of the Seventi eth
Anniversary of the Introdu ction of the Faith in Korea; Seoul , February 1992 .. 693
In Guatema la, members of the Continental Board of Counsell ors fo r the Americas
and some Auxi li ary Board members meeting with members of the Nationa l
Sp iritual Assembli es of Central America; 1990 .. .. ...... .. ................... .. ............... 693
In Bophuthatswana, Counsell or member of the International Teaching Centre
Dr. Magda lene Carney meets with Counsellors Dani el Ra moroes i and Lall y
Warren, and Auxiliary Board members Enos Makhele and Sohail Rowhan i; 1989 693
Counse ll or Ursul a Milhl schl egel participates in the National Convention held in
Athens, Greece; April 1987 .................................... ..... .. .............. .. .. .. .... .. .......... 706

New National Spiritual Assemblies

Page Page
Guin ea-B issa u (1989) ................ .. 708 West Leeward Islands ( 199 1) .. .. 7 11
Macau ( 1989) ....... ....... .. .. .. ........ .. 709 Ango la ( 1992) ......... .. ... .... ...... .. 7 11
Union of Soviet Socialist Rep ubli cs The Baltic States ( 1992) .......... . 7 12
( 199 1) ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá áááá 709 Albania ( 1992) ....................... .. 712
Ro mania ( 199 1) .. ............ .. .... .. .. .. . 710 Hungary ( 1992) .. ....... .. .... .. .... .. 7 13
Czechoslovakia ( 1991 ) .. .......... .. .. 7 10 Po land (1 992) .. .... .. .. .. .. ....... .... . 71 3

XXV l ll
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova Greenland (1992) . . 714
(1992) ........ ....... ..... .... ...... ..... 714 Bulgaria (1992) 715

Re-established National Spiritual Assemblies

Page Page
Zaire (1987) .. .... ........ ... ... ..... ....... . 715 Niger (1992) ......... ....... .. ...... ..... . 717
Azerbaijan ( 1992) .. .... ..... ...... .... ... 716 Central Asia (1992) ..... .... ....... .. . 717
Congo Republic (1992) ....... ....... . 716

Seven members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Loja, Spain, in October 1986 724
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Ashkhabad, Turkmen, S.S.R., re-formed in 1989
after a lapse of fifty years .. ... .. ..... .. ..... .. ... .. ... .. ... .. .. .... ... .. .. ... .... .. .. . ... .. ....... ... ...... 724
The Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is of District 10 in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam, elected at Ri~van 1990 .. ..... ..... ........ ................ ...... .......... .... .... ... ........ 724
Members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Johannesburg, South
Africa, consulting during a meeting in 1988 ........... ... .. ........... ........ ...... ........ .. .. 725
Chi ldren gathered for Baha'i classes in the local l:{a:.:-:iratu ' l-Quds in Dzitya,
Yucatan , Mexico, in 1987 ......... ... .. .. ..... ...... ........ ..... .......... ..... .... .. ............ ... .... .. 725
Members of local youth committees meeting with the National Youth Committee
of Germany to consult about the Six Year Plan. Mainz, Germany; March 1987 725
A Nineteen Day Feast being. held áat the Khao-i-Dang Annex Refugee Camp in
Thailand in 1987 .............. :. .... .............. ............ ..... ... ...... .... ...... .... ...... ....... .. ..... .. 726
Roslyn Buie reading a prayer during the devotional part of the Naw-Ruz celebrations held in Port Vila, Vanuatu, in March 1992 . .... . ...... ... .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 726
Children of Ambano, Madagascar, singing during the Naw-Ruz celebrations held
in their community in March 1991 .. ... .. ... .. .. ... .. .. . .... .. ... .. .. .. .. ... ... ... .. .. .. .. ..... . ... ... 726
Friends enjoying the Ayyam-i-Ha celebrations sponsored by the Local Spiritual
Assembly of San Jose, California, USA, in February 1988 .... .. .. ............. .......... 727
A social activity held during a Weekend Baha'i School in Macau in January 1988 727
Young friends providing entertainment during the Naw-Ruz celebration held in
Paramaibo, Suriname, in March 1988 ..... ......... ... ..... ...... ........ ....... ......... .. .... ... .. 727
The Mother Temple of the Asian Continent, in New Delhi, India, on the day of its
Dedication, in December 1986 .. . ... .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. . .. .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 732
The three Hands of the Cause of God who attended the Indian Temple Dedication:
Amatu ' l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum, William Sears, and Col lis Featherstone ...... 735
Three choirs performing during the Indian Temple Dedication service ... ... ...... .. ... 736
Arn atu ' I-Baba Ruf:iiyyih Khanum addressing the opening session of the International Teaching Conference held in New Delhi in December 1986 .......... ........ 739
Exterior and interior views of the "Lotus ofBahapur" ... ..... .. .... .. .... ...... .. .... .... .. .. .. . 741
Aerial view and details of the exterior of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar .. ........ ... ... ......... 742
The British High Commissioner in Delhi during his visit to the Baha ' i House of
Worship in January 1989 ... .... ..... ... ......... .. ..... ....... .. ... ....... .. .... ...... ...... .... ........... 747
The Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church being escorted to the Temple for
an official vi sit in January 1989 ... ......... .. ... ....... .... .. ......... .. ...... .. .. .... ...... ............ 747

XXIX
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The Assistant Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations at the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in February 1989 .............. ..... .......... ....................... ..... .. ..... 747
The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka during his visit to the Temple in March 1988 .. .. 748
The Ambassador of the United States to India attending the Dedication ceremo~
nies for the House of Worship in December 1986 ..... ........... .. ......................... .. 748
The Ambassador of Thailand to India at the Lotus Temple in April 1990 ............. 748
The Vice-Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Broadcasting, Film and Television
at the Baha'i House of Worship in October 1990 ......... ...... .... .. ...... .......... ......... 749
A delegation of Soviet film artists vis iting the Temple in January 1989 ..... .... .. ..... 750
The Ethiopian Minister of Labour and Social Welfare during his visit to the "Lotus
ofBahapur" in January 1990 ........ ....... ......... ................................ ... ........ ... ....... 752

Part Five: In Memoriam

Page Page
Giachery, Dr. Ugo ...................... . 778 Hollibaugh, Eleanor ..... .. ...... ..... . 870
Khadem, Zikrullah (Dhikru'llah Nahvi, Saeed (Sa'id Na~vi) ....... . 872
Khadim) ...... .... ....... ................ ... 788 Ahdieh, Mansour (Man~t'.ir
Khazeh, Jalal (Jalal'u'Ilah Kha<;li') 791 'Ahdiyyih) ............. ........... .. ... .. 874
Sears, William ............................ . 797 Su mah, Mohamed Lamin ... .. .... . 876
Roba1is, John .................. ..... ..... . . 806 Fitzpatrick, Henry Bertron ... ..... . 878
Featherstone, Collis .. ..... ..... .... .... . 815 Sanchez Martinez, Juan ...... .. ... .. 881
Wolcott, Charles ......................... . 819 Gulick, Robert Jr. ................. ... .. . 883
Kavelin , Borrah .......................... . 823 Jensen, Knud .. ... ....... ..... ........ ... . 885
Tihrani, Qudratu ' llah .... . 826 Navidi, Azizollah ('Azizu'llah
Winnanik and Mubarak ... .. .. ... ... . 828 Navidi) ...... .... .... .. .......... .. ....... . 888
Khianra, Dipchand ..................... . 831 Suleimani, Suleiman (Sulayman
Khabirpour, 'Aziz ('Azizu' llah Sulaymani) ............................. . 890
Khabirpur) .. ... ...... .. .... .. ... ... ...... . 834 Sivapiragasam, Kandiah ............ . 891
Leong, Yan Kee ......... ..... ... ... ...... . 835 Laws, Frederick ...................... .. . 894
Mingorance Fernandez, Jose .. ... . 838 Bausani, Alessandro ...... ........... . 895
Bernal de Sanchez, Aura Maria .. . 839 Ashton, Beatrice Owens ...... ... .. . 898
Khan, Fazal Mohamad ..... ... ....... . 841 Olson, Cynthia and Edgar ......... . 900
Hoahania, Hamuel ...................... . 844 Perks, Thelma ........................... . 906
Koirala, Masheed Iqani (Mashid Menking, Jo Anne .................... . 908
iqani Koirala) .. ..... ...... .. .~...... . 845 Shayani, 'Azizu'llah ...... ........... . 911
Duna, Rudolfo .. ......... .. .. .. ........ ... . 847 Baghdadi, Adib Radhi (Adib Ra<;li
Dobbins, Bertha ..................... .. .. . . 849 Baghdadi) ....... ... ... ... ............. ... 914
White, Tumanuvao William ....... . 852 Hawthorne, Rose ........... ...... ..... . 916
Mazakrnat, Apelis ...................... . 855 Hopper Welsh, E leanore (Rene) 917
Trojankova-Bendova, Juliana ... . . 858 Lamb, Dora Worth (Dee) .......... . 920
Dodge, Isabelle Stebbins ............ . 860 Lindstrom, Shirley (Adaz
Aidun, Go! .................................. . 862 Ayamdagoot) ......... ........ ........... . 92 1
Storch, Juanita Marie ........... ... .... . 865 Saavedra Gallardo, Melit6n .. .... . 923
Caswell, Louise ...... ........ ............ . 868 H0eg, Johanne ..... .... ......... ....... . 925

xxx
LIST O F ILLUSTRATIONS

True, Edna ..... .... ..... ......... .. .. ...... . 928 Master, Mahvash ......... ... ...... ... .. 978
Blakely, Elsa Lillian (Judy) .... ... . 930 Villiers-Stuart, Jane ..... ...... ..... .. . 983
Jami~ , $ala~ ... ............ ..... ... ......... 933 Ahmadiyeh, Hedayatoullah
Munje, Harilal 934 (Hidayatu'llah A~madiyyih) .. . 986
Walker, Zlmarian 936 Harvey, Winnifred ....... ............. . 989
Newman, Beatrice .. .. .. ............. .... 939 Francis, Dorothy .... ... ... .. ........... . 991
Lutchmaya, Roddy Dharma ...... .. 941 I:f addad, Akbar ....... ...... ...... ....... . 992
Evans, Esther .. .. .. .. .... ...... ........ .. .. . 942 Sala, Emeric ... ........... ... .... ........ .. 995
Malakooti, Ehsanollah (I~sanu 'llah Parsa Mazzoni, Noranieh
MalakUti) .................................. . 944 (Nuraniyyih Parsa Mazzoni) .. . 997
Kazemzadeh, Kazem (Ka~im Papai, Ludwig .. ... .... .... .............. . 998
Ka~imzadih) .. .. ........ .... ........... . 947 Heller, Frances Gordon ........... .. 999
Habibi, Habib (I:fabib I:fabibi) .... . 948 Rezvani, Monireh (Munirih
Quigley, Robert Joseph ...... .. .... ... 950 Ri<;lvani) .................................. . 1002
McLaughlin, Robert ...... ... ..... ... .. 952 Bagley, Florence .. ................ .. ... . 1004
Pa Tepaeru Ariki (Lady Davis) .. . 955 Bishop, Helen .... ..... ....... ... ... .. .. . 1007
Garcia Vazquez, Manuel ........... .. 956 Zucker, Arthur Allen .... ........ ..... 1009
Vajdi, Khodadad ............ .. ......... . 957 Haenni de Bons, Mona ............ .. 1011
Rice-Wray, Edris .... ... .. .. .. .... ... .... . 959 McLaren, Edith ... .. ... .... ... .. .... ... .. 1013
Ortiz Gutierrez, Aparicia ............ . 960 Kanyerezi, Max .................... .. ... 1014
Sabet, Habib (I:fabib Thabit) ..... .. 962 Macdonald, Charles .................. . 1017
Sabet, Rostam (Rustam Thabit) .. . 964 Nielsen, Lotus ... .... .... .. ..... .... .. ... . 1019
Gualavisi Farinango, Rufino ... .... 967 Camey, Magdalene ... ...... .... .. .... 1022
Tanyi Tambe, Solomon ... ... .. ...... . 969 Warde, Shirley ................. ..... .. ... 1024
Lohse, Doris ....... ........................ . 970 Friedland, Eberhard ....... .. ......... . 1026
Te Paa, Ephraim .... ............... ..... .. 973 Umegae, Kazutomo .... .... .. ....... .. 1027
Nounou, Salim ...... ........ .. ....... ..... . 976 Fozdar, Shirin ....... ......... ... ..... ... . 1029

Part Six: Directory, Bibliography, Glossary

Relics ofBaha'u'llah, including His pen and pencase ..... ..... ..... ....... .. ... ..... ....... ... 1032
The International Baha'i Archives Building, on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel .... 1052

Part Seven: Literary and Musical Works

The Prison Cell in the Most Great Prison in 'Akka .... ... .. ..... ....... ..... .. ... ... .. ... .. . .. .... 1068
Lua Getsinger, whom 'Abdu' l-Baha surnamed Liva (Banner) .......... .. ...... .. .. ... ... .. 1092
Miss Lillian Kappes, Dr. Sarah Clock, and Dr. Susan Moody with Mu~tafa Khan
and Tahirih Khanum in Tihran, iran; circa 1912 .......... ............. .. ..... .. ... ...
Dr. Susan Moody with two young children on her lap. Tihran; circa 1912 ....... .. ...
=... 1093
1095
Miss Lillian Kappes, Muchul Khanum, Dr. Susan Moody, Dr. Sarah Clock, and
Miss Elizabeth Stewart with children and a servant in Tihran; circa 1912 1097

xxxi
LIST OF ILLUSTRAT IO NS

M iss Lillian Kappes with boys in the Tarbiyat Schoo l in Ti hran; circa 1912 1100
M iss Lillian Kappes, Dr. Sarah Clock, Dr. Susan Moody, and Miss Elizabeth
StewartinTiluáan; 19 13 .... .... ......................... ..... ........ ....... ................................ 1102
Dr. Genevieve L. Coy during her visit to Haifa in Apri l 1922, on her way to take
up her post at the Girl's Tarbiyat School in Tihran ..... .... ............ ..... ........ ...... ... . 1103
Miss Adelaide Sharp with the Baha'i Youth Group in Tihran; circa 1937 ............. 1104
Keith Ransom-Kehler at the seventh Persian National Baha'i Convention ; 1933 .. 1107
Martha Root with Baha'i women in T ihran; 1930 ................................................. 1110
Jamal Effendi with friends in Egypt ...... ............................................ ..................... 111 7
Students of the New Era Development Institute's Community Development Facilitator Course planting rice w ith fellow Baba ' is in Maharashtra, India; 1991 1123
Members of the Baha ' i communi ty of Caserta, Italy, pl anti ng aco rn seedl ings on a
hillside as an environmental project in March 1987 .... .. ...... .............................. 11 23
A papaya farm in Dzitya, Yucatan, Mexico, which Baha ' is are working as a rural
development project; 1986 .............. .......... .... .............. .............. .... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .... 1 130
A piggery project in Liancou1i, Haiti , conducted by the local Baha' i com munity;
1987 ....... .... .. .............................. ........ .. ... .. ........... ......... ........ ............... .............. 1130
T he Tahirih Farm in Moissala, Chad, initiated by the local Baha ' i community as a
social and economic development project; 1989 .............................................. . 1130
A gift from the Baha'is of Alaska to the Baha'is of Samoa for the House of Worsh ip in Apia .... .... ..... .. .... ..... ....... ................. .... .. ........ .......................................... 11 37
Roya Aschari playing the violin during Art Forum '9 1, organized by the Baha ' i
Association for the Arts and held at De Poort, Netherlands .............................. 1140
Baha'is using street theatre to teach principles of development during an 'awareness camp' held in Jhapua, Madhya Pradesh, India; May 1988 ................ .. ...... I 144
Detail of a tapestry by Vickie Hu Poirier made as a gift for the first Sino-American
Women's Confe rence, held in Beijing in 1990 ............ .. ...... .... .......................... 1151
In Vanuatu, Baha'is in Lawital, Tanna, performing a custom dance during a Spirituali zation and Teaching Institute held in January 1992 .................... ....... .. ....... 1154
The Baha ' i puppet theatre group known as El Retablo del Mosqu ito , from the May
Maxwe ll Cultural Centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, performing in 1988 ...... 1156
A painting by a prisoner in Yazd, f ran , showing nine fel led trees representing the 115 8
nine ma1tyrs of Yazd in the 1980s ..... ................................... ...................... ....... .
The Hux tables-a Baha'i fa mily on St. Helena Island, in the South Atl an tic; 1986 1161
In Malawi, friends help to get the ca r of a visitor up the road; August 1990 .......... 1161
Members of the Spirit ofBadi ' teaching project in New Zealand; 1988 ..... ........... 1161
Children in the Baha'i literacy classes in the Upper Corentyne District ofBerbice,
Guyana, searching for letters whi ch spell "I Love Guyana"; 1990 .................... 11 64
An American Baha'i Youth Year of Service volunteer in Botswana usi ng a globe
to make a point during a deepening session with some friends; 1987 .......... .... . 1164
Women learning to read and write at the Baha'i Vocational Institute for Rural
Women in Kalyanpu ra, Madhya Pradesh, India; 1988 ..... .................. ....... ..... ... 11 64

XXXll
INTRODUCTION

AIMS AND PURPOSES OF THE
BAHA'i FAITH

DAVID H OFMAN

RELIGION has two objectives, the re- which a harassed humanity is striving.
generation of men and the advancement of Nation-building has come to an end. The
mankind. All men have been. created to anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is
cany forward an ever advancing civilization moving towards a climax. A world, growing
proclaims Baha 'u ' llah, and Th e purpose of to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recogthe one true God, exalted be His glo1y , in. nize the oneness and whol eness of human
revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare relationships, and establish once and for all
those gems that lie hidden within the mine of the machinery that can best incarnate this
their true and inmost selves. fundamental principle of its life.' 1
These aims of religion, universal and Religion sees the course of history as
eternal, nevertheless have been conditioned an organic process, moving towards the full
to the capacities of each age or dispensation realization of all the potentialities implanted
and the great religions of the past have in man. The vicissitudes, the great advances,
developed their social orders within gener- the hiatuses it regards as the natural w1foldally definable times and areas. Judaism, for ment of that process just as the succession of
instance, attained its peak under Solomon bud, leaf, flower and frnit is the natural
and was confined, before the dispers ion, unfoldment in the life of a háee; or infancy,
to the Near East; Zoroastriani sm remained childhood, youth and maturity in that of a
Persian until the Arab conquest and the man. Indeed, Baha' i scripture explains, the
settlement of a renmant in Western India; process is the same. The sun is the effective
Christianity became the religion of Euro- agent in the organic life of the earth; religion
pean civilization; the building of the nation in that of humanity. Th e Sun of Truth is the
state undertaken by Islam remained a Muslim Word of God upon which depends the eduexperiment until feudal Europe learned the cation of those who are endowed with the
lesson and its city states gave way to and power of understanding and of utteran.ce. 2
adopted the more advanced order. It has The creative Word, revealed in each stage of
remained for the Baha ' i religion to declare human progress by a Manifestation of God,
and promote the cause of world order- the and conditioned to the requirements of the
sine quo non of its existence- and to time, is the effective agent in the long, single
disc lose the concomitant unities of religion, process of humanity 's development from
of mank ind and of historical purpose. 'Unity
of fa mily, of lTibe, of city-state, and nation
I Shoghi Effendi, Guardi an o f the Ba ha ' i Faith, The
have been successively attempted and full y Unfold111e11t of World Civilization .
established. World unity is the goal towards 2 Baha'u ' llah , Dniyiry-i-Dlr11i0_.
2 T HE BAHA ' I WORLD

infancy to World Order. This truth is embodies that divine energy in an adminisenshrined in all revealed religion although it trative order capable of bringing within its
needs the illumination ofBaha'u' llah 's reve- shade all the diversified ethnic groups and
lation to enable men to perceive it. myriad types of the human race, who may
'The first picture presented in the Bible find within its wide embrace a full, happy
is that of human unity in its simplest form; and purposeful life. Baha'i activity therefore
that of a single family. The last picture is that is directed not only, as in the past, to the
of a unity manifold and universal in which spreading of the Word, but to the establishall kindreds and tongues and peoples and ment of the fabric of that Order which,
nations are gathered into one and unified enshrined within the creative Word itself,
in the enjoyment of a common worship, a becomes the chief instrument for the further
common happiness, a common glory. diffusion and social application of the
'The great problem which, according to Divine Message. This World Order, which
the Bible, confronts the human race in its the Baha'i Faith exists to establish, is none
progress is that of advancing from the bar- other than that long-promised Kingdom in
est, baldest unity through a long experience which peace, justice and brotherhood shall
of multiplying diversities till ultimately a prevail universally and 'the earth shall be
balance between the two principles is struck, filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
poise is gained and the two forces of variety Lord, as the waters cover the sea '. 3 The
and unity are blended in a multiple, highly establishment of this World Order is dependeveloped world fellowship, the perfection dent upon the regeneration of mankind
of whose union was hardly suggested in the which must tum again to God and recognize
prinlitive simplicity of early man.' 1 His purpose. The two aims of religion are,
This spiritual view of evolution is the therefore, interacting and interdependent.
constant theme of religion. Each revelation Such a world-shaking transformation
refers to the past, looks forward to the future ca1mot be brought about by any movement
and concentiáates upon the immediate need ofrefom1, however disinterested, nor by any
for spiritual regeneration and enlightenment. unaided human effort. Modem man has
The Prophet evokes in human hearts a sacri- turned away from God, and bereft of his
fic ial love which transcends self-interest and traditional sanctions, has inevitably wrecked
causes the early believers to dedicate them- his old order which, in truth, is lamentably
selves entirely to the practice and diffusion inadequate to modern conditions and is not
of the new message. As it spreads it works susceptible of repair. Soon, is Baha 'u' llah's
like leaven in society, reforming its morals, prophetic view of our day, will the presentuplifting its vision and promoting a greater day order be rolled up, and a new one
diffus ion of love in social action. spread out in its stead. Likewise, The signs
'World history at its core and in its of impending convulsions and chaos can
essence is the story of the spiritual evolution now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailof mankind. From this all other activities of ing order appears to be lamentably defective.
man proceed and round it all other activities The current aim of religion, embodied in
revolve. ' 2 the aims and purposes of the Baha'i Faith, is
Unlike the revelations of the past, the the promotion of the next stage in the organic
Baha 'i revelation releases not only the process of human evolution- the coming of
creative Word necessary to the renewal of age of the human race. The achievement of
spiritual vitality in the human spirit, but this maturity will be attested by the unification of mankind and the federation of the
I George Townshend , The Heart of the Gospel, 1939.
2 ibi d. 3 Habakkuk 2: 14.
INTRODU CT ION 3

world in a single, all-embracing world society 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Centre of the Covenantof human brotherhood. But great objectives its monuments and gardens, and of its 'worldare reached by dedicated pursuit of the shaking, world-embracing, world-directing
preliminary and intermediate stages of the administrative institutions' .1
task, without ever losing sight of the The Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha
ultimate goal, and this has been and is now is the charter for the development of the
the occupation of the Baha'i world commu- administrative order of the Faith. In this
nity- the completion within specified times majestic document, the child of 'that mystic
of specified goals. These teaching plans to intercourse between Him Who communiwhich the Baha 'is eagerly devote their lives cated the generating influence of His divine
do far more than simply increase the size Purpose and the One Who was its vehicle
and consolidation of that world conununity. and chosen recipient, ' 2 are delineated the
They are devised and launched by the head structure of the administrative order, its
of the Faith-the Guardian and now the modus operandi, its main institutions, the
Universal House of Justice-and are therefore chain of authority, the source of guidance
conceived from a global view, directed to and the position of every believer vis-a-vis
the immediate needs of the great objective, the Covenant. It has been well called the
conservative of the conununity's resources, 'Charter of the New World Order of
world-wide in scale permitting the organic Baha'u'llah'.
development of each part according to its The Tablets of the Divine Plan , a series
stage of growth but with due regard for the of fourteen letters written by 'Abdu'l-Baha
needs of the whole, fostering intensively the to the believers of the United States and
unity, the international co-operation, the Canada, some addressed to the entire comdiversification of the ethnic, religious and pany of believers in the North American
social backgrounds of its increasing mem- continent and others to those in named geobership and developing new resources for graphical areas of the continent, constitute
the next step fo1ward. the charter for teaching the Faith throughout
It should be noted that none of these plans the world. 'Abdu'l-Baha names the places,
is isolated in aim or conception but all are the people to whom teachers must go, the
directed towards the implementation of three conditions under which they must travel and
great charters, enshrined in Balla' i sacred settle and He reveals several prayers for
Writings, which authorize and guide the those who undertake this all-impo1tant task.
expansion of the Faith and the development All the international plans of the Faith
of its institutions. In past Dispensations the launched so far have set specific goals aimed
command to 'spread the Gospel' has been at implementing these three charters and it is
general and unspecified. It was the inspired incontrovertibly apparent that never in any
guidance of the beloved Guardian of the preceding Dispensation has the command to
Baha'i Faith which disclosed to a spiritually spread the Word of God been given, in the
delighted and grateful community yet sacred text, such explicit guidance and
another of the unique features of this Dis- detailed objectives.
pensation in the specific guidance given in As the Faith of Baha'u'llah increases in
these three chatters for the implementation size and influence other aims and objectives
of this eternal command. become apparent and possible of pursuit.
Baha'u'llah's Tablet of Carmel is the The relationship with agencies, institutions
charter for the development of the Baba ' i and authorities of the non-Baha ' i world
World Centre in the twin cities of 'Akka and
Haifa, the site of its most sacred Shrines- I Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America.
the tombs of the twin Prophets and of 2 Shoghi Effend i, Th e Dispensation of Bahn 'u 'l/tih.
4 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

becomes an important consideration once the of the Baha'i conummity.' 3 'A chaste and
community emerges from obscurity, and has holy life must be made the controlling prinled to public relations programmes and the ciple in the behaviour and conduct of all
development of closer association with the Baha'is, both in their social relationships
United Nations . The Baha'i International with the members of their own conununity,
Community is accredited as a non-govern- and in their contacts with the world at
mental agency with consultative status to large. ' 4 'It requires total abstinence from all
the United Nations Economic and Social alcoholic drinks, from opium, and from
Council (ECOSOC) and in various ways to similar habit-forming drugs. It condel1Uls the
other agencies of the United Nations. The prostitution of art and of literature, the
fostering of this relationship has been the practices of nudism and of companionate
goal of all international plans so far, and is marriage, infidelity in marital relationships,
visualized as a continuing process. There are and all maimer of promiscuity, of easy
other objectives related to the special char- familiarity, and of sexual vices. ' 5 ' As to
acteristics of Baha'i life which become more racial prejudice, the corrosion of which, for
and more important as the Faith grows and well nigh a century, has bitten into the fibre,
engages greater and greater public attention. and attacked the whole social structure of
They affect Baha'i individuals, conununities American society, it should be regarded as
and institutions alike. TI1ese objectives fall into constituting the most vital and challenging
two groups-those concerned specifically issue confronting the Balla ' i conununity [of
with standards of conduct and those which that country] at the present stage of its
relate to special Baha'i practices . evolution. ' 6
The &tandards of conduct enjoined by The regeneration of men- the first objecthe Prophet are invariably different from tive of religion mentioned in this essay- is
and sometimes diametTically opposed to the therefore seen as the prime objective of the
generally accepted ones of His day. High Baha'i Faith. Membership in the Faith is
standards of conduct are, throughout Baha'i drawn from that society which permits and
scripture, constantly upheld and urged upon indulges itself in all those conupt, inrn1oral
the believers, but the Guardian of the Faith and prejudiced activities which Baha' is are
in an essay written in 193 8 addressed to the required to renounce, and since the Faith is
believers in the United States and Canada steadily but persistently growing in numbers
laid great stress upon the 'spiritual prerequi- there is reason to hope that slowly but surely
sites. . . which constitute the bedrock on a regeneration will take place.
which ... all teaching plans ... must ultimately Further, these Baha'i standards of conrest ... 1 He writes of ' .. . a high sense of duct are not for individuals alone. They must
moral rectitude in their social and administra- be the hallmark of Baha'i institutions and
tive activities, absolute chastity in their conununities. 'Such a rectitude of conduct,'
individual lives, and complete freedom from wrote the Guardian, ' must manifest itself,
prejudice in their dealings with peoples of a with ever-increasing potency, in every
different race, class, creed or colourá.2 In verdict which the elected representatives of
his expansion of this theme he declared that the Baha'i collIDmnity, in whatever capacity
'This rectitude of conduct, with its implica- they may find themselves, may be called
tions of justice, equity, truthfulness , honesty, upon to pronounce. It must be constantly
fairn1indedness, reliability, and trustworth i- reflected in the busi ness dealings of all its
ness, must distinguish every phase of the life
3 Shoghi EITendi , The Adve111 of Divine Justice .
4 ibid.
1 Shoghi Effendi, The Advent of Divin e Justice. 5 ibid.
2 ibid. 6 ibid.
INTRODUCTION 5

members, in their domestic lives, in all man- Order which 'may well be regarded as the
ner of employment, and in any service they brightest emanation ' 3 of His mind and is
may, in the future, render their government none other than the long hoped for, Christor people." 'It must be made the hallmark promised Kingdom of God on earth. To
of that numerically small , yet intensely prepare men for the gifts of that Kingdomdynamic and highly responsible body of the peace, brotherhood, spirituality- and to raise
elected national representatives of every its very fabric in the world, are the immedi-
Baha ' i community, which constitutes the ate and long-time objectives of the Baha'i
sustaining pillar, and the sole instrument for Faith.
the election in every community, of that The energies of the Ba ha ' is therefore, in
Universal House whose very name and title, pursuance of these aims, flow in three major
as ordained by Baha ' u ' llah, symbolizes the channels: individual spiritual development,
rectitude of conduct which is its highest conveying the message of Bah a 'u ' llah to
mission to safeguard and enforce. ' 2 others , and developing the pattern of world
The attitudes deriving from such stan- society embodied in the Baha ' i administradards, and from all the varied teachings tive order. All these activities derive from
of Baha ' u' llah, must pervade all Baha'i the sacred text and it is the unique feature of
communities and imbue them with distinc- the Baha ' i revelation that whereas the first
tive characteristics which can be recognized, two are common to all revealed religions
amid the welter of opposing or mutually it is only Baha ' u'llah Who creates the instiuninterested groups and factions into which tutions and reveals the laws , delineates the
modern society is disintegrating, as easily as social order and establishes the principles
the features of an individual in a crowd. of the civilization to which His revelation
Those special Baha ' i practices which will will give rise. Neither Moses nor Christ,
inevitably characterize the Baha'i commu- Mul~ammad, Buddha, Zoroaster or Krishna
nity, are the regular observances of its Holy did this, although They all foretold that it
Days and Festivals, the abstention from would be done by Him Who would take the
work on nine such days during the year, the government upon Hi s shoulders and establish
observances by all members of the commu- the Kingdom in peace and righteousness.
nity of the annual fast, of the laws governing None of the traditional motives operates
marri age and di vorce, of dail y prayer, of the to create the Baha' i community, neither
invariable practice of consultation in all former associations, political or economic
affairs of life, and particularly by the regular identity of interest, racial or patriotic groupobservance of the Nineteen Day Feast. ing. Only the recognition and love of
The habitual practice of such laws and Baha ' u' llah brings into close relatedness
ordinances is an objective pursued by all and co-operative action people from every
Baha'is and Baha ' i families. human background , of all types of character
It is seen that the aims and purposes of and personality, divergent and diversified
the Baha ' i Faith may be stated as the raising interest. Through their brotherhood in
up of a world-wide community recruited Baha'u ' llah the old crystallized forms of
from every race, nation , colour, religious human divisiveness to which they formerl y
and social background known on the planet, belonged, whether of class, race, religion ,
inspired, united and regenerated by the occupation, temperament or degree of civispiritual teachings and love of Baha ' u' llah, lization lose their rigidity and eventually
dedicated to the building of that New World disintegrate. The growing Baha ' i community
on the other hand is essentially based on
I Shoghi Effendi, Th e Adve111 of Divine Juslice.
2 ibid. 3 Shoghi Effendi , God Passes By, p. 2 13.
6 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

love, is a brotherhood, a family, each the needs and adjust the relationships of
member delighting in the diversity of its all races and peoples. A world executive,
membership, welcoming the former pariah backed by an international Force, will carry
or outcast as a new flower in the garden, out the decisions atTived at, and apply the
each as proud of his humanity as was ever laws enacted by, this world legislature, and
the fo1mer chauvinist of his country. will safeguard the organic unity of the whole
Within such .a community the sun of commonwealth. A world tribunal will adju-
Baha'u'llah's revelation can evoke new dicate and deliver its compulsory and final
morals , new attitudes , new conventions, new verdict in all and any disputes that may arise
hopes and visions, all enshrined within the between the various elements constituting
text of the revelation itself and which pro- this universal system. A mechanism of world
vide the spiritual atmosphere and distinctive inter-communication will be devised, embracculture of the new day . Such a community, ing the whole planet, freed from national
as it grows, becomes more and more a true hindrances and resháictions, and functioning
social order, providing a soil to human life, a with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularclimate for its best development, an arena ity. A world meháopolis will act as the nerve
for the practice of its highest aspirations, and centre of a world civilization, the focus
a beacon light to attract and guide the disil- towards which the unifying forces of life
lusioned, spiritually impoveri shed, frenetic will converge and from which its energizing
and frustrated peoples of the earth. influence will radiate . A world language will
The energies of this new culture, guided either be invented or chosen from amo ng
and conserved to the service of human wel- the existing languages and will be taught in
fare by the agencies of Baha'u ' llah's World the schools of all the federated nations as an
Order, will result in the proliferation of new auxiliary to their mother tongue. A world
arts and sciences, new social and economic script, a world literature, a uniforn1 and
relationships, new educational methods and a universal system of currency, of weights and
general accession of well-being and felicity. measures, will simplify and facilitate inter-
The vision of the Baha ' i Faith, though glori- course and understanding among the nations
ous, is a practical one, and the number 'Jf its and races of mankind. In such a world society,
dedicated promoters grows with increasing science and religion, the two most potent
speed. It is summarized in the fo llowing words forces in human life, will be reconciled, will
by the Guardian of the Baha' i Faith, in his co-operate, and will harmoniously develop.
essay The Unfoldment of World Civilization : The press will, under such a system, while
'The unity of the hun1an race, as envisaged giving full scope to the expression of the
by Baha'u'llah, implies the establishment of divers ified views and convictions of mana world commonwealth in which all nations, kind, cease to be mischievously manipulated
races, creeds and classes are closely and per- by vested interests, whether private or public,
manently united, and in which the autonomy and will be liberated from the influence of
of its state members and the personal contending governments and peoples . The
freedom and initiative of the individuals that economic resources of the world will be
compose : ..:mare definitely and completely organized, its sources of raw materials will
safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as be tapped and fully utilized, its markets cofar as we can visualize it, consist of a world ordinated and developed, and the disháibution
legislature, whose members will, as the of its products will be equitably regulated.
hustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately 'National riva lries, hatred, and inháigues
control the entire resources of all the compo- will cease, and racial animosity and prejunent nations , and will enact such laws as dice will be replaced by racial amity,
shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy understanding and co-operation. The causes
INTRODUCTION 7
of religious strife will be permanently any other agency that can stimulate the intelremoved, economic baniers and restrictions lectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the
will be completely abolished, and the inordi- human race.
nate distinction between classes will be 'A world federal system, rnling the whole
obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and earth and exercising unchallengeable authorgross accumulation of ownership on the ity over its unimaginably vast resources,
other, will disappear. The enormous energy blending and embodying the ideals of both
dissipated and wasted on war, whether eco- the East and the West, liberated from the
nomic or political, will be consecrated to curse of war and its miseries, and bent on
such ends as will extend the range of human the exploitation of all the available sources
inventions and technical development, to the of energy on the surface of the planet, a
increase of the productivity of mankind, to system in which Force is made the servant
the extennination of disease, to the extension of Justice, whose life is sustained t y its
of scientific research, to the raising of the universal recognition of one God and by its
standard of physical health, to the sharpening allegiance to one common Revelation-such
and refinement of the human brain, to the is the goal towards which humanity, impelled
exploitation of the unused and unsuspected by the unifying forces of life, is moving.'
resources of the planet, to the prolongation
PART ONE

THE BAHA'i REVELATION
10 THE BAl-L.\'i WORLD

An ornamental eagle infront of an entrance to the courtyard of the Mansion of Bahri 'u 'llrih
at Ball}i.
I
EXCERPTS FROM THE BAHA'i SACRED
WRITINGS

1. BAHA'U'LLAH

I
EXTRACTS FROM THE KrTAB-I-AQDAS

37 Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation you through the power of truth. We are truly
direct from God, ere the expiration of a full almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me will
thousand years, such a man is assuredly a arise and serve Me with such dete1mination
lying impostor. We pray God that He may that the powers of earth and heaven shall be
graciously assist him to retract and repudiate unable to defeat his purpose.
such claim. Should he repent, God will, no
doubt, forgive him. If, however, he per- 53 Should differences arise amongst you
sisteth in his error, God will, assuredly, send over any matter, refer it to God while the
down one who will deal mercilessly with Sun still shineth above the horizon of this
him. Terrible, indeed, is God in punishing! Heaven and, when it hath set, refer ye to
Whosoever interpreteth this verse otherwise whatsoever hath been sent down by Him.
than its obvious meaning is deprived of the This, verily, is sufficient unto the peoples of
Spirit of God and of His mercy which the world. Say: Let not your hearts be perencompasseth all created things . Fear God, turbed, 0 people, when the glory of My
and follow not your idle fancies . Nay, rather, Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My
follow the bidding of your Lord, the Al- utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst
mighty, the All-Wise. Erelong shall clamorous you there is a wisdom, and in My absence
voices be raised in most lands. Shun them, 0 there is yet another, inscrutable to all but
My people, and follow not the iniquitous God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing.
and evil-hearted. This is that of which We Verily, We behold you from Our realm of
gave you forewarning when We were dwell- glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for
ing in ' Iraq, then later while in the Land of the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of
Mystery, and now from this Resplendent the Concourse on high and a company of
Spot. Our favoured angels.

38 Be not dismayed, 0 peoples of the world, 58 Beware lest the desires of the flesh and
when the day-star of My beauty is set, and of a corrupt inclination provoke divisions
the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed among you. Be ye as the fingers of one hand,
from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, the members of one body. Thus counselleth
and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are you the Pen of Revelation, if ye be of them
with you at all times, and shall strengthen that believe.
12 THE BAHA'i WORLD

105 W hoso interpreteth what hath been sent times, been regarded as lawful, to none is
down fro m the heaven of Revelation, and given the right to question His authority.
altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of Whoso will hesitate, though it be for less
them that have perverted the Sublime Word than a moment, should be regarded as a
of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid transgressor.
Book.
163 Whoso hath not recognized this sublime
121 When the ocean of My presence hath and fundamental verity, and hath failed to
ebbed and the Book of My Revelation is attain this most exalted station, the winds of
ended, tum your faces toward Him Whom doubt will agitate him, and the sayings of the
God hath purposed, Who hath branched infidels will distract his soul. He that hath
from this Ancient Root. acknowl edged this principl e wi ll be endowed with the most perfect constancy.
132 0 peoples of the world! Give ear unto All honour to thi s all-glorious station, the
the ca ll of Him Who is the Lord of Names, remembrance of which ado rneth every
Who proclaimeth unto you fro m His habita- exalted Tablet. Such is the teaching whi ch
tion in the Most Great Prison: " Verily, no God bestoweth on you, a teaching that will
God is there but Me, the Powerful, the deliver you from all manner of doubt and
Mighty, the All-S ubduing, the Most Exalted, perplexity, and enabl e you to attain unto salthe Omniscient, the All-W ise ." In tn1th, vat ion in both this world and the next. He,
there is no God but Him, the Onmipotent verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most
Ruler of the wo rlds. Were it His Will, He Bountiful. He it is Who hath sent forth the
would, tluáough but a single word proceeding Messengers, and sent down the Books to
from His presence, lay hold on all mankind. proclaim "There is none other God but Me,
Beware lest ye hesitate in your acceptance of the Almighty, the A ll-Wise".
this Cause-a Cause before which the Concourse on high and the dwellers of the Cities 174 0 people of the world' When the Mystic
of Names have bowed down . Fear God, and Dove will have winged its fli ght from its
be not of those who are shut out as by a veil. Sanctuary of Praise and sought its far-off
Burn ye away the veils with the fire of My goa l, its hidden habitation, refer ye whatsolove, and dispel ye the mi sts of vain imagin- ever ye understand not in the Book to
ings by the power of thi s Name through H im Who hath branched from this mighty
which We have subdued the entire creation. Stock.

161 B lessed is the man that hath acknowl- 175 0 Pen of the Most High! Move Thou
edged his belief in God and in His signs, and upon the Tablet at the bidding of Thy Lord,
recognized that "He shall not be asked of the Creator of the Heavens, and tell of the
His doings". Such a recognition hath been time when He Who is the Dayspring of
made by God the ornament of every belief Divine U nity purposed to direct His steps
and its very foundation. U pon it must towards the School of Transcendent Onedepend the acceptance of every goodl y deed. ness; haply the pure in heart may gain
Fasten your eyes upon it, that hapl y the thereby a glimpse, be it as small as a
whi sperings of the rebe llious may not cause needle's eye, of the mysteries of Thy Lord,
yo u to slip . the A lmighty, the Onmiscient, that lie concealed behind the veils. Say: We, indeed, set
162 Were He to decree as lawful the thing foot within the School of inner meaning and
which fro m time immemorial had been for- explanation when all created things were
bidd en, and forb id that whi ch had, at all unaware. We saw the word s sent down by
THE BAHA'I REVELATIO N 13

The doorway into the courtyard of the Mansion of Baha 'u 'llah at Mazra 'ih.

Him Who is the All-Merciful , and We 176 0 people of the Bayan! We, veri ly,
accepted the verses of God, the Help in set foot within the School of God when ye
Peril, the Self-Subsisting, which He 1 pre- lay slumbering; and We perused the Tablet
sented unto Us, and hearkened unto that while ye were fast as leep. By the one true
which He had so lemnly affirmed in the Tab- God! We read the Tabl et ere it was revealed,
let. This We ass ured ly did beho ld . And We while ye were unaware, and We had perfect
assented to His wish through Our behest, for knowledge of the Book when ye were yet
truly We are potent to command. unborn. These words are to your meas ure,
not to God's. To this testifieth that which is
I The Bab. enshrined within His know ledge, if ye be of
14 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

them that comprehend; and to this the the Kingdom, We would say: "In tn1th, God
tongue of the Almighty doth bear witness, if created that School ere He created heaven
ye be of those who understand. I swear by and earth, and We entered it before the
God, were We to lift the veil, ye would be letters B and E were joined and knit
dumbfounded. together." Such is the language of Our servants in Our Kingdom; consider what the
177 Take heed that ye dispute not idly tongue of the dwellers of Our exalted
concerning the Almighty and His Cause, for Dominion would utter, for We have taught
lo! He hath appeared amongst you invested them Our knowledge and have revealed to
with a Revelation so great as to encompass them whatever had lain hidden in God's
all things, whether of the past or of the wisdom. Imagine then what the Tongue of
future . Were We to address Our theme by Might and Grandeur would utter in His Allspeaking in the language of the inmates of Glorious Abode!

II
EXCERPT FROM THE LA WI:I-I-RA ' IS, TRANSLATED FROM THE PERSIAN

WHEN I was still a child and had not yet and cummerbunds after the Persian fashion,
attained the age of maturity, My father the second wielding battle-axes, and the third
decided to make arrangements in Tihran for comprising a number of sergeants-at-am1s
the marriage of a grown-up brother of Mine; and executioners bearing clubs and canes.
and as is customary in that city, the wedding Finally a splendid figure , arrayed in regal
festivities lasted for seven days and nights. majesty, wearing a kingly diadem upon his
On the last day it was announced that a spe- head, and bearing himself with the utmost
cial entertai1m1ent named after Shah Sul~an haughtiness and grandeur- now advancing,
Salim would be presented on that same day . now pausing in his progress- came strutting
A large number of princes, dignitaries, and onto the scene and, with unparalleled solemprominent people of the capital were present nity, gravity, and sedateness, proceeded to
for the occasion, and I ascended to one of seat himself upon a throne, whereupon a volthe upper rooms of the building where I sat ley of shots was fired, a fanfare of tmmpets
down to observe the scene. Presently a tent was sounded, and the king and tent were
was pitched in the courtyard, and before enveloped in a pall of smoke.
long some small figures in human form, When the smoke had cleared, the king
each of which seemed no more than about a was seen to be ensconced upon his throne and
handspan in height, came out of the tent, and surrounded by a suite of ministers, princes,
raised the call "The Sultan is coming! Set and dignitaries of state who, having taken
out the chairs!" Other figures then emerged, their places, were standing at attention in his
some of whom were seen to be engaged in presence. At this moment a captured thief
sweeping, others in sprinkling water, and was brought before the king, who gave the
thereafter another character, who was pro- order that the offender should be beheaded.
nounced to be the chief herald, raised up his Without a moment's delay the chief execuvoice and bade the people assemble for an tioner proceeded to execute upon him the
audience with the king. Next, three groups royal sentence, whereupon a red-coloured
of figures made their appearance and took liquid resembling blood came trickling from
their places, the first group attired in hats his headless torso. This done, the king fell
THE BAl-IA'i REVELATION 15
into conversation with those in attendance, eyes of this You th akin to that same specand while he was thus engaged, intelligence tacle. They have never been, nor will ever
arrived that rebellion had broken out on such be, possessed of any we ight, though it be to
and such a frontier. Thereupon the king the extent of a grain of mustard seed. How
reviewed his troops and despatched several greatly I used to marvel that men would
regiments supported by units of artillery to pride themselves upon such vanities, whilst
quell the uprising. A few minutes later can- those possessed of insight, ere they witness
nons were heard booming from behind the any evidence of human glory, perceive with
tent, and it was announced that the king's certainty the inevitability of its waning.
troops were at that moment engaged in battle "Never have I looked upon any thing save
with the insurgents. that I have seen extinction before it; and
I was greatly perplexed and bewildered to God, verily, is a sufficient witness ."
conceive the nature of this spectacle. When It behoveth eve1yone to traverse this brief
the show was over, the curtain of the tent was span of life with sincerity and fairness.
drawn. Then, after some twenty minutes, a Should one fai l to attain unto the recognition
man emerged from behind the tent carrying of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, let him
a box under his arm. at least comport himself with reason and jus-
"What is this box?" I asked him, "and tice. Erelong these outward trappings, these
what was the nature of this display?" heaped-up treasures, these earthly van ities,
"All these lavish trappings," he replied, these amassed battalions, this gorgeous
"the king, the princes, and the ministers , finery, these proud and overweening soulstheir pomp and glory, their might and power, all shall pass into the confines of the grave,
everything you saw, are all now conta ined as though into that box. In the eyes of those
within this box." possessed of insight, all this conflict, dissen-
I swear by My Lord Who hath brought sion and vainglory hath been, and will ever
into being all things through a single word be, like unto the sport of children. Take thou
from Him that, ever since that day, all the good heed, and be not of those who see and
trappings of the world have seemed in the yet deny.
16 TH E B A H A' i WORLD

Th e wes tern doorway into the Shrin e of the Bab.
THE BA l-IA' i REVELAT ION 17

2. THE BAB

I
EXCERPTS FROM TH E QAYYUMU'L-ASMA'
(SELECT!ONS FROM Tf-IE WRITINGS OF Tf-IE BAB)

0 PEOPLES of the world ! Whatsoever sanctified above the praise of all men. He is
ye have offered up in the way of the One veril y independent of the whole of creation .
True God, ye shall indeed find preserved (Chapter XXlll.)
by God, the Preserver, intact at God's Holy
Gate . 0 peopl es of the earthl Bear ye alle- ISSUE forth fro m your cities, 0 peoples of
giance unto this resplendent light wherewith the West and aid God ere the Day when the
God hath graciously invested Me tluáough Lord of mercy shall come down unto you in
the power of infa llible Truth, and walk not the shadow of the clouds with the angels
in the footsteps of the Evil One. 1 inasmuch circl ing around H im,5 exalting His praise
as he prompteth you to disbelieve in God, and seeking forgiveness for such as have
your Lord, and verily God will not forgive truly believed in Our signs. Veril y His
disbelief in Himself, though He will forgive decree hath been issued, and the conm1and
other sins to whomsoever He pleaseth. 2 of God, as given in the Mother Book, hath
Indeed His knowledge embraceth all things .. . indeed been revealed ...
(Chapter XVII.) Become as true brethren in the one and
indivisible religion of God, free from dis-
0 PEOPLES of the East and the West! Be tinction, for verily God desireth that your
ye fea rfu l of God concerning the Cause of hea1ts should become minors unto your
the true Joseph and barter Him not fo r a bretluáen in the Faith, so that ye find yourpaltry price 3 established by yourselves, or selves reflected in them, and the y in you.
for a trifle of yo ur ea rthly possess ions, that This is the true Path of God, the Almighty,
ye may, in very truth , be praised by Him as and He is indeed watchful over your actions .
those who are reckoned among the pious (Chapter X L VI.)
who stand nigh unto this Gate. (Chapter XX!.)
BE Thou patient, 0 Qurratu '1- 'Ayn, for God
0 QURRATU 'L-'AYN!4 We have, verily, hath indeed pledged to establish Thy soverdilated Th ine heart in thi s Revelation , which eignty throughout all countries and over the
stands truly unique from all created things, people that dwell therein. He is God and verily
and have exa lted Thy name through the He is powerful over all things. (Chapter Lf!J.)
manifestation of the Bab, so that men may
become awa re of Our transcendent powe r, THIS divinely- inspired Book hath firmly esand recognize that God is inm1easurably tablished His Proof for all those who are in
the East and in the West, hence beware lest
cf. Qur'an 2:204.
ye utter aught but the truth regarding God,
er. ibid . 4:5 1.
ct". ib id. 12:20.
for I swear by your Lord that this supreme
In these passages of the Qayyt'.1mu' l-Asma' the name Proof of Mine beareth witness tmto all things ...
Qu1Tatu'l-'Ayn (Solace of the Eyes) refers to the Bab
Himself. 5
cf. Q ur'an 2:206.
18 THE BAHA'I WORLD

0 servants of God! Be ye patient, for, do it not, Our secret wi ll never be made
God grant, He Who is the sovereign Truth known to the people,6 wh ile the purpose of
wi ll suddenly appear amongst you, invested God in creating man is but for him to know
with the power of the mighty Word , and ye H im . Indeed God hath knowledge of all
sha ll then be confounded by the Truth itself, things and is self-sufficient above the need
and ye shall have no power to ward it off, 1 of all mankind . (Chapter LX!!.)
and verily I am a witness over all mankind.
(Chapter LIX) WHENEVER the faithfu l hear the verses
of this Book being recited, their eyes will
THE infidels of a truth , seek to separate God overflow with tears and the ir hearts wi ll be
from His Remembrance, 2 but God hath deeply touched by Him Who is the Most
determined to perfect H is Light3 through His Great Remembrance for the love they cher-
Remembrance, and indeed He is potent over ish for God, the A ll-Praised. He is God, the
all things .. . (Chapter LX/.) A ll-Knowing, the Eternal. They are indeed
the inmates of the all-highest Paradise
0 PEOPLES of the earth! Verily the wherein they will abide for ever. Verily they
resplendent Light of God hath appeared will see naught therein save that which hath
in your midst, invested with this unerring proceeded from God, nothing that will li e
Book, that ye may be guided aright to the beyond the compass of their understanding.
ways of peace and, by the leave of God, step There they will meet the believers in Paraout of the darkness into the light and onto dise, who will address them with the words
this far-extended Path ofTruth 4 ... ' Peace, Peace ' lingering on their lips ...
God hath, out of sheer nothingness and 0 concourse of the faithful! Incline your ears
through the potency of His command, created to My Voice, proclaimed by this Remembrance
the heavens and the earth and whatever lieth of God. Verily God hath revealed unto Me that
between them. He is single and peerless in the Path of the Remembrance which is set fmih
His eternal unity with none to join partner by Me is, in very truth , the straight Path of
with His holy Essence, nor is there any sou l, God, and that whoever professeth any reliexcept His Own Self, who can befittingly gion other than this upright Faith , will, when
comprehend Him ... called to acco unt on the Day of Judgement,
0 peoples of the earth! Verily His discover that as recorded in the Book no bene-
Remembrance is come to you from God fit hath he reaped out of God ' s Rel igion ...
after an interval during which there were no Fear ye God, 0 concourse of kings, lest ye
Messengers,5 that He may purge and purify remain afar from Him Who is His Rememyo u from uncleanliness in anti cipation of the brance [the Bab] , after the Truth hath come
Day of the One true God ; therefore seek ye unto yo u w ith a Book and signs from God,
whole-heartedly divine blessings from Him, as spoken through the wondrous tongue of
inasmuoh as We have, in truth, chosen Him Him Who is His Remembrance. Seek ye
to be the W itness and the Source of wisdom grace from God, for God hath ordained for
unto all that dwell on earth .. . yo u, after ye have believed in Him, a Garden
0 Qurratu ' l-'Ayn! Proc laim that which the vastness of which is as the vastness of
hath been sent down unto Thee as a token of the who le of Paradise. Therein ye shall find
the grace of the merciful Lord , for if Thou naught save the gifts and favours which the
Alm ighty hath graciously bestowed by vircf. Qur'an 21 :40. tue of thi s momentous Cause, as decreed in
2 cf. ibid. 4: 149.
3 cf. ibid. 9:32.
the Mother Book. (Chapter LXJJJ.)
4 cf.ibid.5:15-1 8.
5 6
cf. ibid. 5:22 . cf. ibid . 5:7 1.
THE BAl-IA'i REVELAT ION 19

Detail of one of th e columns along th e arcade of the Shrine of the Bab.

SAY, 0 peoples of the world! Do ye dispute they shall be re warded with a sure stance in
with Me abo ut God by vi1iue of the names the presence of their Lord? He indeed
whi ch ye and your fathers have adopted for beareth witness unto all things .. .
Him at the promptings of the Evi l One? 1 When the verses of thi s Book are recited to
God hath indeed sent down this Book unto the infidels they say: 'G ive us a book like
Me with truth that ye may be enab led to rec- the Qur' an and make changes in the verses. '
ognize the true names of God, inasmuch as Say: ' God hath not given Me that I should
ye have strayed in error fa r from the Trnth. change them at My pleasure. ' I fo llow only
Verily We have taken a covenant from every what is revealed unto Me. Verily, I shall fea r
created thing upon its co ming into being My Lord on the Day of Separation, whose
concerning th e Remembrance of God, and advent He hath, in very hi.1th, irrevocably
there shall be none to avert the binding co m- ordained. 2 (Chapter LX.Xf.)
mand of God fo r the purification of mankind ,
as orda ined in the Book whi ch is writt en by 0 PEOPLES of the ea1th' Verily the hi.1e
the hand of the Bab. (Chapter LXVff !) God ca lleth saying: He Who is the Remembrance is indeed the sovereign T ruth fro m
DOTH it seem sháange to the people that We God, and naught remaineth beyond háuth but
should have revealed the Book to a man error,3 and naught is there beyond en-or save
from among themselves in order to purge fire, irrevocably ordained ...
them and give them the good tidings that
2 er Qur' an I 0: 16.
I e f. Qur 'an 7: 69; 12:40. 3
er ibid. 10: 33 .
20 THE BA HA ' i WOR LD

0 Qurratu ' l- 'Ayn! Point to Thy trnthful 0 YE peoples of the earth! By the righteousbreast through the power of truth and ness of God, the True One, the testimony
excla im: I swear by the One true God, herein shown forth by His Remembrance is like
lieth the vicegerency of God; I am indeed unto a sun which the hand of the merciful
the One Who is regarded as the Best Lord hath raised high in the midmost heart
Reward 1 and I am indeed He Who is the of the heaven, wherefrom it shineth in the
Most Excellent Abode. (Chapter LXX!f.) plenitude of its meridian splendour ...
With each and every Prophet Whom We
0 YE concourse of the believers ! Utter not have sent down in the past, We have estabwords of denial against Me once the Truth is lished a separate Covenant concerning the
made manifest, for indeed the mandate of Remembrance of God and His Day. Manithe Bab hath befittingly been proclaimed fest, in the realm of glory and through the
unto you in the Qur'an aforetime. I swear by power of truth, are the Remembrance of God
your Lord, this Book is verily the same and His Day before the eyes of the angels
Qur 'an which was sent down in the past. that circle His mercy-seat. (Chapter XCI)
(Chapter LXXXI.)
0 HOUR of the Dawn! Ere the resplendent
HAD it been Our wish, We would have glory of the divine Luminary sheddeth its
brought all men into one fold round Our radiance from the Dayspring of this Gate, call
Remembrance, yet they will not cease to thou to mind that the appointed Day of God
differ, 2 unless God accomplish what He wil- will indeed be at hand in less than a twinkling
leth through the power of truth. In the of an eye. Thus hath the decree of God been
estimation of the Remembrance this command- issued in the Mother Book. (Chapter XC! V.)
ment hath, in very truth, been irrevocably
ordained ... GOD had, in truth , proposed Our Mission
God hath indeed chosen Thee to warn the unto the heavens and the earth and the
people, to guide the believers aright and to mountains, but they refused to bear it and
elucidate the secrets of the Book. (Chapter were afraid thereof. However, Man, this
LXXXV.) 'Ali, Who is none other but the Great
Remembrance of God, undertook to bear it.
SHOULD it be Our wish, it is in Our power Hence God, the All-Encompass ing, hath
to compel, through the agency of but one let- referred to Hirn in His Preserved Book as the
ter of Our Revelation, the world and all that ' Wronged One ', and by reason of His being
is therein to recognize, in less than the twin- undistinguished before the eyes of men, He
kling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause .. .. hath, according to the judgement of the
Truly other apostles have been laughed to Book, been entitled 'the Unknown ' ... 5
scorn before Thee, 3 and Thou art none other Erelong We will, in very truth, tonnent
but the Servant of God, sustained by the such as waged war against I:Iusayn [Imam
power of Truth. Ere long We shall prolong I:Iusayn ], in the Land of the Eupluates, with
the days of such as have rejected the Truth the most afflictive torment, and the most dire
by reason of that which their hands have and exemplary punishment. ...
wrought,4 and verily God will not deal God knoweth well the heart of I~Iu say n ,
unjustly with anyone, even to the extent of a the heat of His burning thirst and His longspeck on a date-stone. (Chapter LXXXV!f.) suffering for the sake of God, the Incomparable, the Ancient of Days; and unto Him God
cf. Q ur' an 18:42. is verily a witness. (Chapter X ff. )
cf. ibid. 11: 120.
cf ibid. 6: I 0.
4 5
cf. ibid. 3 172. cf. Qur'an 33 :72.
THE BAHA ' i REVELATION 21
THIS Book which We have sent down is INDEED We conversed with Moses by the
indeed abounding in blessings 1 and beareth leave of God from the midst of the Burning
wih1ess to the Truth, so that the people may Bush in the Sinai and revealed an infinitesirealize that the conclusive Proof of God in mal glimmer of Thy Light upon the Mystic
favour of His Remembrance is similar to the Mount and its dwellers, whereupon the
one wherewith Mul)ammad, the Seal of the Mount shook to its foundations and was
Prophets, was invested, and verily great is crushed into dust. ..
the Cause as ordained in the Mother Book. 0 peoples of the earth! I swear by your
(Chapter LXVI.) Lord! Ye shall act as fmmer generations
have acted . Warn ye, then, yourselves of the
WE have in truth sent Thee forth unto all terrible, the most grievous vengeance of
men, by the leave of God, invested with Our God. For God is, verily, potent over all
signs and reinforced by Our unsurpassed things. (Chapter LIII.)
sovereignty. He is indeed the appointed
Bearer of the Trust of God ... 0 QURRA TU ' L- 'A YN! I recognize in Thee
0 Qurratu'l-'Ayn! Persevere steadfastly as none other except the ' Great Announce-
Thou art bidden and let not the faith less ment'-the Announcement voiced by the
amongst men nor their utterances grieve Thee, Concomse on high. By this name, I bear
since Thy Lord shall, by the righteousness of witness, they that circle the Throne of Glory
God, the Most Great, pass judgement upon have ever known Thee.
them on the Day of Resurrection, and surely 0 concourse of the believers! Do ye har-
God wih1esseth all things. (Chapter LXXXIV) bour any doubt as to that whereunto the
Remembrance of God doth summon you?
THIS Religion is indeed, in the sight of God, By the righteousness of the One true God,
the essence of the Faith of Mu~ammad; He is none other than the sovereign Truth
haste ye then to attain the celestial Paradise Who hath been made manifest tluáough the
and the all-highest Garden of His good- power of Truth. Are ye in doubt concerning
pleasure in the presence of the One True the Bab? Verily He is the One Who holdeth,
God, could ye but be patient and thankful by Our leave, the kingdoms of earth and
before the evidences of the signs of God. heaven in His grasp, and the Lord is in h-uth
(Chapter XL VIII.) fully aware of what ye are doing ...
Indeed I am but a man like unto you .
0 MY servants! This is God's appointed Day However, God bestoweth upon Me whatever
which the merciful Lord hath promised you favours He willeth as He pleaseth, and that
in His Book; wherefore, in very truth, glorify which your Lord hath decreed in the Mother
ye abundantly the name of God while treading Book is unbounded. (Chapter LXXXVIII.)
the Path of the Most Great Remembrance .. .
Verily God hath granted leave to His 0 QURRATU ' L-' AYN' Say: Verily I am
Remembrance to say whatsoever He willeth the One Who is hailed in the Mother Book as
in whatever manner He pleaseth. Indeed the ' Great Announcement' . Say: TI1e people
whatsoever He chooseth is none other than have grievously differed over Me, whereas
what is chosen by Us. TI1e Lord, in truth, in truth there is no difference between Me
wih1esseth all things . (Chapter LCCCV!f.) and the Bab; and God, the Eternal Truth, is
sufficient wimess . (Chapter LXXVII.)
c f. Qur 'an 6:93 .
22 THE BAHA' I WORLD

Th e House of 'Abdu 'l-Baha in 'A kka, known as the House of 'A bdu 'llah Pasha.
THE BAHA'i RE VELAT IO N 23

3. 'ABDU'L-BAHA

DEARLY loved friends of ' Abdu' 1-Baha, their efforts to raise on high the Word of
Your letter bearing the happy news of the God, to shed abroad His holy fragrances, to
election of the Spiritual Assembly hath educate the soul s of men, and to promulgate
an-ived, affording great pleas ure in the the Most Great Peace, they must become
knowledge that-praise be to God!-the standard-bearers of guidance, and ensigns of
friends in your area have conducted the elec- the Concourse on high. Truly, those who
tion in a spirit of the utmost fellowship, have been elected are blessed, holy souls.
concord and amity, and have been successf-t.il When I read their names , my heart was
in electing consecrated souls and well- immediately filled w ith joy, joy at the
favoured servants of His heavenl y Threshold tidings that- praise be unto God!-souls
whose firmness in the Covenant is acknowl- have been raised up in that land who are seredged by the genera lity of th e believers. vants of the Kingdom, and who stand ready
Now, with all radiance, joy and heartfelt to lay down th eir lives in the way of the
devotion, attracted by the fragrances of God Peerless King.
and the confirmations of the Holy Spirit, the
members of this newly elected Assembly From a Tablet dated 29 May 1907 to the Assemb ly of
must devote themselves to service; and, in Chi cago.

II

SOON will the Western regions become importance to cruelties and injuries, but
as radiant as the horizons of the East, and the rather regard them as the wanton acts of
Sun of Truth shine forth with a refulgence children. For ultimately the radiance of the
that will cause the darkness of error to fade Kingdom w ill overwhelm the darkness of
away and vanish. Great is the multitude who the world of being, and the holy, exalted
will rise up to oppose you, who will oppress character of yo ur aims will become unmi syo u, heap blame upon you, rejo ice at yo ur takably apparent. Nothing shall remain
misfortunes, account yo u people to be concealed: the oli ve oil , though stored
shunned, and visit injury upon you; yet shall within the deepest vault, shall one day burn
yo ur heavenl y Father confer upon you such in brightness from the lamp atop the beacon .
spiritual illumination that ye shall become The small shall be made great, and the poweven as the rays of the sun which, as they erless shall be given strength; they that are
chase away the sombre clouds , break forth of tender age shall become the children of
to flood the surface of the earth with li ght. It the Kingdom , and those that have gone
is incumbent upon you, whensoever these astray shall be guided to their heavenly
tests may overtake you, to stand firm , and to home.
be patient and enduring. Instead of repaying
li ke with li ke, ye should requite oppos ition From a Tab let dated 14 November 1909 to an ind ividal,
with the utmost benevolence and lovi ng- publi shed in Crisis and Vic101y (London: Baha' i Pubkindness, and on no account attach li shin g Trust, 1988 ), p. 24.
24 THE BAHA 'i WORLD

III

ERELONG the wicked-doers in that the hol y Manifestations, the people acted in
land will arise to heap denunciations upon just this manner; and now, in these days,
the true believers, and vent their spite upon it is inevitable that they will repeat such
the company of the faithful. Each day they actions, nay, act with greater perversity than
will inflict a galling wound, each hour a before . .. Hence it is certain that thou wilt be
stunning blow. Rebuking the friends for afflicted with adversities, tests and injuries
the love they bear Baha ' u'llah and 'Abdu ' l- for the sake of the Blessed Beauty; yet these
Baha, they will consider justified their afflictions shall be the purest bounties and
denunciations, their scorn and malice, and bestowals, and a token of thy acceptance at
spare no effort to do the friends whatever the Divine Threshold.
injury it lieth within their power to inflict.
Such conduct is at one with the modes and
practices of the people aforetime: in bygone Fro m an undated Tablet to an indi vidual , published in
centuries, in the days of the appearance of Crisis and Victo1y (London: 1988), p. 6.

IV

0 THOU Pure and Omnipotent God! 0 the Pacific Ocean, to reach the shores of
Thou my kind Lord! Grant us such power as both East and West.
to enable us to withstand the peril s of the
entire world , and give us such mi ght as to
cause the waves of our endeavours, like unto From a Tablet to an indi vidual.

v
0 YE denizens of the Kingdom! unto you. It is high time that ye should, in
How many are those who devote their recognition of these manifold bounties, set
lifetime to pious worship and to asceticism, your hearts firmly upon Him, draw nearer
cherishing the ardent desire for admission unto His court and become so captivated and
into the Kingdo m. Yet they all failed. How- inflamed that the music of the hymns ye sing
ever, ye have achieved this goal and entered in praise of the Desired One may ascend
the Kingdom without any toil or hardship unto the Celestial Concourse, that each one
even as, in the days of Christ, the Pharisees of you may, even as a nightingale, warble
and the priests were denied access to the melodies in glorification of the Lord of
Kingdom while Peter, John and Andrew Hosts and be enabled to foster the education
attained thereto though they were neither of all mankind .
fanatical worshippers nor ascetics. Therefore
render ye thanks unto God, Who hath
crowned you with this diadem of eternal From a Tablet to the friends in Switze rland and
g lory and vouchsafed these endless favours Germany.
Tl-IE BAI-IA' i REY E LA TIO N 25

Detail of the Hous e of 'Abdu 'llah Pasha, in 'Akka.

VI

. .. THOU shouldst initially adopt that demeanour, thy fervour, thy chaste and lucid
course of prudence that the Faith enjoins. In utterance, thou shalt have succeeded in winthe early stages, thou shouldst seek out the ning the affection of one and all , then shall
company of the eminent members of the the porta ls of heavenly guidance be opened
populace and, turning thyself in utter lowli- wide; then shall the bounteous cup be borne
ness to the unseen realm of Glory, thou around and all the souls that drink therefrom
shouldst pray for succour and protection be inebriated with the wine of holy mysterso that the Holy Spirit may, through the ies and truths.
outpourings of its grace, grant thee its assistance. When, by thy godly conduct and From a Tablet to a n indi vidu a l.
26 THE BAl-IA'i WORLD

VII

YE should strive to widen the circle of are of the finest, yet they do not realize that
those with whom ye enjoy friendly relations, all the powers of the earth are impotent
and to establish the closest contact with either to establish universal peace or to prothose benevolent souls whose only thought mote the oneness of the human world.
is to do good, who are labouring in the cause Nothing short of the power of the Word of
of universal peace, and who cherish no God and the breaths of the Holy Spirit can
desire but to wih1ess the unification of the ever succeed.
world of humanity. Ye should seek out the
company of such people as these, that ye
may imbue them with an awareness of the From a Tablet dated 13 Jul y 1912 to the Assembly of
heavenly Kingdom, for albeit their motives New York.

VITT

0 THOU who art turning W1to theKingdom sweet music of their voices is causing the
of God! rea l essence of all things to move and
Thy Jetter hath been received and perused. quiver.
It affo rded us joy and pleasure, gave us good 0 my spiritual friend! Dost thou know
news and is a token of the wealth of thy from what airs emanate the notes sung by
love. This period of time is the Promised those birds? They are from the melodies of
Age, the assembling of the human race to peace and reconciliation, of love and unity,
the Resurrection Day and now is the great of justice and security, of concord and har-
Day of Judgement. Soon the whole world, as mony. In a short time this heavenly singing
in springtime, will change its garb. The turn- will intoxicate all humanity; the foundations
ing and falling of the autumn leaves is past; of enmity shall be destroyed; unity and
the bleakness of the wintertime is over. The affection shall be wimessed in every assemnew year hath appeared and the spiritual bly; and the splendours of the love of God
springtime is at hand. The black earth is will shine forth in these great fest ivals.
becoming a verdant garden; the deserts and Therefore, contemplate what a spirit of
mountains are teeming with red flowers; life God hath given that the body of the
from the borders of the wilderness the tall whole earth may attain life everlasting ! The
grasses are standing like advance guards Abha Paradise will soon spread a pavilion in
before the cypress and jessamine háees; the midmost heart of the world , under whose
while the birds are singing among the rose shelter the beloved shall rejoice and the pure
branches like the angels in the hi ghest heav- hearts shall repose in peace.
ens, announcing the glad-tidings of the
approach of that spiritual spring, and the From a Tablet dated 1903 to an indi vid ual.
THE BAHA ' i REVELATION 27

lX

Q FRIENDS ofGod! Boundless treasure is in the hand of the
Do ye know in what cycle ye are created King of Kings! Lift the hem of thy gam1ent
and in what age ye exist? This is the age of to receive it.
the Blessed Perfection and this is the time of This is the time for growing; the season
the Greatest Name! This is the century of the for joyous gathering! Take the cup of the
Manifestation, the age of the Sun of all hori- Testament in thy hand; leap and dance with
zons and the beautiful springtime of the ecstasy in the triumphal procession of the
Eternal One! Covenant! Place your confidence in the
The earth is in motion and growth; the everlasting bounty, turn to the presence of
mountains, hills and prairies are green and the generous God; ask assistance from the
pleasant; bounty is overflowing; mercy uni- kingdom of Abha ; seek confirmation from
versal; rain is descending from the clouds of the Supreme World; tum thy vision to the
compassion; the brilliant sun is shining; the horizon of eternal wealth; and pray for help
full moon adometh the ethereal horizon; from the Source of Mercy!
the great ocean-tide is flooding every little Soon shall ye see the friends attaining
stream; gifts and favours follow one upon their longed-for destination and pitching
the other and a refreshing breeze is blowing, their tents, while we are but in the first day
wafting the fragrant perfume of the of our journey.
blossoms.
Ifwe are not happy and joyous at this sea- To the Asse mbl y in Samarkand , Russ ia. New translason, for what other season shall we wait and tion of a Tablet published earli er in Tablets of Abdu/-
for what other time shall we look? Bnha Abbas, p. 641.

x
0 YE beloved friends of God and hand- source of life in both worlds, and of salmaids of the Merciful! vation unto such as have gone astray . Today
Call ye to mind the blessed Name of our this hallowed Name serveth as a shield for
peerless Beloved, the Abha Beauty, in an all mankind, and as a veritable refuge for the
uplifting spirit of unbounded ecstasy and children of men. It is the wondrous accent of
delight, then unloose your tongues in His the Lord of Mercy, and His celestial melody.
praise in such wise that the realm of the Wherefore, 0 faithful friends, raise ye the
heart may be purged from the woes and sor- triumphal cry of Ya-Baha ' u' l-Abha! 0 ye
rows of the world of water and clay, that the who yearn after the Beauty of the Almighty!
great heights of spiritual perception may be Lift up your faces toward the Supreme Horiunveiled before your eyes, that the glorious zon. Rest not, even for a moment. Breathe
signs of His Divine Unity may shine not a single breath save in remembrance of
resplendent, a fresh outpouring of His grace His love and in recognition of His grace, in
may stream forth, and a liberal effusion of the promulgation of His Utterances and the
celestial confirmations may be vouchsafed vindication of His Testimonies.
unto you. Verily, this is the Magnet of divine con-
His Name is indeed the healing medicine firmations . This is the mighty Force which
for every illness, and imparteth warmth unto will surely attrnct heavenly assistance.
those starving with cold. It is the sovereign
remedy and the supreme talisman. It is the From a Tablet to a group of believers.
28 Tl-IE BAI-L.\'i WORLD

Th e Seat of the Universal Hous e of Justice, on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Tsrael.
II
EXCERPTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF
SHOGHI EFFENDI

FROM CALL TO THE NATIO NS

HUMAN1TY, whether viewed in the the political and economic unification of the
light of man's individual conduct or in the world-a principle that has been increasexisting relationships between organized ingly advocated in recent times-provide in
communities and nations, has, alas, strayed itself the antidote against the poison that
too far and suffered too great a decline to be is steadily undermining the vigour of orgaredeemed through the unaided efforts of the nized peoples and nations.
best among its recognized rulers and states- What else, might we not confidently
men-however disinterested their motives, affirn1, but the unreserved acceptance of the
however concerted their action, however Divine Programme enunciated, with such
unsparing in their zeal and devotion to its simplicity and force as far back as sixty
cause. No scheme which the calculations years ago, 1 by Baha 'u'llah, embodying in its
of the highest statesmanship may yet devise; essentials God's divinely-appointed scheme
no docháine which the most distinguished fo r the unification of mankind in this age,
exponents of economic theory may hope to coupled with an indomitable conviction in
advance; no principle which the most ardent the unfailing efficacy of each and all of its
of moralists may strive to inculcate, can pro- provisions, is eventually capable of withvide, in the last resort, adequate foundations standing the forces of internal disintegration
upon which the future of a distracted world which, if unchecked, must needs continue to
can be built. eat into the vitals of a despairing society.
No appeal for mutual tolerance which the It is towards this goal- the goal of a new
worldly-wise might raise, however compel- World Order, Divine in origin, all-emling and insistent, can calm its passions or bracing in scope, equitable in principle,
help restore its vigour. Nor would any gen- challenging in its fea tures-that a harassed
era l scheme of mere organized international humanity must strive.
cooperation, in whatever sphere of human To claim to have grasped all the impliactivity, however ingenious in conception, cations of Baha'u'llah's prodigimis scheme
or extensive in scope, succeed in removing fo r world-wide human solidarity, or to have
the root cause of the evil that has so rudely fathomed its import, would be presumptuous
upset the equilibrium of present-day society. on the part of even the declared supporters
Not even, I venture to assert, would the very
act of dev ising the machinery required for 1
Written in I 93 1.
30 THE BAl-IA' i WORLD

of His Faith . To attempt to visualize it in all that are implicit in Baha'u ' llah 's supreme
its poss ibilities, to estimate its future bene- declaration of the Oneness of Mankind- the
fits , to picture its glory, would be premature chief and distinguishing fea ture of the Faith
at even so advanced a stage in the evolution He proclain1ed? For the principle of the
of mankind. Oneness of Mankind, the corner-stone of
All we can reasonably venture to attempt Baha'u'llah's wo rld-embracing dominion,
is to strive to obtain a glimpse of the first implies nothing more or less than the enforcestreaks of the promised Dawn that must, in ment of His scheme for the unification of the
the fullness of time, chase away the gloom world- the scheme to which we have already
that has encircled humanity. All we can do is refen-ed. "Jn eve1y Dispensation," writes
to point out, in their broadest outlines, what 'Abdu ' l-Baba, "the light of Divine Guidance
appears to us to be the gu iding principles has been focused upon one central theme ...
underlying the World Order ofBaha' u ' llah ... . In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious
That the umest and suffe ring afflicting centwy , the foundation of the Faith of God
the mass of mankind are in no small measure and the distinguishing f eature of His Law is
the direct consequences of the World War 1 the consciousness of the Oneness of
and are attributable to the unwisdom and Mankind. "
sho rt-sightedness of the fra mers of the Peace How pathetic indeed are the efforts of
Treaties only a biased mind can refuse to those lea ders of human institutions who ,
admit. . .. It would be idle, however, to con- in utter disregard of the spirit of the age,
tend that the war, with all the losses it are striving to adjust national processes,
involved, the passions it aro used and the suited to the ancient days of self-contained
grievances it left behind, has sole ly been nations, to an age which must either achi eve
responsible for the unprecedented confusion the unity of the world, as adumbrated by
into which almost every section of the Baha' u ' llah, or perish. At so critical an hour
civilized world is plunged at present. Is it in the hist01y of civilization it behoves the
not a fact- and thi s is the centra l idea I leaders of all the nations of the world, great
desire to emphasize- that the fundamental and small, whether in the Eas t or in the
cause of this world unrest is attributable, not West, whether victors or vanquished, to give
so much to the consequences of what must heed to the clarion call of Baha 'u' ll ah and,
sooner or later come to be regarded as a thoroughly imbued with a sense of world
transitory dislocation in the affairs of a solidarity, the sine qua non of loyalty to His
continually changing world, but rather to the Cause, arise manfully to cany out in its
fai lure of those into whose hands the imme- entirety the one remedia l scheme He, the
diate destinies of peoples and nations have Divine Physician, has prescribed for an
been committed, to adjust their systems of ailing humanity. Let them discard, once for
economic and political institutions to the all, every preconce ived idea, every national
imperative needs of a rapidly-evolving age? prejudice, and give heed to the sublime
Are not these intermittent crises that convulse counsel of 'Abdu' l-B aha, the authorized
present-day society due primarily to the Expounder of His teachings. "You can best
lamentab le inability of the world's recog- serve your country ", was 'Abdu ' l-Baha's
nized leaders to read aright the signs of the rejoinder to a high official in the service of
times, to rid themselves once for all of their the federa l government of the United States
preconceived ideas and fettering creeds, and of America, who had questioned Him as to
to res hape the machinery of their respective the best manner in which he could promote
governments according to those standards the interests of hi s government and people, "il
you strive, in your capacity as a citizen of the
Written in 193 1 and refers to the first Worl d War. world, to assist in the eventual application of
THE BAl-IA'i REVELATION 31
the principle of federalism underlying the nay the human race as a whole should
government ofyour own countly to the rela- resolve, with eve1y power at its disposal, to
tionships now existing between the peoples destroy that govern ment. Should this greatand nations of the world." est of all remedies be applied to the sick
In The Secret of Divine Civilization, body of the world, it will assuredly recover
'Abdu'l-Baha's outstanding contribution to fiwn its ills and will remain eternally safe
the future reorganization of the world, we and secure."
read the following: "A few ," He further adds, "unaware of the
"True civilization will unfurl its banner in power latent in human endeavour, consider
the midmost heart of the world whenever a this matter as highly impracticable, nay even
certain number of its distinguished and beyond the scope of man's utmost efforts.
high-minded sovereigns-the shining exem- Such is not the case, however. On the
plars of devotion and determination-shall, contrary, thanks to the unfailing grace of
for the good and happiness of all mankind, God, the loving-kindness of His favoured
arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, ones, the unrivalled endeavours of wise and
to establish the Cause of Universal Peace. capable souls, and the thoughts and ideas of
They must make the Cause of Peace the the peerless leaders of this age, nothing
object of general consultation, and seek by whatsoever can be regarded as unattainable.
every means in their power to establish a Endeavour, ceaseless endeavour, is required.
Union of the nations of the world. They must Nothing short of an indomitable determinaconclude a binding treaty and establish a tion can possibly achieve it. Many a cause
covenant, the provisions of which shall be which past ages have regarded as purely
sound, inviolable and definite. They must visionmy, yet in this day has become most
proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it easy and practicable. Why should this most
the sanction of all the human race. This great and lofty cause-the day-star of the
supreme and noble undertaking- the real firmament of true civilization and the cause
source of the peace and well-being of all of the glory, the advancement, the wellthe world-should be regarded as sacred by being and th e success of all humanity-be
all that dwell on earth. All th e forces of regarded as impossible of achievement?
humanity must be mobilized to ensure the Surely the day will come when its beauteous
stability and permanence of this Most Great light shall shed illumination upon the
Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the assemblage of man."
limits and ji-ontiers of each and every In one of His Tablets 'Abdu ' l-Baha,
nation should be clearly fixed, the principles elucidating further His noble theme, reveals
underlying the relations of governments the following:
towards one another definitely laid down, "In cycles gone by, though harmony was
and all international agreements and obli- established, yet, owing to the absence of
gations ascertained. In like manner, the size means, the unity of all mankind could not
of the armaments of evety government have been achieved. Continents remained
should be strictly limited, for if the prepara- widely divided, nay even among the peoples
tions for war and the militmy forces of of one and the same continent association
any nation should be allowed to increase, and interchange of thought were well-nigh
they will arouse the suspicion of others. The impossible. Consequently intercourse, underfundamental principle underly ing this standing and unity amongst all the peoples
solemn Pact should be so fixed that if and kindreds of the earth were unattainable.
any government later violate any one of In this day, however, means of communicaits provisions, all the governments on earth tion have multiplied, and the jive continents
should arise to reduce it to utter submission, of the earth have virtually merged into one ....
32 Tl-IE BAl-IA' i WORLD

Jn like manner all the members of the human "the concourse of the rulers of the earth",
family, whether peoples or governments, revealed the fo llowing:
cities or villages, have become increasing ly " Take ye counsel together, and let your
interdependent. For none is self-sufficiency concern be only for that which profiteth
any longer possible, inasmuch as political mankind and bettereth the condition
ties unite all peoples and nations, and the thereof .. . Regard the world as the human
bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture body, which, though created whole and
and education, are being strengthened every pe1fect, has been afflicted, through divers
day. Hence the unity of all mankind can in causes, with grave ills and maladies. Not for
this day be achieved. Verily this is none one day did it rest, nay its sicknesses waxed
other but one of the wonders of this won- more severe, as it f ell under the treatment of
drous age, this glorious century. Of this past unskilled physicians who have spurred on
ages have been deprived, for this century- the steed of their worldly desires and have
the centwy of light- has been endowed with erred grievously. And if at one time, through
unique and unprecedented glo1y, power and the care of an able physician, a member of
illumination. Hence the miraculous unfold- that body was healed, the rest remained
ing of a fi'esh marvel eve1y day. Eventually it afflicted as before." . ..
will be seen how bright its candles will burn In a further passage Baha'u'llah adds
in the assemblage of man. these words:
"Behold how its light is now dawning "We see you adding every year unto your
upon the world's darkened horizon. The first expenditures and lay ing the burden th ereof
candle is unity in the political realm, the on the people whom ye rule; this verily is
early glimmerings of which can now be naught but grievous injustice. Fear the sighs
discerned. The second candle is unity of and tears of this Wronged One, and burden
thought in world undertakings, the consum- not your peoples beyond that which they can
mation of which will ere long be witnessed. . endure .... Be reconciled among yourselves,
Th e third candle is unity in freedom which that ye may need armaments no more save in
will surely come to pass. The fourth candle is a measure to safeguard your territories and
unity in religion which is the corner-stone dominions. Be united, 0 concourse of the
of the foundation itself, and which, by the sovereigns of the world, for thereby will the
power of God, will be revealed in all its tempest of discord be stilled amongst you
splendour. Th e fifth candle is the unity of and your peoples find rest .. .. Should any one
nations-a unity which in this century will be among you take up arms against another,
securely established, causing all the peoples rise ye all against him, for this is naught but
of the world to regard themselves as citizens manifestjustice."
of one common fatherland. The sixth candle What else could these weighty words
is unity of races, making of all that dwell on signify if they did not point to the inevitable
earth peoples and kindreds of one race. The curtailment of unfettered national soverseventh candle is unity of language, i.e. the eignty as an indispensable preliminary to the
choice of a universal tongue in which all formation of the future Commonwealth of
peoples will be instructed and converse. Each all the nations of the world? Some form of a
and every one of these will inevitably come to world super-state must needs be evolved, in
pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom whose favour all the nations of the world
of God will aid and assist in their realization." will have willingly ceded every claim to
Over sixty years ago, 1 in His Tablet make war, certain rights to impose taxation
to Queen Victori a, Baha'u ' llah , addressing and all rights to maintain armaments, except
for purposes of maintaining internal order
Now we ll over a cen tury; the Tablet to Q ueen within their respective dominions. Such a
Victoria was written about 1870.
THE BAHA'i REVELAT ION 33
state wil l have to include within its orb it an institutions in a manner consonant w ith the
International Executi ve adequate to enforce needs of an ever-changing world. It can
supreme and unchallengeable authority on conflict with no legitimate allegiances, nor
every recalcitrant member of the common- can it unde1111ine essentia l loyalties. Its
wealth ; a World Parliament whose members purpose is neither to stifl e the flame of a sane
shall be elected by the people in thei r and intelligent patriotism in men's hearts, nor
respective countries and whose election to abolish the system of national autonomy
shall be co nfi rmed by their respective gov- so essential if the evi ls of excess ive centralernments; and a Supreme Tribunal whose ization are to be avoided. It does not ignore,
judgement will have a binding effect even nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity
in such cases where the parties concerned of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of
did not vo luntarily agree to submit their case language and tradition, of thought and habit,
to its co nsideration . A world communi ty that differentiate the peoples and nations of
in which all economi c barriers wi ll have the world. It calls for a w ider loyalty, for a
been permanently demolished and the inter- larger aspiration than any that has animated
dependence of Capital and Labour definitely the human race. It insists upon the subordinarecogni zed; in which the clamour of tion of national impulses and interests to the
religious fa naticism and strife wi ll have been imperative claims of a unified world. It repuforever stilled; in which the fl ame of racial diates excessive centra li zation on one hand,
animosity wi ll have been finall y exti nguished; and di sclaims all attempts at uniformity on
in wh ich a single code of international law- the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity
the product of the considered judgement of such as' Abd u' l-Baha H imself has explained:
the world's federated representatives-shal l "Consider the flowers of a garden.
have as its sanction the instant and coercive Though differing in kind, colour, form and
intervention of the combined fo rces of the shape, yet, inasmuch as they are refreshed
federated units; and finally a world commu- by the waters of one spring, revived by the
nity in which the fury of a capricious and breath of one wind, invigorated by the rays
militant nationalism will have been trans- of one sun, this diversity increaseth their
muted in to an abid ing consc iousness of charm. and addeth unto their beauty. How
world citizenship-such indeed ap pears, in unpleasing to the eye if all the flowers and
its broadest outl in e, the Order anticipated plants, the leaves and blossoms, the fruit, the
by Baha' u' ll ah, an Order that shall come to branches and the trees of that garden were
be regarded as the fairest fruit of a slowly all of the same shape and colour! Diversity
maturing age. of hues, form and shape enricheth and ador-
"Th e Tabernacle of Unity," Baha ' u' llah neth the garden, and heighteneth the effect
proclaims in His message to all mankind, thereof Jn like manner, when divers shades
"has been raised; regard ye not one another of thought, temperament and character, are
as strangers ... . Of one tree are all ye the fruit brought together under the power and influand of one bough the leaves .... Th e world is ence of one central agency, the beauty and
but one count1y and mankind its citizens .... glory of human p e1fection will be revealed
Let not a man glory in that he loves his and made manifest. Naught but the celestial
country; let him rather glory in this, that potency of the Word of God, which ruleth
he loves his kind. " and transcendeth the realities of all things,
Let there be no misgi vin gs as to the is capable of harmonizing the divergent
animating purpose of the world-wide Law of thoughts, sentiments, ideas and convictions
Baha ' u' llah. Far from aiming at the subver- of the children of men. "
sion of the ex isting foundat ions of soc iety, T he ca ll of Baha ' u ' ll ah is primarily
it seeks to broaden its basis, to remould its d irected against all fo rms of provincialism,
34 THE BAHA'I WORLD

all insularities and prejudices. If long-cher- give way to a new gospel, fundamentally
ished ideals and time-honoured institutions, different from, and infinitely superior to,
if certain social assumptions and religious what the world has already conceived. It
formulae have ceased to promote the welfare calls for no less than the reconstruction and
of the generality of mankind, if they no the demilitarization of the whole civilized
longer minister to the needs of a continually world- a world organically unified in all the
evolving humanity, let them be swept away essential aspects of its life, its political
and relegated to the limbo of obsolescent machinery, its spiritual aspiration, its trade
and forgotten doctrines. Why should these, and finance, its script and language, and
in a world subject to the immutable law yet infinite in the diversity of the national
of change and decay, be exempt from the characteristics of its federated units.
deterioration that must needs overtake every It represents the consummation of human
human institution? For legal standards, politi- evolution- an evolution that has had its earcal and economic theories are solely designed lies t beginnings in the birth of fa mily life, its
to safeguard the interests of humanity as a subsequent development in the achievement
whole, and not humanity to be crncified for of tribal solidarity, leading in turn to the
the preservation of the integrity of any constitution of the city-state, and expanding
particular law or doctrine. later into the institution of independent and
Let there be no mistake. The principle of sovereign nations.
the Oneness of Mankind- the pivot round The principle of the Oneness of Mankind,
which all the teachings of Baha ' u'llah as proclaimed by Balla 'u ' llah, carries with it
revolve- is no mere outburst of ignorant no more and no less than a solemn assertion
emotionalism or an expression of vague and that attainment to this final stage in this
pious hope. Its appeal is not to be merely stupendous evolution is not only necessary
identified with a reawakening of the spirit but inevitable, that its realization is fast
of brotherhood and good-will among men, approaching, and that nothing short of a
nor does it aim solely at the fostering of power that is born of God can succeed in
harn1onious co-operation among individual establishing it. ...
peoples and nations. Its implications are Who knows that for so exalted a concepdeeper, its claims greater than any which the tion to take shape a suffering more intense
Prophets of old were allowed to advance. than any it has yet experienced will have to
Its message is applicable not only to the be inflicted upon humanity? Could anything
individual, but concerns itself primarily with less than the fire of a civil war with all its
the nature of those essential relationships violence and vicissitudes-a war that nearly
that must bind all the states and nations as rent the great American Republic- have
members of one human family . It does not welded the states, not only into a Union
constitute merely the enunciation of an ideal, of independent units, but into a Nation, in
but stands inseparably associated with an spite of all the ethnic differences that charinstitution adequate to embody its truth, acterized its component parts? That so
demonstrate its validity, and perpetuate its fundamental a revolution, involving such
influence. It implies an organic change in the far-reaching changes in the strncture of sostructure of present-day society, a change ciety, can be achieved through the ordinaty
such as the world has not yet experienced. processes of diplomacy and education seems
It constitutes a challenge, at once bold and highly improbable. We have but to turn our
universal, to outworn shibboleths of nationa l gaze to humanity ' s blood-stained hist01y to
creeds- creeds that have had their day and realize that nothing short of intense mental
which must, in the ordinary course of events as well as physical agony has been able to
as shaped and controlled by Providence, precipitate those epoch-making changes that
THE BAHA' i REVELATION 35
constitute the greatest landmarks in the hands . It implies at once a warning and a
history of human civilization. promise-a warning that in it lies the sole
Great and far-reaching as have been those means for the salvation of a greatly suffering
changes in the past, they cannot but appear, world, a promise that its realization is at
when viewed in their proper perspective, hand.
except as subsidiary adjustments prelu ding Uttered at a time when its possibility had
that transformation of unparalleled majesty not yet been seriously envisaged in any part
and scope which humanity is in this age of the world, it has, by virtue of that celestial
bound to undergo. That the forces of a world potency which the Spirit of Baha'u'llah has
catastrophe can alone precipitate such a new breathed into it, come at last to be regarded,
phase of human thought is, alas, becoming by an increasing number of thoughtful men,
increasingly apparent. That nothing shoti of not only as an approaching possibility, but
the fire of a severe ordeal, unparalleled in as the necessary outcome of the forces now
its intensity, can fuse and weld the discor- operating in the world.
dant entities that constitute the elements Surely the world, contracted and transof present-day civilization, into the integral fmmed into a single highly complex organism
components of the world commonwealth of by the marvellous progress achieved in the
the future, is a truth which future events will realm of physical science, by the world-wide
increasingly demonstrate. expansion of commerce and industry, and
The prophetic voice ofBaha'u'llah warn- snuggling, under the pressure of world
ing, in the concluding passages of Th e economic forces, amidst the pitfalls of a
Hidden Words, the peoples of the world that materialistic civilization, stands in dire need
an unforeseen calamity is following them of a restatement of the Truth underlying all
and that grievous retribution awaiteth them the Revelations of the past in a language
tlrrows indeed a lurid light upon the immedi- suited to its essential requirements. And
ate fotiunes of sorrowing humanity. Nothing what voice other than that of Baha'u'llahbut a fiery ordeal, out of which humanity the Mouthpiece of God for this age-is capawill emerge, chastened and prepared, can ble of effecting a transformation of society
succeed in implanting that sense ofresponsi- as radical as that which He has already
bility which the leaders of a new-born age accomplished in the hearts of those men and
must arise to shoulder. women, so diversified and seemingly irrec-
I would again direct your attention to oncilable, who constitute the body of His
those ominous words of Baha'u'llah which declared followers tluáoughout the world?
I have already quoted: "And when the That such a mighty conception is fast
appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly budding out in the minds of men, that
appear that which shall cause the limbs of voices are being raised in its support, that its
mankind to quake." . .. salient features must fast crystallize in the
One word more in conclusion. The procla- consciousness of those who are in authority,
mation of the Oneness of Mankind- the head few indeed can doubt. That its modest
corner-stone of Baha'u'llah's all-embracing begimtings have already taken shape in the
dominion-can under no circumstances be world-wide Administration with which the
compared with such expressions of pious adherents of the Faith of Baha 'u ' llah stand
hope as have been uttered in the past. His associated only those whose hearts are
is not merely a call which He raised, alone tainted by prejudice can fail to perceive ....
and unaided, in the face of the relentless and
combined opposition of two of the most Excerpts from Th e Goal of a New World Order, in
powerfu l Oriental potentates of His day- Call to the Nations ( Hai fa: Baha'i World Centre, 1977).
while Himself an exile and prisoner in their C hapter II.
36 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

FEW will fail to recognize that the Spirit dismay the bankruptcy of their ideas, and the
breathed by Baha'u'llah upon the world, and disintegration of their handiwork, would do
which is manifesting itself with varying well to him their gaze to the Revelation of
degrees of intensity through the efforts con- Baha'u'llah, and to meditate upon the World
sciously displayed by His avowed supporters Order which, lying enshrined in His teachand indirectly through certain humanitarian ings, is slowly and imperceptibly rising
organizations, can never permeate and amid the welter and chaos of present-day
exercise an abiding influence upon mankind civilization. They need have no doubt or
unless and until it incarnates itself in a visible anxiety regarding the nature, the origin, or
Order, which would bear His name, wholly validity of the institutions which the adheridentify itself with His principles, and ents of the Faith are building up tluáoughout
function in conforniity with His laws. That the world. For these lie embedded in the
Baha'u'llah in His Book of Aqdas, and later teachings themselves , unadulterated and
'Abdu'l-Baha in His Will- a document which unobscured by unwarrantable inferences, or
confirms, supplements, and correlates the unauthorized interpretations of His Word . . ..
provisions of the Aqdas- have set forth in
their entirety those essential elements for the THE omushing forces so miraculously
constitution of the world Baha ' i Common- released through the agency of two indepenwealth, no one who has read them will deny. dent and swiftly successive Manifestations are
According to these divinely-ordained adniin- now under our very eyes and tluáough the care
istrative principles, the Dispensation of of the chosen stewards of a far-flung Faith
Baha'u'llah- the Ark of human salvation- being gradually mustered and disciplined.
must needs be modelled. From them, all They are slowly crystallizing into institutions
future blessings must flow, and upon them that will come to be regarded as the hallmark
its inviolable auth01ity must ultimately rest. and glory of the age we are called upon to
For Baha'u 'llah, we should readily recog- establish and by our deeds i1m11ortalize ....
nize, has not only imbued mankind with It would be utterly misleading to attempt
a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not a comparison between this unique, this
merely enunciated certain universal princi- divinely-conceived Order and any of the
ples, or propounded a particular philosophy, diverse systems which the minds of men, at
however potent, sound and universal these various periods of their history, have contrived
may be. In addition to these He, as well as for the government of human institutions.
' Abdu ' l-Baha after Him, has, unlike the Such an attempt would in itself betray a lack
Dispensations of the past, clearly and specif- of complete appreciation of the excellence
ically laid down a set of Laws , established of the handiwork of its great Author. How
definite institutions, and provided for the could it be otherwise when we remember
essentials of a Divine Economy. These are that this Order constih1tes the very pattern of
destined to be a pattern for fuh1re society, that divine civilization which the almighty
a supreme instrument for the establishment Law of Baha ' u' llah is designed to establish
of the Most Great Peace, and the one agency upon earth? The divers and ever-shifting
for the unification of the world, and the systems of human polity, whether past or
proclamation of the reign of righteousness present, whether originating in the East or in
and justice upon the earth .... the West, offer no adequate criterion where-
Leaders of religion, exponents of political with to estimate the potency of its hidden
the01ies, governors of human institutions, who virtues or to appraise the solidity of its
at present are witnessing with perplexity and foundations.
THE BAl-IA'i REVELATION 37

Details of the pillars and gardens surrounding the Seat of the Universal Hous e of Justice.

The Baha'i Commonwealth of the future, This new-born Administrative Order
of which this vast Administrative Order is incorporates with in its structure certain
the so le framework, is, both in theory and elements which are to be found in each of
practice, not only unique in the entire history the tluáee recognized forms of secular govof political institutions, but can find no ernment, without being in any sense a mere
parallel in the aru1als of any of the world 's replica of any one of them, and without
recognized religious systems. No form of introducing within its machinery any of the
democratic government; no system of autoc- objectionable features which they inherently
racy or of dictatorship, whether monarchical possess. It blends and harmonizes, as no
or republican; no intermediary scheme of a govermnent fashioned by mortal hands has
purely aristocratic order; nor even any of the as yet accomplished , the salutary h-uths
recognized types of theocracy, whether it be which each of these systems undoubtedly
the Hebrew Commonwealth, or the various contains without vitiating the integrity of
Christian ecclesiastical organizations, or the those God-given verities on which it is
Imamate or the Caliphate in Islam- none of ultimately fo unded.
these can be identified or be said to conform The Adminisháative Order of the Faith of
with the Administrative Order which the Baha 'u ' llah must in no wise be regarded as
master-hand of its perfect Architect has purely democratic in character inasmuch as
fashioned. the basic assumption wh ich requires all
38 THE BAHA'I WORLD

democracies to depend fundamentally upon laws requiring the election by universal sufgetting their mandate from the people is frage of all local, national, and international
altogether lacking in this Dispensation. In Houses of Justice, the total absence of episthe conduct of the administrative affairs of copal authority with its attendant privileges,
the Faith, in the enactment of the legislation corruptions and bureaucratic tendencies,
necessary to supplement the laws of the are further evidences of the non-autocratic
Kitab-i-Aqdas, the members of the Univer- character of the Baha'i Administrative Order
sal House of Justice, it should be borne in and of its inclination to democratic methods
mind, are not, as Baha 'u ' llah's utterances in the administration of its affairs.
clearly imply, responsible to those whom Nor is this Order identified with the name
they represent, nor are they allowed to ofBaha'u'llah to be confused with any sysbe governed by the feelings, the general tem of purely aristocratic government in view
opinion, and even the convictions of the of the fact that it upholds, on the one hand,
mass of the faithful, or of those who directly the hereditary principle and entrusts the
elect them. They are to follow, in a prayerful Guardian of the Faith with the obligation of
attitude, the dictates and promptings of their interpreting its teachings, and provides, on
conscience. They may, indeed they must, the other, for the free and direct election from
acquaint themse lves with the conditions among the mass of the faithful of the body
prevailing among the community, must weigh that constitutes its highest legislative organ .
dispassionately in their minds the merits of Whereas this Administrative Order cannot
any case presented for their consideration, be said to have been modelled after any of
but must reserve for themselves the right these recognized systems of government, it
of an unfettered decision. "God will verily nevertheless embodies, reconciles and assiminspire them with whatsoever He willeth," ilates within its framework such wholesome
is Baha'u' llah's incontrovetiible assurance. elements as are to be found in each one of
They, and not the body of those who either them. The hereditary authority which the
directly or indirectly elect them, have thus Guardian is called upon to exercise, the vital
been made the recipients of the divine and essential functions which the Universal
guidance which is at once the life-blood and House of Justice discharges, the specific
ultimate safeguard of this Revelation . ... provisions requiring its democratic election
Nor can the Baha'i Administrative Order by the representatives of the fa ithful- these
be dismissed as a hard and rigid system of combine to demonstrate the trnth that this
unmitigated autocracy or as an idle imitation divinely revealed Order, wh ich can never
of any form of absolutistic ecclesiastical be identified with any of the standard types
government, whether it be the Papacy, the of government referred to by Aristotl e i.n
Imamate or any other similar institution, for his works, embodies and blends with the
the obvious reason that upon the international spiritual verities on which it is based the
elected representatives of the followers of beneficent elements which are to be found
Baha'u ' llah has been conferred the exclusive in each one of them. The admitted evil s
right of legislating on matters not expressly inherent in each of these systems being rigrevea led in the Baha'i writings. Neither the idly and permanently excluded, this unique
Guardian of the Faith nor any institution Order, however long it may endure and
apati from the International House of Justice however extensive its ramifications, cannot
can ever usurp this vital and essential power ever degenerate into any form of despotism,
or encroach upon that sacred right. The abo- of oligarchy, or of demagogy which must
lition of professional priesthood with its sooner or later corrupt the machinery of all
accompanying sacraments of baptism, of man-made and essentially defective political
communion and of confession of sins, the institutions ....
THE BAHA' i RE VELA T!ON 39
Significant as are the origins of this disillusioned and sadly shaken society can
mighty administrative strncture, and how- ill afford to ignore.
ever unique its features , the happenings that Compare these splendid manifestations of
may be said to have heralded its birth and the spirit animating this vibrant body of the
signalized the initial stage of its evolution Faith of Baha'u'llah with the cries and
seem no less remarkable. How striking, how agony, the follies and vanities, the bitterness
edifying the contrast between the process of and prejudices, the wickedness and divisions
slow and steady consolidation that charac- of an ailing and chaotic world. Witness the
terizes the growth of its infant strength and fear that torn1ents its leaders and paralyses
the devastating onrush of the forces of the action of its blind and bewildered statesdisintegration that are assailing the outworn men. How fierce the hatreds, how false the
institutions, both religious and secular, of ambitions, how petty the pursuits, how deeppresent-day society! rooted the suspicions of its peoples! How
The vitality which the organic institutions disquieting the lawlessness, the conuption,
of this great, this ever-expanding Order so the unbelief that are eating into the vitals of
strongly exhibit; the obstacles which the a tottering civilization!
high courage, the undaunted resolution of Might not this process of steady deterioits administrators have already surmounted; ration which is insidiously invading so many
the fire of an unquenchable enthusiasm that departments of human activity and thought
glows with undiminished fervour in the be regarded as a n ~cessary accompanin1ent
hearts of its itinerant teachers; the heights to the rise of !his almighty Arm of
of self-sacrifice which its champion-builders Baha'u'llah? Might we not look upon the
are now attaining; the breadth of vision, the momentous happenings which . . . have so
confident hope, the creative joy, the inward deeply agitated every continent of the earth
peace, the uncompromising integrity, the as ominous signs simultaneously proclaiming
exempl ary discipline, the unyielding unity the agonies of a disintegrating civilization
and solidarity which its stalwart defenders and the birth-pangs of that World Ordermanifest; the degree to which its moving that Ark of human salvation- that must
Spirit hath shown itself capable of assimilat- needs arise upon its rnins?
ing the diversified elements within its pale,
of cleansing them of all forms of prejudice Excerpts from The World Order of Bahn "u 'I/ah: Furth er
and of fusing them with its own shucture- Considerations and 771e Dispensation of Bah a '11 'I/ah, 111
these are evidences of a power which a Call to the Nations. Chapter Ill .
40 THE BA HA'i WORLD
III
THE contrast between the accumulating equilibrium'', He explains, "hath been upset
evidences of steady consolidation that through the vibrating influence of this
accompany the rise of the Administrative Most Great, this new World Order. Man-
Order of the Faith of God, and the forces of kind 's ordered life hath been revolutionized
disintegration which batter at the fabric of through the agency of this unique, this
a travailing society, is as clear as it is wondrous System, the like of which mortal
arresting. Both within and outside the Baha' i eyes have never witnessed." "The signs
world the signs and tokens which, in a of impending convulsions and chaos," He
mysterious manner, are heralding the birth warns the peoples of the world, "can now be
of that World Order, the establishment of discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing Order
which must signalize the Golden Age of the appeareth to be lamentably defective." ...
Cause of God, are growing and multiplying No machinery falling short of the standay by day. No fair-minded observer can dard inculcated by the Baha'i Revelation,
any longer fail to discern them. He cannot be and at variance with the sublime pattern
misled by the painful slowness characteriz- ordained in His teachings, which the collecing the unfoldment of the civilization which tive efforts of mankind may yet devise can
the followers of Baha'u'llah are labouring ever hope to achieve anything above or
to establish. Nor can he be deluded by beyond that "Lesser Peace" to which the
the ephemeral manifestations of returning Author of our Faith has Himself alluded in
prosperity which at times appear to be capa- His writings. "Now that ye have refi1sed the
ble of checking the disruptive influence of Most Great Peace," He, admonishing the
the chronic ills afflicting the institutions of kings and rulers of the earth, has written,
a decaying age. The signs of the times are "hold ye fast unto this the Lesser Peace, that
too numerous and compelling to allow him haply ye may in some degree better your
to mistake their character or to belittle their own condition and that ofyour dependents."
significance. He can, if he be fair in his Expatiating on this Lesser Peace, He thus
judgement, recognize in the chain of events addresses in that same Tablet the rulers of
which proclaim on the one hand the irre- the earth: "Be reconciled among yourselves,
sistible march of the institutions directly that ye may need no more armaments save in
associated with the Revelation ofBaha ' u' llah a measure to safeguard your territories and
and foreshadow on the other the downfall dominions ... Be united, 0 kings of the earth,
of those powers and principalities that for thereby will the tempest of discord be
have either ignored or opposed it- he can stilled amongst you, and your peoples find
recogni ze in them all ev idences of the rest, if ye be of them that comprehend.
operation of God's all-pervasive Will, the Should any one among you take up arms
shaping of His perfectly ordered and world- against another, rise ye all against him, for
embracing Plan. this is naught but manifest justice."
"Soon," Baha'u'llah's own words pro- The Most Great Peace, on the other hand ,
claim it, "will the present-day Order be as conceived by Baha'u'llah-a peace that
rolled up, and a new one spread out in its must inevitably follow as the practical constead. Verily, thy Lord speaketh the truth sequence of the spiritualization of the world
and is the Knower of things unseen. " "By and the fusion of all its races, creeds, classes
Myself," He solemnly asserts, "the day is and nations-can rest on no other basis, and
approaching when We will have rolled up can be preserved through no other agency,
the world and all that is therein, and spread except the divinely appointed ordinances
out a new Order in its stead. He, verily, that are implicit in the World Order that
is powerful over all things." "The world's stands associated with His holy name. In His
THE BA HA ' i REVELATION 41

Tablet, revea led almost seventy 1 years ago That mystic, all-pervasive, yet indefinable
to Queen Victoria, Baha'u'llah, alluding to change, which we associate with the stage
this Most Great Peace, has declared: "That of maturity inevitable in the life of the
which the Lord hath ordained as the sover- individual and the development of the fruit,
eign remedy and mightiest instrument for the must, if we would correctly apprehend the
healing of all the world is the union of all its utterances of Baha'u'llah, have its counterpeoples in one universal Cause, one common pari in the evo lution of the organization of
Faith. This can in no wise be achieved human society. A similar stage must sooner
except through the power of a skilled, an or later be attained in the collective life of
all-powe1fu l and inspired Physician. This, mankind, producing an even more striking
verily, is the truth, and all else naught but phenomenon in world relations , and enerror" ... "ft beseemeth all men in this dowing the whole human race with such
Day", He, in another Tablet, asserts, "to take potentialities of well-being as shall provide,
.firm hold on the Most Great Name, and to tluáoughout the succeeding ages, the chief
establish the unity of all mankind. There is incentive required for the eventual fulfilno place to fl ee to, no refitge that any one ment of its high destiny ....
can seek, except Him. " Only those who are willing to associate
The Revelation of Baha 'u ' llah, whose the Reve lation proclaimed by Baha 'u ' llah
supreme miss ion is none other but the with the consununation of so stupendous an
achievement of this organic and spiritual evolution in the collective life of the whole
unity of the whole body of nations, should, human race can grasp the significance of the
if we be faithful to its implications, be words which He, while alluding to the glories
regarded as signalizing tluáough its advent of this promised Day and to the duration of
the coming of age of the entire human race. the Baha'i Era, has deemed fit to utter. "This
It should be viewed not merely as yet is the King of Days," He exclaims, "the Day
anotl1er spiritual revival in the ever-changing that hath seen the coming of the Bestfortunes of mankind, not only as a further Beloved, Him Who, through all eternity,
stage in a chain of progress ive Revelations , hath been acclaimed the Des ire of the
nor even as the cu lmination of one of a World." "The Scriptures of past Dispensaseries of recurrent prophetic cyc les, but tions ," He further asserts, "celebrate th e
rather as marking the last and highest stage great jubilee that must needs greet this
in the stupendous evolution of man 's collec- most great Day of God. Well is it with him
ti ve life on this planet. The emergence of a that hath lived to see this Day and hath
world conununity, the consciousness of recognized its station ." ...
world citizenship, the founding of a world Though the Revelation ofBaha ' u ' llah has
civiliza tion and culture-all of which must been delivered, the World Order which such
syncluonize with the initial stages in the a Revelation must needs beget is as yet
unfoldment of the Golden Age of tl1e Baha ' i unborn. Though the Heroic Age of His Faith
Era-should, by their very nature, be is passed, the creative energies which that
regarded, as far as this planetary life is Age has released have not as yet crystallized
concerned, as the furthermost limits in the into that world society whi ch, in the fullness
organization of human soc iety, though man, of time, is to mirror fo rth the brightness of
as an individual, wi ll, nay must indeed as His glory. Though the framework of His
a result of such a consununation, continue Administrative Order has been erected, and
indefinitely to progress and develop. the Formative Period of the Baha' i Era
has begun, yet the promised Kingdom into
W ritten in 1936. Now more than a hundred. (The
which the seed of His institutions must ripen
Tabl e t to Queen Victoria was written about 1870.) remains as yet uninaugurated. Though His
42 THE BA HA' I WORLD

Detail of a column and window of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.

Voice has been raised, and the ensigns of such moral and social gloom as can alone
His Faith have been lifted up in no less than prepare an unrepented humanity for the prize
fo1ty countries 1 of both the East and the she is destined to inherit.
West, yet the wholeness of the human race is Into such a period we are now steadi ly
as yet unrecognized, its unity unproclaimed, and irresistibly moving. Amidst the shadows
and the standard of its Most Great Peace which are increasi ngly gathering about us
unhoisted .... we can faintly discern the glimmerings of
For the reve lation of so great a favo ur a Baha' u ' llah's unearthly sovereignty appea rperiod of intense tmmoil and widespread ing fitfully on the horizon of history. To us,
suffering would seem to be indispensable. the "generation of the half-light'', living at a
Resplendent as has been the Age that has time which may be designated as the period
witnessed the inception of the Mission with of the incubation of the World Commonwhich Baha'u' llah has been entrusted, the wealth envisaged by Baha'u ' llah, has been
interval which must elapse ere that Age assigned a task whose high privilege we can
yields its choicest fruit must, it is becoming never sufficiently appreciate, and the arduincreasingly apparent, be overshadowed by ousness of whi ch we can as yet but dimly
recognize. We may well believe, we who are
Written in 1936, since when the number has called upon to experience the operation of
increased to 235 , compri sin g 190 independent coun - the dark forces destined to unloose a flood
tri es and 45 dependent territori es .
Tl-IE BAI-IA' j REVELATION 43
of agonizmg afflictions, that the darkest "A new life," Baha' u' llah proclaims, "is,
hour that must precede the dawn of the in this age, stirring within all the peoples
Golden Age of our Faith has not yet struck. of the earth; and yet none hath discovered
Deep as is the gloom that already encircles its cause, or perceived its motive." "O ye
the world, the afflictive ordeals which that children of men," He thus addresses His
world is to suffer are still in preparation, nor generation, "the fimdamental purpose anican their blackness be as yet imagined. We mating the Faith of God and His Religion is
stand on the threshold of an age whose con- to safeguard the interests and promote the
vulsions proclaim alike the death-pangs of unity of the human race .. . This is the straight
the old order and the birth-pangs of the new. path, the fixed and immovable foundation.
Through the generating influence of the Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the
Faith announced by Baha'u ' llah this New changes and chances of the world can never
World Order may be said to have been impair its strength, nor will the revolution of
conceived . We can, at the present moment, countless centuries undermine its structure."
experience its stirrings in the womb of a "The well-being of mankind," He declares,
travailing age-an age waiting for the "its p eace and security are unattainable
appointed hour at which it can cast its unless and until its unity is firmly estabburden and yield its fairest fruit. lished." "So powerful is the light of unity," is
"The whole earth," writes Baha'u ' llah, His further testimony, "that it can illuminate
"is now in a state of pregnancy . The day is the whole earth. Th e one true God, He Who
approaching when it will have yielded its knoweth all things, Hims elf testifieth to the
noblest ji-uits, when fi'om it will have sprung truth of these words... This goal excelleth
forth the loftiest trees, the most enchanting eve1y other goal, and this aspiration is the
blossoms, the most heavenly blessings .. .." monarch of all aspirations." "He Who is
"The Call of God," 'Abdu'l-Baha has your Lord, the All-Merciful," He, moreover,
written, "when raised, breath ed a new life has written, "cherisheth in His heart the
into the body of mankind, and infi1sed a new desire of beholding the entire human race as
spirit into the whole creation. ft is for this one soul and one body. Haste ye to win your
reason that the world hath been moved to its share of God 's good grace and mercy in this
depths, and the hearts and consciences of Day that eclipseth all other created days."
men been quickened. Ere long the evidences The unity of the human race, as envisaged
of this regeneration will be revealed, and the by Baha'u' llah, implies the establishment of
fast asleep will be awakened." ... a world commonwealth in which all nations,
Unification of the whole of mankind is races, creeds and classes are closely and
the hallmark of the stage which human pe1rnanently united, and in which the autonsociety is now approaching. Unity of family, omy of its state members and the persona l
of tráibe, of city-state and nation have been freedom and initiative of the individuals that
successively attempted and fully established. compose them are definitely and completely
World unity is the goal towards which safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as
a harassed humanity is striving. Nation- far as we can visualize it, consist of a world
building has come to an end. The anarchy legislature, whose members will, as the
inherent in state sovereignty is moving hi.1stees of the whole of mankind, ultimately
towards a climax. A world, growing to control the entire resources of all the compomaturity, must abandon this fetish, recog- nent nations, and wi ll enact such laws as
nize the oneness and wholeness of human shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy
relationships, and establish once for all the the needs and adjust the relationships of all
machinery that can best incarnate this funda- races and peoples. A world executive,
mental principle of its life. backed by an international Force, will carry
44 THE BAHA' i WORLD

out the decisions arrived at, and apply the understanding and co-operation. The causes
laws enacted by, this world legislature, and of religious sháife will be pennanently
will safeguard the organic unity of the whole removed, economic barri ers and restrictions
comm onwea lth. A world háibunal will adju- will be completely abolished, and the inordidicate and deliver its compulsory and final nate distinction between classes will be
verdict in all and any disputes that may arise obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and
between the various elements constituting gross accumulation of ownership on the
this universa l system. A mechanism of other, will disappear. The enormous energy
world intercommunication will be devised, dissipated and wasted on war, whether
embraci ng the whole planet, freed from economic or political, will be consecrated to
national hindrances and restrictions, and such ends as will extend the range of human
functioning with marvellous swiftness and inventions and technical development, to the
perfect regularity. A world metropolis will increase of the productivity of mankind, to the
act as the nerve centre of a world civiliza- exte1111ination of disease, to the extension of
tion, the focus towards which the unifyi ng scientific research, to the raising of the stanforces of life will converge and from which dard of physical health, to the sharpening
its energizing influences will radiate. A and refinement of the human brain, to the
world lang uage will either be invented or exploitation of the unused and unsuspected
chosen from among the existing languages resources of the planet, to the prolongation
and will be taught in the school s of all the of human life, and to the furtherance of any
federated nations as an auxiliary to their other agency that can stimulate the intellecmother tongues . A world script, a world tual, the moral, and sp iritu al life of the entire
li terature, a uniform and universal system human race.
of currency, of weights and measures, will A world federal system, ruling the whole
simplify and facilitate intercourse and earth and exercising unchallengeable authorunde rstanding among the nations and races ity over its unimaginably vast resources,
of mankind. In such a world society, science blending and embodying the ideals of both
and religion, the two most potent forces the East and the West, liberated from the
in human life, wi ll be reconciled, will co- curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the
operate, and w ill harmoniously develop. The exploitation of all the available sources of
press will, under such a system, while giving energy on the surface of the planet, a system
full scope to the express ion of the diversified in which Force is made the servant of Jusviews and convictions of mank ind, cease tice, whose li fe is sustained by its universal
to be mischi evously manipulated by vested recognition of one God and by its allegiance
interests , whether private or public, and will to one conm1on Revelation- such is the goal
be liberated from the influence of contend- towards which humanity, impelled by the
ing governments and peoples. The economic unifying forces of life, is moving .
resources of the world will be organized, its
sources of raw materials will be tapped and
fully utilized, its markets will be co-ordinated and developed, and the distribution of Exce1vts from The Unfold111ent of World Civilizntion , in
its products will be equitably regu lated. Call to the Nations, Chapter IV.

National rivalries , hatreds, and intrigues
will cease, and racial animosity and prejudice w ill be replaced by racial amity,
THE BAHA'i REVELATION 45

IV

As we gaze in retrospect beyond the dwell in one common fatherland, which is
immediate past, and survey, in however the planet itself."
cursory a manner, the vici ssitudes afflicting What we witness at the present time,
an increasingl y tormented soc iety, and recall during "this gravest crisis in the hi story of
the strains and stresses to which the fabric civilization," recalling such times in which
of a dying Order has been increas ingly " reli gion s have peri shed and are born," is
subjected, we cannot but marvel at the sharp the ado lescent stage in the slow and painful
contrast presented, on the one han d, by evolution of humanity, preparatory to the
the accumulated evidences of the orderly attainment of the stage of manhood, the
unfoldment, and the uninterrupted multipli- stage of maturity, the promise of which is
cation of the agencies, of an Admini strati ve embedded in the teachings, and enshrined in
Order designed to be the harbinger of a the prophecies ofBaha'u ' ll ah. The tumult of
world civilization, and, on the other, by the this age of tra nsition is characteristi c of the
ominous manifestations of ac ute political impetuos ity and irrational instincts of youth,
conflict, of social unrest, of rac ial animosity, its follies, its prodigali ty, its pride, its selfof class antago nism, of immorality and of assura nce, its rebelli ousn ess, and contempt
irreligion, proclaiming, in no uncertain terms, of di scipline.
the co1Tuption and obso lescence of the insti- The ages of its infancy and childhood are
tutions of a bankrupt Order. .. . past, never agai n to return , while the Great
Age, the consummation of all ages, which
"The winds of despa ir," writes Baha'u ' ll ah, must signalize the coming of age of the entire
as He surveys the immed iate destinies of human race, is yet to come. The convulsions
mankind, "are, alas, blowing fro m eve1y of this transiti onal and most turbulent period
direction, and the strife that divides and in the annals of humanity are the essential
afflicts the human race is da ily increas- prerequisites, and herald of the inevitable
ing .... " "Such shall be its plight," He, in approach, of that Age of Ages, "the time
another corn1ection, has dec lared, "that to of the end," in whi ch the folly and tumult of
disclose it now would not be meet and strife that has, since the daw n of history,
seemly." "These fruitless strifes," He, on the blackened the ann als of mankind, wi ll have
other hand, contemplating the future of man- been finally transmuted into the wisdom and
ki nd, has emphatically prophesied, in the the tranquillity of an undisturbed, a universal ,
course of His memorabl e interview w ith the and lasting peace, in which the di scord and
Persian orientalist, Edward G. Browne, separati on of the children of men w ill have
"these ruinous wars shall pass away, and given way to the worldwide reconciliation,
the 'Most Great Peace' shall come .... These and the complete unification of the di vers
strifes and this bloodshed and discord must elements that constitute human society.
cease, and all men be as one kindred and This will indeed be the fitting climax of
one family. " .. . that process of integration which , startin g
"All nations and kindreds," 'Abdu ' l-Bahi with the family , the small est uni t in the scale
likewise has written , " ... will become a single of human organization, must, after having
nation. Religious and sectarian antagonism, called success ively into being the tribe, the
the hostility of races and peoples, and differ- city-state, and the nation, continue to operate
ences among nations, will be eliminated. All until it culmin ates in the unification of the
men will adhere to one religion, will have whole world, the final object and the crown -
one common faith, will be blended into one ing glory of human evol uti on on this planet.
race, and become a single people. All will It is this stage whi ch humanity, w illingly or
46 THE BA HA' l WORLD

unwillingly, is res istless ly approaching. lt is in th e human kingdom man reaches his
for this. stage that this vast, this fiery ordeal maturity when the light of his intelligence
which humani ty is experiencing is mysteri- attains its greatest power and development ....
ously paving the way . It is with this stage Similarly there are periods and stages in
that the fo rtunes and the purpose of the Faith the collective life of humanity. At one time it
of Baha'u ' llah are indisso lubl y linked. It is was passing through its stage of childhood,
the creative energies which His Revelation at another its period ofyouth, but now it has
has released... that have instilled into entered its long-predicted phase of maturity,
humanity the capacity to attain this final the evidences of which are eve1y where apparstage in its organic and co llective evolution. ent. . . . That which was applicable to human
It is with the Golden Age of His Dispensa- needs during the early history of the race
tion that the consummation of this process can neither meet nor satisfy the demands of
will be forever associated. It is the structure this day, this period of newness and consumof H is New World Order, now stirring in the mation. Humanity has emerged ji-om its
womb of the administrative institutions He form er state of limitation and preliminmy
Himself has created, that will serve both as a training. Man must now become imbued
pattern and a nucleus of that world common- with new virtues and powers, new moral
wealth which is the sme, the inevitable standards, new capacities. New bounties,
destiny of the peoples and nations of the pe1f ect bestowals, are awaiting and already
earth. descending upon him. Th e gifts and bless-
Just as the organic evolution of mankind ings of the period of youth, although timely
has been slow and gradual, and invo lved and sufficient during the adolescence of
successively the unification of the family, mankind, are now incapable of meeting the
the tribe, the city-state, and the nation, so requirements of its maturity." ...
has the light vouchsafed by the Revelation This is the stage which the world is now
of God, at various stages in the evo lution approaching, the stage of world unity, which,
of religion, and reflected in the successive as ' Abdu'l-Baha assures us, will, in this
Dispensations of the past, been slow and centmy , be secmely established. " The Tongue
progressive. Indeed the measure of Divine of Grandeur," Baha'u'llah Himself affirms,
Revelation, in evety age, has been adapted "hath . .. in the Day of His Manifestation proto, and commensurate with, the degree of claimed: 'ft is not his to boast who loveth his
soc ial progress achieved in that age by a country, but it is his who loveth the world."'
constantly-evolving humanity. " Through the power," He adds , "released by
" ft hath been decreed by Us," explains these exalted words He hath lent a fresh
Baha ' u ' llah, "that the Word of God, and all impulse, and set a new direction, to the birds
the potentialities thereof; shall be manifested of men's hearts, and hath obliterated eve1y
unto men in strict conformity with such trace of restriction and limitation from
conditions as have been fore-ordained by God's Holy Book."
Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise ... A word of warning should, however, be
Should the Word be allowed to release uttered in this connection. The love of one's
suddenly all the energies latent within it, no country, instilled and sttáessed by the teachman could sustain the weight of so mighty a ing of Islam, as "an element of the Faith of
Revelation." "All created things," ' Abdu' l- God," has not, through this declaration, this
Baha, elucidating this truth, has affirmed, clarion-call of Ba ha 'u ' llah, been either con-
"have their degree or stage of maturity. The demned or disparaged. It should not, indeed
period of maturity in the life of a tree is the it cannot, be construed as a repudiation, or
time of its ji-uit-bearing .. .. The animal attains regarded in the light of a censure pronounced
a stage offu ll growth and completeness, and against a sane and intelligent pattáiotism , nor
THE BAl-IA'i REVELATION 47

does it seek to undermine the allegiance and destruction, must needs convulse the nations,
loyalty of any individual to his country, nor stir the conscience of the world, disillusion
does it conflict with the legitimate aspira- the masses, precipitate a radical change in
tions, rights, and duties of any individual the very conception of society, and coalesce
state or nation. All it does imply and ultimately the disjointed, the bleeding limbs
proclaim is the insufficiency of patriotism, of mankind into one body, single, organiin view of the fundamental changes effected cally united, and indivisible.
in the economic life of society and the To the general character, the implications
interdependence of the nations, and as the and features of this world commonwealth,
consequence of the contraction of the world, destined to emerge, sooner or later, out of
through the revolution in the means of the carnage, agony, and havoc of this great
transportation and conununication- condi- world convulsion, I have already referred in
tions that did not and could not exist either my previous conummications. Suffice it to
in the days of Jesus Cluáist or ofMuhanm1ad. say that this consummation will, by its very
It calls for a wider loyalty, which should not, nature, be a gradual process, and must,
and indeed does not, conflict with lesser loy- as Baha'u'llah has Himself anticipated, lead
alties. It instills a love which, in view of its at first to the establishment of that Lesser
scope, must include and not exclude the love Peace which the nations of the earth, as yet
of one's own counh-y. It lays, tluáough this unconscious of His Revelation and yet
loyalty which it inspires, and this love which unwittingly enforcing the general principles
it infuses, the only foundation on which the which He has enunciated, will themselves
concept of world citizenship can thrive, and establish. This momentous and historic step,
the sh-ucture of world unification can rest. It involving the reconstruction of mankind, as
does insist, however, on the subordination of the result of the universal recognition of its
national considerations and particularistic oneness and wholeness, will bring in its
interests to the imperative and paramount wake the spiritualization of the masses, conclaims of humanity as a whole, inasmuch as sequent to the recognition of the character,
in a world of interdependent nations and and the acknowledgment of the claims,
peoples the advantage of the paii is best to of the Faith of Baha'u'llah- the essential
be reached by the advantage of the whole. condition to that ultimate fusion of all races ,
The world is, in truth, moving on towards creeds, classes, and nations which must
its destiny. The interdependence of the signalize the emergence of His New World
peoples and nations of the earth, whatever Order.
the leaders of the divisive forces of the Then will the coming of age of the entire
world may say or do, is already an accom- human race be proclaimed and celebrated by
plished fact. Its unity in the economic sphere all the peoples and nations of the earth. Then
is now understood and recognized. The will the ba1mer of the Most Great Peace be
welfare of the part means the welfare of hoi sted Then wi ll the worldwide soverthe whole, and the distress of the part brings eignty of Baha ' u' ll ah- the Estab lisher of
disháess to the whole. The Revelation of the Kingdom of the Father foretold by the
Baha'u'llah has, in His own words , "lent a Son, and anticipated by the Prophets of God
fi'esh impulse and set a new direction" to before Him and after Him- be recognized,
this vast process now operating in the world. acclaimed, and firmly established. Then will
The fires lit by this great ordeal are the a world civilization be born, flourish, and
consequences of men's failure to recognize perpetuate itself, a civilization with a fullnes s
it. They are, moreover, hastening its consum- of life such as the world has never seen nor
mation . Adversity, prolonged, world-wide, can as yet conceive. Then will the Everlastafflictive, allied to chaos and universal ing Covenant be fu lfilled in its completeness.
48 THE BA l-IA' i WORLD

Then will the promise enshrined in all the moment, and however dark the misery that
Books of God be redeemed, and all the enshrouds the world, the ability of
prophecies uttered by the Prophets of old Baha ' u' llah to fo rge, with the hanu11er of
come to pass, and the v ision of seers and His Will, and tluáough the fire of tTibulation,
poets be realized. Then will the planet, upon the anvil of this háavailing age, and
galvanized through the universal belief of its in the particular shape His mind has endwellers in one God, and their allegiance to visioned, these scattered and mutually
one common Revelation, mirror, within the deshi.1ctive fragments into which a perverse
limitations imposed upon it, the effulgent world has fallen, into one single unit, solid
glories of the sovereignty of Baha 'u ' llah, and indivisible, able to execute His design
shining in the plenitude of its splendor in the for the children of men.
Abha Paradise, and be made the footstool of Ours rather the duty, however confused
His Tluáone on high, and acclaimed as the the scene, however di smal the present outearthly heaven, capable of fulfilling that look, however circumscribed the resources
ineffable destiny fixed for it, from time we dispose of, to labour serenely, confidently,
immemorial, by the love and wisdom of its and unremittingly to lend our share of assis-
Creator. tance, in whichever way circumstances may
Not ours, puny mortals that we are, to enable us, to the operation of the forces which,
attempt, at so critical a stage in the long as marshall ed and directed by Baha'u' llah,
and checkered hi story of mankind, to arrive are leading humani ty out of the valley of
at a precise and satisfactory understanding misery and shame to the loftiest Sutlli11its of
of the steps which must successive ly lead a power and glory.
bleeding humanity, wretchedly oblivious of
its God, and careless ofBaha 'u ' llah, from its
ca lvary to its ultimate resurrection. Not ours, Excerpts from Messages to the Bahná; World and
the living witnesses of the all-subduing The Promised Day is Come in Call to the Nations,
potency of His Faith, to ques tion, for a Chapter V.
Tl-IE BAl-IA'i REVELAT ION 49

Th e Resting Place ofShoghi Effendi, in the Great No rth ern Cemete1y, London, England.
PART TWO

THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC
ANNIVERSARIES
52 THE BAHA'i WORLD

'A bdu 'l-Baha- th e Master- in New York City; June 1912.
I
THE SEVENTY-FIFTH
ANNIVERSARY OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA's
VISIT TO THE WEST

1. THE VISIT OF 'ABDU'L -B AHA TO THE WEST
SH ERNA D EA MER

IN September 1910, 'Abdu ' l-Baha- the and Cairo. On 11 August 1911 He sailed
Head of the Baha ' i Faith-left His home in with a party of four to Marseilles, and prothe Holy Land and traveled first to Egypt, ceeded, after brief stays at Thonon-les-Bains
and then to the West, visiting England and and Geneva, to London , w here He arrived
Scotland, France, Germany, Hungary, Aus- on 4 September. A follower of Baha 'u ' llah
tria and Switzerland, and the United States - Sara Louisa, Lady Blomfield, whom
of Ameri ca and Canada. His journey lasted 'Abdu ' 1-Baha called Sitarih Khan um-put
for three years, and everywhere He went her apartment at 97 Cadogan Gardens at His
He proclaimed the Teachings of Baha ' u ' llah disposa l. "He arrived, and who shall picture
through word and through deed. Him?" she asks.
'"Abdu'l-Baha was at this time broken in A silence as of love and awe overcame
health", His grandson, Shoghi Effendi, tells us. us, as we looked at H im; the gracious
He suffered from several maladies figure , clothed in a simpl e white garment,
brought on by the strains and stresses of a over which was a li ght-co loured Persian
tragic life spent almost wholl y in exile ' aba; on His head He wore a lowand impri sonment. He was on the thresh- crowned taj , ro und which was fo lded a
old of three-score years and ten. Yet as sma ll , fine-linen turban of purest white ;
soon as He was released from His forty-year His hair and short beard were of that
long captivity ... He arose with sublime snowy whiteness which had once been
courage, confidence and resolution to con- black; His eyes were large, blue-grey with
secrate what little strength remained to long, black lashes and well-marked eye-
Him, in the evening of His life, to a service brows; His face was a beautiful oval w ith
of such heroic proportions that no parallel warm, ivory-coloured skin, a straight,
to it is to be found in the anna ls of the finely-modelled nose, and firm, kind
first Baha'i century. 1 mouth. These are merely outside details
He spent almost a year in Egypt, first in by which an attempt is made to convey
Port Said, and then in a residence in Ramleh, an idea of His arresting personality. His
a suburb of Alexandria, later visiting Zayrun figure was of such perfect symmetry, and
so full of dignity and grace, that the
Shoghi Effendi , God Passes By (Wi lm ette : Baha ' i
first impression was that of cons iderable
Publishing Tru st, 1987), p. 2 79. height. He seemed an incarnation of loving
54 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

understanding, of compassion and power, classes. You are loosed from ancient
of wisdom and authority, of strength, and superstitions which have kept men igof a buoyant youthfulness, which some- norant, destroying the foundation of true
how defied the burden of His years; and humanity. The gift of God to this enlightsuch years! One saw, as in a clear vision, ened age is the knowledge of the oneness
that He had so wrought all good and of mankind and of the fundamental
mercy that the inner grace of Him had oneness of religion . War shall cease
grown greater than all outer sign, and the between nations, and by the will of God
radiance of this inner glory shone in the Most Great Peace shall come; the
every glance, and word, and movement as world will be seen as a new world, and all
He came with hands outstretched. ' I am men will live as brothers. 2
very much pleased with you all. Your This was a powerful call to the West to
love has drawn me to London. I waited recognize the new Light from the East and
forty years in prison to bring the Message He expanded His theme when addressing
to you. Are you pleased to receive such a the congregation of St. John the Divine, at
guest?" Westminster, at the request of the Venerable
'Abdu'l-Bah:i gave the Message of the Archdeacon Wilberforce. He spoke to the
Baha'i Faith, in eloquent and unequivocal Theosophical Society at their headquarters,
terms, in a number of public talks during His at the express request of their president, and
stay in England. The first was from the pulpit also to a meeting at the Higher Thought
of the City Temple in Holborn on 10 Septem- Centre in London.
ber 1911, at the invitation of the Reveiáend R. From the point of view of His hostess,
J. Campbell. "Oh Noble friends; seekers afte r however, "The history of 'Abdu'l-Bah:i 's
God!", He began: stay in our house lies in the relating of vari-
Praise be to God! Today the li ght of ous incidents, connected with individuals,
Truth is shining upon the world in its who stand out from amongst the crowd
abundance; the breezes of the heavenly of those persons who eagerly sought His
garden are blowing throughout all Presence" .
regions; the call of the Kingdom is heard Oh , these pilgrims, these guests, these
in all lands, and the breath of the Holy visitors! Remembering those days, our
Spirit is felt in all hearts that are faithful... ears are filled with the sound of their
The sea of the unity of mankind is lifting footsteps-as they came from every
up its waves with joy, for there is real country in the world! Every day, all day
communication between the hearts and long, a constant stream. An interminable
minds of men . The banner of the Holy procession! Ministers and missionaries,
Spirit is uplifted, and men see it, and are Oriental scholars and occult students,
assured with the knowledge that this is a practical men of affairs and mystics,
new day. This is a new cycle of human Anglican-Catholics and Nonconformists,
power. All the horizons of the world are Theosophists and Hindus, Christian Sciluminous, and the world will become entists and doctors of medicine, Muslims,
indeed as a garden and a paradise. It is the Buddhists, and Zoroastrians. There also
hour of unity of the sons of men and of called: politicians, Salvation Army solthe drawing together of all races and all diers, and other workers for human good,
women suffragists, journalists, writers,
Blomfield, Lady, The Chosen Highway (Wilmette:
Baha'i Publi sh in g Trust, 1967) , pp. 149- 150. For
2 'Abdu '/-Baha in London; Addresses and Notes of
editorial consistency, the personal pronouns related to
'Abdu '1-Baha in this and other old texts quoted in the Con versations (London: Baha'i Publishing Trust,
article have all been capitalized. 1982), pp. 19-20.
THE COMMEMORAT IO N OF HISTORlC ANNIVERSARIES 55
poets and healers, dressmakers and great and women discussing Education, Socialladies, artists and artisans, poor workless ism , the first Reform Bill, and the relation
people and prosperous merchants, mem- of submarines and wireless telegraphy to
bers of the dramatic and musical world, the new era on which man is entering.3
these all came; and none were too lowly, One day after a meeting when, as usual,
nor too great, to receive the sympathetic many people had crowded round Him,
consideration of this holy Messenger, who ' Abdu ' 1-Baha arrived home very tired .
was ever giving His life for others' good. 1 We were sad at heart that He should be so
"He rose very early, chanted prayers, took fatigued, and bewailed the many steps to
tea, wrote Tablets, and dictated others," be ascended to the flat. Suddenly, to our
Lady Blomfield tells us. "He then received amazement, the Master ran up the stairs
those who flocked to see Him, some arriving to the top very quickly without stopping.
soon after dawn, patiently waiting on the He looked down at us as we walked
doorsteps until the door would be opened for up after Him, saying with a bright smile,
their entrance." These visitors were received from which all traces of fatigue had
indi vidually, or by twos or threes. "Then, vanished: ' You are all very old! I am very
about nine o ' clock, He would come into the young!' Seeing me full of wonder,
dining room whilst we were at breakfast to 'Abdu ' l-Baha said: 'Through the power
greet us. 'Are you well? Did you sleep well?'" of Bah a 'u ' llah all things can be done. I
Certain of those who thronged to see have just used that power.' That was the
the Master, having travelled from far only time we had ever seen Him use that
countries, were naturally anxious to power for Himself, and I feel that He did
spend every possible moment with Him .. . so then to cheer and comfort us, as we
Therefore it came about that day after were really sad concerning His fatigue.
day, whilst the Master was teaching, the Might it not also have been to show us an
luncheon gong would sound, and those example of the great Reserve of Divine
who remained would be invited to sit at Force always available for those of us
food with Him. We grew to expect that who are working in various ways in the
there would be nineteen guests at table, so 'Path of the Love of God and of Mankind.'
often did this number recur. These were A celestial strength which reinforces us
much-prized times; 'Abdu ' l-Baha would when our human strength fails. 4
continue the interrupted di scourse, or tell Another lesson was given to the friends
some anecdote, often humorous, mean- as they walked with 'Abdu ' l-Baha in
while frequently serving the guests with His Richmond Park "as the evening light was
own hands, offering sweets, or choosing wan ing. Rows of shining lamps beneath the
various fruits to distribute to the friends. 2 trees, stretching as far as our eyes could see
At the invitation of the Lord Mayor of into the distance, made that part of London
London, 'Abdu'l-Baha breakfasted with him into a glowing fairyland ."
at the Mansion House. On another occasion, ' I am very much pleased with this
He sat in the bow window in the after- scene. Light is good, most good. There
noon sunshine, His arm round a very was much darkness in the prison at
ragged but very happy little boy who had 'Akka,' said the Master.
come to ask for sixpence for his money Our hearts were sad as we thought on
box and for hi s invalid mother, whilst those sombre years within that dismal forround Him in the room were gathered men tress ... When we said 'We are glad ... that

1 3
Th e Chosen Highway, pp. 150- 15 1. God Passes By, p. 285.
2 4
ibid . p. 161. Th e Chosen Highway, p. 169.
56 THE BAHA'I WORLD

'A bdu 'l-Baha in Passmore Edwards Settlement Hall, London, England; 29 September 1911.

you are free ', He said: 'Freedom is not a presence and bearing is occasionally lighted
matter of place, but of condition. I was by a delicate and tactful humour, which is as
happy in that prison, for those days were unaffected as it is infectious and delightful."
passed in the path of service. To me She continued:
prison was freedom. Troubles are a rest On His last afternoon in London , a
to me. Death is life. To be despised is reporter called to ask Him of His future
honour. Therefore was I full of happiness plans ... When, in answer to this query,
all through that prison time. When one is 'Abdu ' l-Baha told in perfect English of
released from the pri son of self, that is His intention to visit Paris and go from
indeed freedom! For self is the greatest there to Alexandria, the press representaprison. When this release takes place, one tive evinced surprise at His faultless
can never be imprisoned. Unless one pronunciation. Thereupon 'Abdu'l-Baha
accepts dire vicissitudes, not with dull proceeded to march with a free stride up
resignation, but with radiant acquies- and down the flower-scented drawing
cence, one cannot attain this freedom. ' 1 room, His Oriental garb contrasting
Lady Blomfield recorded a number of strangely with His modern surroundings;
stories such as these, but, she wrote, "There and, to the amusement of the assembly,
is a note in 'Abdu'l-Baha's character that uttered a string of elaborate English words,
has not been emphasized, and without [including 'hippopotamus', H.M. Balyuzi
which no idea of Him is complete. The tells us on p.155 of his book about' Abdu'limpressive dignity which distinguishes His Baha2] laughingly ending, 'Very difficult
English words I speak! '
The Chosen Highway, p. 166.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTOR IC ANNIVERSARIES 57
On 3 October 'Abdu'l-Baha was sched- The visit of one man made a profound
uled to leave for Paris. The secretaries and impression upon us: 'O 'Abdu ' l-Baha, I
friends were ready to start for the train, but have come from the French Congo, where
'Abdu ' l-Baha sat cal mly writing. W hen I have been engaged in mitigating the
rem inded that it was time to leave, He looked hardships of some of the natives. For sixup, saying: "There are things of more impor- teen years I have worked in that country.'
tance than trains," and He continued to write. 'It was a great comfort to me in the dark-
Suddenly in breathless haste a man ness of my prison to know the work which
came in, carrying in his hand a beautiful you were doing. '2
garland of fragrant white flowers. Bow- Horace Holley, who was an eyewitness,
ing low before the Master, he said : 'In the was quoted as saying that "As London
name of the disciples of Zoroaster, The emphas ized the social and spiritual as pects
Pure One, I hail Thee as the "Promised of Bahaism, so Paris reveal ed its intellectual
Shah Bahram"! ' Then the man, for a sign, content and unparalleled power of defigarlanded 'Abdu' l-Baha, and proceeded nition ."3 One reality 'Abd u' l-Baha clearly
to anoint each and all of the amazed defined is that man- the true man- is soul ,
friends who were present with precious oil , not body. For example, on 17 November
which had the odo ur of fresh roses . This 'Abdu ' l-Baha told the frie nds:
brief but impressive ceremony concluded, T here are in the world of humanity
'Abdu ' I-Baba, having carefully divested three degrees; those of the body, the soul ,
Himself of the garland, departed for the and spirit. The body is the physical or
train . We had witnessed a so lemn act in the animal degree of man. From the bodily
Mysterious Sacred Drama of the World. point of view man is a sharer of the
'Abdu' l-Baha's sojourn in London was animal kingdom .... unlike the animal, man
ended. We stood bereft of His presence. 1 has a rationa l soul , the human intelli-
In Paris, an apartment was fo und for gence. This intelligence of man is the
'Abdu ' l-Baha by H ippolyte and Laura intermediary between hi s body and his
Dreyfus-Barney at 4 avenue de Camoens, sp irit. . .. Illumined by the spirit through
adjacent to the Trocadero Gardens where the the instrumentality of the soul, man ' s radi-
Master often took so litary, restful walks. As ant intelligence makes him the crowningin London , every morning, point of Creation. But on the other hand,
the Master expounded the principles of when man does not open his mind and
the Teaching ofBaha' u' llah to those who heart to the blessing of the spirit, but
gathered round Him , the learned and the turns his sou l towards the material side,
unlearned, eager and respectfu l. They towards the bodily part of hi s natu re, then
were of all nationalities and creeds, fro m he is fa llen from his high place and he
the East and from the West, in cluding becomes infer ior to the inhabitants of the
Theosophists, agnostics, materialists, spiritu- lower animal kingdom .4
alists, Christian Scientists, social reformers, As events brought closer the outbreak
Hindus, Sufis, Muslims, Buddhists, Zoro- of the first World War, 'Abdu' l-Baha also
astrians, and many others. Often came described the causes of war in no uncertain
workers in various humanitarian societies, terms. For example, on 21 October, 'Abdu'lwho were strivi ng to reduce the miseries of Baha told the friends that "The news of the
the poor. These received special sympathy Battle of Benghazi grieves my heart. I wonder
and blessing ...
Th e Chosen Highway, p. 18 1.
2 3
Ba lyuz i, H.M. , 'Abdu "/-Baha (Oxford: Geo rge 'Abdu"/-Baha, p. 159.
Ronald, 1987), p. 155. 4
' Abdu ' l- Baha, Paris Talks (London: Baha 'i Publ ish-
The Chosen Highway, pp. 173- 174. ing Trust, 1972), pp. 96-97.
58 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

at the human savagery that stil l exists in the politics are feeble.' Speaking of religion
world! " He continued: and science, the two great wings with
How is it possible for men to fight from which the bird of humankind is able to
morning until evening, killing each other, soar, He said: 'Scientific discoveries have
shedding the blood of their fel lowmen: increased material civilization. There is
And for what object? To ga in possession in existence a stupendous force, as yet,
of a part of the earth!. . . However great happily, undiscovered by man. Let us
the conqueror, however many countries supp licate God, the Beloved, that this
he may reduce to slavery, he is unable to force be not discovered by science until
retain any part of these devastated lands spiritual civilization shall dominate the
but one tiny portion-his tomb! .. . But human mind. In the hands of men of
war is made for the satisfaction of men's lower material nature, this power would
ambition; for the sake of worldly gain be able to destroy the whole earth. ' 2
to the few, terrible misery is brought to This is a very prescient and profound
numberless homes, breaking the hearts of statement considering Japan's later experihundreds of men and women! How many ence in the second World War.
widows mourn their husbands, how many But 'Abdu'l-Baha did not dwell on the
stories of savage cruelty do we hear! ills of the world around Him. Rather, He
How many little orphaned children are focussed His audiences on the prescription
crying for their dead fathers , how many for remedying those ills. "A ll true healing
women are weeping for their slain sons! comes from God!" He told His aud ience on
There is nothing so heart-breaking and 19 October. "There are two causes for sickterrible as an outburst of human ness, one is material, the other spiritua l. If
savagery! 1 the sickness is of the body, a material
The Japanese Ambassador to Madrid, remedy is needed, if of the soul, a spiritual
Viscount Arawaka, and hi s wife were in remedy." 3 Baha'u ' ll ah had come to bring
Paris at the same time as 'Abdu ' 1-Baha and the spiritual remedy that humanity needs for
were told of His presence. They were this Day.
anxious to meet Him , but the wife of the During His last public talk in England, to
Ambassador had a severe cold and could not the Theosophical Society, on 30 September,
go out. Upon hearing this, 'Abdu'l-Baha He had for the first time made a systematic
offered to call upon them . Accordingly, they presentation of some of the basic principles
met in the Tapestry Room of the Hotel of the Faith of His Father; in Paris He pred 'Jena. sented them again and again . Shoghi Effendi
'Abdu ' l-Baha talked with the Ambas- summarized these as follows :
sador and his wife of conditions in Japan, The independent search after truth,
of the great international importance of unfettered by superstition or tradition ; the
that country, of the vast service to oneness of the entire human race, the pivmankind, of the work for the abolition of otal principle and fundamental doctrine of
war, of the need for improving conditions the Faith; the basic unity of all religions;
of li fe for the worker, of the necess ity of the condemnation of all forms of prejueducating girls and boys equally. ' The dice, whether religious, racial, class or
religious ideal is the soul of all plans national; the harmony which must exist
for the good of mankind. Religion must between religion and science; the equality
never be used as a tool by party politi- of men and women, the two wings on
cians. God ' s politics are mighty, man's
2 Th e Chosen Highway, pp. 183- 184.
3 Paris Talks, p. 19.
I ibid. pp. 28- 29.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 59

which the bird of human kind is able to of night is past, the Sun has risen.' 'But,
soar; the introduction of compulsory Master, how shall it be with the blinded
education; the adoption of a universal eyes that cannot see the Sun's splendour?
auxiliary language; the abolition of the And what of the deaf ears that cannot
extremes of wealth and poverty; the hear those who praise its beauty?' 'I will
institution of a world tribunal for the pray that the blind eyes may be opened,
adjud ication of disputes between nations; that the deaf ears may be unstopped,
the exaltation of work, performed in the and that the hearts may have grace to
spirit of service, to the rank of worship; understand.' As 'Abdu ' l-Baha spoke, the
the glorification of justice as the ruling troubled mien of the artist gave place to
principle in human society, and of reli- a look of relief, satisfied understanding,
gion as a bulwark for the protection of all joyous emotion. 3
peoples and nations ; and the establish- "It was of great interest'', Lady Blomfield
ment of a permanent and universa l peace wrote, "to notice the effect the presence of
as the supreme goal of all mankind .. . I 'Abdu'l-Baha had upon some children. One
"The words of 'Abdu'l-Baha can be put little girl whispered, 'Look, that is Jesus
on to paper," Lady Blomfield wrote, "but when He was old.' Perhaps their unstained
how to describe the smile, the earnest plead- nature sensed the breath of holiness which
ing, the loving-kindness, the radiant vitality, was always with Him, and caused these little
and at times the awe-inspiring authority of ones to liken Him to the most Holy One of
His spoken words? The vibrations of His Whom they were conscious." 4
voice seemed to enfold the listeners in an This effect was dramatically displayed
atmosphere of the Spirit, and to penetrate two days before the close of' Abdu'l-Baha's
to the very core of being. We were experi- vis it in Paris, when a woman came hurencing the transforming radiance of the Sun riedly into the gathering at the avenue de
of Truth; henceforth, material aims and Camoens:
unworthy ambitions shrank away into their Oh, how glad I am to be in time! I must
trivial, obscure retreats." 2 tell you the amazing reason of my hurried
In fornrnl talks in Paris, 'Abdu'l-Baha journey from America. One day, my little
continued to use the " unparalleled power of girl astonished me by saying: 'Mummy, if
definition" of the Baha' i Faith to explain the dear Lord Jesus was in the world now,
human mind, body, sp irit, and soul, the Holy what would you do?' ... ' I wou ld feel like
Spirit, God, and the relationship between all getting on to the first train and going to
of these. With individuals He went from the Him as fast as I could.' 'Well , Mummy,
general to the specific, such as the evening He is in the world .' ... 'What do you
an artist was presented to Him in the home mean, my precious? How do yo u know?'
of Monsieur and Madame Dreyfus-Barney: I said. ' He told me Himself, so of course
' Thou art very welcome. I am happy He is in the world.' Full of wonder, I
to see thee. All true art is a gift of the thought: Is this a sacred message which is
Holy Spirit. ' 'What is the Holy Spirit?' ' It being given to me out of the mouth of my
is the Sun of Truth, 0 Artist.' 'Where, babe? And I prayed that it might be made
where, is the Sun of Truth?' 'The Sun of clear to me. The next day she said, insis-
Truth is everywhere, It is shining on the tently and as though she could not
whole world.' ' What of the dark night, understand: 'Mummy, darlin ', why isn 't
when the Sun is not shining?' 'The darkness you gone to see Lord Jesus? He's told me

God Passes By, pp. 28 1-28 2. 3 ibid. p. 182.
2 4
Th e Chosen Highway, p. 181. ibid. p. 186.
60 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

'Abdu 'l-Baha with Baha 'i friends in Lincoln Park, Chicago, Illinois,
on3Ma y /912.
two times that He is really here, in the In the course of His several visits to
world.' ' Tiny love, Mummy doesn ' t Egypt He had more than one interview
know where He is , how could she find with the Khedive, ' Abbas I:Iilmi Pasha II,
Him ?' ... I was naturally perturbed. The was introduced to Lord Kitchener, met
same afternoon, being out for a walk with the Mufti, Shaykh Mu~ammad Bakhit, as
my child, she suddenly stood still and well as the Khedive's Imam, Shaykh
cried out, 'There He is! There He is!' She Mu~ammad Rashid, and associated with
was trembling with excitement and several 'ulamas, pashas, Persian notables,
pointing at the windows of a magazine members of the Turkish Parliament,
store where there was a picture of editors of leading newspapers in Cairo
'Abdu'l-Baha. I bought the paper, found and Alexandria, and other leaders and
this address, caught a boat that same representatives of well-known institutions,
night, and here I am. 1 both religious and secular. 3
"The reader will understand that it is 'Abdu'l-Baha embarked on His second
impossible to find fitting words for the journey to the West on the steamship Cedric,
thoughts and feelings which were with us setting out on 25 March 1912 and sailing via
in those Paris days", Lady Blomfield Naples direct to New York. He arrived in
concludes. 2 America on 11 April.
From France, ' Abdu ' l-Baha returned to He comes on a mission of international
Egypt in December 1911 where He again peace, to attend and address the Peace
took up His residence in Ramleh. Conference at Lake Mohonk the latter
part of thi s month , and to address various
I ibid . pp. 185- 186.
2 3 Cod Passes By, p. 283.
ibid. p. 187.
THE COMMEMORATIO N OF HI STORIC A NNIV E RSA R IES 61

peace meetings , educational societies, attain to perfection except thro ugh the
religious organizations, etc.' , wrote uplift of spiritual civ ili zation .2
Wendell Phillips Dodge, a reporter for the ' Abdu 'l-Baha proclaimed the message of
New York City News Association, who universal peace from the Atlantic to the
boarded the Cedric at quarantine and Pacific coast of North Ameri ca and back
interviewed 'Abdu ' l-Baha coming up the aga in. For eight months He traveled, often
bay. The story was given to all of the having as His hostess Grace Robarts, a
New York newspapers and, through the teacher of domestic science in a college in
Associated Press, was sent to newspapers Canada. He would ask her to go ahead and
throughout the world. 1 secure an apartment for Him and prepare it
Indeed, 'Abdu ' 1-Baha spoke of world for His arrival. Then she wo uld serve as
peace during His first public add ress in housekeeper and hostess. "S he kept the
America, given on ly three days after His home imm aculate," we are told, "and always
arrival to the congregation of the Church of ready for the constant stream of guests from
the Ascension in New York City. morning to ni ght, Baba' is and enquirers and
Today . the world of humanity is in soul s in difficulty to whom 'Abdu' l-Baha
need of internation al unity and concilia- was always the loving Father." 3
tion. To estab lish these great fund amental Volumes have and wi ll continue to be
principles a propelling power is needed . It written about the activities of ' Abdu ' 1-Baha
is self-evident that the unity of the human in America, but in God Passes By Shoghi
world and the Most Great Peace cannot Effendi selects seven which he states fully
be accompli shed through material means. demonstrate the importance of that visit:
They cannot be establi shed through The layin g with Hi s own hands, of
political power, for the political interests the dedication stone of the Mashriqu '1-
of nations are various and the policies of Adhkar, by the shore of Lake Michigan
peoples are divergent and conflicting. . .. the dynamic affirmation by H im of the
They cannot be fo unded thro ugh racial implications of the Covenant instituted by
or patriotic power, for these are human Ba ha ' u ' ll ah, fo ll owi ng the reading of the
powers, selfish and weak. The very nature of new ly translated Tablet of the Branch, in
racial differences and patriotic prejudices a general assemb ly of His fo llowers in
prevents the realization of this unity and New York ... the moving ceremony in
agreement. Therefore, it is evidenced that Inglewood, Cali forn ia, marking His spethe promotion of the oneness of the king- cial pilgrimage to the grave of Thornton
dom of humanity, which is the essence of Chase, the ' first American believer,' and
the teachings of all the Manifestations of indeed the first to emb race the Cause of
God, is impossible except through the Baha'u'llah in the Western world; the
divine power and breaths of the Holy symbolic Feast He Himself offered to a
Spirit. Other powers are too weak and are large gathering of His disciples assemincapable of accomplishing this. bled in the open air .. . at West Englewood,
For man two w ings are necessary. One in New Jersey; the blessing He bestowed
wing is physical power and material on the Open Forum at Green Acre, in
civ ili zation; the other is spiritual power Maine .. . which was to evolve into one of
and divine civil ization . With one wing the first Bah a ' [ summer schools of the
on ly, flight is impossible. Two wings are Western Hemisphere ... His address to an
essential. Therefore, no matter how much
material civilizati on advances, it cann ot ' Abdu ' l-Baha, Th e Pro111u/gatio11 of Un iversal Peace
(Wilmette: Baha' i Pub li shing Trust, 1982), pp. 11 - 12.
T/i e Bafia á; World, vo l. VII I (Wilm ette: Baha ' i Pub-
Star of tlie West, vo l. 111 , no. 3, p. I (28 April 19 12). li shin g Committee, 1942), p. 658.
62 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

'Abdu 'l-Baha in Brooklyn, New York, in June I 9 I 2 with His secretary, Mirza Ma~mud-i­
Zarqani, His translators A~mad Sohrab and Amin 'ullah Farid, and His companions
'Ali-Akbar Nal5J!javani, Valiyu 'llah Varqa and Siyyid Asadu 'llah Qumi.

audience of several hundred attending the as a loving contribution ... It was truly a
last session of the newly-founded Baha'i symbolic seed sowing for countless of thou-
Temple Unity held in Chicago; and, last sands of similar loving contributions ... 2
but not least, the exemplary act He per- The second act highlighted by Shoghi
formed by uniting in wedlock two of His Effendi- the affirmation by 'Abdu'l-Baha of
followers of different nationalities, one of the implications of the Covenant instituted
the white, the other of the Negro race. 1 by Baha' u'llah-took place in New York
'Abdu'l-Baha laid the cornerstone of the City. The Tablet of the Branch revealed by
first Baha'i House of Worship of the West Baha'u'llah in Adrianople, had recently been
on 1May1912, in Wilmette, lllinois. translated, and read, in part:
For the doing of the first work a golden There hath branched from the Sadratu 'ltrowel was presented ... 'Abdu'l-Baha next Muntaha this sacred and glorious Being,
called for the implements necessitated by this Branch of Holiness; well is it with him
the gravelly nature of the soil, and in that hath sought His shelter and abideth
response there was brought to Him first an beneath His shadow. Verily the Limb of
axe and then a shovel. With these tools of the Law of God hath sprung forth from this
the everyday life of the workers of the Root which God hath firmly implanted in
world 'Abdu'l-Baha and friends from every the Ground ofHis Will, and Whose Branch
race present, excavated a resting place for hath been so uplifted as to encompass the
a stone which had been brought to the spot whole of creation... Render thanks unto

1 2
God Passes By, p. 288. Star of the West, vol. III , no. 4, p. 6 ( 17 May 1912).
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 63

'Abdu 'l-Baha in Oakland, California, at a meeting with the friends at the home of
Helen S. Goodall, 12 October 1912.

God, 0 people, for His appearance; for the Blessed Beauty among its distinctions
verily He is the most great Favor unto you, is that He did not leave people in perthe most peifect bounty upon you; and plexity. He entered into a Covenant and
through Him every mouldering bone is Testament with the people. He appointed a
quickened. Whoso turneth towards Him CENTER OF THE COVENANT. He wrote with
hath turned towards God, and whoso tur- His own pen and revealed it in the Kitabneth away from Him hath turned away from i-Aqdas, the Book of Laws, and Kitab-i-
My Beauty, hath repudiated My Proof, and 'Ahd, the Book of the Covenant, appointtransgressed against Me. He is the Trust of ing Him ('Abdu ' l-Baha) the Ex- pounder
God amongst you, His charge within you, of the Book . .. This is an explicit text of
His manifestation unto you and His appear- the Blessed Beauty. So there is no excuse
ance among His favored servants ... 1 left for anybody. 2
When this Tablet was read to the assem- 'Abdu'l-Baha had already traveled to the
blage on 19 June, 'Abdu ' l-Baha declared His West when He heard that Thornton Chase
own station: the Center of the Covenant. had passed away on 30 September. He jour-
In fom1er cycles no distinct Covenant neyed from San Francisco to Los Angeles
was made in writing by the Supreme Pen; especially to visit the grave of the "first
no distinct personage was appointed to American believer'', and on 19 October He,
be the Standard differentiating falsehood with about twenty-five of the friends, took
from truth ... But in this Dispensation of the streetcar to the cemetery in Inglewood

1 2
Shoghi Effendi , Th e World Orde1' of Ba ha 'u 'I/ah Star of the West , vol. 111 , no. 14, p. 9 (23 November
(Wilmette: Baha ' i Publi shing Trust, 1982), p. 135. 1912).
64 THE BAHA 'i WORLD

where He scattered flowers over Chase's How many blessed souls have longed for
resting place. this radiant century, their utmost hopes
Then, still facing the grave, He turned and desires centered upon 'the happiness
in the direction of ' Akkci and chanted the and joy of one such day as this ... ' 3
Tablet of Visitation- the Tablet which On 16 August 1912 'Abdu'l-Baha traveled
is read in the Shrines of the Bab and to Green Acre, an estate of nearly two hun-
Baha'u'llah. Following that, He chanted a dred acres on the banks of the Piscataqua
prayer for Thornton Chase and spoke of River in Eliot, Maine. It was owned by
the services which that dedicated man Sarah Farmer, who had opened it in 1894 as
had rendered to the Faith .... At the con- a conference center for people of advanced
clusion of His visit, 'Abdu ' l-Baha knelt and liberal views. Two years later she had
on the ground and kissed the grave of embraced the Baha'i Faith, and while on
Thornton Chase. 1 pilgrimage to ' Akka she had offered the facil-
He asked the friends to visit the site every ities to 'Abdu ' l-Baha, thus making Green
year on His behalf. Acre one of the earliest Baha'i endowments
'Abdu'l-Baha gave a unity feast in West in America.
Englewood, New Jersey, on Saturday 29 June 'Abdu'l-Baha spent one week at Green
for the Baha'is of New York City and the Acre. Some of His efforts, I:Iasan Balylizi
vicinity. About three hundred attended. wrote,
There in the fragrant pine grove, on a ... were inevitably directed towards counbrightJune day, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Himself the tering the effects of the eccentric ideas
host, smiling joyously and radiating the being disseminated by various pseudospirit of good wi ll, welcomed the happy mystics and cranks who were attracted to
friends .... He talked to them from the the free platform provided there. On one
center of a large circle around which the occasion He was seen distributing sweets
tab les were arranged. He said [in paii]: 2 to a group of people, telling them that
' This is a delightful gathering; you have they ought to eat and enjoy their food ...
come here with sincere intentions, and the Spirituality, He said, had nothing to do
purpose of all present is the attainment with abstaining from food, with the
of the virtues of God. The motive is mortification of the flesh. On another
attraction to the divine Kingdom. Since occasion He spoke about the rigorous
the desire of all is unity and agreement, disciplines of the ascetics, and the harm
it is certain that this meeting will be pro- ensuing from them. He cited superstitions
ductive of great results ... Such gatherings to be found in India. He also had to face
as this have no equal or likeness in the fortune-tellers and palmists whom He
world of mankind, where people are treated with great ki ndliness. 4
drawn together by physical motives or in On 20 August Fred Mortensen arrived at
furtherance of material interests, for this Green Acre to see 'Abdu'l-Baha. "In my
meeting is a prototype of that inner and youth'', he wrote later, "my environment
complete spiritual association in the eter- was not of the best and being around boys of
nal world of being. True Baha'i meetings hard character I guess I determined to be as
are the mirrors of the Kingdom wherein tough as any, which I very easily did ... " He
images of the Supreme Concourse are had gotten into trouble with the law, and
reflected . In them the lights of the most Albert Hall, a Baha'i, had helped to get him
great guidance are visible ... Rejoice ... out of prison and had told him about the

1 3 Promulgatio11, pp. 213-214.
'Abdu á1-Baha, pp . 309-310.
2 4
Star of the West, vo l. Ill , no. 8, p. 16 (I August 19 12). 'Abdu '/-Baha , pp. 240-241.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIV ERSARIES 65

Baha'i Faith. Mr. Mortensen, in Minneapolis, this temple was founded for the unification
Minnesota, wanted to meet 'Abdu'l-Baha. of mankind, the law preceding and creat-
When he heard a rumor that He might not ing it came forth in the manifest Word .. ..
travel to the West he determined to go to see That is why Baha' u'llah has conunanded
Him. "As my finances were low I of neces- that a place of worship be built. .. 2
sity [lay on the rods between the wheels of " ... and, last but not least," Shoghi Effendi
trains] to Green Acre." There, ' Abdu'l-Baha wrote of'Abdu ' l-Baha's activities in America,
greeted him warmly and asked if he had had was "the exemplary act He performed by
a pleasant journey. uniting in wedlock two of His followers of
I explained to Him how I rode on the different nationalities, one of the white, the
trains, after which He kissed both my other of the Negro race ... " The two Baha'is
cheeks, gave me much fruit, and kissed were Louisa Mathew and Louis Gregory,
the dirty hat I wore, which had become and their union apparently came about in the
soiled on my trip to see Him. 1 following way.
Shoghi Effendi included ' Abdu ' l-Baha's Miss Mathew and Mr. Gregory had met
address to an audience attending the public each other as Baha'i pilgrims visiting
session of the Baha' i Temple Unity as having 'Abdu ' l-Baha in Ramleh, and in the Holy
special significance. This took place on Land, " . .. and although greatly attracted to
30 April in the Masonic Temple in Chicago. each other not even dimly realized its future
The Baha' i Temple Unity was a national bearing." In America, ' Abdu '1-Baha gave
organization created in March 1909 at a Miss Mathew a white rose to give to
convention called under 'Abdu'l-Baha' s direc- Mr. Gregory, and in other ways conveyed
tion to carry out the construction of the first that He wished her to marry Mr. Gregory.
Baha'i House of Worship in the West. It was Curiously enough after this love began
incorporated in the State of Illinois and to grow in my heart & the desire for
invested with full authority to hold title to the marriage whereas before I only liked
the Temple property and to provide ways and Mr. Gregory as a friend . Later ' Abdu'lmeans for its construction. The fourth annual Baha said before Dr. Getsinger, Fareed &
convention of Baha'i Temple Unity was being others in the train to Chicago to me, 'How
held while ' Abdu ' l-Baha was in Chicago. are you & Mr. Gregory getting along?'
Among the institutes of the Holy Books Startled I answered, ' What do you mean,
is that of the foundation of places of wor- we are good friends? ' To which He replied
ship. That is to say, an edifice or temple is emphatically & with His face wreathed
to be built in order that humanity might in mischievous smiles, ' You must be very
find a place of meeting, and this is to be good friends .. . Later. .. He told Louis it
conducive to unity and fellowship among would give Him much pleasure if he & I
them. The real temple is the very Word of would marry, which came as an utter
God; for to it all humanity must tum, and surprise to Louis who had no thoughts of
it is the center of unity for all mankind ... marriage. 'Abdu'l-Baha said, 'What is the
Temples are the symbols of the divine matter? Don ' t you love her?' 'Yes as a
uniting force so that when the people friend ' Louis said. 'Well think of it' said
gather there in the House of God they may 'Abdu'l-Baha, ' &let me know; ... marriage
recall the fact that the law has been is not an ordinance & need not be obeyed,
. .rev...ealed _for J:b.em _and J:hat-1.h.e Jaw .J.s J:o .but _i.t w..o.uld .gi v_e ..me Jllll.Cb ple.asur.e if
unite them. They will realize that just as you & Miss Mathew were to marry.'

Star of the West, vol. XIV , no. 12 , p. 367 (March
1924). 2
Promulgation , p. 65.
66 THE BAHA'i WORLD

'Abdu 'l-Baha at a banquet held in His honor at the Great Northern Hotel in New York
on 23 November 1912.

The wedding took place at noon on no less than eight months, would be beyond
27 September 1912 in the parsonage of the scope of this survey. Suffice it to say that
an Episcopal church in New York City. in the city of New York alone He delivered
'Abdu'l-Baha was on a train headed public addresses in, and made formal visits
westward from Denver at the time, but to, no less than fifty-five different places ....
His encouragement 'contributed to the Secretaries of State, Ambassadors,
Baha' i atmosphere of the wedding' . 1 Congressmen, distinguished rabbis and
' Abdu ' l-Baha 's activities with the Ameri- churchmen, and other people of eminence
can Bah a' is were designed to " .. .pave the attained His presence, among whom were
way for the erection of their central House of such figures as Dr. D.S. Jordan, President
Worship, to fortify them against the tests they of Leland Stanford University, Prof. Jackwere soon to endure, to cement their unity, son of Columbia University, Prof. Jack of
and to bless the beginnings of that Adminis- Oxford University, Rabbi Stephen Wise
trative Order which they were soon to initiate of New York ... Alexander Graham Bell,
and champion'', wrote Shoghi Effendi . Rabindra Nath Tagore, Hon. Franklin K.
No less remarkable were 'Abdu'l-Baha's Lane, Mrs. William Jennings Bryan,
public activities in the course of His associa- Andrew Carnegie, Hon . Franklin Maction with the multitude of people with whom Veagh, Secretary of the United States
He came in contact during His tour across a Treasury, Lee McClung, Mr. Roosevelt,
continent. A full account of these diversified Admiral Wain Wright, Admiral Peary,
activities which crowded His days during the British, Dutch and Swiss Ministers in
Washington .. . 2
Morrison. Gay le. To Move the World (Wilmette:
Baha ' i Publi shing Trust, 198 2), pp. 66-68. God Passes By , pp. 288-290.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 67
... pictures from the tragic past ... must There is no other reality of meaning to the
have many a time overpowered Him with different religions . Their purpose is one,
feelings of mingled gratitude and sorrow, the teaching is one. 2
as He witnessed the many marks of 'Abdu'l-Baha moved on to London on
respect, of esteem, and honor now shown 16 December. Lady Blornfield again put
Hirn and the Faith which He represented. her residence in Cadogan Gardens at the
"O Baha 'u 'llah! What hast Thou done?" disposal of the Master, and it seemed that
He, as reported by the chronicler of His His first visit to the British capital was being
travels, was heard to exclaim one evening reenacted . There was, as before, a stream of
as He was being swiftly driven to fulfil visitors from every walk of life at all hours
His third engagement of the day in Wash- of the day and into the night.
ington, "O Baha 'u '!!ah! May my life be One day a woman asked to be permitted
sacrificed for Thee! 0 Baha 'u '!!ah! May to see the Master. 'Have you an appointmy soul be offered up for Thy sake! Ho w ment? ' ' Alas! No.' ' I am sorry,' answered
full were Thy days with trials and tribula- the over-zealous friend who met her in
tions! How severe the ordeals Thou didst the hall, 'but He is occupied now with
endure! How solid the foundation Thou most important people, and cannot be dishast finally laid, and how glorious the turbed.' The woman turned away, feeling
banner Thou didst hoist! " 1 too humble to persist in her appeal, but,
' Abdu ' l-Baha bade farewell to the Ameri- oh! so bitterly disappointed. Before she
can Baha'is and sailed for Europe on board had reached the foot of the stairway, she
the S.S. Celtic on 5 December, arriving at was overtaken by a breathless messenger
Liverpool on 13 December 1912. He stayed from 'Abdu'l-Baha. 'He wishes to see you,
in that port city for two days, speaking to the come back! He has told me to bring you
Theosophical Society on 14 December, and to Him.' We had heard His voice from the
at Pembroke Chapel, a Baptist Church, on door of His audience room speaking with
15 December. "When I was in America, I authority: ' A heart has been hurt. Hasten,
had many opportunities of addressing the hasten, bring her to me!'
Theosophical Society there'', He began His Another day, whilst several personages
first talk. were talking with 'Abdu'l-Baha, a man 's
The Theosophists are very dear to me, voice was heard at the hall door. ' Is the
for they have abandoned all prejudice .... lady of this house within?' ... After a while
All the religions of the world are the poor fellow began his pitiful story: 'I
submerged in prejudice. A Jew is a Jew was not always as you see me now, a disbecause his father was before him. A reputable, hopeless object. My father is a
Christian is such for the same reason, and country rector, and I had the advantage of
it is the same with a Musselman. All being at a public school. Of the various
follow the precepts of their fathers, refus- causes which led to my arrival at the
ing to go forth and seek for themselves ... Thames embankment as my only home, I
All the different religions of God that _need not speak to you. Last evening I had
have risen on the face of the earth have decided to put an end to my futile, hateful
one purpose: to educate man and to life, useless to God and man! Whilst takinform him of the spiritual, the luminous, ing what I had intended should be my last
the divine, so that he may partake of walk, I saw "a Face" in the window of a
heavenly spirit and find eternal life, show newspaper shop. I stood looking at the
forth the virtues of mankind, and from a face as if rooted to the spot. He seemed to
world of darkness enter a world of light.
2 Star of the West, vo l. Ill , no. 17, p. 3 (19 January
I ibid . p. 293 . 19 13).
68 THE BAHA'I WORLD

speak to me, and call me to Him! 'Let me in the fields. I can earn what I need for my
see that paper, please,' I asked. It was the simple wants. When I have saved enough
face of 'Abdu'l-Baha. I read that He is I shall take a little bit of land, build a tiny
here, in this house. I said to myself, 'If hut upon it in which to live, then I shall
there is in existence on earth that person- grow violets for the market. As He says
age, I shall take up again the burden of my 'Poverty is unimportant, work is worship .'
life. I set off on my quest. I have come I need not say "thank you," need I? Farehere to find Him. Tell me, is He here? well. ' The man had gone. 1
Will He see me? Even me?' Of course He During ' Abdu'l-Baha's first visit to
will see you. Come to Him. In answer to Britain the only city He had stayed in
the knock, 'Abdu ' l-Baha Himself opened beside London was Bristol. During the
the door, extending His hands, as though nearly six weeks of His second visit He
to a dear friend , whom He was expecting. not only revisited Bristol, but also trav-
' Welcome! Most welcome! I am very much eled to Edinburgh and Oxford. Every
pleased that thou hast come. Be seated.' place He went He was welcomed by dis-
The pathetic man trembled and sank tinguished leaders of thought. However,
on to a low chair by the Master's feet, as when it was suggested that a meeting
though unable to utter a word . The other might be arranged between King George V
guests, meanwhile, looked on wonderingly and 'Abdu ' l-Baha, 'Abdu ' l-Baha advised
to see the attention transferred to the against it. He had come to the West to
strange-looking new arrival, who seemed meet the poor, He said, not monarchs and
to be so overburdened with hopeless noblemen. He would meet any seeker
misery. 'Be happy! Be happy! ' said with affection, but had no particular wish
'Abdu ' l-Baha, holding one of the poor to meet the rulers. Moreover, He noted,
hands, stroking tenderly the dishevelled, such moves could be misunderstood and
bowed head. Smiling that wonderful misconstrued, and might create alarm. 2
smile of loving compassion, the Master On 22 December 'Abdu ' l-Baha attended
continued: 'Do not be filled with grief a performance of Eager Heart, a play prewhen humiliation overtaketh thee. The sented at Church House, Westminster.
bounty and power of God is without limit This was a memorable occasion, as it
for each and every soul in the world. Seek was the first time He had ever witnessed a
for spiritual joy and knowledge, then , dramatic performance. The Master wept
though thou walk upon this earth, thou during the scene in which the Holy Child
wilt be dwelling within the divine realm . and His parents, overcome with fatigue,
Though thou be poor, thou mayest be rich and suffering from hunger, were met by
in the Kingdom of God. ' These and other the hesitation of Eager Heart to admit
words of comfort, of strength, and of them to the haven of rest which she had
healing were spoken to the man, whose prepared, she, of course, failing to recogcloud of misery seemed to melt away in nize the sacred visitors. The Master
the warmth of the Master' s loving pres- afterwards joined the group of players. It
ence. As the strange visitor rose to leave was an arresting scene. In the Eastern set-
Him Whom he had sought and found, a ting the Messenger, in His Eastern robes,
new look was upon his face , a new erect- speaking to them in beautiful Eastern words
ness in his carriage, a firm purpose in his of the Divine significance of the events
steps. 'Please write down for me His which had been portrayed.3
words. I have attained all I expected, and
even more.' 'And now what are you 1
Th e Chosen Highway , pp. 159-161.
going to do?' I asked. 'I'm going to work 2 'Abdu "/-Balui, p. 370.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 69
On Christmas night, 'Abdu'l-Baha When He reached Cadogan Gardens that
visited the poor of the Salvation Army night, it was apparent that the condition of
Shelter, Westminster, where each year a the unfortunate had distressed Him.
Christmas dinner is provided for those As always, He did not dwell on the probwho have no homes and no friends, and lem. True help for the poor in this Day could
but for the shelter would have no lodg- only be found in His Father's Teachings, and
ings. There were about 1,000 present on the most useful immediate action that one
this occasion. It was a most impressive could take would be to spread the Message.
scene-the dinner for the homeless and During a discussion of Spiritual Assemblies
the Master from the East delivering held on 16 January He said:
Christ's message to the poor. As a true All the deliberations, all consultation,
test of attention, many of the hungry men all the talks and addresses must revolve
forgot to eat and listened intently ... around one focal center and that is:
'I feel tonight great joy and happiness TEACH THE CAUSE! TEACH! TEACH!
to be in this place, because my meetings Convey the Message! Awaken the souls!
and callings have ever been mostly with Now is the time of laying the foundation .
the poor, and I call myself one of them . Now must we gather brick, stone, wood,
My lot has ever been with those who have iron, and other building materials! Now is
not the goods of this world. When we not the time of decoration. We must strive
look at the poor of humanity, we behold a day and night and think and work. What
world of brothers. All are sheep of God; can I say that may become effective?
God is the real shepherd .. . Consider His What can I do that may bring results?
Holiness Christ: He appeared in the world What can I write that may bring forth
as one of the poor. He was born of a fruits? Nothing else will be useful, today.
lowly family; all the apostles of Christ The interests of such a Glorious Cause
were of humble birth and His followers will not advance without undivided attenwere of the very poorest of the com- tion. While we are carrying this load we
munity. This is what Christ states in the cannot carry any other load! 2
Gospels . "It is easier for a camel to go On 21 January 1913 , ' Abdu'l-Baha left
through the eye of a needle than for a rich London for Paris, where He stayed at 30 rue
man to enter into the Kingdom of God." ... St. Didier. This second visit to the French
Sorrow not, grieve not. Be not unhappy capital, which lasted two months,
because you are not wealthy. You are the assumed certain characteristics of its
brothers of Jesus Christ. Christ was poor; own ... numbers of Baha' is had arrived
Baha'u'llah was poor. For forty years from the East for the specific purpose of
He was imprisoned in poverty . .. .Be ever attaining His presence ... Moreover, vicishappy ... Trust in God .. .' I situdes of fortune had brought to Paris a
At the close of His talk, ' Abdu'l-Baha multitude of emigres from iran and the
made a contribution to the Shelter so that Ottoman Empire. These men were from
the poor might have a similar dinner on New the ranks both of reactionaries-supporters
Year's night. He was shown all around the of the old regime-and of liberals and
hostel, and at the door he said to the attendant constitutionalists. Many of them sought
in charge, "May God prosper you . May you ' Abdu'l-Baha and requested to meet Him.
all be under the protection of the Almighty!" To them , too, He gave of His time
impartially. 3
3 Th e Chosen Highway, pp. I54-I 55.
1 2
Star of the West, vol. III , no. I8, pp. 8-9 (7 February Star of the West, vol.IV, no. I, p. I6 (2 I March I9 I3).
I9I3). 3
'Abdu '1-Bahci, p. 372.
70 THE BAHA'I WORLD

I:Iaji Amin, who was the trustee of the Miss Edith Sanderson's, were also venues
I:Iuquq, had brought seven hundred pounds for these gatherings which 'Abdu ' l-Baha
to present to ' Abdu ' l-Baha. In a humorous addressed from time to time. 3
mood, 'Abdu' l-Baha said that the I:Iaji had On 17 February, ' Abdu'l-Baha accepted
brought seven hundred pounds, but had an invitation to speak at Pasteur Monnier's
already obtained a thousand pounds from Theological Seminary in Paris. The audience
Him for this and that. Zarqani comments was composed of professors, clergy, and
that one indeed marvelled at the way theological students, and they had prepared
'Abdu'l-Baha administered His finances. a list of questions: "Who was Christ, and
He spent freely to uphold the dignity of what was He? What is your belief about
the Faith, and gave generously to relieve Him"; "What is the similarity between the
distress and poverty, and to aid the sick. Cause of Christ and that of Baha'u'llah?
But He Himself did not possess a good And what relation do they hold towards each
winter coat. His attendants had to beg other?"; "What is the relation of Christ and
again and again to obtain His permission Baha'u'llah with God?"; and, "Is the unificato order a new coat to be made for Him. 1 tion of religion possible? If so, w hen and how
Lady Blomfield wrote: and through what channel will it be realized?"
One striking fact was that 'Abdu'l- 'Abdu' l-Baha answered each question
Baha never asked for donations, and even clearly and reasonably, explaining the Faith's
refused to accept money or any costly gifts teachings on progressive revelation as He
that were offered to Him. One day in my had to audiences all during His travelspresence a lady said to Him: ' I have here Christi an, Jew, and Muslim. "In short", He
a cheque from a friend, who begs its ac- concluded,
ceptance to buy a good motor-car for your ... misunderstanding between the religions
work in England and Europe.' The Master is conducive to differences . When these
replied: 'I accept with grateful thanks the misunderstandings and blind imitations
gift of your friend. ' He took the cheque are forgotten then the unification of the
into both His hands, as though blessing it, religions will become a reality.
and said 'I return it to be used for gifts to ... there have been wars and rumors of
the poor. ' 'We have never seen the like war amongst the people of the world for
before. Surely such deeds are very rare' , many thousand years; much innocent
it was whispered amongst the friends .2 blood has been shed, many kingdoms and
A number of Iranian students visited empires have been laid waste. Now it is
'Abdu' l-Baha on January 31st. He spoke enough! Religion must be the means of
to them about agriculture and industry and good fellowship and love. It must upraise
commerce and told them that Iran needed the standard of harmony and solidarity.
iron-smelting plants, because industry If religion is conducive to hatred and
and agriculture alike depended on found- enmity, irreligion is better, because such
ries. In the evening of that day a meeting pseudo-religion gives no result, nay rather
was held at the home of Monsieur and its existence is harmfu l to the welfare of
Mme Dreyfus-Barney. These weekly meet- the body-politic.
ings of the Baha'is, to which seekers and Pasteur Monnier asked, "Is your aim to
enquirers came as well , were a regular found a new religion?"
feahire of the life of the Paris community. 'Abdu' l-B aha answered: "Our aim is
Other homes, M . and Mme Scott's and to free the foundations of the religion of
God from dogmas, for the Sun of Reality
1 'Abdu '/-Bahri , pp. 373-374.
2 The Chosen Highway, p. 157. 3 'Abdu '/-Balza, p. 376.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 71

'Abdu 'l-Bahci with Bahci 'i friends in Esslingen, Germany, on 4 April 1913.

is prevented from shining forth by black By the end of March 'Abdu'l-Baha felt
impenetrable clouds. We desire to dispel strong enough to make another journey, so
these clouds, so that the regions of the took the train from Paris to Stuttgart, arrivworld may be flooded and illumined with ing during the evening of 1 April. He stayed
its luminous rays, so that these foul clouds in the Hotel Marquardt and soon established
may never return. The rays of the Sun of His routine of meeting with the friends in
Reality may encircle all countries, for this His hotel in the mornings, and going out
Sun has no beginning and no ending." 1 to meetings at their homes or elsewhere in
The strain of His continual travels began the afternoons and evenings. One day He
to trouble 'Abdu ' l-Baha in Paris. He did "remarked that the hotelier might leave his
not sleep well and occasionally had a fever. hotel and seek refuge elsewhere, because of
The food at His hotel did not agree with such numbers pouring in. Indeed the staff of
Him, and by 26 February He had succumbed the hotel were shaken and astonished to see
to a severe cold. Meanwhile, the Baha'is of so many of their countrymen pay such atten-
Germany were pleading with Him to visit tion and respect to an Easterner who, as it
their country, and He received a letter from seemed, had come from nowhere." 3
Mr. and Mrs. Stark inviting Him to visit On 2 April He went to the home of Herr
Hungary. During the first week of March, a Wilhelm and Frau Marie Herrigel, where a
group ofBaha'is from Germany arrived with great number of people had gathered. "How
their pioneer teacher, Miss Alma Knobloch. are you all?", He asked, and addressed them
They once again begged for the bounty of in Persian which was translated into English
receiving Him. 2 by Mirza AJ:.imad Sohrab, and then rendered
into German by Herr Herrigel.
Star of the West, vol. IV, no. 3, pp. 54-5 (28 April 1913).
2 3
'Abdu 'I-Balza , p. 379. ibid. p. 380.
72 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

'Abdu 'l-Bahti
visited Budapest
and Vienna after
His travels in
North America.
This photograph
was taken in April
191 3, during His
one-month stay in
the Austro-
Hungarian Empire.

Praise be to God! because your faces Meetings were held in the homes of other
are radiant with the light of the G lory of Baha'is including Herr Eckstein, Consul
God; yo ur hearts are attracted to the Albert and Frau Alice Schwarz, and Herr
Kingdom of Abha ... .Your hearts are illu- Friedrich and Frau Annemarie Schweizer.
minated, your inner vision clear. ... You During the evening of3 April, ' Abdu ' l-Baha
must live in accordance with the Teach- addressed a large audience in the upper hall
ings of Baha'u'llah. Be loving to all of the City (Burger) Museum, on 5 April
mankind. Consort with all religions in spoke to the Esperanto Society, and on
amity and fragrance. You must be the 6 Apri l gave a well-attended public talk at
cause of the education of the world of the Obere Museum. "We have had some
humanity. At present the world is still wonderful meetings", Alma Knoblock wrote
very dark. From one side there threatens to her sister Pauline (Mrs . Joseph Hannen),
the darkness of ignorance; from another but "the one in Esslingen surpassed them all."
side black enmity is visible; from the other It was the children's meeting, last
side we hear of war and rumors of war. Friday, April 4th, 1913 , in the afternoon.
We must, like a candle, shine with the light They had secured a very pretty hall , which
ofBaha ' u'llah, in order that through your was most beautifully decorated with
efforts this darkness may be dispelled. 1 greens, plants and flowers, with large and
small tables near the walls and round
1 tables in the center. About fifty children
Star of the West, vol. IV, no. 4, p. 67 ( 17 May 1913).
THE COMM E MORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 73

and eighty adu lts were present. In a smaller to form the first nucleus. Baha' i friends
room adjoining the hall the children had all over the world are requested to help
been assembled holding flowers in their by sending good advice and propaganda
hands, forming two lines for 'Abdu' l-Baha literature. 3
to pass through. It looked most beautiful as From Budapest, 'Abdu ' l-Baha went to
'Abdu' l-Baha came upstairs. He passed Vienna on 19 April, where He took residence
through a short hall and looked so pleased in the Grand Hotel. His first courtesy call in
and delighted to see the dear children. 1 that city was to the Turkish Ambassador in
'Abdu ' I-Baba intended to leave for Vienna, who was so impressed by this visit
Budapest on April 7th, but was persuaded that he insisted on keeping ' Abdu ' l-Baha for
by Consu l Schwarz to visit Bad Mergen- luncheon. The Master spoke to the Theosotheim, approximate ly sixty miles distant phists of Vienna on three occasions , was
from Stuttgart, where the Consul owned visited by Iranian residents of the Austrian
the hotel and the mineral bath. ' Abdu'l- capital, and was the guest of the Persian
Baha said at Bad Mergentheim that since Minister. Before 'Abdu ' l-Baha left Vienna
He had left Persia He had never until then Frau Tyler called to express her newly-found
heard so many nightingales singing in devotion, and He also received among others
such beautiful sutToundings. However, He Baroness von Suttner, a well-known worker
would not stay for more than one night. 2 for the cause of peace.
On 8 Apri l, ' Abdu'l-Baha reh1rned to "As you may know," Wi lhelm Herrige l
Stuttgart and then caught the 8:00 p.m. train wrote to the Star of the West at a later date,
for Budapest which He visited "at the invita- "I was invited by our dear Master, ' Abdu'ltion of the Hungarian Peace, Esperanto and Baha, to accompany Him from Stuttgart to
Feminist societies, and of the Oriental Com- Budapest and Vienna. While in Vienna He
mercial Academy... He spoke to a great permitted a sculptor to mode l Him, and this
public gathering arranged by these institu- sculptor asked me to spread copies of this
tions and besides, on three evenings, to the statuette ia all Baha'i centers of the world.
Theosophical Society, to the Star of the East Therefore, I am sending one to yo u for
members and the Turanian Society. About reproduction in the Star of the West. This
800 peop le listened to His address .... statuette can be ordered through me ..." 4
During 'Abdu ' l-Baha's sojourn in Bu- 'Abdu'l-Baha left Vienna and traveled back
dapest He received many distinguished to Stuttgart, where He arrived on 25 Apri l
visitors, among others the celebrated and took rooms again in the Hote l Mar-
Hungarian Orientalists, Prof. Vambery quardt. During this second visit to Stuttgart,
and Prof. Goldzieher. Prof. Robert Nadler, which also lasted a week, He was not well.
a Hungarian painter of great renown, A co ld contracted in Budapest had persisted
made a portrait sketch of 'Abdu ' l-Baha. and was now affecting His chest.
More important than the outward hon- The Baha 'is of Stuttgart had arranged
ors given to Him is that His words and and advertised a meeting for the evening
personality gave a new start to the Baha' i of the 25th at the Burger Museum. In the
Cause in Hungary, which is on the border afternoon the condition of His chest worsof the East and the West... 'Abdu'l-Baha ened, causing great concern. Physicians
honored Mr. Leopold Stark, whose ad- to ld Him that He should not go out... His
dress is II Nyulucta 5, by charging him to health was for the purpose of serving the
unite all those in Budapest who are likely Faith ['Abdu'l-Baha said]. While Wilhelm

1 S1ar o/1he Wes!, vol. IV, no. 9, p. 155 (20 A ugust 3 Siar of !he Wes!, vol. IV, no. 5, p. 86 (5 June 19 13).
1913). 4
Siar of the West, vol. IV , no. 9, p. 158 (20 August
'A bdu '1-Bahci , p. 383. 19 13).
74 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Herrigel was giving a talk in His stead, it was the anniversary of the birth of
He walked into the hall, to the utmost ' Abdu'l-Baha, but He told them that the
delight and surprise of the audience, and day should be considered and celebrated
using His full voice delivered a discourse only as the anniversary of the Declaration
on the need of world peace and the power of the Bab. That was why it was a blessed
that guarantees it. 1 Day. It was incidental that He had been
On the morning of May 1st 'Abdu ' l- born on the same date. The Feast was
Baha met the Baha'is of Stuttgart in groups . celebrated in the evening at the home of
He spoke very tenderly to them. To one Laura and Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney ...
group He said that He wished to converse May 30th witnessed a noteworthy gathwith them, but His chest was not helpful ; ering at the home of the Dreyfus-Barneys,
He would always anticipate their good when diverse nationalities were represented .
news. To another, He spoke of the two Consul Schwarz had come from Germany
ways in which people say farewell ; for and spoke at the meeting. In His talk,
some, memories gradually fade away, but ' Abdu ' l-Baha underlined the true import
others keep their memories ever fresh .. . of that harmonious and loving association
To a third group He said that, although of people of so many origins, brought about
His time in Stuttgart was limited, He by the power ofBaha' u ' llah .. ..
hoped that the harvest would prove limit- On June 12th at 8 a.m. 'Abdu' l-Baha left
less. Then He left for Paris. His hotel for the station. There He spoke
On this third visit to Paris, 'Abdu'l- with the Baha'is who had come to say
Baha resided at Hotel Baltimore, in ave- farewell, urging them to be united at all
nue Kleber... His physical strength had times. At noon His train left for Marseilles,
suffered greatly and He was unable, on which it reached twelve hours later. He
several occasions, to go to the meetings stayed the night at a hotel next to the
held in the homes of the Baha' is. But He station, and boarded the P. & 0. steamer,
was always receiving visitors at the hotel , Himalaya, at 9 a.m. the next morning.
giving a talk whenever they gathered in 'Abdu' l-Baha's historic tour of the West
numbers. He also kept, as far as possible, was over. 3
His daily habit of a walk out of doors . Shoghi Effendi puts the journey into this
[On I 0 May] He spoke of the Cove- perspective:
nant, that its purpose was to safeguard the A most significant scene in a centurystrength and the power of the Cause; old drama had been enacted. A glorious
without it the circle of Baha'is would chapter in the history of the first Baha' i
have broken up completely. ' Some peo- century had been written. Seeds of
ple have imagined,' He said, 'that the undreamt-of potentialities had, with the
Blessed Perfection had taken relations hand of the Center of the Covenant Himbetween father and son into account. self, been sown in some of the fertile
They do not know that He has instituted fie lds of the Western world. Never in the
the power of the Covenant for the propa- entire range of religious history had any
gation of the Cause of God and for the Figure of comparab le stature arisen to
victory of His Word.' 2 perform a labor of such magnitude and
On May 23rd, Baha'is came with bou- imperishable worth.4
quets of flowers throughout the day, as

1 3
'Abdu '1-Bahii, p. 389. ibid., pp. 394-395.
2 ibid ., pp. 390-392. 4
God Passes By, p. 294.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES

2. COMMEMORATIONS OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA's VISIT
TO THE WEST

FROM August 1911 to December 1913 , During the weekend of 26 and 27 June
'Abdu' l-Baha traveled through North America 1987, approximately 1,500 picnics were held
and Europe writing, what Shoghi Effendi across the United States to celebrate the
calls in God Passes By, a "glorious chapter Unity Feast 'Abdu ' l-Baha had hosted in
in the history of the first Baha' i century." West Englewood, New Jersey, on 29 June
"Never in the entire range of religious 1912. The Hand of the Cause of God
history had any Figure of comparable stature William Sears, Counsellors Wilma Brady
arisen to perform a labor of such magnitude and Robert Harris, and members of the
and imperishable worth," he continued. National Spiritual Assembly attended the
Celebrations of the seventy-fifth anniversary special picnic held on the site in New Jersey
of those travels were held by Baha'is in hallowed by the presence of the Master.
those countries which 'Abdu ' l-Baha visited. In New York City, on 8 July 1987, a copy
of The Promise of World Peace was pre-
THE UNITED STATES sented to William F. Gibson, the chaimrnn
A moving event was held in the Baha'i of the National Association for the Advance-
Temple in Wilmette, Illinois, on 1 May 1987, ment of Colored People. The presentation
where friends gathered to commemorate the was made by the Secretary of the National
laying of its foundation stone by 'Abdu'l- Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the
Baha. Twelve believers who had met the United States, whose remarks included
Center of the Covenant shared some of their statements made by 'Abdu'l-Baha when He
recollections of Him. On the following day, addressed the fourth annual convention of
a formal commemorative program in the the NAACP in Chicago on 30 April 1912.
House of Worship was attended by a number The presentation was made during the
of civic leaders. annual convention of the NAACP, and was
Meetings held in Chicago between 1 and given an enthusiastic reception by the
5 May included commemorations of the audience.
Master's talk in All Souls Church, and His
address to the National Association for the CANADA
Advancement of Colored People. The Hand of the Cause of God William Sears
Near Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Firuz visited all ten provinces of Canada and two
Kazemzadeh spoke about 'Abdu'l-Baha's territories from 30 August to 9 September
life, and the significance of His visit to 1987-the period corresponding to 'Abdu'l-
America, during a meeting held on 5 June at Baha's sojourn in that country. Baha'is all
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in over the country held special teaching
Cambridge. The following day, Boston's projects during the same period, both in
Baha'i community held a ceremony to honor support of Mr. Sears' efforts and to supplethe couple who founded Freedom House, an ment them.
organization dedicated to bettering the lives In Montreal, firesides were held in French
of minority youth by enabling many to go to and English, during which Mr. Sears shook
college. Following the presentation, Baha'is the hand of each child present and gave each
and their friends walked along the path taken one a souvenir. Nightly firesides were held
by the Master during His visit to Boston . by the friends for the eleven days in Halifax
76 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

and throughout Nova Scotia. In Winnipeg, a At the end of 1987, 210 Baha' is from
new Baha'i Center was opened and, in France and Switzerland met for a winter
Calgary, a Baha'i meeting was attended by school held at Sevrier. The high point of the
more than 1,000 friends . During a meeting schoo l was the evening commemorating the
in Vancouver, the friends were urged to seventy-fifth anniversary of ' Abdu'l-Baha's
become more heroic, more saintly, and to visit to the West through lectures and audioappreciate their station as Baha'is. In White- visual aides.
horse, Baha'i children presented the Hand of
the Cause with their impressions of ' Abdu' 1- UNITED KINGDOM
Baha in prose and poetry. In the Northwest In late February or early March 1988,
Territori es, a two-day conference was held members of the Bristol Baha'i community
for the fr iends. In Toronto, two people celebrated the seventy-fifth anniversary of
embraced the Faith during Mr. Sears' visit. the visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to Bristol in 1913 .
A Peace Train paralleling 'Abdu ' l-Bah a's The event was held in the Holiday Inn with
journey from Montreal to Niagara Falls v ia about 260 people attending, including 50
Toronto carried 127 Baha'is on 6 and 7 Sep- guests of Baha'is. One special guest was the
tember 1987. Five hundred other friends resident at 17 Royal York Crescent, where
greeted the travellers at stops along the ' Abdu'l-Baha had stayed while in Bristol.
route. Hundreds of copies of Th e Prom.ise of The program included music, a slide show
World Peace were de li vered by the train of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit to England pretravellers, and the Baha ' i message was given sented by Counsellor Adam Thorne, and a
to scores of people, including the Mayor of reading of"The Seven Cand les of Unity" by
Niagara who expressed interest in learning some of the Baha'i children.
about the Faith.
GERMANY
FRANCE AND SWITZERLAND The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu ' l-Baha
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu' l- Rul?iyyih Khanu m joined approximate ly
Baha Ru!;iiyyih Khanum, accompanied by 1,200 friends gathered in Stuttgart on 9 April
Mrs. Violette Na~avani, traveled to Europe 1988 for a conference held during the festivto participate in some of the activities held to ities related to the seventy-fifth anniversary
commemorate the Master's visits on that of the Master's visit to that country. A lso
continent. present at the conference were member of
In France, the Hand of the Cause took the International Teaching Center Anneliese
part in a National Teaching Conference held Bopp, Counsellor Ursula Milhlschlegel, and
in Paris on 28 and 29 November 1987 which members of the National Spiritual Assemb ly.
was attended by about 500 friends. In adc Amatu'l-Baha Ru!;iiyyih Khanum addressed
dition to talks given by Amatu ' l-Baha, the conference in the German language.
Counsellor Agnes Ghaznavi and members of On 10 April, the Hand of the Cause was
the French National Spiritual Assembly the specia l guest at a festive event held
addressed the gathering, stressing the needs in the historic Kurhaus in Bad Cannstatt,
of the Six Year Plan. Stuttgart, to commemorate the seventy-fifth
Following the Conference, the Local anniversary of the visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to
Spiritual Assembly of Pari s entertained Germany. The Mayor of Stuttgart, Dr. Man-
Ru!;iiyyih Khanum at lunch, then conm1emo- fred Rommel, gave the welcoming address
rated her visit by going to the Eiffel Tower to the nearly 900 friends and guests who
to have a photograph taken in the same place had gathered for the event. fn her ceremonial
where the beloved Master had been photo- address, Amatu' l-Baha Ru!;iiyyih Khanum
graphed seventy-five years earl ier. fondly recalled her time in Germany in 1936
THE COMMEMORAT ION OF HI STOR IC AN NIV ERSAR IES 77
and 193 7, and spoke of the early followers UNITED KINGDOM
of Baha'u'llah in that land. Counsellor On 30 June 1988, the first Human Rights
Anneliese Bopp, Dr. Massoud Berdjis and Award presentations in the United Kingdom
Werner Gollmer spoke of the li fe, teachings were made at St. John 's Church, Westminster,
and travels of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and selections London, commemorating the Master's visit
fro m His Writings were read. Press confer- to London in 1911. The six recipients were:
ences were attended by representatives of Dr. Edward Carpenter, awarded for his work
major newspapers and broadcast services. in the field ofreligious unity; the Right Reverend Bishop Trevor Hudd leston, honored
HUNGARY for hi s work to promote racial uni ty; the late
On 9, 10 and 17 April 1988 the Baha ' is of Richard St. Barbe Baker, whose award was
Budapest held celebrations to mark the an ni- received on his behalf by the Chairman of
versary of 'Abdu' l-Baha's visit to that city, the Men of the Trees; the late Bernard Leach,
w ith the Austrian musical group The Dawn- whose awa rd was received on his behalf by
Breakers participating. The main event took his wife, Janet Leach; Bob Geldof, for his
place in the home of Barbara Maennig, work to aid the famine victims in Ethiop ia,
with about twenty friends from Hungary and the awa rd being received on his behalf by
Austria attending. The program consisted of Dr. Gessess, Director of Band Aid; and
a spiritual portion w ith music, and a social Bertha Bradby, for her work for women's
potiion with refreshments. rights. An article about the ceremony was
published in the Church Times, the official
AUSTRIA newspaper of the Church of England.
On 16 April 1988, the Hand of the Cause
of God Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum FRANCE
joined the Baha ' [ communi ty in celebrating Acti vities celebrating 'Abdu' l-Baha's jow11ey
the anniversary of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit to through Marseilles led to extens ive procla-
Vienna. The event was held in the Ingeni eur mation of the Fa ith in March 1989. After an
und Architektenverein, and people of capac- official ceremony held in the Pala is du Faro,
ity in Austrian society had been sent special a public meeting was held in the Odeon
letters of invitation. Counsellors Ursula Theatre. Announcements of the event were
Milhlschlegel and Leo Niederreiter also broadcast on radio and television, printed in
attended the ceremony, as did friends from newspapers, and distributed throughout the
many parts of Europe. In honor of the occa- city on 11 ,000 posters of different sizes. The
sion, the Local Spiritual Assembly produced theme of the program was peace, and about
a German publication entitled, 'A bdu 'l-Baha 160 people attended. A variety of music and
im Wien, and a committee of the National a slide sho w were presented, foll owed by a
Spiritual Assembly published a booklet, also concert by an American Baha'i piani st, Marc
m German, entitled, 'A bdu 'l-Baha im Ochu , who accompanied his performance
Budapest. with comments on the Peace Statement.
II
THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE FIRST SEVEN YEAR PLAN
IN THE AMERICAS

1. THE FIRST SEVEN YEAR PLAN OF THE BAHA'is OF THE
UNITED STATES AND CANADA
Sl-IERNA D EA MER

"'T'
1 RAVEL ye to the East and to the West unto the ancient inhabitants of the
of the world and summon the people to the Arabian Peninsula, who, prior to the Rev-
Kingdom of God," 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote to elation of Mu~1ammad, were like savages.
the Baha'is in the United States and Canada When the Mu~iammadan Light shone
only three-and-a-half years after His historic forth in their midst, they became so enkinvisit to America in 1912. In a series of Tab- dled that they shed illumination upon the
lets that have come to be known collectively world. Likewise, should these Indians
as the Tablets of the Divine Plan, ' Abdu'l- be educated and properly guided, there
Baha exhorted the American Baha'is to can be no doubt that through the Divine
spread the Faith. " ... do ye not think it per- teachings they will become so enlightmissible to leave [any] region deprived of ened that the whole earth will be
the breezes of the Morn of Guidance. " illumined.
In a Tablet revealed on 8 April 1916 in All the above countries have importhe garden outside the Sllfine ofBaha'u'llah, tance, but especially the Republic of
'Abdu ' l-Baha specifically told the North Panama, wherein the Atlantic and Pacific
American friends to carry the Faith through- Oceans come together through the Panout the Hemisphere: ama Canal. It is a center for travel and
Alaska is a vast counliy ... yet the call passage from America to other continents
of the Kingdom of God is not yet raised of the world, and in the fitture it will gain
through that spacious territory. most great importance.
Likewise the Republic of Mexico is Likewise the islands of the West Indies,
ve1y important .. . such as Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico,
Similarly, the six Central American Jamaica, the islands of the Lesser Anti-
Republics, situated south of Mexico-- lles, Bahama Islands, even the small
Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicara- Watlings Island, have great importance;
gua, Costa Rica, Panama and the seventh especially the two black republics, Haiti
country Belize or British Honduras ... and Santo Domingo, situated in the clus-
You must attach great importance to ter of the Greater Antilles. Likewise the
the Indians, the original inhabitants of cluster of the islands of Bermuda in the
America. For these souls may be likened Atlantic Ocean have importance.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSAR IES 79

Mrs. Vivian Lismore, seated second from left, pioneered to Havana, Cuba, during the Seven
Year Plan. She is shown in her home in 1943, surrounded by Cuban Baha 'is.

Jn a similar way, the republics of the that your heads shall be crowned with the
continent of South America-Colombia, diadem of everlasting so vereignty, and at
Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, British Guiana, the threshold of oneness you will become
Dutch Guiana, French Guiana, Bolivia, the favored and accepted servants. 1
Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, A few individuals and local communities
Venezuela; also the islands to the north, responded immediately to the Master's call.
east and west of South America, such as Martha Root took her first journey around
Falkland Islands, the Galapagos, Juan South America in 19 19, and in February
Fernandez, Tobago and Trinidad. Like- 1921 Leonora Holsapple became the first
wise the city of Bahia, situated on the Baha' i to live in Latin America when she
eastern shore of Brazil. Because it is moved from the United States to Bahia,
some time that it has become known by Brazil, to teach the Faith. But in the main,
this name, its efficacy will be most potent. 'Abdu'l-Baha's mission went unfulfilled
.. .send to those parts fluent speakers, because no institutions existed capable of
who are detached from aught else save arousing unified action.
God, attracted with the fragrances of It was left to Shoghi Effendi, after the
God, and sanctified and purified from all passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha, to slowly, painsdesires and temptations. Th eir sustenance takingly, raise up the Administrative Order,
and food must consist of the teachings of first in the United States and Canada, and
God. First they must themselves live in then elsewhere around the world. Nor was
accordance with those principles, then
guide the people ... Should you be aided 1
' Abdu ' l-Baha, Tablets a/the Divine Plan (Wilmette:
to render such a service, rest ye assured Baha ' i Publi shing Trust, 1977), pp . 3 1- 34.
80 THE BAHA'i WORLD

this undertaking only a matter of estab lishing American believers dated 10 January 1936,
Assemblies and committees. The Guardian he directed the friends towards a more active
had to help the community to move beyond teaching program.
the subjective and personal elements of faith This new stage in the gradual unfoldto a world of action . There needed to be a ment of the Formative Period of our Faith
transition from the idea of teaching as an into which we have just entered-the
individual achievement to an understanding phase of concentrated teaching activitythat the greatest results for the Faith came synchronizes with a period of deepening
when these separate efforts were gu ided and gloom, of universal impotence, of evercoordinated. increasing destitution and widespread dis-
In a letter written to the North American illusionment in the fortunes of a declining
Baha' is dated 2 1 April 1933, the Guardian age. This is truly providential and its sighelped the friends understand the develop- nificance and the opportunities it offers us
ment of the Faith during its first forty years should be fully apprehended and utilized. 2
in America: In his message to the 1936 Convention of
The first of these four decades ( 1893- the Baha'is of the U nited States and Canada,
1903), characterized by a process of slow the Guardian moved from the general to the
and steady fermentation, may be said to specific in terms of teaching goals:
have culminated in the historic pilgrimages WOULD TO GOD EVERY STATE WITHIN AMER I-
undertaken by 'Abdu'l-Baha's American CAN REPUBLIC AND EVERY REPUBLIC IN
disciples to the shrine ofBaha'u'llah. The AMERICAN CONTINENT MIGHT ERE TERMINA-
ten years which followed ( 1903- 1913), TION THIS GLORIOUS [FIRST BAHA'i) CENTURY
so full of the tests and trials which EMBRACE LIGHT FA ITH BAHA'U ' LLAH AND
agitated, cleansed and energized the body ESTABLISH STRUCTURAL BASIS HIS WORLD
of the earli est pioneers of the Faith in that ORDER. 3
land, had as their happy climax 'Abdu'l-
"The Convention was electrified", wrote
Baha's memorable vis it to America. The
Garreta Busey in an article entitled "Unitthird period (1913-1923), a period of quiet
ing the Americas". "Tardily aware of the
and uninterrupted consolidation, had as its
instructions given so long ago by the Master,
inevitable result the birth of that divinelyonly half comprehending their implications,
appointed Administration, the foundations
slow to believe in their own ability to pursue
of which the Will of a departed Master
a teaching program so much more extensive
had unmistakably establ ished. The remainthan that of the present time, the American
ing ten years (1923- 1933), distingui shed
Baha'is were at first dazed and then galvathroughout by further internal developnized into action by the sweeping demands
ment, as well as by a notable expansion
of the message." 4
of the international activities of a growing
Between Ric;lvan 1936 and 1937 Baha'i
community, witnessed the completion of
groups or individual believers were estabthe superstructure of the Mashriqu ' llished in five of the twelve unopened States
Adhkar-the Administration's mighty bu lor Provinces-Nebraska, Wyoming, Oklawark, the symbol of its strength and the
homa, North Dakota, and North Carolinasign of its future glory . 1
and the Faith had been carried to forty-two
The first stage of the fonnative period
came to end in 1935, Shoghi Effendi
announced, and in a letter to the North Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America (Wilmette:
Baha'i Publi shing Committee, 1947) , p. 6.
3 ibid. p. 6.
1 4
Shoghi Effend i, The World Order of Bahci '11 '//ah The Bahci á;World, vol. IX (Wi lmette : Baha ' i Pub-
(W ilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1974), p. 80. li shing Committee, 1945), p. 187.
THE COMMEMORAT ION OF HI STORIC ANNIVERSARIES 81

new cities in North America. But the work aid all the fa ith, the determination and
in Latin America was largely untouched. energies of which it is capable, and set
Garreta Busey stated: out, single-minded and undaunted, to
To most of the people in the United attain still greater heights in its mighty
States, the countries in South and Central exertions for the Cause of Baha 'u ' llah. 2
America, thus opened up before us, were In his message to the Convention of 1937,
unknown , romantic lands much more Shoghi Effendi first called the teaching inidistant than the continent of Europe soon tiative the Seven Year Plan, adding to the
to be closed to us completely. Teaching in goals before the American believers that of
the United States and Canada seemed completing the exterior ornamentation on
already to tax to the utmost our spiritual the House of Worship in Wilmette:
energies. How then could we succeed in DUAL GIFT PROVIDENTIALLY CONFERRE D
establishing the Cause in every republic AMERJCAN BAHA'i COMMUNITY INVESTS RE-
of the southern continent? The time for CIPI ENTS WITH DUAL RES PONSIB ILITY FULFIL
the unfoldment of that particular phase of HISTORJC MISS ION. FIRST PROSECUTE UNrN-
the Divine Plan had, however, come, and TERRUPTEDL Y TEACHING CAMPAIGN INAUGU-
on May 19 the Guardian cabled his call for RATED LAST CONVENTION rN ACCORDANCE
pioneers permanently to reside in Central DIVINE PLAN. SECOND RESUME WITH INFLEX I-
and South America, and gave £3 00 as the BLE DETERMrNATION EXTERJOR ORNAMENTA-
nucleus of a fund for the new teaching TION ENTIRE STRUCTURE TEMPLE .... ADV ISE
work. The action of the National Spiritual PROLONGATION CONVENTION SESS IONS EN-
Assembly in response to these messages ABLE DELEGATES CONSU LT NATIONAL AS-
was the estab li shment of a special teach- SEMBLY TO FORMULATE .FEASIBLE SEVEN
ing fund of $30,000 in the national budget YEAR PLAN TO ASSURE SUCCESS ... NO SACRI-
and the appointment of the first Inter- FICE TOO GREAT FOR COMMUNITY SO ABUN-
American Committee. 1 DANTLY BLESSED REPEATEDLY HONORED.3
Shoghi Effendi was pleased with the ini- "At the beginning of the Seven Year
tial response, but on 30 May 1936 he wrote to Plan," Leroy Joas reported in an article
the Baha' is of the United States and Canada: entitl ed "Teaching in North America", "after
A systematic, carefully conceived, and the Fa ith had existed in this country for 43
well-established plan should be devised, years, there were 72 Spiritual Assemblies
rigorously pursued and continuously in 26 States and Provinces, with 24 Baha'i
extended. Initiated by the National repre- Groups and 246 Isolated Believers with
sentati ves of the American believers, the the Fa ith established in 303 cities. In the
vanguard and standard-bearers of the remaining seven years of the first Baha'i
radiant army of Baha' u' llah, this plan century, the American Baha'is were called
should receive the whole-hearted, the upon .to establish .the Faith in 34 new States
sustained and ever-increasing support, and Provinces, 10 of .which did not have
both moral and financial, of the entire even one Baha ' i. Furthermore, these areas
body of His followers in that continent. .. were found to be among the most backward,
The fi e ld is immense, the task gigantic, not only from the standpoint of religious
the privilege immeasurably precious. Time intolerance, but also in the way of educais short, and the obligation sacred, tional development, cultural achievements,
paramount and urgent. The American and economic welfare." 4
community must muster all its force ,
concentrate its reso urces, sum mon to its 2
Messages ta America, p. 7.
ibid. p. 9.
ibid. p. 187. 4
I Th e Balui 'i World. vol. IX, p. 202.
82 T HE BAHA'i WORLD

Th e first Local Spiritual Assembly of San Jose, Costa Rica, organized on 21 April 1941, was
also the first Local Assembly in Central America. Pioneer Gay le Woolson stands back center.

The challenge of bringing the Faith to its undoubted sovereignty, are receiving
Latin America was even more daunting as fresh luster every day and its manifold
in that vast area there was only Leonora institutions are driving their roots deeper
Holsapple, still at her post in Bahia, Brazil; and deeper into its soil. Blest and honored
Isabel Dodge, who had gone with her geolo- as none among its sister communities has
gist husband to his job site in Chupaca, Peru; been in recent years, preserved through
and one or two other resident Baha' is. The the inscrutable dispensations of Divine
task would have been insurmountable Providence for a destiny which no mind
without the constant love, encouragement, can as yet imagine, such a community
and vision offered by the Guardian. For cannot for a moment afford to be content
example, on 25 November 1937 he wrote: with or rest on the laurels it has so deserv-
... As I lift up my gaze beyond the edly won. It must go on, continually go
strains and stresses which a struggling on, exploring fresh fi e lds, scaling nobler
Faith must necessarily experience, and view heights, laying firmer foundations, shedthe wider scene which the indomitable ding added splendor and achieving added
will of the American Baha'i community renown in the service and for the glory
is steadily unfolding, I can not but marvel of the Cause of Baha'u'llah. The seven
at the range which the driving force of year plan which it has sponsored and with
their ceaseless labors has acquired and which its destiny is so closely interwoven,
the heights which the sublimity of their must at all costs be prosecuted with
faith has attained. The outposts of a Faith, increas ing force and added consecration.
already persecuted in both Europe and All should arise and participate. Upon the
Asia, are in the American continent measure of such a participation will no
steadily advancing, the visible symbols of doubt depend the welfare and progress of
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 83

Pioneer Louise Caswell visits some Baha '£friends in the Parque La Concordia in
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in October 1941.

those distant communities which are now and nations of the Old World, invest the
battling for their emancipation. To such a Seven Year Plan, now operating in both
priceless privilege the inheritors of the the northern and southern American conshining grace ofBaha ' u' llah cannot surely tinents, with a significance and urgency
be indifferent. The American believers that cannot be overestimated. 2
must gird up the loins of endeavor and The Seven Year Plan can be divided into
step into the arena of service with such four periods: (I) from Ricfyan 1937 to 1939;
heroism as shall astound the entire Baha'i (2) from Ri<;lvan 1939 to mid-point in the
world. Let them be assured that my Plan; (3) from October 1940 to Ri<;lvan
prayers will continue to be offered on 1942; and (4) the final two years .
their behalf. 1 The first phase was characterized by
And on I 0 September 1938: friends traveling to teach. Mr. and Mrs. Louis
I feel tru ly exhilarated as I witness the Gregory spent several months in Haiti, and
ever-recurrent manifestations of unbroken left a number of serious students of the
solidarity and unquenchable enthusiasm teachings. Mrs . Nellie French sailed by ship
that distinguish every stage in the pro- around South America and had particular
gressive development of the nation-wide success in Bahia, where she met up with
enterprise which is being so unflinchingly Leonora Holsapple, and in Lima, where she
pursued by the whole American Baha'i worked with Isabel Dodge. Mrs. Frances
community. The marked deterioration in Stewart attended the People's Conference at
world affairs, the steadily deepening gloom Buenos Aires in November 1937, and found
that envelops the storm-tossed peoples interest among the Latin American delegates.

Messages to America, pp. I 0-11 . 2 ibid. p. 14.
84 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Beatrice Irwin devoted some six months STEP PROGRESSIVE, SYSTEMATIC PENETRA-
to teaching in Mexico City and other Mexican TION LA TIN AMERICA. UPSURGE BAHA'U-
towns during 1937, lecturing, holding study 'LLAH'S IMP ELLING SP IRIT CAN NOT, WILL
groups and supplying literature to people of NOT, BE STEMMED IMPEDED. METHODICAL
influence and capacity. Mrs. Stewart also ADVANCE ALONG LINE TRACED PEN 'ABDU ' L-
went to Mexico City and found it possible to BAHA IRRESISTIBLE. GUATEMALA, HONDU-
instruct a group who, on 21 April 1938, pro- RAS , SALVADOR, NICARAGUA, COSTA RICA,
ceeded to establish the first Local Spiritual PANAMA , CUBA, DOMINICA, HAITI IMMEDIATE
Assembly in the Americas outside of the OBJECTIVES. THOUGH POLITI CALLY UNSET-
United States and Canada. TLED , RELIGIOUSLY INTOLERANT, SOCIALLY
The National Spiritual Assembly of the BACKWARD CLIMAT ICALLY INHOSP ITABLE,
United States and Canada invited a represen- THESE UNEXPLORED TERRITORIES HOLD
tative of the new Local Spiritual Assembly of FORTH INESTIMABLE PRIZES AUDACIOUS
the Baha'is of Mexico City to participate in ADVENTURES PATH BAHA'i SERVICE. 2
the National Convention held in April 1939. That same year, the Guardian's inspiring
Four Mexican Baha'is accepted the hospital- and challenging message "To the beloved of
ity, including Sra. Maria del Refugio Ochoa, God and the handmaids of the Merciful
recorded as the first Mexican Baha ' i. "The throughout the United States and Canada'',
occasion was one of great rejoicing," we are The Advent ofDivine Justice, was published.
told by Garreta Busey, "inspiring both to the "Be unrestrained as the wind, " is
older community and to the new believers, Baha'u' llah's counsel to every would-be
who on their return to Mexico City, incorpo- teacher of His Cause, "while carrying the
rated their assembly, began issuing a News Message of Him Who hath caused the dawn
Letter, and plunged into the work of translat- of Divine Guidance to break. Consider how
ing the Writings into Spanish." 1 the wind, faithful to that which God hath
The Guardian sent a cable to the Conven- ordained, bloweth upon all regions of the
tion, praising the American Baha' is on the earth, be they inhabited or desolate. Neither
victories they had won, and setting out the the sight of desolation, nor the evidences of
new work to be accomplished: prosperity, can either pain or please it. It
BRILLIANT CONCLUSION SECOND YEAR SEVEN bloweth in eve1y direction, as bidden by its
YEAR PLAN EVOKES UNIVERSAL ADM IRATION Creator."
BAHA'i WORLD, DEEPENS SP IRITUAL "And when he determineth to leave his
CONSC IO USNESS MITIGATES HARDSHIPS ITS home, for the sake of the Cause of his Lord, "
INCREAS INGLY HARASSED COMMUNITIES. Baha' u' llah, in another passage, referring to
CLOS ING PHASE TEMPLE ORNAMENTATION such a teacher, has revealed, "let him put his
ALREADY ENTERED. INITIAL STAGE INTER- whole trust in God, as the best provision for
CONTINENTAL TEACHfNG CAMPA IGN SUC- his journey, and array himself with the robe
CESSFULLY TERMINATED. FIRM ANCHORAGE of virtue .... If he be kindled with the fire of
IN STITUTIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER His love, if he forgoeth all created things,
PERMANENTLY ESTABLISHED EVERY STATE the words he uttereth shall set on fire them
PROVfNCE NORTH AMERI CAN CONTINENT. that hear him. "3
MEXICO, LYING FOREFRONT SOUTHWARD The community of the organized
MARCHING ARMY , RECENTLY ENLISTED. promoters of the Faith of Baha ' u' llah
PEDRO ESP INOSA 'S AUSP ICIOUS ATTENDANCE in the American continent- the spirititual
CONVENT ION WELCOME EVIDENCE. SETTLE-
MENT CENTRAL AMERICAN REPUBLICS NEXT
2 Messages to America, p. 20.
3 Shoghi Effendi, Th e Advent of Divine Justice (Wil-
Th e Bahri "i World, vol. IX, p. 190. mette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, rev. ed. 1984), p. 50.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 85
descenants of the dawn-breakers of an Another North American Baha'i who
heroic Age, who by their death pro- gave his life to spread the Faith was Mathew
claimed the birth of that Faith-must, in Kaszab, who had been a student at the
turn, usher in, not by their death but Un iversity of New York when he met
through living sacrifice, that promised Mrs. Louise Talbot and learned about
World Order, the shell ordained to Baha'u' llah. "From that moment, Mathew's
enshrine that priceless jewel, the world real life began", wrote Loulie Mathews.
civi lization, of which the Faith itself is "The heroic age of the Bab and the martyrs
the sole begetter. 1 absorbed his mind and The Dawn-Breakers
By now the response was too great to became his constant companion .. . "
chronicle with individual's names, specific "When Shoghi Effendi's Advent of Divine
locations, and exact dates. But at least two Justice was published in February, 1939 ...
North American dawn-breakers did sacrifice [its] dynamic utterances carried Mathew
their very lives to spread the Faith during the away, and without delay he set out for
Seven Year Plan. Panama." The Inter-America Committee
"Departure South America by wish of asked him to go on to Nicaragua, and, "the
beloved Guardian!" May Ellis Maxwell good so ldier of Baha'u ' llah that he was, he
had cabled before departing from New accepted our suggestion ... " 3
York on 24 January 1940 on the steam- He went to work in the gold mines of
ship Brazil. "She was able to teach 'one Blue Fields. He described the deplorable
lovely woman on the boat, the wife of a conditions of poverty and vice and was so
distinguished arn1y man"', Marion Holley appalled by the ignorance of the miners'
wrote about the trip. chi ldren, that he took a night shift and
In Rio de Janeiro, with the aid of taught school in the day time. When I
Leonora Holsapple who had come from remonstrated with him because he was
Bahia, she arranged two teas at her hotel, giving himself no time for sleep, he
the Gloria, one for nineteen guests, while replied that his time was so short he could
a third meeting was held at the home of not afford to sleep! All his efforts at bet-
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Worley. She spoke also terment in Blue Fields having failed, he
to the president of the Homeopathic returned to Managua.
College. Yet despite these two weeks of Sudden ly, while walking on the street,
exhilarating success, she was eager to he was arrested. The reason given was
reach Buenos Aires ... that he uttered words in criticism of the
They arrived [May Maxwell and her Nicaraguan government. This may have
niece, Jeanne Bolles] on February 27th, been the reason or not- the cause is very
after one-day stops in Santos and Mon- obscure. He remained in prison from
tevideo .. . On the night of February 29th March 1st to 23rd. As sudden ly as he was
they dined alone in her room at City interned, he was liberated.
Hotel ... her mood was radiant. But the He determined to leave Nicaragua,
next morning a terrible pain came high in sensing danger, and began to make prepaher breast, and though the doctor reas- rations for his departure. When they were
sured them both, by afternoon 'the Wi ll complete, he came to say goodbye to our
of God took her from our midst'. first native believer, who was teaching
"Priceless honor (of a) martyr's death!" school nearby. He was loved by the
Shoghi Effendi included in his tribute to
May Maxwelt. 2 2
Th e Baha'i World. vol. VIII (Wi lmette: Baha'i Publi sh in g Committee, 1942), pp. 631 - 642.
ibid. p. 7. 3
I Th e Baha'i World. vol. IX , pp. 614- 615.
86 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Pioneers Gladys Stuart and Cora Oliver, sitting on the left side of the stairs, visit a group of
believers in Belize, British Honduras, during the Seven Year Plan.

children of the school, who gathered around Aires, and groups in Havana, Tegucigalpa,
him and sang their songs for him ... Guatemala, Montevideo, and Panama. As
When he reached the airport, an officer early as April, Shoghi Effendi cabled to the
stepped forward and presented a warrant Convention his joy that the believers had
for his arrest. The day was September 28th outstripped the goal set for 1939-1940. By
of 1942. It was some time before his friends April 1942 the number of assemblies was
.learned the sad news. On November first nine: Mexico City, Puebla, Buenos Aires,
Mathew was attacked by an illness the Montevideo, Tegucigalpa, San Salvador,
nature of which was never learned, hi s San Jose, Puntarenos, and Havana.
condition was so grave that he was moved In his message to the National Convenfrom the dungeon to the guard's hospital.... tion of the Baha' is of the United States and
At that time death seemed imminent Canada sent on 26 April 1942, Shoghi
but his strength slowly returned and he was Effendi wrote:
sent back to the prison. On December 28 ... FIRST BAHA' I CENTURY FAST RUNNING OUT.
the authorities announced that he was AGON IES TRAVAILI NG AGE INEXORABLY
free, but must leave the country. Silently CULM INATING . BAB ' S STIRRING UN IQUE IN-
and alone, he took a plane to Mexico C ity JUNCTION DIRECTING PEOPLES WEST LEA VE
and there reembarked for Brownsville, THEIR C ITI ES ENSURE TRIUMPH DIVINE CAUSE
Texas, where he di ed January 13th, 1943. 1 RECORDED CENTURY AGO QA YYDMU'L-ASMA'.

By mid-point in the Seven Year Plan, in BAHA'U'LLAH ' S S IGNIF ICANT SUMMONS
October 1940, assemblies had been estab- CAL LI NG UPON ALL PRESIDENTS REPUBLICS

lished in Mexico City, Bahia, and Buenos WESTERN HEM ISPHERE C HAMP IO N CAUSE
JUSTI CE ISSUE D SEVENTY YEARS AGO JN
1 HI S MOST HOLY BOOK. BROAD OUTLINES
The Baha 'i World, vol. IX, pp. 6 15- 6 16.
THE COMM EMOR AT IO N OF HISTORI C ANN IVERSAR I ES 87
'A BDU ' L-BAHA'S MATCHLESS DESIGN CON- evolves. Threads of friendly human con-
CE IV ED TWENTYF IV E YEARS AGO BENEFIT tacts weave back and forth, bringing out
NORTH AMERICAN BELIEVERS TRANSMITTED in ever elaborated beauty the Divine Plan
POSTERITY TABLETS DIVINE PLAN. SEVEN of World Unity.' As individuals became
YEAR ENTERPRISE REGARDED INITIAL STAGE more active, the communities as units
EXECUTION WORLD MISSION ALREA DY began also to take on more responsibilities,
LAUNCHED. GIGANTIC TEMPLE UNDERTAK- demonstrating their growing maturity
ING CONSTITUTING MAJOR OBLIGATION THIS under the Administrative Order. One sign
ENTERPRIS E, VIRTUALLY CONSU MM ATE D. of their development was the recognition
VAST INTERCONTINENTAL TEACHING CA M- of the Costa Rican assemblies and that of
PAIGN VISIBLY YIELDING FIRST FRUITS EVERY Montevideo by their respective govern-
REPUBLI C LATIN AMERICA. UPON CRUCIAL ments. The Assembly of Buenos Aires now
YEAR AHEAD HI NG E FORTUNES HI STOR IC accepted the responsibility of publishing
CRUSADE ... MYS ELF DEPRIVED PERSONAL PAR- and disseminating Baha ' i books in Latin
TICIPATION TASK ALLOTTE D PROSECUTO RS America. The Mexican assemblies were
EPOCH MAKING PLAN IMP ELLED DEPUTI ZE carrying on extension work in various
FIVE MEMBERS AMERICAN BAHA'i COM MUN I- parts of their country. San Salvador had
TY HELP FULFILL MY BEHALF WHATEVER PIO- begun teaching in Santa Ana, the second
NEER FIELD MOST VITAL ITS URGENT largest city of El Salvador. Youth groups
REQU IREMENTS . PLEDG ING FIV E THOUSAN D and children's classes were organized ... 2
DOLLARS ACCOM PLISHMENT THIS PURPOSE. 1 Nor was the work in North America
In "Uniting the Americas", Garreta Busey neglected. " ... on March 28 , 1944, we find
reported: 136 Spiritual Assemblies, 197 Baha'i
... the most noticeable characteristic of Groups, and the Faith vigorously functioning
this last period of the Seven Year Plan in over 1,300 cities on the North American
was the work undertaken by the local continent;-the Faith of Baha' u'llah shining
believers. Many of them were engaged in in resplendent glory from the vast expanses
translating Baha' i literature. The Mexican of Alaska to the Keys of Florida; from the
believers .. . had begun that great task. It isolation of Prince Edward Island to the
was continued by the Baha'is of Buenos sunny shores of California." 3
Aires, and in Uruguay three believers, In addition, the exterior ornamentation of
having finished the "Thirty-Six Lessons'', the Baha 'i House of Worship was completed
embarked upon the gigantic task of trans- in 1943.
lating "The Dawn-Breakers" .. . Shoghi Effendi cab led to the friends
Latin American teachers arose. gathered for the All-American Centennial
Sr. Tormo went, with Wilfred Barton, to Convention on 13 April 1944:
Paraguay. Sr. Ulloa went from Costa Rica The greatest collective enterprise ever
to Panama to assist the pioneers there. launched by the Western fo llowers of
Study groups in three cities of Argentina Baha' u' llah and indeed ever undertaken
were taught by believers from Buenos by any Baha'i community in the course of
Aires. The Baha'is of Santiago were car- an entire century, has been gloriously
rying the Faith into other parts of Chile. consummated. A victory of undying fame
As time went on the visits between has marked the culmination of the fifty
communities were more frequent until in year long labors of the American Baha'i
1941 the Inter America Committees community in the service of Baha' u' llah
wrote: 'Thus the Divine Plan continually
2. The Baha 'i World, vo l. IX, pp. 197- I98.
Messages to America, p. 55. J ibid. p. 202.
88 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Pioneers Honor Kempton, Helen Robenson and Dagmar Dole shown in Anchorage, Alaska,
in Januaiy 1944.

and has shed imperishab le lustre on the To the band of pioneers, whether settlers
immortal records of His Faith during the or itinerant teachers, who have forsaken
first hundred years of its existence. The their homes, who have scattered far and
exploits that have marked the progress of wide, who have willingly sacrificed their
this prodigious, this three-fold enterprise, comfort, their hea lth and even their lives
covering a field stretching from Alaska for the prosecution of this Plan; to the
in the North to the extremity of Chile in several committees and their auxiliary
the south, affecting the destinies of so agencies that have been entrusted with
great a variety of peoples and nations, special and direct responsibility for its
involving such a tremendous expenditure efficient and orderly development and
of treasure and effort, calling forth so who have discharged their high responsiremarkable a spirit of heroism and self- bilities with exemplary vigor, courage
sacrifice, and undertaken notwithstanding and fidelity ; to the national representatives
the vicious assaults and incessant machi- of the community itself, who have viginations of the breakers of ' Abdu ' l-Baha' s lantly and tirelessly supervised, directed
Covenant, and despite the perils, the trials and coordinated the unfolding processes
and restrictions of a desolating war of of this vast undertaking ever since its
unexampled severity, augur well for the inception; to all those who, though not in
successful prosecution, and indeed assure the forefront of battle, have through their
the ultimate victory, of the remaining financial assistance and through the instrustages of the Plan conceived, a quarter of mentality of their deputies, contributed to
a century ago, by 'Abdu ' l-Baha for the the expansion and consolidation of the
followers of Baha'u 'llah in the North Plan, I myself, as well as the entire Baha'i
American continent. world, owe a debt of gratitude that no one
THE COMMEMORATIO N OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 89
can measure or describe. To the sacrifices my own behalf, as well as in the name
they have made, to the courage they of all Baha'i communities sharing with
have so consistently shown, to the fidelity them, at this great turning-point in the
they have so remarkably displayed, to history of our Faith, the joys and triumphs
the resourcefulness, the discipline, the of this solemn hour, feel moved to convey
constancy and devotion they have so the expression of our loving admiration,
abundantly demonstrated, future genera- our joy and our gratitude for the brilliant
tions viewing the magnitude of their conc lusion of what posterity wi ll no
labors in their proper perspective, will no doubt acclaim as one of the most stirring
doubt pay adequate tribute- a tribute no episodes in the history of the Formative
less ardent and well-deserved than the Age of the Faith of Baha' u'llah, as well
recognition extended by the present-day as one of the most momentous enterprises
builders of the World Order ofBaha'u'llah undertaken during the entire course of the
to the Dawn-Breakers, whose shining first Century of the Baha'i Era. 1
deeds have signa lized the birth of the
Heroic Age of His Faith .
. . . to all the privileged attendants of
such an epoch-making Convention , I, on Messages In America, pp. 69- 7 1.

'
_ _..._á _j_ '

Celebration of the fiftieth anniversaiy of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Salvador, Bahia,
Brazil- the oldest Assembly in South America.
Mrs. Margot Worley, seated center, served on the first Local Assembly.
THE BAHA'I WORLD

2. FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAITH IN LATIN
AMERICA CELEBRATED

FROM Ric;Ivan 1937 to Ric;!van 1944, the While in Argentina, Amatu'l-Baha, ac-
Baha'is of the United States and Canada companied by Mr. Monadjem and a member
engaged in the first Seven Year Plan in of the National Spiritual Assembly, had an
response to the call from the Guardian: interview with the President of Argentina,
WOULD TO GOD EVERY STATE WITHIN AM ERI- Carlos Menem , and two Cabinet members.
CAN REPUBLIC AND EVERY REPUBLIC IN The Hand of the Cause also called on the
AMERI CAN CONTINENT MIGHT ERE TERMI NA- Mayor of Buenos Aires and presented him
TION THIS GLORIOUS [IST BAHA'I] CENTURY with a copy of the pamphlet "A Pattern for
EMBRACE LIGHT FAITH BAHA'U ' LLAH AND Future Society'', which consists of an extract
ESTABLISH STRU CTURAL BASIS HIS WORLD from the writings of Shoghi Effendi on the
ORDER. coming world civilization.
By the end of the Plan, the Faith had been Media coverage of the conference was
established from Alaska to Chile. No state in excellent. There were items on both radio
the United States, province in Canada, or and television, and articles in several newscountry in Latin America was without a papers including one with two full pages,
group of believers. Celebrations of the 50th one of which was in color.
anniversaries of these victories were held
throughout Latin America. BOLIVIA
About 150 Baha'is and their friends attended
ARGENTINA a public meeting held in the salon of the
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha National Library in Bogota on 12 December
Ru~iyyih Khanum attended the "Uniting the 1991 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of
Americas" conference held in Buenos Aires the Faith in Bolivia. Rosario de Moazes
from 27 February to 1 March 1990 to cele- presented a short summary of the Baha' i
brate the fiftieth anniversary of the Faith in activities during the Faith' s half-century in
Argentina. the country, and Roberto Nothaft gave a talk
The conference also honored the memory on the Baha ' i Faith and the new World
of May Bolles Maxwell, the mother of Order.
Rul~fyyih Khanum, whose flame-like love A story about the celebration was broadfor the Cause led her, at the age of seventy cast on the television news that evening.
and in ill health, to voyage to Buenos Aires
and, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, "lay BRAZIL
down her life in such a spirit of consecration The Local Spiritual Assembly of Salvador,
and self-sacrifice as to merit the crown of in the state of Bahia, Brazil, is the oldest
martyrdom". Assembly on the Continent. Established in
About 1,250 attended the conference 1940, it is the "Mother Assembly" of South
including Counsellors Eloy Anello, Isabel America.
de Calderon, and Shapoor Monadjem. As On 16 October 1990, the Local Spiritual
many as 400 of the participants were not Assembly held a reception to celebrate its
Baha'is and, during the course of the three fiftieth anniversary. About two hundred
days, twelve people enrolled in the Faith. people attended, including Margot Worley,
THE COMM EMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 91

one of the first Baha' is of South America enriched by the music performed by a choir
and a member of the first Local Spiritual called "Heredia Canta."
Assembly. Also attending was Rolf van
Czekus, a member of the Continental Board CUBA
of Counsellors in the Americas. On 2 December 1989, the Baha'is of Cuba
The Assembly received messages of filled the National Center in Havana to
congratulations from the Governor-elect, celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the
Antonio Carlos Magalhaes, the commanding establishment of the Faith in their country.
officer of the consular corps of Bahia, and Songs and dances were performed and, folmany other non-Baha ' is. Commendations lowing a lavish luncheon , a commemorative
were also received from the National cake was served.
Spiritual Assembly of Brazil , the National Perfecto Rerez Toledo, the first Cuban to
Spiritual Assembly of the United States, and recognize Baha' u ' llah, spoke to the Baha'is
a large number of Local Spiritual Assem- and their guests. Evoking those early days
blies in Brazil. of 1939, he paid tribute to the Baha'is who
As part of the anniversary events, two helped to found and develop the Cuban
special prayer sessions were held at the Baha'i community: Philip and Laily Marangraveside of Leonora Stirling Armstrong, gella, Josephine Kruka, Jean Silver, William
"the spiritual mother of the Baha' is of Brazil'', de Forge, Emogene Hoagg, Gayle Woolson,
with many local Baha'is attending. and Ruth Moffett. He also mentioned
A photographic exhibit of the first fifty the Hands of the Cause of God Zikrullah
years of Baha' i activities in Bahia was Khadem [Dhikru'llah Khac:Iim], Dr. Ugo
assembled and displayed, and a video docu- Giachery, and "the unforgettable Dorothy
mentary of the history of the Cause in Bahia Baker."
was launched. An article about the development of the Faith in Bahia was published in EL SALVADOR
A Tarde, the widest circulated newspaper in On 12 November 1989, the Baha' i community
the state. of El Salvador celebrated the Anniversary of
the Birth ofBaha ' u ' llah and the fiftieth anni-
COSTA RICA versary of the arrival of the Faith's first
The fiftieth anniversary of the election of the pioneer to their country, John Eichenauer.
first Local Spiritual Assembly of San Jose, Mr. Eichenauer was able to be present for
Costa Rica, was held on 21 April 1991 in the the occasion.
auditorium of the Federal College of Engi- The program was held in the Instituto
neers and Architects in San Jose. The event Baha' i Jamaliyyih, about 35 kilometres from
was attended by the head of the national the capital, with more than 200 people
Social Security system, a representative of attending. One of the friends talked about
the Governor of the Province of San Jose, the year 1920, when the Hand of the Cause
the President of the San Jose City Council, of God Amelia Collins had walked the
and the Rector of the University of Costa streets of old San Salvador saying the Great-
Rica. est Name, and Mr. Eichenauer told of how,
Special guest for the celebration was hearing of this, he was inspired to go to
Mrs. Gayle Woolson, one of the first two El Salvador to pioneer.
pioneers to Costa Rica and a member of the The Faith enjoyed extensive television
first Local Assembly. The other special exposure during the weeks preceding the
guest was also a member of the first Assem- celebration. During one interview, the
bly, Mrs. Consuelo Miranda Yda . de Araya . Baha' is were able to speak for two hours on
The beautiful commemorative program was the Baha'i approach to peace in response to
92 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

The first pioneer to El Salvador, Mr. John Eichenauer (seated center with the Greatest Name
plaque), returned to celebrate the Baha 'i community 's fiftieth anniversary. The event was
held at Jamaliyy ih Baha'i Institute on 12 November 1989.

generally helpful and friendly questions from national theater. A local newspaper pubthe moderator and the television audience. lished an article about the commemoration.

PARAGUAY URUGUAY
A memorial service for the first Baha'i of A series of events called "Days of Peace on
Paraguay, Sr. Roque Centurion Miranda, the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Baha ' i Faith
was held on 30 January 1990 to commemo- in Uruguay", organized by the Maldonado
rate the thirtieth anniversary of his passing community and held from 18 to 20 November
on that date. A floral offering was carried to 1988, was given extensive media coverage
the Baha' i Cemetery in Lambare, and under in the area.
the pine trees by his gravesite prayers were Activities began with a slide show of the
read and Sr. Centurion Miranda's two daugh- Baha'i Holy Places and a presentation of
ters shared anecdotes about their father. statistical information about the Faith in
During the evening of 30 January, a pro- Uruguay. On the second day members of
gram was held at the National Baha'i Center the Baha' i community visited a home for
in Asuncion to celebrate the fiftieth anniver- the aged and the Children's Council, and
sary of the Baha'i Faith in Paraguay. The held a youth gathering. On the third day, a
Director of the Performing Art School of program for chi ldren was held with clowns
the Municipality of Asuncion participated, and acting. The final activity was a presentaas did Mercedes Janet, a noted actress. A tion about women and peace.
young student gave a reading of the biogra- A display of books and photographs about
phy of Sr. Roque Centurion Miranda as a the Baha'i Faith was exhibited at the Baha' i
Paraguayan citizen, and as a lover of the Centre for the three "Days of Peace".
III
THE TEN YEAR CRUSADE AND THE
KNIGHTS OF BAHA'U'LLAH

Adapted from a talk gi ven by
MR. ' ALf NAKHJAVANi
to the Baha' i World Centre staff in April 1992

MANY of us are working here and abroad di ffus ion of that same light over one hunto prepare for the events of the coming Holy dred and thirty-one additional territories
Year-the Centenary of the Ascension of and islands in both the Eastern and West-
Baha'u' llah. Among the events whi ch will ern Hemi spheres, through the operation
be held in the Holy Land will be a reception of a decade-long world spiritual crusade
for the Knights of Baha' u'll ah. These pre- whose termination will, God willing,
cious souls had a unique part to play in an coincide with the Most Great Jubilee
extremely important period of Baha' i his- commemorating the centenary of the dectory, the Ten Year Crusade. As we look back laration ofBaha'u' llah in Ba~dad. 1
over the development of the Faith during the The tenth part is everything we will be
one hundred years since the passing of the doing till the end of the Dispensation of
Blessed Beauty, it is appropriate to take the Baha'u'llah. Shoghi Effendi continues:
time to review a subject which engaged the And finally the tenth part of this mighty
entire Baha' i world during the latter years of process must be the penetration of that
the ministry of Shoghi Effendi. light, in the course of numerous crusades
The signifi cance of the Ten Year Crusade and of successive epochs of both the Forwas described by Shoghi Effend i in a mative and Go lden Ages of the Faith, into
message he sent to the Intercontinental Con- all the remain ing territories of the globe
ference in America on 4 May 1953. It was through the erection of the enti re machina long message, read to the assemb ly by ery ofBaha'u'llah's Admin istrative Order
Amatu' l-Baha Rt'.tl~iyyih Khanum, towards in all terri tories, both East and West, the
the end of which he reviewed the entire stage at whi ch the light of God 's triumspiritual evolution of humanity. He sa id that phant Faith shining in all its power and
this process-this stupendous vast process- glory will have suffused and enveloped
consists of ten parts. Part one consisted of the entire planet. 2
all of the Prophets of God before the Bab. Of the entire range of the Baha' i Dispen-
Part two began with the Bab, and then fol - sation , we are in the tenth part. The ninth
lowed five parts rep resenting major phases part-only ten years-was the Ten Year
of the Faith up to 192 1. The eighth part was
hi s own ministry up to 1953.
1 Messages to rhe Baha 'i World, A compi lat ion of
Then he wrote:
letters from Shogh i Effend i (Wilmette: Baha' i
The ninth part of this process-the Publi shing Tru st, 195 8), pp. 154- 155.
stage we are no w entering- is the further 2
ibid. p. 155 .
94 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Crusade. And in the entire range of the uni- Seven Year Plan there would be a Ten Year
versal process of spiritual evo lution of Plan, not only for the United States and Canhumanity this stage stands out. This is an ada, but for the entire Baha' i world.
indication of the importance of the topic. Therefore, that third Seven Year Plan was
cancelled, and was superseded by the Ten
TEACHING PLANS Year Plan. The first Plan with world-wide
From 1844 to 193 7 there were no Baha'i international collaboration was the Ten Year
Teaching Plans. The friends knew about Crusade.
teaching, about traveling to teach, and about At the mid-way point of the Ten Year
martyrdom. 'Abdu'l-Baha had encouraged Plan, Shoghi Effendi passed away. The
the friends to form local assemblies and to Hands of the Cause of God took over custoset up funds and associations, and He had dianship of the Faith and the Spiritual
given the American believers the Tablets of Crusade was completed. The Universal House
the Divine Plan but there was no Adminis- of Justice came into existence and it took
trative Order to prosecute this vision. one year to review the situation before it
During the first years of his ministry, developed, after consultation with the Hands
Shoghi Effendi began to create the structures of the Cause, the Nine Year Plan, from 1964
that we know today. He named the United to 1973 . Following Shoghi Effendi's style,
States as the crad le of the Administrative the House of Justice gave a year of respite
Order as there was one National Spiritual from Ric;lvan 1973 to 1974, then gave the
Assembly there as well as for Canada, and friends the Five Year Plan to carry out from
they had been the recipients of the Tablets of 1974 to 1979, followed by the Seven Year
the Divine Plan. Everything in terms of the Plan, 1979 to 1986, and the Six Year Plan,
formal inauguration of the Administrative 1986 to 1992. Now we have the Holy Year,
Order began with the North American Baba'i Ric;lvan 1992 to 1993 , then we are to have
community. For 16 years, from 1921 to the Three Year Plan, 1993 to 1996. What will
1937, he said he built up the Administrative happen after that, only Baha'u'llah knows.
Order in the United States and Canada.
Then, at Ric;lvan 193 7, he gave them the first MESSAGES LEADING UP TO THE
Seven Year Plan. Although it was a national TEN YEAR CRUSADE
plan, the messages were shared with the The Guardian used the word "Crusade" as
Baha'i world collectively. far back as 1939. Of course, this word has
At the end of the first Seven Year Plan, historical connotations in connection with
in 1944, the Guardian gave the American the military expeditions of the European
friends a two-year respite. Then he gave them Christians who went to the Holy Land to libthe second Seven Year Plan, from Ric;lvan erate Jerusalem from Muslim rule. In 1939,
1946 to 1953. During the second Seven Year two years after the inauguration of the first
Plan of the United States, he urged the other Seven Year Plan of the American believers,
ten National Spiritual Assemblies to have he began to use the term "Crusade" instead
Plans, too. Consequently, the second Plan was of "Plan." In his Persian writings he used
paralleled by other Plans in Asia, Africa, the word "Jihad," which is "Holy War." He
Europe and Australasia. subsequently used "Crusade" for the second
In letters from the Guardian, there was Seven Year Plan, and then for the Ten Year
reference to a third Seven Year Plan to take Plan so that the latter became known as
place after three years of respite. However, the Ten Year Crusade, even more than the
he changed his mind and decided that imme- Ten Year Plan. He sometimes referred to the
diately upon the completion of the second pioneers as "crusaders ."
THE C OMMEMORATIO N OF HISTORIC A NN IVERSARI E S 95

Shoghi Effendi did not give the Baha'i National Assembly. In this letter he stated
world any indication of this Crusade in the that at the end of the Two Year Plan,
earlier years of his Guardianship. However, the Baha'i world was to have undertakings
in 1951 , six years before he passed away, which would involve and engage all National
when he began to build up the World Centre Assemblies, and there were eleven at that
by inviting outstanding believers to come to time.
the Holy Land to serve on the International In this letter he also gave the Baha'i world
Baha' i Council or to come as Hands of the a foreshadowing of two stages: one period
Cause of God, he started referring to some- with undertakings involving all National
thing very great that was going to happen. Spiritual Assemblies, that is, the Ten Year
For example, on 25 February 1951 , in Crusade; to be followed throughout the
a letter to the British National Spiritual Epochs of the Formative Age by enterprises
Assembly (and almost on the same date he which would be launched by the Universal
sent a cable to the American National Spiri- House of Justice. I remember the discustual Assembly repeating virtually word for sions in Tihran by the scholars of the Faith
word what he had told the British Baha ' is), about why Shoghi Effendi had said that
he instructed the British Baha'i community those enterprises would be embarked upon
to have a Two Year Plan, beginning in 1951 by the Universal House of Justice. Why
and ending in 1953, to recruit pioneers to didn ' t he say under the aegis of the
Africa. Guardianship?
On the success of this enterprise, [the In this one short paragraph, Shoghi
Two Year Plan] unprecedented in its Effendi told the friends about the future in
scope, unique in its character and immense two ways. First something great was going
in its spiritual potentialities, must depend to happen, then major enterprises were to
the initiation, at a later period in the For- occur under the aegis of the Universal House
mative Age of the Faith, of undertakings of Justice.
embracing within their range all National Nine months later, on 30 November
Assemblies functioning throughout the 1951, the Guardian sent a message in which
Baha' i World, undertakings constituting he said that the Baha'i World would hold
in themselves a prelude to the launching intercontinental conferences for the first
of world-wide enterprises destined to be time. There had always been local and
embarked upon, in future epochs of that national conferences. Now, he said, the
same Age [the Formative Age] , by the Faith was entering a new phase.
Universal House of Justice , that will Forthcoming celebrations must be
symbolise the unity and coordinate and signalized through inauguration long
unify the activities of these National anticipated intercontinental stage in
Assemb lies. 1 administrative evolution of Faith marking
This was the first hint Shoghi Effendi its gradual development through succesgave of the Ten Year Crusade. Under the sive phases of local , regional, national,
Two Year Plan, he had instructed only five international Baha' i activity. Initiation
National Assemblies to work together to this highly significant measure further
open Africa south of the Sahara and he put cementing Baha' i National Assemblies in
these National Assemblies under the aus- five continents of globe will be acclaimed
pices and coordination of the British by posterity as counterpart to consolidation Faith at its World Centre through
Unfo lding Destiny : Th e Messages fro m the Guardian recent formation International Baha'i
of the Baha 'i Faith to the Baha 'i Community of the Council in Holy Land. 2
British ls/es (London: Baha ' i Publi s hing Tru st,
I 98 I), p. 261. 2
Messages, p. I 7.
96 TH E BAHA ' I WORLD

This was another hint that the Baha'is nigh, to resolve never to flinch, never to
were to engage in collaboration involving all hesitate, never to relax, until each and
National Spiritual Assemblies very soon. every objective in the Plans to be pro-
At Naw-Ruz 1952, Shoghi Effendi claimed, at a later date, has been full y
announced that the eleven National Spiritual consummated.2
Assemblies of the Baha'i world were to be That shook the Baha'i world. The friends
joined by a twelfth, the Halo-Swiss National reali zed that while there was a wonderful
Assembly. He praised the work of Dr. Ugo thing happening- there would also be national
Giachery in that cable, and said how impor- Plans; each of these twelve National Spiritant it was that at the beginning of this new tual Assemblies was going to have its own
international phase we had a new National Plan, just as the Halo-Swiss was to have its
Spiritual Assembly. own Plan- and that there would be some
Anticipate entrusting to the youngest rough times ahead.
among the twelve National Assemblies of Then came the auspicious moment, on
the Baha' i World a specific plan enabling 8 October 1952, when Shoghi Effendi
it, in conjunction with its sister National announced the summary of the Ten Year
Spiritual Assemblies of the Baha'i World, Crusade. He gave the Baha'i world the Cruto promote in the course of the ten years sades ' s objectives, and the preamble of the
separating the second from the Most Great message read as follows:
Jubilee the Global Crusade designed to Feel hour propitious to proclaim to the
hoist the standard of Baha' u' llah in the entire Baha'i world the projected launching
remaining states, dependencies and islands on the occasion of the convocation of the
of the whole planet. 1 approaching Intercontinental Conferences
Here it was : the first intimation of the Ten on the four continents of the globe the fate-
Year Crusade. laden, soul-stirring, decade-long, world-
The next message I want to quote was embracing Spiritual Crusade involving the
written in June 1952 and was heartrending: simultaneous initiation of twelve national
No matter how long the period that Ten Year Plans and the concerted particiseparates them from ultimate victory; pation of all National Spirih1al Assemblies
however arduous the task; however formi- of the Baha ' i world aiming at the immedidable the exertions demanded of them; .. . ate extension of Baha'u' llah's spiritual
however grievous the ordeal of temporary dominion as well as the eventual establishseparation from the heart and nerve-center ment of the struchire of His administrative
of their Faith which future unforeseeable order in all remaining Sovereign States,
disturbances may impose upon them, I Principal Dependencies comprising Princiadjure them, by the precious blood that palities, Sultanates, Emirates Shaykhdoms,
flowed in such great profusion, by the Protectorates, Trust Territories, and Crown
lives of the unnumbered saints and heroes Colonies scattered over the surface of the
who were immolated, by the supreme, the entire planet. The entire body of the
glorious sacrifice of the Prophet-Herald avowed supporters of Baha' u 'llah's allof our Faith, by the tribulations which its conquering Faith are now summoned to
Founder, Himself, willingly underwent, achieve in a single decade feats eclipsing
so that His Cause might live, His Order in totality the achievements which in the
might redeem a shattered world and its course of the eleven preceding decades
glory might suffuse the entire planet- I illuminated the annals ofBaha'i pioneering.3
adjure them, as this solemn hour draws
ibid., pp. 38- 39.
1 3
Messages, p. 23. ibid., p. 41.
THE COMM E MORATION OF HISTORIC A NN IVERSARIES 97
He went on giving a summary of these the clouds which immediately after its rise
goals. This message had an electrifying in those somber surroundings obscured its
effect on the friends. splendor. It was destined to mount to its
By May 1953, Shoghi Effendi had already zenith in the far-away city of Adrianople,
announced not only the summary but the and ultimately to set in the immediate
details of the Ten Year Plan. Intercontinen- vicinity of the fortress-town of' Akka. 1
tal conferences were held. To each one he In these three short sentences, Shoghi
sent a special message enumerating all the Effendi described the process of the Revelagoals pertaining to that continent. He sent tion of Baha'u'llah. What happened during
Hands of the Cause to be present at the the period of the Bab should be considered
Conferences, with a designated Hand repre- as the period of the dawn. As the rim of the
senting him personally. All of this happened orb of the Sun appeared-sunrise-that moduring that Holy Year. ment was the birth of the Baha' i Revelation
in the Siyah-Chal in Tihran. That began the
first Holy Year. The Morning Sun was seen
HOLY YEARS in Baghdad, the Declaration by Baha'u'llah
The Guardian first used the term "Holy Year" of His Mission. The process reached its zenith
in a letter written on his behalf by his secre- in Adrianople, when Baha'u' llah wrote His
tary to the American Baha'i community in letters to the Kings, the Proclamation of His
November 1951. He explained in that letter Faith: That "Sun" proceeded on its predesthat the Holy Year was to mark the Year tined path and then set in the city of' Akka,
Nine, a reference to the Bab's prophecy that at Bahji, in 1892. As to the second Holy Year:
in the Year Nine-that is nine years after sunrise fixed the time for the first Holy
1844, His own Declaration-the Promised Year, and sunset will fix the time for the
One would come and the new Revelation second Holy Year.
would be born. The first Holy Year, announced by
The Year Nine began from the time when Shogh i Effendi, stretched from 15 October
Baha'u'llah received the intimation of His 1952 to 15 October 1953, and during this
Revelation in the Siyah-Chal in Tihran. He time the first four Intercontinental Conferentered the Siyah-Chal in August of 1852, ences were held. The second Holy Year,
and stayed in that Black Pit for four months . announced by the Universal House of Jus-
Shoghi Effendi explained that this intima- tice, is to begin at Ric;lvan 1992 and end at
tion- this dream or mystic experience that Ric;!van 1993 with commemorative events to
Baha'u'llah wrote about-occurred at the be held in the Holy Land in May 1992, and
mid-way point of this period of four months. the second Baha' i World Congress in New
Baba ' u 'llah entered the Siyah-Chal approxi- York in November 1992.
mately on 15 August, so Shoghi Effendi took
15 October as the beginning of the Holy
CENTENARIES
Year.
To better understand the Holy Years, I Another subject which might be helpful as
refer you to this passage from God Passes By: background is the centenaries we have had
The first dawnings of that Light of so far during the Formative Age. The first
peerless splendor had . .. broken in the city was the Centenary of the Declaration of the
of Shiraz. The rim of that Orb had now Bab, the First Jubilee, in May 1944, the
appeared above the horizon of the Siyah-
Chal of Tihran. Its rays were to burst 1
Shoghi Effendi , God Passes By (Wilmette: Baha'i
forth, a decade later, in Baghdad, piercing Publishing Trust, 2nd ed. , 1987), pp. I 02- 103.
98 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

Friends from Australia and New Zealand gathered in Sydney for the
Dedication of the National Ifazirat 'ul-Quds and the Commemoration of the Centenary
of the Declaration of the Bab, 20 May 1944.

highlights of which were celebrations held Conferences convened by the Universal
all over the Baha'i world. The second was House ofJustice. Hands of the Cause of God
the Centenary of the "Martyrdom of the Bab went to all of these Intercontinental Conferin July 1950, for which Shoghi Effendi called ences. Six of the Hands first visited the
on the entire Baha'i world to hold commem- House of Baha' u ' llah in Adrianople before
orative events. Next was the Birth of the scattering, carrying with them a copy of the
Revelation of Baha' u ' llah, the intimation of portrait ofBaM'u'llah taken in Adrianople,
His Mission, referred to by the Guardian as which the friends at these conferences were
the Second Jubilee, or sometimes the Great privileged to view. The Centenary of the
Jubilee. This was the beginning of the first Ascension ofBaha'u'llah is ahead of us, and
Holy Year, as described above, and its high- the beginning of the Holy Year, Ric;lvan
lights were the first four Intercontinental 1992 to Ric;ivan 1993 . The highlights will be
Conferences. the events here and in New York.
The fourth centenary was the Centenary
of Baha' u' llah's Declaration in April 1963. THE TEN YEAR CRUSADE
This was the Third Jubilee, or, as Shoghi
Effendi called it in other writings, the Most Shoghi Effendi sent his manuscript of the
Great Jubilee. The highlights were worldwide Ten Year Plan to two National Spiritual
celebrations, particularly culminating in the Assemblies, the United States ahd the British
first Baha'i World Congress held in London . Isles, asking each of them t6 publish it. It
Next was the Centenary of the Revelation of is called, The Bahti 'i Faith 1844 to 1952,
the Suriy-i-Muluk in Adrianople where, Information Statistical and á Comparative,
Shoghi Effendi said, the Sun "had reached and it is in two parts. The first part consists
its zenith." This was in September 1967, and of statistics of the Baha' i world as of 1953.
the highlights were the six Intercontinental The second part is called, "Supplement: Ten
THE COMMEMORATIO N OF HISTORIC ANN IV ERSARIES 99

The Hand of the Cause of God Leroy Joas greeting the friends on behalf of the Guardian
during the first Baha'i Intercontinental Conference, held in Kampala, Uganda,
from 12 to 18February1953.

Year International Baha'i Teaching and Africa, thirty countries in Europe, twenty-
Consolidation Plan 1953-1963." The bottom seven countries in the Americas. However,
of the cover reads: "Compiled by Shoghi during the evolution of the Plan, one new
Effendi, Guardian of the Baha' i Faith." From territory was added raising the total to one
pages 50 to 74 are the details of the Ten hundred and thirty-two, as will be explained
Year Crusade as laid out by the Guardian in later.
full detail and in full splendor. The next goal was the translation and
The first goal was, "Adoption of prelimi- publication of Baha'i literature into ninetynary measures for the construction of one additional languages, the names of which
Baha'u'llah' s Sepulchre in the Holy Land." Shoghi Effendi specified. There were to be
Some of the friends asked if Shoghi Effendi forty in Asia, thirty-one in Africa, ten in
was plaiming to build a superstructure for Europe, ten in the Americas, and he assigned
the Shrine ofBaha'u'llah. He answered that responsibility for translating and publishing
what he had in mind was to cleanse the these books and publications to designated
sun-oundings of the Shrine and to create the National Spiritual Assemblies.
I:Iaram-i-Aqdas. This was accomplished. The fourth goal concerned the construction
The second goal was the opening of one of two Mashriqu ' l-Adhkars, one in Tihran
hundred and thirty-one virgin territories, and one in Frankfurt. Circumstances in Iran
whose names he specified. At that time did not pennit the construction of the Temple
roughly the same number of territories had in Tihran so, at a later date, he announced
already been opened, so opening one hun- that the Kampala Temple in Uganda would
dred and thirty-one new territories was equal replace the Temple in Tihran as a goal. A
to doubling the number of "countries within few months later he added Sydney, Australia,
the pale of the Faith." There were forty-one so two Houses of Worship were erected
countries in Asia, thirty-three countries in instead of the one in Tihran.
100 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Next was the acquisition of a site for the of religious courts, and indeed a reduction of
Temple on Mount Carmel. Mrs. Amelia Collins the power and authority of religious courts.
provided the funds, and Shoghi Effendi was This was studied very carefully by the
able to purchase that very precious and impor- Hands of the Cause, who produced docutant property which had been blessed by the ments expla ining why this goal was not
footsteps of Baha 'u' llah Himself at the time feasib le under current circumstances.
He revealed the Tablet of Carmel. The next goal was the codification of the
Another goal completed was the erection Laws and Ordinances of the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
of the first dependency of the Temple in Shoghi Effendi himself worked on this, and
Wilmette, the Home for the Aged. a large package of his notes was passed to
Next was the purchase of Temple sites in the Universal House of Justice when it was
eleven countries, which he named-three on elected. These form the basis of the present
the American continent, three in Africa, two in Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-
Asia, two in Europe and one in Australasia. Aqdas that was published, almost ninety-five
The eighth goal was, "Development of the per cent of which was the work of Shoghi
functions of the institution of the Hands of Effendi. The Universal House of Justice
the Cause". That became very important as completed and published the book.
the years went by. During the years that he Next was the estab li shment of six Baha' i
was alive after launching the Ten Year Plan, courts in chief cities of the Middle East. He
Shoghi Effendi added more Hands to the named them: Tihran, Cairo, Baggdad, New
number he had already appointed, then called Delhi, Karachi, Kabul. None of these were
on them all to appoint Auxiliary Boards of possible, some for the same reason that a
nine for each continent. Later he said that court could not be established in Israel, and
there should be two Auxiliary Boards instead others because in those countries they were
of one-one for protection and one for ultra-orthodox in their attitudes. The friends
teaching the Faith. Towards the end of his tried and were able, for example in Pakistan,
life he added more Hands of the Cause, and to have the Baha' i marriage certificate
described them as the Chief Stewards of the recognised, which is part of the work of a
Embryonic World Commonwealth. As can be Baha'i court, so some aspects of the goal
seen , the institution of the Hands developed were achieved . Likewise in New Delhi it
very rapidly during those four-and-on e-half was possible to obtain official recognition of
years. the Baha' i marriage certificate.
The ninth goal was the establishment of The twelfth goal was the extension of the
a Baha ' i Court in the Holy Land. Shoghi international Baha' i endowments in the Holy
Effendi did not intend for there to be a court Land. Shoghi Effendi acquired many parcels
which would supervise and oversee the of property both in Bahji and in Haifa during
judicial decisions of National Spiritual As- the four years he was ali ve at the beginning
semblies, since the Head of the Faith was of the Plan. Had he not acquired these propsupervising and coordinating the work of the erties on Mount Carmel we would not be
National Assemb lies. The intention was ab le to work on the Arc and Terraces as we
something different. Just as other religions are now.
in Israel had certain rights according to the Construction of the International Baha' i
civil and religious laws of the land and had Archives Building was a goal which caused
the right to have religious courts, so too tremendous problems. Shoghi Effendi had
should the Baba' i Faith have a right to a reli- the design made by Mason Remey, under his
gious court in Israel. But that court never own supervision, and had it erected but could
materialized because there occurred a trend not complete it. During the last few years of
in Israe l towards referral to secular instead the Plan, after the passing of Shoghi Effendi,
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 101

the building was completed under the direc- related to the goal above. As was explained,
tion of the Hands of the Cause in the Holy some of these National Assemb lies could
Land and all the archives that had been kept not be incorporated.
in the three rooms to the south of the Shrine The twenty-first goal was the establishof the Bab were transferred to the new ment of six national Publishing Trusts. All of
location. these were established-two in the Americas,
It was a goal to construct a Tomb for the two in Asia, one in Africa and one in Europe.
Wife of the Bab in Shiraz. The National Spiri- Next, "Participation by the women of Pertual Assembly of Iran did its best, but until sia in the membership of National and Local
today it has not been possible to achieve this Assembl ies," was accomplished with flying
important goal of the Ten Year P lan. colors. The first year that this permission
The next goal was the transfer of the was made effective two Baha'i women were
remains of the Father ofBaha'u ' llah and the elected to the Nationa l Spiritual Assemb ly
Mother and the Cousin of the Bab to the Baha'i off ran. (Incidentally, Shoghi Effendi gave
cemetery in Baghdad. The remains of the the same instruction to the National Spiritual
Father ofBaha'u'llah were actually transferred Assembly of Egypt and Sudan, one year after
and they are now in the Baha'i cemetery. Persia.)
But the remains of the Mother and the Cousin The next goal was the establi shment of
of the Bab have sti ll not been identified. seven Israeli branches of National Sp iritual
These are among the last wishes of Shoghi Assemblies. This was ve1y interesting. Shoghi
Effendi that wil l have to be carried out in Effendi established under Israeli law what
future years. are today called "friendly societies." Instead
The sixteenth goal was the acquisition of of ca lling them, let us say, "Baha'i Holding
four Baha'i Holy Places in iran and 'Iraq. Societies," he had each one named after a
Circumstances did not permit any progress National Assembly operating at that time:
in realizing the goal in 'Iraq. In Iran , how- for example, the National Spiritual Assembly
ever, although it was possible to acquire two of the Baha'is of the United States- Israel
of the properties, these were subsequently Branch. One of the wonderful things that he
confiscated by the authorities after the did was to incorporate one of these "friendly
Revo lution. societies" in the name of the National Spiri-
The seventeenth goal was the establish- tual Assembly of the Baha' is of Iran- Israel
ment of forty-eight new National Spiritual branch. Shoghi Effendi used to say that in
Assemblies. All of these were estab lished Iran the authorities did not recognize us but
during the Ten Year Crusade. in Israel the National Spiritual Assembly of
The next goal was met with the acquisi- Iran had been incorporated. He transferred
tion of forty-nine new I:Ia?'.iratu' 1-Quds. property in the names of these various legal
The acqui sition of forty-nine national entities. On Panorama Road, above the Shrine
endowments and the framing of national of the Bab, there is still a piece of land
Baha' i constitutions for each of the new recorded in the land registry in the name of
National Spiritual Assembl ies was the next the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is
goal. Unfortunately in some countries, such of Iran-Israel branch.
as Iran , it was not possible to incorporate the The twenty-fourth goal was the establish-
National Assembly. However, national con- ment of a national Baha'i Printing Press in
stitutions were drawn up and the National Tihran. This was with the understanding that
Assemb lies operated within the terms of the National Assembly of iran would be
these documents. incorporated and have its own printing press.
Next was the incorporation of fifty-one This was not possib le. However, the National
National Spiritual Assemb lies, which is Assembly of iran succeeded in estab li shing
102 THE BAHA'i WORLD

an informal publishing house which pub- he named them. It was subsequently learned
lished Baha'i books without actually owning that there were Baha'is in some of these
a printing press. The books were typed, areas, whose presence had not been reported
mimeographed, bound and distributed. Many to him . A few territories were opened by
books in our Baha ' i library today are those traveling teachers. We will discuss these
published during that period of the Ten Year matters later.
Crusade. It was not official, but it was on the The last goal, the twenty-seventh goal,
path to the fulfilment of this goal fonnulated was the convocation of the Baha' i World
by the Guardian . Congress áin 1963 in Bag!:!dad. As events
Baha'is had ties with the United Nations, unfolded, it was not possible to have the Conbut Shoghi Effendi made it a goal to rein- gress in Bag!:!dad and it was held in London .
force them. Two years before he passed away, In retrospect it seems so appropriate that it
the persecutions in Iran allowed the friends was held in London because that was where
to develop much closer connections with Shoghi Effendi had passed away. Many
various UN agencies such as the Security Baha'is went to that first Congress, on the one
Council, the Human Rights Commission and hand to pay their respects to their Guardian
other agencies in New York. The Guardian who had passed away while labouring for
seemed to have anticipated this development, the Cause at the mid-way point of his Spiriand urged the friends to build on those rela- tual Crusade, and on the other to celebrate
tionships. This process has continued, and the one hundredth anniversary of the Declanow we have an efficient office in New York, ration ofBaha'u ' llah.
another in Geneva, yet another in the Pacific, After giving the friends the objectives
and so on. of the Ten Year Crusade, Shoghi Effendi
For the purposes of the Ten Year Crusade explained that it was to have four phases.
Shoghi Effendi treated the Soviet Union as The first phase was the opening of the virgin
two parts, the European section which he territories, to occur over the first year. Durcounted as part of Europe, and the Asian ing the year he named the Knights as they
republics which he regarded as part of Asia. arrived at their pioneer posts. Second was
According to his reports, there were thirteen the acquisition of national I:Ia~iratu'l-Qudses
unopened republics in the Soviet Union and and endowments, over a period of two years.
There was a tremendous effort by the Baha'is
all over the world to win these goals. Third,
the multiplication of Baha' i localities and the
formation of sixteen new National Spiritual
Assemblies over a period of two years. This
was done. And then, just before his passing,
he said the fourth phase was to witness a
vast increase in the number of believers and
localities and the erection of the Temples of
Africa, Australasia and Europe. The Hands
of the Cause of God continued working on
this fourth phase for the rest of the ten years.

Charles Dunning, the Knight of Baha 'u 'llah THE KNIGHTS OF BAHA'U'LLAH
for the Orkney Islands, The word translated as "knights" was used by
with Brigitte Hasselblatt, the Knight of Baha'u'llah in His Writings. 'Abdu'l-Baha
Bahci 'u 'llahfor the Shetland Islands, also used the word, as well as the word
c. 1954. "horsemen." By knights they meant heroes:
THE C OMME M ORATIO N OF HI ST ORI C ANN IVE RS ARI ES 103

pioneers who would go to these unconquered regions. This caught the imagination
ofBaha'is all over the world.
About a month later, Shoghi Effendi
explained what he had in mind. In letters
written on his behalf, he gave many explanations, two of which I will quote from:
There are no objections to more than
one pioneer settling in these areas [meaning these virgin areas]. If the original one
to whom the territory has been assigned
[meaning the NSA] cannot proceed at this
moment, they will still be reaching their
goal even though someone else might
reach that point sooner than they. All who
proceed to these points at this time will be
designated as Knights ofBaha'u'llah and
their names be carried on the Roll of
Knights ofBaha 'u 'llah Alvin and Gertrude
Honor to be deposited permanently in the
Blum at their post in the Solomon Islands with
Shrine of Baha'u ' llah.
their daughter, Keithie (front) , John Mills
All pioneers reaching virgin areas at
(left) and the Head ofthe Bamu Tribe in 1954.
this time are carried on the honor roll as
they used the word as translated by Shoghi Knights of Baha'u'llah. In other words,
Effendi with a lower case "k." Shoghi Effendi there may be four or five Knights of
took this word and used it as an accolade. It Baha' u 'llah for one country. The Guardbecame a title, with a capital "K." After ian has been considering how long this
annow1cing the goals of the Ten Year Crusade, period of settlement by the Knights of
Shoghi Effendi made this announcement on Baha'u'llah should continue, but has not
28 May 1953: yet set the date. Up until that time, every
Planning inscribe, chronological order, individual settling in a virgin area will be
names spiritual conquerors illuminated carried on the honor roll.
Roll of Honor, to be deposited entrance
door inner Sanctuary Tomb ofBaha' u'llah,
as permanent memorial contribution
champions His Faith victorious conclusion
opening campaign Global Crusade . . . 1
This was the first time he had used the
words "Roll of Honor." It was a new term
for the Baha'is, as were "Holy Year" and
"Crusade," and of course, "Knights" as a
title. As we just saw, Shoghi Effendi wanted
one hundred and thirty-one countries and
territories of the world opened to the Faith
during one year. To encourage the friends to
arise, he said he would open a list upon
Feroza Yaganegi (left), one of the Knights of
which he would inscribe the names of those
Baha 'u 'llah for Goa, with Gulnar Aftabi,
wife of the other Knight of BahQ 'u 'llahfor
Messages , p. 49. Goa in 1953.
104 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Shoghi Effendi had named 131 territories
to be opened, including Anticosti Island in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. The National
Assembly wrote to Shoghi Effendi to state
that no pioneer could go to Anticosti as it
was owned and entirely controlled by a paper
company. Only people employed by that
company could go there, and Baba' is had
been unsuccessful in obtaining jobs. Two
further possibilities were for hunters or for
people related to the islanders to go there,
but neither of these were opened to Baha'is.
Shoghi Effendi wrote back to tell them to
choose another island. They consulted and
The Knights of Baha 'u 'llah for French
chose the Gulflslands, which Shoghi Effendi
Togo/and, David Tanyi (second from left)
approved.
and Vivian Wesson (second from right),
In the end, the National Assembly was
with new believers in Accra in 1956.
able to open Anticosti Island, as originally
envisaged. Shoghi Effendi named a Knight
Friends started rushing : they longed to for Anticosti and it is on the Roll of Honor.
be on the Roll of Honor and among the Because the Gulf Islands had already won
Knights of Baha'u'llah. When you examine the honor of being a virgin territory which
the Roll of Honor today you will see that produced a Knight, the Baha'i world ended
some of the difficult countries only have one with 132 virgin territories instead of the
solitary Knight, and some of the easier coun- original 131.
tries have five, six, seven Knights. One may note that 122 territories opened
Then, in May 1954, came this ominous by Knights of Baha'u ' llah do not equal the
announcement: 132 virgin territories named by Shoghi
The Roll of Honor, after the lapse of
one year since the launching of the World
Crusade, is now closed, with the exception of pioneers who have already left for
their destination, as well as those first
arriving in the few remaining virgin
territories ... 1
When Mr. Abbas and Mrs. Rezvanieh
Katirai went to the Sakhalin Islands in 1990,
they became Knights since it was the last
unopened territory left from the Ten Year
Crusade. They set the seal on the Knights of
Baha' u'llah.
The total number of territories opened by
Knights was 122, with a footnote which reads,
"Including the Gulf Islands, supplementing
the Anticosti Islands, both in Canada." The
story of this footnote is as follows. Edythe MacArthur, who moved to the Queen
Charlotte Islands of Canada in 1953 and
Messages, p. 69.
was named a Knight of Baha 'u 'llah.
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 105

Effendi. This is because 10 were opened by Shoghi Effendi had planned to deposit it
other means. There were some countries where because when he sent a picture of the new
there were Baha' is about whom Shoghi door to the Shrine (the present door to the
Effendi had never received reports. When he Shrine) to the American National Assembly
learned of these he announced in one of his he asked them to pub lish the picture and
Ri9van messages that he now considered describe it and to add that immediately
these countries a lready opened. As the behind this door the Roll of Honor would be
Baha'is there had gone before the opening of deposited.
the Ten Year Crusade they could not be A map has also been made. It is in the
named Knights. In other cases, countries style of the maps of Shoghi Effendi, and
were opened by traveling teachers who shows the 132 territories. From each country
could not reside there-Baha ' is who went there is a line on which the name of each
back and forth- and through them people Knight is written, and like an arrow the line
enrolled in the Faith. Usually it was not just pierces the country. It is in color, and will
one person, but a whole group of people also be displayed. A copy will, of course, be
who went at different times. Together there made available to the friends .
were JO territories in these categories which
explains the 122.
The total number of Knights was 257:
131 men; 126 women . The total number of
Knights still alive is 159. The total number
still living at pioneering posts is 14. The
number settled during the lifetime of Shoghi
Effendi and still at their post is 10- God
bless them. The number of Knights intending to be present at the Centenary events in
the Holy Land is 108.

THE ROLL OF HONOR
The Roll of Honor is on a parchment that
Shoghi Effendi himself ordered. He also
found the artist who would put the names on Th e Knights of Baha 'u 'llah to the Canary
the Roll. It has spaces, like cartouches, for Islands, Gertrude Eisenberg (right) and
each country, in four columns. If there was George and Marguerite True, with the
more than one Knight of Baha' u' llah for a True 's son Barry in 1953.
country their names were written in smaller
letters, and if there was just one name, that
name enjoyed the full space of the cartouche.
This Roll of Honor wi II be displayed when
the Knights of Baha ' u' llah come to the World
Centre. The next day, it will be placed in a [Reprints of the Roll of Honor as well as the
special sealed box and then laid by Amatu'l- map showing the 132 territories drawn by
Baha Rlil)iyyih Khanum at the entrance to Shoghi Effendi , are enclosed in the cover
the Shrine of Baha'u' llah. We know where pockets of this volume of The Baha 'i World.]
106 THE BAHA 'f WORLD

THE KNIGHTS OF BAHA'U'LLAH

LISTED BY VIRGIN TERRITORIES AND DATES OF SETTLEMENT
1953-1990

ADMIRAL TY ISLANDS BALEARlC ISLANDS
Violet Hoehnke VII 1954 Virginia Orbison VIII 1953
Jean Deleuran XII 1953
ALBANIA Tove Deleuran XII 1953
Found to be already open Charles Ioas I 1954

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS BARANOF ISLAND
Elaine Caldwell VIII 1953 Grace Bahovec
Jenabe Caldwell VIII 1953 Helen Robinson IX 1953
Elinore Putney V 1954 Gai l Avery II 1954

ANDAMAN ISLANDS BASUTOLAND
Khodadad M. Fozdar XI 1953 Elizabeth Laws X 1953
Frederick Laws X 1953
ANDORRA
William Danjon X 1953 BECHUANALAND
Audrey Robarts II 1954
ANTICOSTI ISLAND John Robarts II 1954
Mary Zabolotny IV 1956 Patrick Robarts II 1954

Supplemented by: BHUTAN
GULF ISLANDS Ardeshir Faroodi VI 1954
Catherine Huxtable IX 1959 Shapoor Rowhani VI 1954
Clifford Huxtable IX 1959
BRlTISH CAMEROONS
ASHANTI PROTECTORATE Enoch Olinga X 1953
Benedict Eballa IV 1954
BRlTISH GUIANA
AZORES Malcolm King X 1953
Lois Nolen X 1953
Richard Nolen X 1953 BRlTISH HONDURAS
Cora Oliver IX 1953
BAHAMA ISLANDS Shirley Warde X 1953
V. Gail Curwin X 1953
Gerald Curwin X 1953 BRlTISH TOGOLAND
Ethel Holmes X 1953 Albert Buapiah IV 1954
Maurice Holmes X 1953 Edward Tabe IV 1954
Andrew Matthisen I 1954
Nina Matthisen I 1954
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC AN N I VERSARIES 107
BRUNEI CYPRUS
Harry Clark II 1954 Abbas Vakil VIII 1953
Charles Duncan II 1954 R. Hugh McKinley IX 1953
John Fozdar IV 1954 Violet McKinley XI 1953
Samira Vakil XI 1953
CANARY ISLANDS
Gertrude Eisenberg X 1953 DAMAN
George True X 1953 Ghulam Ali Kurlawala VI 1953
Marguerite True X 1953
Shoghi Riaz Ruhany VI 1954 DIU
Gulnar Aftabi XII 1953
CAPE BRETON ISLAND Kaykhusraw Dehmobedi XII
Frederick Allen X 1953 1953
Jean Allen X 1953 Bahiya Rowhani XII 1953
Grace Geary X 1953
Irving Geary X 1953 DUTCH GUIANA
Elinor WolffX 1953
CAPE VERDE ISLANDS Robert WolffX 1953
Howard Menking I 1954
Joanne Menking I 1954 DUTCH NEW GUINEA
Elly Becking X 1953
CAROLINE ISLANDS Lex Meerburg IV 1954
Virginia Breaks XI 1953
DUTCH WEST INDIES
CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO Matthew Bullock XI 1953
Puva Murday V 1957 John Kellberg IV 1954
Marjorie Kellberg IV 1954
CHANNEL ISLANDS
Ziaoullah Asgarzadeh IX 1953 ESTONIA
Evelyn Baxter IX 1953 Opened by traveling teachers

CHILOE ISLAND FALKLAND lSLANDS
Zunilda de Palacios X 1953 John Leonard II 1954
Louise Groger VI 1954
FAROE ISLANDS
COCOS ISLANDS Eskil Ljungberg VIII 1953
Frank Wyss VI 1955
FINNO-KARELIA
COMORO ISLANDS Opened by traveling teachers
Mehraban Sohaili VIII 1954
FRANKLIN
COOK ISLANDS K. Gale Bond IX 1953
Edith Danielsen X 1953 J. Jameson Bond IX 1953
Dulcie Dive I 1954
FRENCH CAMEROONS
CRETE Meherangiz Munsiff IV 1954
Rolf Haug X 1953 Samuel Njiki IV 1954
108 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

FRENCH EQUATORIAL GREECE
AFRICA Am in Banani VIII 1953
Max Kanyerezi IX 1953 Sheila Banani VIII 1953
Carole A llen IX 1953
FRENCH GUIANA Dwight A llen IX 1953
Eberhard Friedland X 1953
HADHRAMAUT
FRENCH SOMALILAND Adib Baghdadi XII 1953
Fred Schechter VIII 1953 Wahida Baghdadi XII 1953
Fahimah El ias V 1954 Husayn I:Ialabf II 1954
Sabri E li as V 1954
HAIN AN
FRENCH TOGOLAND John Z.T. Chang VIII 1959
David Tanyi IV 1954
Mavis Nymon V 1954 HEBRIDES
Vivian Wesson V 1954 Gerald ine Craney X 1953

FRENCH WEST AFRICA lT ALIAN SOMALILAND
Labib I~fahanf XI 1953 Sohei l Samandari III 195 3
Habib I~fahani IV 1954 Mehd i Samandari XI 1953
Ursu la Samandari XI 1953
FRISIAN ISLANDS
Elsa Grossmann IX 1953 JUAN FERNANDEZ ISLAND
Geertrui Ankersmit X 1953 Adela I. de Tormo X 1953
Ursu la Yon Brunn X 1953 Salvador Tormo X 1953

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS KARIKAL
Gayle Woolson IV 1954 Salisa Kermani VIII 1953
Haik Kevorkian V 1954 Shirin Noorani VIII 1953

GAMBIA KEEWATIN
Feriborze Roozbehyan II 1954 Dick Stanton IX 1953

GILBERT & ELLICE KEY WEST
ISLANDS Arthur Crane VII 1953
Elena Fernie III 1954 Ethel Crane VII 1953
Roy Fernie III 1954 Howard J. Snider IX 1953

GOA KAZAKHSTAN
Roshan Aftabi VII 1953 Found to be already open
Feroza Yaganegi VII 1953
KIRGIZIA
GRAND MANAN ISLAND Found to be already open
Doris Richardson IX 1953
KODIAK ISLAND
Jack Huffman VI 1953
Rose Perkal VII 1953
Bernard Guluáke II 1954
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC AN NIVERSARIES 109

KURJA-MURJA ISLANDS MAHE
Munir Vakil I 1954 Lionel Peraji X 1953
Khodarahm Mojgani III 1954
LABRADOR Qudratollah Rowhani III 1954
Howard Gilliland IV 1954
Bmce Matthew IV 1954 MALTA
Una Townshend X 1953
LATVIA Olga Mills XI 1953
Found to be already open John Mitchell VII 1954

LEEWARD ISLANDS MARGARJTA ISLAND
Earle Render X 1953 R. Katharine Meyer X 1953
Ben Weeden X 1953
Gladys Weeden X 1953 MARJANA ISLANDS
Charles Dayton II 1954 Robert Powers Jr. V 1953
Mary Dayton II 1954 Cynthia Olson V 1954
David Schreiber II 1954
MARQUESAS ISLANDS
LIECHTENSTEIN Gretta Jankko III 1954
Amir Huschmand
Manutschehri VIII 1953 MARSHALL ISLANDS
Marcia Atwater VIII 1954
LITHUANIA
Opened by traveling teachers MAURITIUS
Ottilie Rhein XI 1953
LOFOTEN ISLANDS
Mildred Clark VIII 1953 MENTAW AI ISLANDS
Loyce Lawrence VIII 1953 Ral~matu 'llah Muhajir II 1954
Iran Muhajir II 1954
LOY AL TY ISLANDS
Daniel Haumont X 1955 ST. PIERRE AND
MIQUELON
MACAO Ola Pawlowska X 1953
Frances Heller X 1953
Carl Scherer XIJ 1953 MOLDAVIA
Loretta Scherer XII 1953 Annemarie Kriiger

MADEIRA MONACO
Ella Duffield IX 1953 Nellie French IX 1953
Elizabeth Hopper IX 1953 Azizullah Navidi II 1954
Sara Kenny IX 1953 Shamsi Navidi II 1954
Adah Schott IX 1953 Olivia Kelsey III 1954
Florence Ullrich III 1954
MAGDALEN ISLANDS
Kathleen Weston IX 1953 MONGOLIA
Kay Zinky IV 1954 Sean Hinton XII 1988
ll0 THE BAHA'I WORLD

MOROCCO PORTUGUESE TIMOR
(INTERNATIONAL ZONE) Florence Fitzner VI 1954
Manoutchehr Hezari IX l 953 Haro ld Fitzner VI 1954
Hormoz Zendeh IX l 953 Jose Marques VII 1954
E lsie Austin X 1953
Mohammed Ali Ja lali X 1953 QUEEN CHARLOTTE
Hossein Rowhani Ardekani ISLANDS
XI 1953 Edythe MacArthur VIII 1953
Nosrat Rowhani Ardekani
XI 1953 REUNION
Ali Akbar Hassanzadeh Opal Jensen X 1953
Rafii-Rafsandjani XI l 953 Le land Jensen III 1954
Shayesteh Rafii-Rafsandjani
XI 1953 RHODES
Abbas Rafii Rafsandjani Elizabeth Bevan I 1954
XI 1953
Mary L. Suhm IV l 954 RIO DE ORO
Richard Suhm IV 1954 Amin Battah X 1953
Evelyn Walters IV l 954
Richard Walters IV 1954 ROMANIA
Fereidun Khazra i XI 1968
NEW HEBRIDES
Bertha Dobbins X l 953 RUANDA-URUNDI
Dunduzu Chisiza VI 1953
NICOBAR ISLANDS Mary Collison VI 1953
Margaret Bates VII l 957 Rex Collison VI 1953
Jeanne Frankel VII 1957
ST. HELENA
NORTHERN TERRITORIES Elizabeth Stamp V 1954
PROTECTORATE
Julius Edwards IX 1953 ST. THOMAS ISLAND
Martin Manga IV 1954 Elise Schreiber II 1954

ORKNEY ISLANDS SAKHALIN
Charl es Dunning X 1953 Abbas Katirai Ill 1990
Rezvanieh Katirai III 1990
PONDICHERRY
Saeed Nahvi VII 1953 SAMOA ISLANDS
Shyam Behari Lal VIII 1953 Li lian Wyss I 1954
Shokat Nahvi XI 1953
SAN MARINO
PORTUGUESE GUINEA Tabandeh Payman IX 1953
Hilda Rodrigues IX 1953 Sohrab Payman IV 1954
Jose Xavier Rodrigues IX 1953
SARDINIA
Mari e Ciocca XI 1953
THE COMMEMORATION OF HISTORIC ANNIVERSARIES 11 1

SEYCHELLES ISLANDS SPANISH MOROCCO
Kami! Abbas XI 1953 (continued)
Abdul Rahman Zarqani I 1954 Luella McKay X 1953
Bahia Zeinol-Abedin X 1953
SHETLAND ISLANDS Fawzi Zeinol-Abedin X 1953
Brigitte Hasselblatt IX 1953
SPANISH SAHARA
SICILY MuJ:iammad Mu~tafa X 1953
Carol Bagley X 1953
Florence Bagley X 1953 SPITS BERGEN
Gerrald Bagley X 1953 Paul Adams VI 1958
Stanley Bagley X 1953
Susan Bagley X 1953 SWAZILAND
Emma Rice X 1953 John Allen IV 1954
Valera Allen IV 1954
SIKKIM Bula Mott Stewart IV 1954
Udai Narain Singh VIII 1953
TADZHIKISTAN
SOCIETY ISLANDS Found to be already open
Gretta Lamprill X 1953
Gladys Parke X 1953 TIBET
Udai Narain Singh IX 1955
SOCOTRA ISLAND
Mirza Aqa Khan Kamali- TONGA ISLANDS
Sarvistani III 1955 Stanley Bolton Jr. I 1954
Dudley Blakely VII 1954
SOLOMON ISLANDS E lsa Blakely VII 1954
Alvin Blum III 1954
Gertrude Blum III 1954 TUAMOTU ARCHIPELAGO
Jean Sevin I 1954
SOUTH WEST AFRICA
Ted Cardell X 1953 UKRAINE
Found to be already open
SOUTHERN RHODESIA
'Izzatu'llah Zahra'i VI 1953 UZBEKISTAN
Claire Gung X 1953 Found to be already open
Eyneddin Alai XII 1953
Tahereh Alai XII 1953 WHITE RUSSIA
Kenneth Christian I 1954 Helmut Winkelbach XII 1978
Roberta Christian I 1954
WINDWARD ISLANDS
SPANISH GUINEA Esther Evans X 1953
Elise Schreiber V 1954 Lillian Middlemast X 1953

SPANISH MOROCCO YUKON
Earleta Fleming X 1953 Joan Anderson IX 1953
John Fleming X 1953 R. Ted Anderson IX 1953
Alyce Janssen X 1953
N

View of the interior of the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, as it looked when thousands of Saha 'is gathered for
the first Saha 'i World Congress, held from 28 April-2 May 1963.
PART THREE

INTERNATIONAL SURVEY
OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES

142-148 OF THE BAHA'i ERA
21 APRIL 1986-20 APRIL 1992

'-"" i

First page of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in the handwriting of 'Abdu 'l-Baha.
This Tablet belonged to Baha 'u '!!ah Himself.
I
THE SIX YEAR INTERNATIONAL
TEACHING PLAN 1986- 1992

1. THE COMPLETION OF THE SIX YEAR INTERN A TI ON AL
TEACHING PLAN

A. THE BAHA'f WORLD CENTRE

a. Publication of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in considered by the review committee and the
English draft was amended as needed. During the
In its Ric:Ivan message of 1986, the Universal same period a companion work, Questions
House of Justice announced that the time and Answers, was also translated from the
had come for the preparation of a copiously Persian for inclusion in the volume; this
annotated English háanslation of the complete work consists of questions put to Baha'u'llah
text of the Most Holy Book. The accom- regarding certain laws of the Aqdas, and His
plislm1ent of this project was specified as a responses.
major goal of the Six Year Plan for the Parallel with this process, researchers
World Cenháe. Its publication was scheduled began collecting pertinent passages from the
during the Holy Year. Baha' i Sacred Writings, the Holy Books of
Shoghi Effendi himself had already háans- the past, the interpretations of Shoghi Effendi
lated just over one-third of the text of the and other materials needed in the prepara-
Aqdas. The basic task, then, was to provide tion of the extensive annotations that were
suitable renderings of the remaining passages to accompany the text. A list of the items
of the Book. This was initially assigned to a requiring notes was first prepared and
conmlittee ofháanslators at the World Cenháe. approved. In composing the notes, the focus
Their work was subsequently reviewed and of concentration was on those points about
revised a number of times until an accept- which the reader would need elucidation.
able version was approved. The standards The notes are not intended to be a compreadopted to guide the translation were accu- hensive commentary on the text, which would
racy of meaning, beauty of language, and be a task beyond the capacity of present
conformity of style with that employed by resources.
Shoghi Effendi. The volume also include_s a preface, an
During the course of the work, a well- inháoduction, Shoghi Effendi ' s description of
advanced draft was shared with a number of the contents of the Book, supplementary
knowledgeable Baha'is around the world who passages, a synopsis and codification of the
were asked for their comments and sugges- laws and ordinances of the Aqdas, a glossary
tions. The points they submitted were then and an extensive index.
116 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Attendees of the Jfuququ 'llah Conference held at the Baha'i World Centre in Janumy I 987
From left to right, fiáont row: Mr. Hugh Chance, Dr. 'Ali-Muhammad Varqa, Mr. Salim
Nounou, Mr. Hadi Rahmani. Middle row: Mr. Jan Semple, Mr. 'Ali NaY!Javani,
Mr. Glenford Mitchell, Mr. Mas 'iid Khamsi, Mr. Hushmand Fath eazam, Dr. Amin Banani,
Mr. Charles Wolcott, Dr. Dmyush Haghighi. Back row: Mr. Parviz Hatami,
Mr. Khudarahm Payman, Dr. David Ruhe, Mr. Borrah Kave/in, and Mr. David Hofman.

b. Education of the Baha'i World in the The first compi lation was supplemented
Law of J.luququ'llah in due course by a study guide comprising
The Universal House of Justice decided to a simple codification of the law, a brief
initiate a program of education about the law history of the development of the institution
of l:J.uququ'llah for Baba ' is throughout the of l:J.uququ 'llah, and the text of an informaworld to explain the details and, above all, tive address given at the International Baha' i
the spiritual significance of this law, and had Convention in 1988 by the Trustee of
a compilation of texts on l:J.uququ 'llah pre- l:J.uququ'llah, the Hand of the Cause of God
pared and sent to all national communities in Dr. 'Ali-Muhammad Varqa. These materials
1985. With these materials in hand, educa- were translated into many languages and
tion of the body of beli evers became a goal were further supplemented by the production
of the Six Year Plan. of many other educational items in different
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACT IVITIES 117
parts of the world. To prepare for the world- Kitab-i-Aqdas, the progress of the buildwide application of the law, the Universal ing projects on Mount Carmel, the conclu-
House of Justice called the first }::Iuququ ' llah sion of the Six Year plan, the inception of
Conference in the Holy Land in 1987, the Holy Year-animates the expectations
attended by the Trnstee, five of his deputies, of the Baha' i world, sets the stage for
representatives of the International Teaching mightier endeavours than have already
Centre and the World Centre ' s Department been attempted, and points us all to the
of Finance. opening of a new phase of history. It
Of the many meetings and conferences seems fitting, then, that the sacred law
subsequently held on }::Iuququ'llah during which enables each one to express his or
the Plan, the gathering called by Dr. Yarqa her personal sense of devotion to God in
in conjunction with the 1988 International a profoundly private act of conscience
Convention and attended by over fifty depu- that promotes the common good, which
ties and representatives, including seven directly connects the individual believer
Continental Counsellors, deserves mention. with the Central Institution of the Faith,
This conference promoted increased cooper- and which, above all , ensures to the obeation among the institutions of the Faith in dient and the sincere the ineffable grace
the implementation of the goal and gave a and abundant blessings of Providence,
renewed impetus to the education of the should, at this favourable juncture, be
believers. embraced by all who profess their belief
One of the steps taken by the Trnstee in in the Supreme Manifestation of God.
preparation for the worldwide application of With humility before our sovereign Lord,
the law was to greatly increase the number we now anno1mce that as ofRi9van 1992,
of deputy háustees on all continents as well the beginning of the Holy Year, the Law
as the number of representatives selected by of I:Iuququ ' llah, the Right of God, will
these deputies to assist them in their work. become universally applicable. All are
N umerous activities for the education of the loving ly called to observe it.
friends were also undertaken by the Conti- In response to this am1ouncement Hand
nental Boards of Counsellors and the of the Cause of God Dr. 'Ali-Mul~ammad
National Spiritual Assemblies. Yarqa called another Internationa l }::Iuququ-
Perhaps the best indicator of the success ' llah Conference to prepare for the universal
of these efforts was the increase in the num- application of the law. This was held at
ber of believers observing this law. During Landegg Academy in Switzerland in August
the Six Year Plan the amount received by 199 1, and was attended by twenty-three
the I:Iuququ 'llah fund greatly increased. One deputy trustees from all over the world.
of the most gratifying aspects of this increase In November 1991, following consultawas the number of payments received from tion with the Trustee, the Universal House
Western believers who, although not then of Justice announced the establishment of
obligated to fulfill the law, paid the I:Iuququ- a central office for I:Iuqi'.1qu' llah in the Holy
'llah eagerly because of their love for Land. One of the fruits of this new develop-
Baha'u' llah and their increased awareness of ment was the publication in January 1992 of
its importance. the first edition of a }::Iuququ'llah newsletter
In 1991 the Universal House of Justice designed to link the greatly increased numannounced in its Ri9van message that the ber of deputy trnstees and representatives
law of }::Iuququ 'llah would become, as of the around the world by exchanging news of
following Ri9van, universally applicab le: their activities and providing them with
Such an exceptional confluence of immi- helpful material for their rapidly expanding
nent achievements- the publication of the functions.
11 8 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

LIST OF COMPILATIONS ANO CODIFICATIONS OF ~IUQUQU'LLAH (BY LANGUAGE) HELO
IN Tl-IE BAHA'I WORLD CENTRE LIBRARY

The Research Department of the Universal Huququ 'llah (June 1986); and, Development
House of Justice prepared: Compilation of of Huqilqu 'llah (March 1987). These have
l:fuqilqu 'llah (July 1985); Codification of been translated into the following languages:

Language Title Publisher Year

Afrikaans Hugt'.1gu'llah, die reg va n God - Abri dged NSA of So uth Africa 1988
Compilati on and Codificati on

Amharic Ye Hugt'.19u'llah hig ater ):'.a le trazi - Abridged NSA of Ethiop ia 199 1
Compilation
Be):'.e ariestu sir l:'.e takafafelul:'.e Hugugu 'llah hig NSA of Ethiopia 199 1
Codification
Ara bic Huqugu'llah - Co mpil at ion Ed itora Baha ' i, Brasil 1986
Hugt'.1gu'llah - Compi latio n NSA of Pakistan 1986?
Chinese "Hu ku gu la" gu-gui BPT of Malaysia 1987
Danish Hugt'.1gu ' llah, Guds rel - Compi lation NSA of Denmark 1989
Dutch Hugugu ' llah, het recht van God - Compilation NSA of the Netherlands 1988
English Hugugu ' Jl ah - Compilation NSA of New Zealand 1985
HuqC1gu ' ll ah, the Ri ght of God - Compil at ion BPT of Un ited Kingdom 1986
Hugt'.1qu ' ll ah - Deve lopment and Codification BPT of Malaysia 1987
and Abridged Compilation
l-lugt'.1gu ' Jl ah - Compi lation NSA of Malaysia 1985
The Law of Hugt'.19u'Jl ah - Codification and NSA ofTranskei 1987
Deve lopm ent and Abridged Com pil ation
l-lu9C1qu'Jl ah - Comp il at ion BPT of Indi a 1986
l-lugC1gu'Jlah, a Stud):'. Guide - Codification and BPT of United Kin gdo m 1989
Development, and The Right of God
(by Dr. Varga)
l-luqC1qu'Jl ah, the Ri1jht o f God - Comp ilation BPT of United Kingdom 1989
Huqugu'llah - Compilation Baha ' i Canada Publications 1989
Finnish Hugugu ' ll ah, Kokoelma - Abridged NSA of Finla nd 1991
Compilation
French Hugt'.1gu ' ll ah ou le droit de Di eu - Compil ation MEB of Belgium 1987
Hugugu ' Jlah , hi storigue et codification MEB of Belgium 1987
German Hu9C1gu'Jlah - Comp il ation NSA ofGennany 1987
Systematische Darstel lung des Hugugu'llah- NSA ofGennany 1987
Gesetzes - Codification
I ban Hugt1qu'Jl ah - Comp il ation State Baha ' i Co un cil of 1992
Sarawak, Ma laysia

Icelandic Login um Huqugu'llah - Abridged Compilation Icela nd 1992
INTE RNA TIO NA L SURVEY O F CURRE NT BA HA' I ACT IVIT IES 119

Language Title Publisher Year
Ita li an Huq(1gu ' ll ah - Co mpilati on Casa Ed itrice Baha' i 1987
Korean Hugugu ' ll ah - Compi lation Seoul 1992
Norwegia n Lovem om Hugugu ' ll ah - Co mpi lation Baha' i Forlag 1990
Persian Hugugu ' llah - Compi lation Dr. Varga, Canada 1984
Spanish El Huqugu'llah ):' los Fondos Baha' is Editorial Baha' i de Espa na 199 1
Swedish Huguqu ' ll ah - Co mpil ati on Baha' i fo rlaget 1988
Tamil Hukukull a - Abridged Comp ilation BPT Committee of Ma laysia 1987
Urd u Hugugu ' llah BPT of Pakistan 1986

A deepening in the law ofHuququ '!!ah at Menu Balui 'i Institute, Western Province of Keny a,
November l 990.
120 THE BAHA'I WORLD

A luncheon held as part of the opening ceremonies of the north wing of
the House of 'Abdu 'llah Pasha, 28 April 1990.

c. Restoration and Protection of Holy On 19 June 1990, the Universal House of
Places Justice sent the following messages to all
The Office of Holy Places mobilized most of National Spiritual Assemblies:
its resources and efforts during the Six Year REJOICE ANNOUNCE COMP LETION RESTORA-
Plan to accomplish two major tasks: the TION NORT H WING OF HOUSE OF 'ABDU ' LLAH
restoration of the north wing of the House of PASHA IN 'AKKA PERMITTING FIRST VISIT
'Abdu'llah Pasha; and completion of the ADDITIONAL AREA THIS HOLY PLACE BY
urgently needed architectural, photographic, CURRENT GROUP PILGRIMS ON SEVENTEENTH
and inventory documentation of the Holy JUNE. WING CONTA INS HALL JN WHICH
Places-sacred and priceless legacies that 'ABDU'L-BA HA HELD FEASTS AND OTHER

must be protected from environmental and GATHERINGS AND ALSO ROOM OCCUPIED
political perils. In addition, several other BY SHOGHI EFFEND I DURJNG BOYHOOD, BOTH
major projects were completed. ROOMS BEFITTINGLY FURNISHED BY AMATU ' L-
The restoration of the north wing of the BAHA RU~liYYIH KHANUM.
House of 'Abdu'llah Pasha began in 1987 During this time, RuJ:iiyyih Khanum also
and took three years to complete. The personally undertook the furnishing of two
project-phase two of an overall plan for the additional rooms in the south section which
building-followed restoration of the south were then opened to pilgrims, namely the
wing, which had been completed in 1983. biruni of 'Abdu'l-Baha and a room that was
The restoration was based on the design used for teaching children.
work of architect Mr. Saeed Samadi, with Several properties encroaching on the
the work supervised and managed by archi- courtyard of the House or bordering the
tect Mr. Fariburz $ahba. walls were also acquired, ensuring the future
INT ERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 121
protection of the perimeter. The vaults and - The ceiling of the colonnade of the
underground sections were surveyed. Shrine of the Bab was plastered and refinished
In addition to the work on the House of and the specially designed brass ornamental
'Abdu'llah Pasha, architectural, as built, light fixtures were affixed, completing the
drawings of most of the Holy Places were design of the Hand of the Cause of God
completed, together with photo-documenta- William Sutherland Maxwell for this part of
tion of the buildings and their contents. the superstructure.
Identification and description of items The superstructure of the Shrine was careaccording to museum standards neared com- fully washed, and the dome was repainted
pletion. The following major tasks were also and protected against rain water seeping into
accomplished during the Plan: the interior. A new scaffolding system for
- The coordinates, both latitude and accessing the interior and exterior of the
longitude on the Israeli Grid, of the resting dome was erected.
place ofBaha'u'llah were finally established - The Room in which Baha'u'llah passed
accurately, enabling the direction of the away in the Mansion of Bahji was com-
Qiblih to be ascertained from any point on pletely restored. Particular care was taken
the earth's surface. to replicate the beautiful pattern of the stencilled artwork both in this room and in the
balcony area.
- Detailed research on the Prison Cell of
Baha'u'llah was undertaken in preparation
for its complete restoration. This was accomplished with the cooperative efforts of the
Israeli Antiquities Authority. The plaster
layer covering the walls was removed to
expose the stones that were there at the time
ofBaha'u'llah.
- The Ri<;[van Garden fountain was carefully excavated after serious cracks developed
in the structure, and it was completely
restored. The Pump House erected by the
Guardian over the older structure that was in
place at the time of 'Abdu'l-Baha and which
had collapsed, was also restored. Extensive
restoration work also took place on the pebbled paths and the exterior of the building
housing the Room ofBaha'u'llah.
Using old photographs and photogrammetric measurement techniques, drawings
were made of the original bench of Baha'u-
'llah and the other benches used by pilgrims.
This was done in preparation for completely
rebuilding the benches.
A property within the Firdaws Garden
that was sometimes used by the Master was
Restoration of the stencilled artwork on the re-acquired.
balcony of the Mansion of Baha 'u 'llah at - The property of the Junein Garden,
Bahji, October 1987. which Baha'u'llah used at one time, was
122 THE BAHA'f WORLD

acquired and restoration begun . It is located - All remains of Baha' is still in the Musin Nahariyyih, close to Mazra'ih. lim cemetery in Tiberias were transferred to
- Tiles on the roof of the International the Baha'i cemetery in En Gev which houses
Archives Building were removed and protec- the remains ofBaha'u'llah's faithful brother
tive layers placed. The roof was completely Mirza Mul:iammad Quli and his family.
re-tiled. - The land for a Baha ' i cemetery in
- The Monuments of the Greatest Holy Jerusalem was acquired, the Qiblih coordi-
Leaf, the Purest Branch, Navvab and Munirih nates established, and the perimeters for the
Khanum were carefully cleaned and restored. cemetery secured and built.
- At the Haifa Cemetery, following the - The property ofKhan-i-'Avamid, which
establishment of the Qiblih coordinates and does not belong to the Faith but which is
the demolition of old structures that were ille- visited by pilgrims during the pilgrimage
gally occupied, work began to align graves program, was surveyed and documented for
and paths, erect new retaining walls, and future purposes.
complete landscaping.

The ceiling of the colonnade of the Shrine ofthe Bab was plastered and refinished, and
the specially designed brass ornamental light fixtures were affixed. 1991.
INT ERNATIO NA L SU RV EY OF CU RR EN T BAHA' I AC TI VITI ES 123
d. Signing of the Status Agreement is the H ead of the Baha' i Faith and its
Supreme Institution in accordance with its
Adapted from a letter from the Universal
Constitution.
House of Justice to the Baha 'is of the world
The Government of Israel recognizes
dated 30 April 1987.
that the holi est places of the Baha' i Faith,
On 22 April 1987, in a ceremony at Israel ' s in accordance with the Baha ' i Sacred
Foreign Ministry, an Agreement comprising Scriptures, are located in Israel , and conan exchange of letters was signed by firms that the Universal House of Justice
Mr. Shimon Peres, Vice-Premier and Forei gn is the Trustee of the Baha' i International
Minister, on behalf of the Government of Community over the Holy Places of the
Israel and Mr. Donald Barrett, Secretary- Baha ' i Faith in Israel and over the Baha ' i
General of the Baha' i International Community, endowments in Israel.
on behalf of the Baha' i World Centre. These friendl y relations trace their foun-
Among the contents of this Agreement are dation to the inspired initiatives of 'Abdu ' lthe following statements of recognition: Baha Himself, particularly during the period
The Government of Israel recognizes following the Revolution of the Young Turks
the members of the Baha' i Faith as a rec- in 1908 when a general amnesty was effected
ognized religious community in Israel in for religious and political prisoners held
accordance with Article 2 of the Palestine under the old regime. The prestige acquired
Order in Council, 1922- 1947, and con- by the Faith through the dynamic force of
firms that the Baha'i World Centre is the the Master' s unique spirit was demonstrated
world spiritual and administrative centre after his release from imprisonment in the
of the Baha ' i world community and that actions He took to establish His residence in
the Universal House of Justice in Haifa Haifa at the foot of Mount Carmel, to inter

A Status Agreement was signed by His Excellency Shimon Peres, Vice-Premier and Minister
of Foreign Affairs (center) , and by Mr. Donald Barrett, Secretary-General of the Baha 'i
International Community (right) , on 22 April 1987. Minister Mosh e Shahal (left) looks on.
124 THE BAHA' i WO RLD

the sacred remains of the Bab in the mauso- action of the Government thus signals the
leum which had been erected by Him on the ripeness of the time to pursue the obligation
spot designated by Baha' u' ll ah Himself, and acutely fe lt by th e entire Baha ' i worl d to
to trave l extensively in the West. Subsequent bring to frnition, as soon as possible, the
to these travels, it was more conspicuously work begun by Shoghi Effendi in the erecillustrated through the excell ent relations He tion of the Archives Building and carried
fo rged with high and low alike, the social forward in the completion fo ur years ago of
impact of His liberal min istrations to the the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
needs of the people in the Holy Land, and The plans to be made and the material
the conferring of a knighthood upon Him by requirements fo r so extraordinary an underthe Bri tish Crown. taking will , of course, be communicated to
This legacy of prestige was evident in the friends in due course.
the recognition accorded Shoghi Effendi
as Head of the Faith by the authori ties of e. The Arc and Terraces on Mount
the Bri tish Mandate. The extent of the Carmel
Guardian's energeti c exertions to achi eve In His soul- stirring Tabl et of Carmel,
recognition of the independent status of the Baha 'u ' ll ah glorified M ount Carmel and
Fa ith, whose permanent spiritual and admin- declared that God had made it " the dawningistrative centres in the Holy Land, is beyond place of His signs and the dayspring of the
the scope of this letter and must, in due time evidences of His Revelation. " He also combe afforded fu ll háeatment in the work of municated to 'Abdu ' l-B aha His majestic
fu ture historians. Let it suffice to reaffim1 vision fo r the holy mountain.
here that what he was able to accomplish ' Abdu ' l-BaM undertook the great work
during the years of the Mandate, in securing of erecting a suitable resting place fo r the
custody of Baha ' i properties in obtain ing Sacred Remains of the Bab . He Himself
official protection of the Holy Pl aces, recog- consháucted the original mausoleum, and
nition of the Baha'i marriage certificate and in 1909 interred in it the Blessed Dust of
of the Baha' i Holy Days, and relief fro m the Bab. Soon after 'Abdu ' l-Baha 's pass ing,
certain taxes, combined to reflect a status for Shoghi Effendi added three additional
the Faith whi ch was accepted by the new rooms, and in 1953 compl eted the spl endid
Government when the State of Israe l was superstructure of th e Holy Shrine, designed
established in 1948. by Mr. Sutherland Maxwell. He also beauti-
Dear Friends, the Status Agreement now fied the holy spot with magnificent gardens,
achieved makes an indelible mark on the and took the first steps to shape the lower
Formative Age of our Fa ith, assuming a spe- nine terraces.
cia l place among the swiftly accum ulatin g With the Tablet of Carmel as his gu ide,
evidences of the divine confomations which the Guardian initiated consháuction of a series
have thus fa r distinguished the opening of buildings upon an arc on Mount Carmel
period of the fo urth epoch of that Age. that would constitute the adminisháative
One practical and spi ritually confirming center of the Baha' i world. Shortly before
effect of the signing of the Status Agreement his death in 1957 he oversaw the completion
is that it brings us within reach of the real- of the Archives building, the first of fi ve
ization of the beloved Guardian 's vision for buildings to rise in the immediate vicinity of
the Arc on God ' s Holy Mountain. For with the sacred resting pl aces of four members of
the Agreement in hand formidable obstacles the Holy Family. After the passing of the
to the execution of the Arc Proj ect have been beloved Guardian, the challenging task of
removed. The conjunction of the completion erecting the remaining four buildings of the
of the architect's design and the favo urable Arc and of compl eting the terraces became
IN TERNAT IO NAL SU RV EY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 125

Members of the Universal House of Jltstice with architects Husayn Amanat and
Farfburz $ahb6 on the construction site, March l 988. From left to right: Dr. Peter Khan,
Mr. Glenford Mitchell, Dr. David Ruhe, Mr. David Hofman , Mr. 'Ali Na!E!Javani, Mr. Hugh
Chance, Mr. Amanat, Mr. Sahba, and Mr. Borrah Kave/in.

the responsibility of the Universal House of extension of the International Archives
Justice. Building. A brief description of each of
In 1983, the Seat of the Universal House these will convey an impression of their
of Justice, designed by Mr. Hossein Amanat, significance for the Fa ith.
was completed at the apex of the Arc. Then The Terraces of the Shrine of the Bab.
in 1986, as the Six Year Plan opened, the In His plans for the development of
House of Justice announced its plan to com- Mount Carmel, 'Abdu ' l-Baha envisaged
mence rearing the remaining buildings on nineteen monumental tenaces from the
the Arc, employing designs by the same foot of the mountain to its crest, nine
architect. It also appointed Mr. Fariburz leading to the tenace on which the Shrine
$ahba, the architect of the Indian House of of the Bab itself stands, and nine above it.
Worship, to design the terraces above and These plans were often refetTed to by
below the Shrine of the Bab, and to function Shoghi Effendi, and he completed in
as Project Manager for constrnction of the preliminary form the nine tenaces constiadditional buildings envisaged in the plan. tuting the approach to the Shrine fro m the
In a letter to the fo llowers of Baba 'u ' llah central avenue of the fom1er German
throughout the world, dated 31 August 1987, Templer Colony.
the Universal House of Justice wrote, in part: The International Teaching Centre
Five closely related proj ects demand will be the seat of that institution which is
our attention: the erection of the three specifically invested with the twin funcremaining buildings on the Arc and, added tions of the protection and propagation of
now to these, the conshuction of the the Cause of God. The institution itself,
terraces of the Shrine of the Bab and the referred to by the beloved Guardian in his
126 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Earthwork on
the terraces
below the
Shrine of the
Bab in
October 1991.

Some historic features
of the terraces, such as
the water cistern and
pool built during the
Ministry of
'Abdu '1-Bahti, have
been retained and
incorporated into the
new terrace design.
Ninety percent of work
on the main terrace had
been completed by
15February1991.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES 127
Excavation of the site
of the Centre for the
Study of the Sacred
Texts, between the
Seat of the Universal
House ofJustice and
the International
Archives Building,
in February 1992.

writings, was established in June 1973, decades its functions must grow, it will
bringing to fruition the work of the Hands serve as an active centre for knowledge in
of the Cause of God residing in the Holy all fie lds, and it will become the kernel of
Land and providing for the extension into great institutions of scientific investigation
the future of functions with which that and discovery.
body has been endowed. In August 1988, the Mount Carmel
The Centre for the Study of the Texts. Projects Office was estab lished in Haifa to
This bui lding will be the seat of an institu- design the terraces of the Shrine of the Bab,
tion of Baha'i scholars, the efflorescence to take charge of the project management
of the present Research Department of and construction administration of all the
the World Centre, which will assist the projects, and to represent the Baha'i World
Un iversal House of Justice in consulting Centre in all matters related to the projects
the Sacred Writings, and will prepare and act as liaison between the Universal
translations of and commentaries on the House of Justice and consultants, contracauthoritative texts of the Faith. tors, and the different departments and offices
The International Archives Building. of the Baha'i World Centre as eventual users
We have decided to construct, westwards, of the buildings and faci lities to be conan extension to the basement of the present structed. From its establishment to Ric;!van
Archives Bui lding to provide accommo- 1992 the office grew to include structural,
dation for the central office of the ever- mechanical , irrigation, and electronic engi -
growing Archives at the World Centre. neers, architects, and experts in the area of
This institution is charged with responsi- management, design and supervision.
bility for the preservation of the Sacred Throughout the Six Year Plan many chal -
Texts and Relics and the historic docu- lenges were met in pursuing the vision of
ments of the Cause of God. Baha'u ' llah, 'Abdu ' l-Baha, and Shoghi
The International Baha'i Library. Effendi. The House of Justice advised the
This Library is the central depository of Baha' i world that it must accumulate a fifty
all literature published on the Faith, and million dollar reserve before any construction
is an essential source of information for could begin, a goal achieved by February
the institutions of the World Centre on all 1991. Other challenges included meeting legal
subjects relating to the Cause of God and procedural requirements of the national
and the conditi ons of mankind. In future and municipal governments and their agencies.
128 THE BAHA 'i WORLD

With the problems came unexpected the Bab, the facing of its wall with stone and
bounties. The City of Haifa announced its reinforcement of its base, and the extension
hopes to renovate the harbor and to begin to of the te1nce gardens eastward over a new
restore the nineteenth-century German Tem- building that will house workshop service
pler Colony which lines Ben Gurion A venue areas for the gardens, thereby making the ternorthward from the foot of the terraces. race symmetrical on both sides of the Shrine.
Plans were made for a promenade at the In June 1991 phase two commenced:
crest of the mountain above the projected excavation for the Centre for the Study of the
nineteenth terrace. Through the efforts of the Texts and for the extension of the Archives
Mount Carmel Projects Office, these exter- building, an unusually massive excavation
nal, independent plans are being integrated for the nine levels of the new buildings, six
to the extent possible with the grand design of which will be below ground. The excess
for the World Centre properties. rock from the construction site was trans-
The official approval of the Town Plan- ported down the mountain to raise and shape
ning Scheme, essential for the initiation of the lower terraces, while a thirty-meter-high
the Projects, was given by the Local Town retaining wall, anchored by deep-seated
Planning Committee and Haifa City Council metal bars, stabi li zed the mountain behind
on 11 October 1989. District Commission the future buildings.
approval to the proposed Scheme was given The Universal House of Justice wrote to
on 23 July 1990. In the course of mnnging the followers of Baha 'u ' llah throughout the
for the Town Planning Scheme and the world on 31 August 1987:
various building permits, much time was The great work of constructing the
devoted to identifying and documenting the terraces, landscaping their surroundings,
properties making up the Baha' i World and erecting the remaining buildings of the
Centre holdings on Mount Carmel. Arc will bring into being a vastly aug-
On 24 May 1990, the Universal House of mented World Centre structure which
Justice sent the following message to all will be capable of meeting the challenges
National Spiritual Assemblies: of corning centuries and of the tremen-
With feeling of profound joy announce dous growth of the Baha' i community
to followers of Baha'u ' llah in every land which the beloved Guardian has told us to
that on morning of twenty-third May, one expect... . Thi s is the time for which we
hundred forty-six years after the Declara- must now prepare ourselves; this is the
tion of the Bab, work on extension ter- hour whose coming it is our task to hasten.
races commenced. This historic occasion
marked by visit His Shrine and Shrine of
'Abdu' l-Baha by Hands of the Cause of
God Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum and
'Ali-Akbar Furutan, the members of the
Universal House of Justice and Counsellor members of the International Teaching
Centre with Fariburz ~ahba, architect of
the Terraces and manager of the Arc
Project to pray for Divine confirmations
enable uninterrupted prosecution this
majestic enterprise.
The first phase of the Terraces Project was
the lengthening and reinforcement of the Model of buildings on the Arc as seen
main terrace on which stands the Shrine of from the northeast.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF C URR ENT BAl-IA' i ACT IVITI ES 129

Th e Hand of th e Cause of God Amatu 'l-Baha Riihiyyih Khanum greets the President oft he
Marshall Islands, Amata Kabua, during his visit to the Baha'i World Centre, 23 June l 990.

Th e Hand of the Ca use of God 'A li-Akbar Fun/tan greets well-known musician and Baha'i
Dizzy Gillespie during Mr. Gillespie's visit to the Baha'i World Centre on 17 July 199 l.
130 THE BAHA'I WORLD

M embers of the
Universal House
of Justice at the
Mansion of Bahji
with the Honourable
Sir Thomas Davis,
Prime Minister of
the Cook Islands
(secondfiáom right,
Font), who vis ited the
Bahiz 'i World Centre
in August 1986.

The Hand of
the Cause of God
'A Ii-Akbar Funltan
accompaning the
Presiden t of Isra el,
Chaim Herzog (centre)
during his visit to the
Baha 'i World Centre
on. 25 May J989.
/

Above: The President of Honduras, His
Excellency Jose Azcona-Hoya, visiting the
Baha'i World Centre on. 30 May J98 7.

Right: The British Ambassador to Jsrael, His
Excellency Mark Elliot, and Mrs .Elliot (centre),
visiting the Baha'i World Centre 28 Jun e J989.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 131
f. Broadening the Basis of International In 1985, the Universal House of Justice
Relations of the Faith addressed all of humanity about the central
As Islamic religious leaders increasingly as- issue facing the human race-global peace.
sumed control of the Revolutionary Republic In a letter "To the Peoples of the World"
of Iran in the years following 1979, the entitled The Promise of World Peace, the
country's government began to lend official Statement cha1is the one course that can lead
support to a systematic, organized campaign humanity into the next century, and offers
to destroy eve1y trace of the Baha'i Faith in countless evidences that global peace is
the land of its birth. "It is absolutely certain within our grasp. "If the Baha' i experience
that in the Islamic Republic of Iran there is can conháibute in whatever measure to reinno place whatsoever for Baha'is and Baha'ism," forcing hope in the unity of the human race,"
the President of the Revolutiona1y Court in the House of Justice stated in the concluding
Shiraz announced. section, "we are happy to offer it as a model
Baha' is of the world tushed to the defence for study."
of their co-religionists. Guided by the Univer- As soon as the Statement had received the
sal House of Justice, the Baha' i International signature of the Universal House of Justice,
Commmlity sought intervention by the United presentation copies were sent by courier
Nations Secretary-General and by United to the waiting National Assemblies through-
Nations specialists in human rights ; National out the world who had already been asked to
Spiritual Assemblies sought swift and clear seek audiences with the Heads of State of
condemnation of the persecution from their their respective nations and territories. This
governments and from other national lead- fo1mal approach to the leaders of the world
ers; and Loca l Spiritual Assemblies sought was the first stage in a program of dishibution
support for the Baha' is of iran tluáough the designed eventually to enlist the pa1iicipation
media and tluáough their local govermnent of every follower ofBaha 'u 'llah and to reach
representatives. millions of human beings with the message
These actions coincided with a new stage of peace.
in the unfoldment of the World Order of The combined effo1is of the Baha'is on
Baha'u' llah- the introduction of social and behalf of their co-religionists in Iran, in supeconomic development projects, an integral port of social and economic development,
part of Baha ' i activity. After decades of and pursuant of world peace resulted in the
energy concenháated on the establishment of emergence of the Faith from obscurity. All
groups at the loca l level across the entire over the world at all levels of society people
planet, some critical mass had been reached became aware of Baha 'u'llah and the
which gave Baha ' is the human and material followers of His Faith. Awareness brought
resources needed to apply the Teachings of curiosity; Baha ' is were asked for more
Baha 'u' ll ah to solve the most practical of information, and they strnve to provide it.
problems. Health, education, appropriate It became clear that coordination was
teclmology, enviro1m1ental studies ... individ- needed to best cha1mel these eff01ts in exterual Baha ' is had always worked to help the nal affairs and public relations. The Universal
conmmnity at large, but all Baha'is were House of Justice created an Office of Public
enjoined to work toward "the ordering of Information in 1985 as a specialized agency
human affairs in such a way as to bring in to of the Baha'i International Conmmnity to
being a world unified in all the essential systematize the handling of inf01rnation on the
aspects of its life. " (L etter from th e Univer- Cause at the international level. The report
sal Hous e of Justice to the Baha 'is of th e of its activities during the Six Year Plan can
World, dated 20 October l 983) be found starting on page 537 of thi s volume.
132 Tl-IE BAl-IA ' i WORLD

The House of Justice also convened a the United Kingdom, and the United States
planning meeting for all senior staff members to send representatives to meet with a memof Baha ' i International Community offices in ber of the Universal House of Justice and
Haifa, New York and Geneva who worked with representatives of the United Nations
in external affairs and public relations. Held Office and the Office of Public Information
in New York City from 31 October to of the Baha ' i International Community.
7 November 1986, the meeting marked "a Presentations were made by National
new, potent stage in the development of the Spiritual Assembly representatives on the
external affairs of the worldwide Baha' i relationships they had established with their
community," the House of Justice wrote to national governments. Next, the possibilities
those gathered. "This stage .. . is characterized and dynamics were explored of the crossby the new, inescapable challenges immedi- national sharing of human resources as a
ately to be met as a direct result of the means of supporting the diplomatic or public
operation of the omushing processes through information work. Reports were presented
which are evolving the reconstructive influ- about the activities of the Baha' i Internaences ofBaha 'u ' llah 's World Order." tional Community's United Nations Offices
Representatives of the National Spiritual in New York and Geneva, the Office of Public
Assemblies of Canada and the United States Inf01mation in Haifa and New York. Then,
were also asked to join in the deliberations consultation was held on communication
to "pave the way for closer collaboration in and coordination concerning external affairs
fields United Nations and public information between the Baha'i World Centre and
activities" and "further reinforce divinely National Spiritual Assemblies.
ordained ties two leading Baha' i communities It was a "ground-breaking event," the
N01ih America." member of the Universal House of Justice
One year later, the Universa l House of stated. "Foundations have been laid upon
Justice called an International Conference on which we can build more 'stately mansions '
External Affairs, held from 27 to 29 November for the Cause of God." A proposal was
1987 at Langenhain, Ge1many. Specifically, put forward for follow-up meetings: a Panthe Supreme Body invited the National European Conference; and a meeting for
Spiritual Assemblies of Austria, Belgium, representatives of five National Assemblies
Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Genuany, (Canada, France, Germany, the United King
the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Nor- dom, and the United States). This recomway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, mendation was sent to the House of Justice.

Participants in
the External Affairs
Conference held in
l angenhain,
Germany, fiwn
27 to 29 November
1987.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' f ACTIVITIES 133
The Universal House of Justice called for WORLD-REDEEM ING MESSAGE VAST REGIONS ...
a Pan-European Meeting in 1988. It was SOV IET UN ION AND EASTERN EUROPE. REJOICE
held from 25 to 28 December at Langenha in, JN MOUNTING PRESTIGE CAUSE GOD WORLD-
Germany, and was attended by thirty-eight WIDE. INVITE ALL FRIENDS JOIN IN OFFERJNG
representatives from nineteen countries. Again PRAYERS THANKSGIVING BAHA ' U'LLAH FOR HIS
reports were given of relevant activities, SUSTA INED ABUNDANT BLESSINGS."
insights were shared from experience gained,
and consul tation was held on proposals made. g. Turmoil in the Middle East Enveloped
One such proposal was that perhaps a Baha' i the Holy Land
International Community office for European On 2 August 1990, the Government of Iraq
Affa irs cou ld be estab lished to contribute to invaded Kuwait. The international reaction
the ongoing growth and unified actions of which quickly followed suggested the probaexternal affairs work and to help mobilize bility of a concerted military effo1i to reverse
the energy of the European commun ities for the invasion. One feature of the mounting
the development of the Cause. crisis was a threat by Iraq that if it were
A meeting of senior officers of Baha'i attacked by any nation it would attack Israel
International Community offices in Haifa, in retaliation. Consequentl y, the Israeli gov-
New York, and Geneva, and representatives ernment began a series of civi l defence
of five National Sp iritual Assemblies (Can- measures, and the Universal House of Justice
ada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, began to review actions that could be taken
and the United States) took p lace at the to protect the Baha'i Holy Places and the
Baha'i World Centre from 30 December to staff of the Baha'i World Centre.
1 January 1989. "FAR-REACHING DELIBERATIONS On 29 August, the Universal House of
CENTRED ON INC REAS ED EXTERNAL ACTIV ITIES Justice appointed an Emergency Prepared-
FAITH", the Universal House of Justice wrote ness Task Force to act as li aison w ith the
to all National Spiritual Assemb li es on Israel Civi l Defence officials and provide
5 January 1989. "MUCH ENCOURAGED EV I- the World Centre with info rmation as
DENCES EVER CLOSER TIES COLLABORATION needed. On 30 September the World Centre
WITH UN ITED NATIONS, ITS AGENCIES A D staff was advised that emergency supplies of
NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS MANY LANDS, food wo ul d be distributed the fo llowing
RESULTING EXPANDED SP HER E INFLUENCE week, and that 20-litre j errycans of water
FA ITH FIELD INTERNAT IONAL INITI ATIV ES. should be fil led, battery-operated radios and
HEARTENED BY REVIEW INDICATING fNCREAS - flas hli ghts checked, and plastic tape for seal -
ING OPPORTUN ITIES SHARE BAHA ' U' LLAH 'S ing w indows should be stored in a readily

Participants in the
External Affairs
Conference held at
the Baha'i World
Centre, Haifa, Israel
30 December 1988
to 1 January 1989.
134 THE BAl-L.\'i WORLD

accessible place. The staff received training has also been cancelled. The House of
in use of the protective kits distributed by Justice hopes it will be possible to conthe Israeli Government, and gas masks and vene such a conference at a later date.
kits were handed out on 5 November. The friends should not allow their con-
In each principal work place at the World cern about the situation in these regions
Cenháe, an emergency team was appointed to deter them from their efforts to proand a "safe room" assigned. The rooms mote the vital interests of the infinitely
were stocked with supplies of food, water, precious Faith of God.
and protective materials, and several air raid On 7 January 1991 , the Universal House
drills were held for emergency preparedness. of Justice wrote to all National Assemblies :
On 8 October 1990, a letter to National We are conscious that the friends
Spiritual Assemblies was written on behalf around the world are concerned by the
of the Universal House of Justice which read: unsettled conditions in the Middle East,
The Universal House of Justice has so we are writing to assure you that we
been following with close attention the have taken all steps that are necessa1y to
development of the situation in the Mid- safeguard the essential requirements of
dle East, and has decided to postpone all the Cause of God.
pilgrimages which have been scheduled In January 1981 we addressed a mesbetween the beginning of the pilgrimage sage to all Continental Boards of Counseason on 29 October and 31 December sellors through the International Teaching
1990. Messages to this effect are being Centre, and a copy of that message was
sent to all those who have been invited shared at that time with all National Spirifor that period. tual Assemblies. It confitmed that if at
The Baha'i World Centre itself will any time communication with the World
continue to function as usual, as it has Centre would be cut off, the Counsellors
during all the previous disturbances which would, both collectively and individually,
have tluáeatened or shaken the Holy Land. assist National Spiritual Assemblies to
Whatever háanspires, we can be confident ensure the unintem1pted continuation of
that it will be but one more step in the the normal administration of t11e Faith by
mysterious unfoldment of God 's Major these Assemblies until conununications
Plan for the unification of the world and could be restored.
the establishment of His Kingdom on We rely now, as then, on the Continenearth. tal Boards of Counsellors and the National
On 3 December 1990, the following letter Spiritual Assemblies to ensure that the
to National Sp iritual Assemblies was sent on all-important work of teaching the Faith
behalf of the Universal House of Justice: and consolidating its institutions will con-
Further to our letter of 8 October 1990, tinue with unabated zeal in every part of
in view of the continued unsettled condi- the world.
tions in the Middle East, the Universal On a number of occasions in the his-
House of Justice has decided that pilgrim- tmy of the Faith the World Centre has
ages to the Holy Land up to the end of been threatened by dangers of various
March 1991 should be cancelled. The kinds, and the knowledge of how the
individual pilgrims scheduled for this Almighty has preserved the vital interests
period are also being informed. of His Faith in the past will reinforce the
For the same reason, the conference certainty of all the believers that whatever
for the Counsellors which was scheduled occurs will but serve to carry forward the
to be held in the Holy Land from 28 realization of His immutable purpose for
December 1990 tluáough 3 January 1991 mankind.
INTERNATIONA L SU RV EY OF C URRENT BA HA' i ACT I V ITI ES 135
We shall remember you all at the of governments had launched a massive
Sacred Threshold and shall pray for the aerial attack against Iraq, and that work was
bounties of Baha' u ' llah to guide and sus- suspended for the day.
tain you in the execution of your vital At about 0315 on 18 January staff
responsibilities in the promotion of His members were awakened by the sounds of
Cause. explosions, air raid sirens going off, and
Meanwhile, World Cenháe staff had been telephone calls fro m neighbors announcing
organized into "Neighborhood Groups," with that Iraq had started its retaliatory raids
"telephone trees" so that information could against Israel. Once again work was susbe distributed systematically during non- pended for the day.
office hours. Additionally, a number of staff The Baha' i World Cenháe stayed on
members had been ttáained in first aid and "emergency footing" for the duration of the
cardiopulmonary resuscitation. War-from 17 January to 28 February 1991 .
On 15 January 1991 , the Universal House Work was suspended for four days , and
of Justice wrote to the friends at the Baha' i hours were shortened for eight days.
World Cenháe: During the "100 hours" of the Gulf War,
We have noted with waim appreciation a total of thirty-nine missiles were reported
the devoted sp irit in which, despite the to have been fired at Israel during 18 sepaincreasingly tense situation in the Middle rate attacks. Of these, six landed in the
East, the friends are going about their Haifa/Akka area causing extensive property
usual business; and we wish to assure you damage but no injuries. There was no damof our continued prayers that the Blessed age to any of the Baha ' i prope1iies.
Beauty will sunound the World Cenháe On 28 February 199 1, the President of the
with His protection now as in the past. United States, George Bush, announced that
Every practical step is being taken to the multinational fo rce was stopping all
attend to the needs of the World Cenháe as offensive action. At noon the Israeli Civi l
circumstances require. Defence authoriti es said the emergency was
The Emergency Preparedness Task over, and that people could pack their gas
Force w ill keep you info1med and advised masks in their original boxes and unseal
as necessary. The Task Force has our full their "safe" rooms. The Baha' i World Cenconfidence, and we urge you to fo llow its tre went off "emergency footing". The Gulf
instructions in case of a real emergency War was over.
arising from the situation in the Gulf.
Our hea1is are now huned to the dear,
steadfast friends in Iraq, Kuwait and adj acent counháies. We invite you to join us in
praying on their behalf at this time when
great danger bangs over them.
At midnight on 15 January 1991 Eastern
Standard Time in the United States (0700 on
16 January in Israel), the United Nations'
deadline fo r Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait
passed. That day the World Cenháe staff
members were adv ised to start carrying their
gas masks with them at all times .
At approximately 0530 on 17 January, the
staff was advised by way of the Ne ighbor- World Centre staff help each other learn
hood Group "telephone ttáees" that a coalition how to use gas masks in case of an attack.
136 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

Baha 'i youth ofAntsirabe, Madagascar, walking to a village five kilom eters away to teach
the Faith on 2 I April I 988.

B. WORLD-WIDE OBJECTI VES

a. Carrying the Healing Message of communities witness the beginnings of that
Baha'u'llah to the Generality of Mankind entry by troops promised by the beloved
The Six Year Plan witnessed a further emer- Master and which Shoghi Effendi said would
gence of the Faith from obscurity as the lead on to mass conversion." In a summary
fo llowers ofBaha 'u ' llah spread His message report of the Plan the National Assembly
in new and creative ways to an increas ingly of Brazil made a comment which could be
diverse audience throughout the world. The echoed by many sister communities : "The
Universal House of Justice, in its message of preoccupation with teaching on a wide scale
Ric;lvan 1992, declared that the proclamation was a tonic in this Six Year Plan, and efforts
of the Faith "attained an entirely new stage" were made to help the diverse regions to tum
during this period. The emollment of at least examples of successful proj ects into founone and a half million new Baha'is was one tains of enthusiasm to stimulate the whole
consequence. country."
Although some form of large-scale en-
L ARGE- SCALE ENROLLMENT rollment occurred on every continent, the
In its Ric;lvan 1987 message the Universal most dramatic numbers of new believers
House of Justice a1mounced that "the stage entered the Faith in Asia. India launched
is set fo r universal, rapid and massive growth approximately 300 teaching projects, more
of the Cause of God." One year later it than doubling the number of Baha ' is from
shared the news that "more and more national fewer than 1 million to more than 2.2 million.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACT IVITIES 137
The Baha'i population in Bangladesh increased volunteered their serv ices, and fifteen local
from 9,000 to nearly 63,000 believers, al- youth spent six months to one year each
most a sevenfold gain; during a single three- serving full-time on the teams.
month period in 1988 alone, some 5,000 In Brazil entry by troops was also purnew souls embraced the Cause and 108 new sued systematically, with the establislunent
Local Spiritual Assemblies were formed. By of a national Department for Teaching on a
the end of the Plan the populations of nearly Wide Scale. Special materials were prepared
one hundred villages in Bangladesh were and seminars regularly held, leading to such
won over to the Faith. Two major projects successes as 1,500 emollments in Pauda Lima
in Taiwan resulted in a sevenfold increase and nine hundred in the southern conmmnity
in the community from fewer than 2,000 to of Alvarado, where many of the new believmore than 14,000 believers; during the early ers had been made aware of the Faith
months of its Muhajir Project the National through a Baha' i school in the town.
Assembly of Taiwan reported an average A year of teaching in Ecuador dedicated
of ten to fifteen individuals enrolling per to the Hand of the Cause Dr. Rahmatu ' llah
day. National communities doubled in Hong Muhajir brought some 2,300 people into the
Kong, trebled in Pakistan, and, with at least Faith during its first eight months by targettwelve full-time mass teachers in the field ing five goal areas and offering four weekeach year, the Philippines witnessed an in- long teacher-training institutes. The work of
crease of some 37,000 believers. full-time teams from within Ecuador was
India's Muhajir Project, which alone was supplemented by visiting teachers from seven
responsible for bringing more than 14,000 countries, and forty-si x new Baha ' is joined
souls into the Cause, demonstrated how the more experienced teachers to make the
systematic efforts could bring about large- campaign a success.
sca le enrollment. Spanning a little over one Short-term mass teaching projects also
year, the project consisted of three "move- achieved impressive results. A month-long
ments": an initial teaching conference and project in Venezuela, spearheaded by an
call for volunteers followed immediately by international travelling teacher, welcomed
a week-long teaching campaign; the creation 400 believers into the Cause and formed
of a local task force to organize permanent twenty-six new Local Assemblies; another
teaching and community activities; and ap- series of projects in that country, dedicated
pointment of assistants to Auxiliary Board to the Baha ' is of Iran and called We Cannot
members to help the task force create strong Fail Them, resulted in more than 1,000 en-
Local Spiritual Assemblies. rollments. A total of 548 Bolivians joined
The powerful effects of applying orga- the Faith in one week when ten teams of
nized and concentrated teaching efforts to Baha'is, inspired by a two-day conference
a particularly receptive area were also in Sucre on the theme of entry by troops,
witnessed on the other side of the world set out for ten different places to proclaim
in Guyana, where a tluáee-year pilot project Baha' u' llah's message. In tota l nearly 2,000
launched in 1989 was instrnmental in new souls embraced the Faith in the most
achieving the Plan 's final success of almost receptive areas.
36,000 new believers. The Resident Teacher Although ongoing campaigns spanning
Project began with thi11een overseas believ- several years and invo lving numerous teachers and sixteen local believers teaching full- ers contributed significantly to large-scale
time; within six months, 12,000 people had enrollment, focus and dedication were more
declared their faith in Baha'u ' llah. During important characteristics of teaching teams
this pilot project, forty-two local teachers than size . When a team of twelve teachers
and eighteen international participants from five different counháies spent nine
138 THE BAHA'l WORLD

weeks among the Garifuna people of Belize, REACHING P EO PLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS
more than 1,000 embraced the Faith. One When two pioneers settled in Sakhalin in
of the most dramatic teaching victories oc- 1990, the last remaining territorial goal
ctmed in Pem where 1,764 people became named by Shoghi Effendi in his Ten Year
Baha'is during five days of teaching follow- Global Plan was fulfilled. After the miracuing a two-day mass teaching workshop in lous opening to the Faith of the Soviet Union
the Lake Titicaca region; at one high school and Eastern Europe and the successfu l
in the area, the principal, all teachers and prosecution of the subsidiary Two Year
students emailed. Teaching Plan in those areas, the Universal
In Trinidad and Tobago teaching projects House of Justice was able to state in its
with a few full-time, self-supporting teach- Ri~van 1992 message that "the Faith of
ers and one homefront pioneer who arose for Baha'u'llah is represented in every country
about nine months increased the number of on earth."
Baha'is by more than 5,000. In 1988, the Baha'i conmmnity's success
Although Asia and Latin America proved in the wide diffusion of Baha'u'llah's mesthe most receptive to enháy by háoops, sage and settlement of its adherents was
focused teaching efforts achieved a fair mea- publicly recognized when the Encyclopaedia
sure of success on all continents. In Kenya a Britannica, in its Britannica Book of the
variety of short-term projects led to the en- Year, tem1ed the Faith the second most
rollment of 17,950 people, and in Nigeria widely spread religion after Christianity.
802 members of the Yoruba háibe were The numerica l enrollment victories of the
brought into the Cause by six youth who Six Year Plan were possibly exceeded by
spent one week visiting five vi llages. In the achievements in increas ing both the diversity
Mariana Is lands a full-time teaching team of the populations with whom the message
serving on Saipan for three months in 1990 was shared and, more impmiantly, the diverenro lled more than 1,000 believers. In Fiji sity of the Baha'i conummity itself. Ongoing
the Olinga Project, carried out between efforts to spread the Faith to all comers of
August 1989 and July 1991, brought into the the globe were expanded by campaigns to
Cause some 1,5 00 individuals, with almost share its teachings with a greater number of
equal propotiions from each of the islands' etlmic groups and to reach individuals from
major ethnic groups. all social sháata.
Even in Europe, where growth in numbers Within national borders the dissemination
remained relatively slow until the former of Baha'u ' Jlah ' s teachings to all areas
Eastern Bloc dramatically opened to the Faith, continued. Thus in South America Baha'is
the effects of pointed and consistent efforts established themselves in all the states of
were fully demonsháated. "The whole Italian Brazil; in Chile they created a "virtual chain
Baha'i community has been galvan ized by a of communities reaching from the far nmih
new spiritual atmosphere," reported that and extending to the far south" ; and in
cow1try's National Assembly after between Paraguay Local Assemblies were elected in
sixty and seventy people began attending almost every pati of the counh-y. Japan 's
each fireside in the goal town of Portici. One goal of having Baha'is in all the country ' s
of the main features of this project was the prefectures was accomplished during the
inunediate involvement of the newly enrolled Plan. In Taiwan 145 new localities, including
Baha' is in the consultative process and their three previously lU1opened islands, claimed
ass umption of responsibility for specific new adherents. In the Philippines 1,800 new
activities. Within a year approximately 100 localities were opened. Nations as diverse as
people had embraced the Faith and enro ll- No1way and Malawi were similar in their
ments continued at a fairly steady pace. fulfillment of geographic distribution goals:
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES 139

Norway reached its aim of opening all coun- music dming gatherings. A substantial
ties to the Faith, in the process bringing increase in declarations of faith among
the message to seven different islands, while Carolinians and Chuukese on Saipan in the
Malawi achieved its objective of 1,500 Mariana Islands occurred when, at the
localities. Baha'i Center, Chuukese believers shared
In addition numerous minority groups Baha'i songs, along with island da nce and
were reached for the first time, from the food , with their relatives.
Dhimal and Sherpa of Nepal to the Gypsies The Guaymi Cultural Center in Panama,
of Thailand and the Travelling People of inaugurated in 1987, provides an outstanding
Ireland. In the Philippines thirty-eight new exa mple of the Baha ' i community's efforts
háibal areas were opened to the Faith. Mali to help an indigenous people preserve its culreported that all ethnic groups in the counháy tural heritage and simultaneously strengthen
could count at least one Baha ' i. In Taiwan the Faith. The Center became the focus of a
tluáee entirely tribal Local Assemblies were Guaymi tutorial school network and cultural,
formed. health and agricultural activities, all support-
Just as geographic representation was ed by the broadcasts of Radio Baha'i Panama.
often widened by foc used teaching in partic- Effo1is were made in many countries to
ular areas, so was greater ethnic diversity reach people from all social strata with an
attained by concenháated efforts. In Spain emphasis on people of capacity . Courtesy
an international conference to analyze the calls on government officials were made, inprocess of teaching and deepening Gypsies, terfaith prayer gatherings sponsored and
followed by three national consultative attended, and receptions held to inháoduce
meetings and a compilation on the subject Baha'i professionals to their colleagues.
issued by the National Assembly, resulted in Many government and religious leaders,
a considerable increase in Gypsy enrollments. professionals and academics who were made
In Ausháalia formation of the Aboriginal and aware of the Faith's central teachings re-
Islander Working Group in 1988 was fol- sponded favorably.
lowed by a surge in conversions among those In several countries consistent effo1is to
populations. Ausháia experienced group dec- inform government officials about the Faith
larations among Turkish workers when it were rewarded when they began attending
"concentrated on making their participation and even addressing Ba ha ' I-sponsored events.
in our community life possible" tluáough lan- Cabinet ministers and chiefs in Botswana
guage courses, specia l unity feasts and folk often attended Baha'i events, and the

In India, a bicycle
for two was made
to facilitate travel
teaching in Uttar
Pradesh. 1991.
Since women cannot
travel alone in this
area, th e cycle made
it possible for two
women or husband
and wife teams to
participate in the
teaching work.
140 THE BAHA' I WORLD

counháy's Minister of External Affairs ad- of prominence, during the Plan it was cardressed a reception held in honour of the ried to peoples everywhere from all walks of
African Board of Counse llors. Five minis- life. Such were the accomplishments in
ters in Bangladesh attended functions at the bringing Baha'u'llah's healing message to
National Center, and in Hong Kong the people of all national, ethnic, economic and
Director of Environmental Protection and educational backgrounds that the Universal
the Consuls-G eneral of Israel, Panama and House of Justice affamed at Ridvan 1990
Chile participated in a celebration of the that: "a significant milestone in the fourth
Birthday ofBaha ' u' llah. epoch" had been reached, and "the Adminis-
Two of the most significant signs of trative Order now embraces a community of
growing govenm1ent awareness of the Faith wider diversity than ever before."
occurred at the end of the Plan. Brazil 's
Federal Chamber of Deputies announced
its intention to conu11emorate the Centenary CH INESE TEACHING
of the Ascension of Ba ha' u' llah with a spe- The House of Justice has repeated ly emphacial solenm session; and the Prime Minister sized the importance of teaching the Chinese
of Guyana, the Honorable Hamilton Green, people around the world. The establishment
addressed the United States' National Con- in March 1989 of the Baha'i International
vention at Ridvan 1992. Community 's Office of Public Infotmation in
One activity which conháibuted very sig- Hong Kong, and the launching of the Chinificantly to the Faith's emergence from nese edition of One Country in mid-1990,
obscurity was the continuing disháibution of were two major steps taken to atháact the
The Promise of World Peace. By Ri~van interest of the world's Chinese population.
1987 the statement had been presented to Additionally, the appoinh11ent of the Baha'i
heads of state, a large number of the mem- Conmuttee for China by the House of Justice
bers of national governments, diplomats, in June 1989 signalled the importance of
teachers, háade unionists, leaders of religion, careful planning and coordination of various
eminent members of the judiciary, the efforts in this area.
police, legal, medical and other professions, Between 1988 and 1990, the Hand of
members of local governments, clubs and the Cause of God Amatu ' l-Baha Rul:iiyyih
associations, and thousands of individuals . Khanum, accompanied by Mrs. Violette
While initial presentations had concentrated Na1!!javani, visited mainland China four
on national govenm1ent leaders and people times. She met with numerous prominent

Jn the Solomon
Islands, Auxiliary
Board members have
overcome the problem of transport
between the many
islands by using a
motorized canoe to
serve as a Maritime
Baha'i Teaching
Institute. J99 I.
INTERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAH A' I ACTIVITIES 141

people, particularly in Beijing and Dalian, The Green Light Expedition videotape
showed slides of her trip to the Amazon was broadcast in five segments i11 Guangzhou
entitled the Green Light Expedition to vari- in November 1989, reaching approximately
ous distinguished guests, and addressed five million peopl e. The same month a camstudents and staff at Nanka i University in era crew from China National Te levision
Tianjin, where both Martha Root and Agnes in Beijing visited Bahapur, India, to include
Alexander had also spoken during their the House of Worship in a documentary film
visits to China. Her four visits included a about India.
one-month trip, in the summer of 1988, to The videotape Jewel in the lotus about
Guangzhou (Canton), Urumqi, Beijing, the Temple in India was aired in Tianjin
Shanghai, Suzhou and Guilin, as well as a in two segments in January 1992, reaching
one-week trip to Tibet in 1990. more than 3.5 million viewers each time.
In the fa ll of 1989 she made a five-week The nanation was dubbed in Mandarin, and
trip to Taiwan, travelling over 2,000 kilome- Baha' is in the area reported encmmtering
ters and visiting some mass-teaching areas , people who were deeply moved by the film.
as well as major cities. During this visit A series of ten-minute radio programs
she presented a special copy of the Peace produced by the Baha' i Office of the Envi-
Statement in Chinese to the Minister for ronment of Taiwan, an agency of the National
Foreign Affairs of Taiwan, was received by Spiritual Assembly of Taiwan, reached
the Minister of the Interior and the Secreta1y- approximately three million primary school
Genera l of the National House of Represen- students. These weekly programs, which
tatives, and had interviews with severa l contained Baha'i spiritual principles and
maJOr newspapers. which mentioned the name of the Faith,
While in the Far East A mah1 ' l-Baha also were broadcast to primary schools tluáoughattended a large forma l banquet organized out Taiwan for a ten-week period begi1ming
by the Spirih1al Assembly of Hong Kong in in March 1992. The M inistry of Education
honor of the passage, by the Legislative sponsored and partially funded these educa-
Council , of " the Baha'i Ordinance" Act, and tion programs.
visited U laan-Baatar in Mongolia for one The Chief of the Beinan Tribe in Taiwan,
week, in 1989. Chen Wen-Sheng, adopted the Faith in
The Hand of the Cause of God H . Co llis August 1990. He was the first tribal chief of
Featherstone and Mrs. Madge Featherstone Taiwan (and greater China) to become a
travelled to China for the first time in Baha'i. His son, Chen Chien-Hong, the next
September 1988. They visited Guangzhou, hereditary chief, also emailed at the same
Lanzhou and Beijing before departing at time. The Beinan Tribe (also known as the
the begi1ming of October. During a tour of Puyuma Tribe) is the fifth most populous of
Zhongshan University (Sun Yat-sen Univer- the nine major aboriginal tribes in Taiwan.
sity) in Guangzhou, Mr. Featherstone was Taiwan ' s Ministry of the Interior reported
invited unexpectedly to speak to the sh1dents the total popul ation of the Beinan to be over
of the Department of Philosophy about the 8,5 00 at the end of 1988.
Faith. Two days later he presented a lecture Efforts were made to share ideas about
on "The Baha'i Fa ith: Its History, Teachings Chinese teaching among national conmmniand World-wide Development. " The sub- ties . The International Chinese Teaching
jects covered included the oneness of Conunittee sponsored six highly successful
mankind, the oneness of the Prophets, the international teaching conferences around
relation of Baha' u ' llah to the Founders of the globe between 1988 and 199 1. In order
the previous religions and the importance of to exchange ideas and strengthen their teacheliminating prejudices. ing program, members of the Taiwanese
142 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Members of a teaching team enrolling a new believer in Macau in May 1989.

conmmnity visited twenty-o ne countries MASS MEDIA
which had established Chinese Teachi ng When the Six Year Plan began, the press
Conm1ittees . was aware of the Baha'i Fa ith largely
In some countries assoc iation with Chinese because of the persecutions in Iran. Wide
co11ill1tmity organizations fac ilitated Chinese distribution of the peace statement provided
teac hing, as in Hawaii, where interaction opportunities to broaden that image . Increaswith the Worldwide Farmers' Association ingly, members of the media sought out
opened the door to sponsorship of a China Baha 'is fo r stories on their peace-related
Peace and Friendship Tour in 1992. More activities, and even the press which had been
than one hundred Chinese community lead- resistant to the Faith in some areas became
ers in Hawa ii were presented with the Peace more receptive. The shift in press interest
Statement. from the persecuti ons in Iran to the teach-
The quantity of Baha'i li terature in ings of Baha'u ' llah was exemplified in the
Chinese languages was greatly increased United States, where the number of significant
during the Plan. The Baha ' i committee for articles about the Baha ' i Cause increased
China and the International Chinese Teach- from approximately 2,000 to 3,800 per year.
ing Conu11ittee jointly worked on trans lating This greater publicity provided the .necesse lections from Gleanings jimn the Writings sary incentive for Baha' is to develop more
of Baha 'u '/Lah under the auspices of the sophistication in dea ling with the media, and
Baha ' i World Centre. Other translations were encouraged them to produce more acceptmade of selected compilations produced at able material for use in radio, television and
the World Centre. A group of Baha ' is in newspapers.
China translated a compilation of various Radio was widely used for proclamation,
Writings and prayers which was subsequent- and Baha' i radio operations became increasly published by the Spiritual Assembly of ingly involved in teaching effmis . In addition
Maca u. to the progranuning on newly launched
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 143
Baha'i-owned radio stations in Chile and world market. Large-scale distribution of
Liberia, and the continuing broadcasts of videotapes and audio-tapes has been steadily
Baha'i stations in the United States, Ecuador, expanded by IBA VC from its bases in the
Panama, Pem, and Bolivia, Baha'i programs United States and Venezuela, and the new
were aired on non-Baha ' i stations in very Music Clearinghouse began a libraiy of music
many countries, including such places as tapes by Baha ' i composers and perfom1ers
Guyana, Belize, Grenada, Hawaii, Puerto developed for radio, Nineteen Day Feasts
Rico, Malaysia, Thailand, Spain, Chad and and other uses.
Lesotho. In Rwanda, broadcast of a weekly A number of regular television programs
ten-minute radio program began in 1989 and about the Faith were also aired. The
quickly attracted a large audience. The fol- Canadian-produced Bahci 'i Perspective was
lowing year, when civil disturbances made broadcast a total of sixty-six hours ; Baha' is
travelling extremely difficult, the program in El Salvador produced fifty-four episodes
became one of the few means still available of a weekly program; a thirty-minute program
for teaching. The listeners were invited to was shown twice monthly in Dominica;
send questions, and the subsequent corre- twelve shows on the Faith were screened in
spondence led to an average of ten Kenya; and Alaska produced four awarddeclarations per day. wim1ing, sixty-second public service an-
In El Salvador public service a1mounce- nouncements called Peace Talks.
ments about peace were broadcast twenty Numerous single-episode programs were
times per day for one month, and in the produced, such as half-hour shows screened
Republic of Ireland feahire subjects on the tluáoughout the United Kingdom and Portu-
Faith were transmitted on all but one of the gal, a panel discussion on peace with
newly legalized local stations. Radio stations representatives of various religions in
throughout the length of Chile aired selec- Lesotho, and the broadcast of a Baha'i chiltions from The Hidden Words on an hourly dren ' s program on Transkei television. In
basis for over a month as a public service many countries television news coverage of
project; and Baha'i stations repeatedly pre- Baha'i events included interviews with local
sented the Writings. Baha ' is, trave lling teachers and Counsellors.
The International Baha ' i Audio-Visual Further significant programs included: the
Centre (IBA VC), through its offices and broadcast of the International Convention
representatives in several lands, continued video in Bolivia, Saint Lucia, South Africa,
to support Baha' i spot use of radio and tele- Sri Lanka and Thailand; references made to
vision by providing materials and advice. the Faith on C-SPAN and CNN in the
Over fifty workshops and training seminars United States; and a seven-minute story on
in the production and use of audio-visual the Faith which aired nationwide in prime
media were conducted by IBA VC in thirty- time in Australia.
seven countries and in all continents of the Proclamation in newspapers increasingly
g lobe. Ten different monographs were pro- included regular publication of selected
duced during the Plan, ranging from relating Writings, press releases about Baha'i events,
spirihiality to media subjects to highly and feature a1iicles prepared about the Faith
specific 'how-to ' papers, such as how to pre- and its followers.
pare radio spot announcements. IBA VC By the end of the Plan most National
distTibuted radio scripts and tapes in various Assemblies had a public relations office or
languages to countries throughout the world, committee to prepare and review informaand adapted many films and videotapes, tion about the Faith. In most cases, the
including the Green light Expedition , to officer chiefly concerned with the work also
the various television standards used in the served as the national representative for the
144 THE BAHA'I WORLD

global network created by the Baha' i the end oft11e Plan, Hawaii called its external
International Community's Office of Public affairs program an indispensable part of its
Info1mation, receiving news from this source. teaching work.
Many Local Assemblies also appointed
individuals or cmmnittees to monitor the THE ROLE OF THE ARTS
public relations activities of the conm1unity.
That day will the Cause spread like wildfire
The Office of Public Infmmation created a
when its spirit and teachings are presented
manual to guide the work of these agencies,
on the stage or in art and literature as a
distributing it tluáough its worldwide netwhole. Art can better awaken such noble
work. Some national conm1w1ities also held
sentiments... especially among the mass of
training sessions, such as Brazil ' s "Latin
the people.
American Baha ' i Seminar on Public Rela-
(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi
tions and External Affairs" in early 1992,
Effendi dated 10 October 1932, Baha 'i News,
and Canada's public affairs training confer-
73 [May 1933] p. 7.)
ences held across the country. Training was
also held locally in Bangladesh, Ecuador, The truth of these words was increasingly
Mauritius, Norway, Thailand, Taiwan, demonstrated as a growing number of music,
Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe. drama and dance performances proclaimed
The majority of training in public rela- both the content and spirit of the Baha'i
tions occurred through practical experience, teachings to ever-wider audiences. Most of
as the media increased their attention to the performing arts groups were composed
Baha'i activities during the Plan. One prom- of youth.
inent example of iliis was in Hawaii where El Viento Canta (The Wind Sings), a
specific issues such as the status of women group which formed while its members
and the state of the environment were identi- were serving at the Baha ' i World Centre,
fied from the Peace Statement, and an shared Latin American fo lk music as well as
external affairs officer was made responsible the principles of the Faith with audiences
for developing a portfolio on each issue. At throughout Europe, Africa, the fo1mer Soviet

El Viento Canta pe1forming in Botswana in December J989 during the Bahiz 'i International
Music Festival held in Gaborone.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' i ACT IVITIES 145

Union, Mongolia and China. The group Theatre Festival in Canada . Peace Child, a
played to substantial audiences (for example, musical drama produced by a committee of
3,000 attended one concert in Spain) and the National Assembly of the Hawaiian
received extensive radio and television cov- Islands, was performed at the Kennedy Cenerage which often included long interviews ter in Washington, D.C., and a documentary
and led to many enrollments. was made of it by a major television net-
Another Latin American youth group, work. In Australia an Aboriginal theater
Planeta Paz (Planet Peace), began perfonning group called The Storytellers was fo1med.
in Brazil in August 1991 and spearheaded a The power of dance to transcend language
national proclamation effort in Argentina in barriers and connect hea1is was demonsháat-
December. Each show combined music with ed by the enthusiastic responses of audiences
Baha ' i themes, folk music and slide shows , to various performing groups. For example,
opening with a tribute to Baha'u'llah and dance groups called Youth Workshops
ending with invitations to embrace the Cause. formed throughout the United States and at
The National Assembly of Brazil attributes Canada's Maxwell School; Youthquake toured
at least three hundred declarations of faith to in the United Kingdom; and a well-known
their concerts in that country. Lakota Sioux Indian believer perfo1med a
Other musical groups formed by youth háaditional hoop dance in numerous commuincluded Let It Be This Generation which nities in Canada, the United States, Europe
completed a 150-concert tour of Canada; and elsewhere.
Light in the Darkness, a European group Baha'is also used other fine arts to spread
which attracted eighty new believers during the message. In Denmark an exhibit of
one concert in Romania; and the Carmel artwork based on Baha'i quotations and ac-
Minstrels , six young Guyanese musicians companied by Baha'i books was displayed
who shared the Baha'i message throughout three times. Excerpts from the Peace Statethe Caribbean in 1987. Travelling to other ment formed the basis of an art exhibit in
continents to perfom1 was not unusual: Belize. The organizers of a peace festival in
Malawi's Kwayera Mbee was invited to tour Japan invited the Balla ' is to conháibute a
Europe; the Thailand performances of a display that blended photographs, háaditional
group from New Zealand and Australia floral arrangements, artwork on peace themes
ca lled Wildfire led to hundreds of enroll- by local children , and Baha'i books.
ments ; and New Zealand's Youth for One Consultation on the use of arts in teaching
World taught the Faith in Hong Kong. was facilitated by the founding, in August
Music played a pa1iicularly impmiant role 1986, of the International Baha ' i Associain Africa, where numerous local choirs were tion for Arts, by several forums held at
formed and Baha' i songs composed. The Landegg Academy in Switzerland, and by
International Music Festival in Botswana the development of the Baha ' i Youth Instiwas described by the nation's Assembly as tute in Costa Rica as a center for háaining
"one of the most significant achievements" youth to use arts in service to mankind. Conof its Plan, and Kenya 's Assembly reported sultation was followed by teaching projects
that "many of our Baha'i communities have having an explicitly artistic emphasis. The
been kept alive because of music and thou- European Baha ' i Youth Council organized
sands have become Baha'is because ofit." a project called Peace Through A1iistic
The history and principles of the Faith Expression in Yugos lavia in 1990 during
were also widely shared through drama. The which hundreds attended special open-air
Sacred Writings were combined with music concerts. In Belize a 1988 project which
and dance to tell the story of the Bab when centered around the arts was reported to
Badasht was performed at the International result in at least seventy-nine enrollments.
146 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In 1991 the Music, Arts and Drama "many Baha'is have concrete personal goals."
Committee of Czechoslovakia organized a In Brazil a Campaign oflndividual Teaching
one-week Art Forum in collaboration with from Heart to Heart had 500 regular particithe Baha'i Association For Arts chapter in pants over a two-year period. Zimbabwe
Bratislava; Baha'i artists and musicians from reported that a corps of travelling teachers,
more than fifteen countries, including repub- averaging between six and ten individuals,
lics of the former Soviet Union, shared ideas was in the field at any given time. The
for proclaiming the Name of Baha'u'llah, National Assembly of Switzerland estimated
and public performances were held daily. In that some 2,000 teaching activities were
1988 approximately 1,000 people participat- ca1Tied out by 230 believers. India reported
ed in Canada's first Festival of the Human that the number of friends taking part in
Spirit, a four-day series of workshops, ex- teaching activities increased tenfold.
hibits and performances on using the arts in Teacher training took a variety of forms,
teaching. from orientation sessions for travelling teachers and pioneers to seminars and institutes
E XPANDI NG THE TEA CHIN G FORCE open to all believers. Several pennanent in-
Efforts to encourage and support individual stitutes provided ongoing training, such as the
teaching, provide teacher training and estab- '!!mi Teaching Institute in Lahore, Pakistan,
lish permanent teaching teams all helped which in l 991 began to offer ten days of
stimulate an increase in the number of dedi- classes per month, and the Jamaliyyih Institute
cated souls actively spreading Baha' u' llah's in EI Salvador which trained approximately
Message. The Universal House of Justice I 00 teachers. Annual national and regional
reiterated the crucial importance of personal teaching conferences were held on all
teaching in its Ric;!van l 988 message, saying: continents.
"Every individual believer- man, woman, One paiiicular innovation which expanded
youth and child- is summoned to this field the teaching force was the Universal House
of action; for it is on the initiative, the reso- of Justice's call for sho1i-term pioneers. In
lute will of the individual to teach and to September 1989 National Assemblies were
serve, that the success of the entire commu- assigned a number of short-term pioneering
nity depends." goals measured by months of service. Be-
National Assemblies encouraged individ- cause the believers filling these goals did not
ual initiative in a variety of ways. A series of intend to stay permanently (some stayed
Vision to Victory conferences in the United only three months) they were freed from the
States ended with participants submitting need to find employment, and thus more of
personal pledges of teaching service. The the friends were able to participate.
National Assembly of the Eastern Caroline The teaching work was also carried out
Islands sent a booklet called A Personal by permanent teams in a number of coun-
Teaching Campaign to all Local Assemblies tries. For example, the permanent teams of
to be shared with their communities. Numer- Guyana's Resident Teacher Project inspired
ous National Assemblies sent circular letters similar teams in Belize, Brazil, EI Salvador
to Local Assemblies and held local seminars and Honduras; and full-time teams were
on the topic . formed in four states of the United States
While evidence of increased individual near the end of the Plan. Also in the United
personal teaching is not easily monitored, States, approximately 1,000 teaching institutes
National Assemblies on all continents made were formed, with members committing
observations such as "a greater commitment themselves to teach a particular segment of
to individual teaching"; "more involvement the population over a period of at least five
and efforts in the field of teaching"; and years. Teaching institutes were also tried in
INTERN AT IONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 147

five pilot areas of Turkey and then spread all from Costa Rica joined the teaching proover the country. grams in Honduras.
A highlight of the teaching work was
the growing involvement and initiative of INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
indigenous peoples. Fo llowing a seminar in With strong encouragement from the Uni-
Bolivia in July 1989 on the development of versal House of Justice, many steps were
the Faith among the Indian peoples of Latin taken to win the goals of international col-
America, a one-week teaching project was laboration in the teaching field . Conferences
held during which some 500 people emolled. on border teaching were held in Europe and
The seminar had been attended by seventy Centra l America, and successful exchanges
Balla ' is representing nine distinct indige- of teachers took place when the Thai-Camnous groups from eight countries. In 1986 a bodian border opened for trade in 1991.
gathering of all the sacred societies of the Major internationa l collaboration among in-
Peigan Reserve in Albe1ia, Canada, was stitutions was achieved when the Promise of
called by Elder Joe Crowshoe, a Balla' i, to World Peace Tour was organized: sixty-two
exp lain the teachings and plan for further Balla'is from eight nations travelled to the
intersocietal gatherings . Soviet Union in 1989 to disseminate the
Indigenous believers increasingly volun- Peace Statement.
teered travel teaching services. Four Garifuna Probably the most dramatic examples of
teachers from Belize and Honduras formed a international collaboration occuned when
team called Trail of Light and shared the the countries bordering Eastern Europe were
Faith with the Carib descendants of their given responsibility for quickly organizing
ancestors in Dominica. Mayan believers teaching plans and sending teachers when
played a significant role in a 1989 project in the Eastern Bloc opened to the Faith. Myriad
Mexico which led to the enrollment of 220 other international teaching projects were
people in the first week. Teams of Bri Bri canied out collaboratively during the Plan.

!rish Baha'i youth walked ji-om Cork to Limerick, a distance of 64 miles, on behalfof World
Peace in October 1987.
148 THE BAHA'i WORLD

YOUTI-I with a focus on reaching refugees from
The Six Year Plan witnessed a widespread Mozambique. In the Netherlands the Youth
acceptance by Baha'i youth in many parts Committee composed its own plan and invitof the world of the concept of a period of ed each youth to choose a personal goal
service, undertaken generally as a temporary toward its fulfillment.
interruption to their formal educational program and devoted fully to the promotion of HOUSES OF WORSHIP
the teaching work. Youth in all continents Since the Mother Temple of the Indian subwere reported to be in the forefront of teach- continent was dedicated to public worship in
ing activity. In its Ridvan 1992 message the December 1986, more than thirteen million
Universal House of Justice affirmed that people have crossed its threshold, one day
Youth activities took on a special char- alone registering 143,635 visitors; it is now
acter shaped by the idea of a youth year one of the most visited religious edifices in
of service. The involvement of the youth India. As the Temple's fame spread, its visiin the Six Year Plan as short-te1m pio- tors ' log became a roster of dignitaries from
neers, travelling teachers and projecteers around the globe: heads of state, government
had a profound effect on the teaching ministers, ambassadors , scholars and reliwork overall... gious leaders wrote of their admiration for
Youth dominated the teaching work in the unique strncture, and for the principles
Eastern Europe. Other examples of signifi- that inspired its singular and enthralling
cant youth activity include the four STAR beauty.
teaching projects carried out between 1987 The Houses of Worship on each of the
and 1990 in Botswana with international other continents continued to act as silent
participation, and the ongoing Sparks of teachers of the Cause. The national commu-
Peace project which brought youth together nities in Australia and Samoa took particular
every summer for an intensive campaign advantage of their Mashriqu'l-Adhkars to
throughout the English-speaking Caribbean. introduce prominent people to the Faith;
The United States reported that youth partic- special services held in conunemoration of
ipated in nearly every ongoing project and United Nations Days were well attended by
comprised most of the full-time teaching people of capacity from many professions.
teams. The initiative taken by youth to form Refurbishment of the Temple in Uganda
music, dance and drama groups to proclaim began, to make it once again East Africa 's
the Faith is yet another aspect of the promi- jewel. In Panama the national secretariat
nent role they played in the teaching work. was moved to the Temple grounds and a
The level of initiative and organization large auditorium consháucted for visitors. At
demonstrated by youth also rose, as exem- the Mother Temple of the West in Wilmette,
plified by the establishment by the House of U.S.A., a long process of rehabilitating the
Justice in October 1989 of a European Baha' i architectural concrete components began.
Youth Council charged with coordinating In 1991 Germany ' s House of Worship was
the various activities of the European Baha ' i classified as a Cultural Monument under
youth and representing them in dealings with the provisions of the Historical Monument
other youth groups and agencies. In Malawi Preservation Law. In all of the Houses of
a strong National Youth Committee planned Worship, many teaching programs compleand canied out the Collis Featherstone Project mented the regular worship services.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 149

b. Greater Involvement of the Faith in the 1987 the Kansas State House of Representa-
Life of Human Society tives in the United States also encouraged
When the Six Year Plan began, the Universal study of the peace statement.
House of Justice had just offered, in The As government officials became increas-
Promise of World Peace, the experience of ingly aware of Baha'i teachings and activities
the Baha'i community as a model for the related to peace and world order, Baha'i
peoples of the world to study. Throughout communities took bolder steps to assert to
the six years the believers increasingly shared those in authority the indispensability of
that experience through association with indi- Baha'u'llah's principles. In countries underviduals and organizations working to solve going constitutional revisions such as Brazil,
the problems addressed by Baha'u'llah. By Haiti, Paraguay, South Africa and Thailand,
Ridvan 1992 Baha'i views and participation National Assemblies submitted to their govwere actively sought by individuals and gov- ernments documents offering suggestions
ernments alike. for new national constitutions. The President
of the South African Law Commission, the
judge acting on behalf of the government,
CONTACT WITH PROMINENT PEOPLE AND commented that the Baba' is were the one
AUTHORITIES group whose ideas had provided a "spiritual
The Promise of World Peace, which intro- and moral foundation" for a constitution.
duced people from all walks of life to the Baha'i views were also made known to
Baha'i Faith, led to unprecedented contacts various governmental organizations concerned
with prominent people and government with solving social problems. In May 1991
authorities. By the end of the Plan Baha'i the National Assembly of Barbados submitviews on peace had been shared with gov- ted The West Indies in the 90's and
ernment authorities in nearly every nation of Beyond-A Baha 'i Perspective to the West
the world. Indian Commission Preparing the West
A sample of the prominent people who Indies for the Future, a body established to
were presented with the Peace Statement study the future of the Caribbean community
includes: all 559 senators and congressmen and regional unification. A number of presenundertaking to write Brazil's new constitution; tations were also made to that Commission
delegates to the Chuuk State Constitutional on behalf of other National Assemblies. In
Convention and the Federated States of Taiwan the Ministry of the Interior arranged
Micronesia National Constitutional Conven- a special seminar called "Resolving Social Ills
tion, both in the Eastern Caroline Islands; through the Teachings of the Baha' i Faith."
and the presidents of seven South American Significant connections were also made
nations attending an intergovernmental meet- with professionals of many specialties. Seming in Uruguay. Presentations of the statement inars were held to share Baha' i ideas with
to government and media officials in Cuba experts in various fields, receptions for
were reported to have been warmly prominent Baha'i professionals brought
received. them together with colleagues who were not
After the Baha 'is of Cambridge, Massa- Baha'is, and monographs providing a Baha'i
chusetts, U.S.A., presented The Promise of perspective in special fields such as educa-
World Peace to their city council, the council tion and the environment were distributed .
unanimously passed a resolution encourag- Baha'is also helped form professional assoing citizens to read and study the document ciations related to peace, such as the
and paid tribute to the Baha'is for their lead- Association of Physicians for Peace and the
ership in a range of peace-related issues. In Association of Educators for Peace, both in
150 THE BAHA' I WORLD

Counsellor
Beatrice Asare
presents a copy
of the Peace
Statement to
the Asantahene
of the Asante
State of Ghana
at his palace in
Kumasi in
September
1988.
-.;
"'

Counsellor Violette
Haake presents a copy
of the Peace Statement to the Deputy
Prime Minister of the
Cook Islands,
Mr. lnatio Akaruru, in
October J990.

Baha 'i representatives
present a copy of the
Peace Statement to
NA TO Base personnel
in Kejl.avik, Iceland,
in October J988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES 151
Brazil. Baha'i involvement with social and In 1988, Baha' is in Burkina Faso were
economic development projects also brought the only members of a religious community
the Faith to the attention of professionals in in the country to take part in a commemoradevelopment-related fields, such as educa- tion of the UN's International Peace Day
tion and health care. and Children's Day; and for the first time in
The presentation of awards sponsored that country, Baha'is were invited to particiby Baha'i communities to honor individuals pate in an official UN Day reception.
for their service to humanity created many The National Assembly of Venezuela paropportunities to meet and encourage com- ticipated in a meeting of the UN Economic
munity leaders. In Alaska the Honor and Social Council for Latin America which
Kempton Award for Service to Humanity, led to the Assembly's hosting a meeting
which is named after the woman known to of non-govenm1ental organization represen-
Baha'is as the spiritual mother of Alaska and tatives; Baha' is subsequently helped to form
Luxembourg, continued to be presented the Association of Non-Governmental Orgaaimually; each year more than 100 guests, nizations in Venezuela.
including prominent figures , attended the Baha'is demonstrated their belief in reliawards banquet. Presentation of the National gious unity tluáough closer association with
Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands' annual other religions. The Inter-Religious Under-
Agnes Baldwin Alexander Award for Ser- standing Association was formed by fifteen
vice to Humanity received substantial press groups in India including Baha' is; a significoverage. In 1988 the Baha' is of the United cant relationship was reported to have
Kingdom presented their first Human Rights developed between the Baha'is of Nepal and
A wards as pati of their commemoration of the Asian Conference on Religion and Peace;
the 75th anniversary of 'Abdu'l-Baha's visit an "active and thriving link" was established
to London. between Baha'is and the Interfaith Group
which represents most religions in Fiji; and
LIKE-MINDED 0RGANIZA TIONS Guatemalan Baha'is participated in a Con-
Baha' is contributed their knowledge of gress for Peace with representatives of all
Baha'u'llah's Teachings and their time to the country 's religious denominations. In
many of the organizations which promote 1990 the Baha ' i International Community
Baha'i ideals. Numerous individuals volun- formally associated itself with the World
teered with local and international groups, Conference on Religion and Peace.
such as commissions working to prevent The interfaith groups occasionally addmg abuse. In addition, Baha' i communities dressed a pressing social need. In Zimbabwe
increased their support of United Nations' members of an association of religious
activities and their involvement in interfaith groups collaborated with UNICEF to help
associations. alleviate the physical sufferings of children
Some of the most substantial collabora- in southern Africa. In Hawaii the Council of
tion with United Nations initiatives took Churches co-sponsored the first Institute for
place in the United States where the National the Healing of Racism in that state. The insti-
Assembly, through its office at the United tute was formed by the Baha' is, modelled
Nations , worked throughout all six years after similar institutes in North America.
toward the ratification of various UN human Baha' is often addressed envirom11ental
rights Conventions, helped to commemo- issues by co-sponsoring fomms , seminars
rate the International Year of Peace and the and exhibits in conjunction with other
International Year of Literacy, and became groups. For example, the National Assembly
more actively involved in UN Association of the United States became a member of the
activities. Global Tomonow Coalition, an organization
152 THE BAHA'I WORLD

of 150 groups involved in issues related to Rights Day have evolved into a government
resources, the environment and sustainable event in Berrnuda. Essay contests on peace,
development. That Assembly also became a sponsored in a number of lands, draw the
member of the Advisory/Planning Board of attention of youth to the teachings of the
the North American Environmental Sabbath Faith.
Committee; a Baha'i symbol now appears on Balla 'i organizations were foimed to prothe newsletter masthead and Baha'i quota- mote Baha'i principles among specific audiences
tions were included in 10,000 kits distributed including the Baha'i Medical Association in
for a special event. France and Health for Humanity in the
United States.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES When renewed incidents of interracial
Increasingly, Baha'is not only participated violence erupted in the United States, the
in activities with like-minded organizations, Baha'i community was already offering its
but also initiated their own events and orga- healing perspective on the problem through
nized groups dedicated to addressing problems distribution of the statement The Vision of
facing society. Race Unity: America's Most Challenging
Numerous Baha'i seminars, conferences Issue, and through the holding of a series of
and public meetings were augmented by Institutes for the Healing of Racism.
unique events such as Brazil 's International
Exposition on Education for Peace, carried S IGNS OF RECOGNITION
out with the collaboration of twenty-three A growing number of prominent individuals
embassies and educational institutions, and and groups sought the support of Baha' is
Singapore's Arts for Nature exhibit which during the Plan. Invitations to participate in
earned favorable recognition from the Min- peace-related activities, public mention of
istry of the Environment and the Council of Baha'i views by prominent people, and
Women's Organizations. requests for advice all pointed to increasing
Several events initiated by Baha'is have recognition that the Faith offers solutions to
gradually become a part of life in the greater the crises facing humanity.
community. Annual Race Unity celebrations Milestone changes occurred in recogniare held in hundreds of United States cities. tion of the Faith by public officials. The
Observances of World Religion Day have Prime Minister of the Cook Islands , Sir
become annual national events in Suriname. Thomas Davis, accompanied by Lady Davis,
The Baha'i commemorations of UN Human visited the World Centre in August 1986 to

In Lesotho, Baha 'is
were invited to the
Royal Banquet Hall on
15 September 1987 to
receive the United
Nations' "Peace Messenger Award" for the
• community's involvement in peace activities.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 153
consult with the Universal House of Justice Martin Luther King Federal Holiday Comabout world peace. Later that year the Presi- mission. In 1992 the Baha'i representative to
dent of Dominica quoted from The Promise the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, was
of World Peace during a radio broadcast invited to a gathering of 500 religious leaders
on the International Day of Peace. In April convened by former President Jimmy Carter
1990 President Amata Kabua of the Mar- to explore religious involvement in "Project
shall Islands, while officially visiting Israel, Atlanta," a social and economic development
came to Haifa with his secretary and his project. The Baha 'i representative was then
ambassador to confer informally with mem- elected to the project's six-member Advisory
bers of the Universal House of Justice on the Council.
role of the Marshall Islands in establishing Intensive Baha'i involvement in ecologyworld peace. related activities led to requests for Baha'is
Baha ' i views on issues related to social to take greater leadership roles. Two memjustice were sought by the Central American bers of Hawaii's National Assembly were
Institute for Business Administration during the only religious representatives among
its seminar on "Post-War National Recon- sixty-two groups invited to patiicipate in the
struction in El Salvador"; the Vice-President Governor's statewide Eaiih Day planning
of Guyana requested a meeting with the session in 1990. A member of the United
National Assembly of that country to discuss States National Assembly's Washington, D.C.,
Baha'i participation in the "Social Impact staff became pa1i of a working group to draft
Amelioration Program"; and the Macau suggestions for the United States govern-
Basic Law Consultative Committee asked ment's Ea1ih Summit position paper m
the Macau Spiritual Assembly to send three 1992.
representatives to a joint meeting with the Awareness of the Baha'i teachings on
Basic Law Drafting Committee from China religious unity were demonstrated when a
and various religious groups, after which the Baha' i became the only non-Buddhist speaker
Baha' is were asked to submit their views in invited to address a public meeting held in
a formal paper. conjunction with the "Asian Buddhist Con-
In the United States Mrs. Coretta Scott ference for Peace" in Mongolia. In Guyana
King, wife of the late civil rights leader, Baha'is were appointed to the President's
the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Advisory Committee on Religious Affairs.
invited Baha'is to co-chair the National Baha'is were included in panel discussions
Religious Involvement Committee of the on "Action Through Faith" and "East Meets

Mr. Dexter King
(right) , son of Dr.
Martin Luther King,
Jr., was the keynote
speaker at a Bahiz 'i
Peace Conference
held in Oslo, Norway,
on 23 October 1986.
Here he is being interviewed by the press.
154 THE BAHA'I WORLD

West" at the International People's College Mental Health in New Zealand; and the
in Denmark. director of Ghana 's Institute of Renewable
Baha'is in Hawaii were asked to serve in Natural Resources spoke to a group from
a significant number of advisory groups: the Cameroon's International Relations Institute
Governor's Permanent Commission for the on "Religion in a World in Search of Peace
Commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, -A Baha'i Approach" and on agroforestry,
Jr., Week; the Governor's Commission on noting that the Faith offers solutions to glothe Status of Women; and the Governor's bal environmental problems.
Task Force on AIDS. Also in Hawaii, the The Faith was also directly presented to
chairman of a government task force chose the world of academia during meetings with
the Baha'i submission on education refmm professors, presentations of The Promise of
for broadcast on the radio. World Peace to university faculties, and
conferences related to religious studies. A
ACADEMIC CIRCLES visiting professor at Belgium's University of
In 1990 in the United States the Baha'i Chair Antwerp taught a course on the Faith to the
for World Peace was established at the Uni- faculty of the Comparative Religion Departversity of Maryland's Center for International ment; a member of Portugal 's National
Development and Conflict Management. Pro- Assembly spoke at the Congress on Religious
posed by a non-Baha'i professor in response Studies held at the New University of
to the Peace Statement, the Chair was created Lisbon; and the National Assembly of Guyana
to conduct and publish research, design sent an overview of Baha'i community procourses and lead seminars in the fie ld of grams to 240 faculty members of the
Baha'i studies and world peace within an University of Guyana.
interdisciplinary context; to initiate public Awareness of the Baha'i Faith among
fornms for discussing the issues proposed in scholars increasingly led to its inclusion in
The Promise of World Peace; and to establish university courses. In some cases Baha'i
academic links with, and provide technical approaches were incorporated into the study
assistance to, Baha'i institutions in the fields of other issues , such as at the University
of peace education and international devel- of California, Santa Cruz, U.S.A., where the
opment. The creation of the Chair marked Baha' i Club helped to design a course called
the first initiative by a prestigious insti tution "The Economics of a World Commonof higher learning to fornmlate a serious pro- wealth." In Guatemala 300 student teachers
gram of Baha'i studies. Later that year Indore studied the booklet Education for Peace over
University and the National Assembly of a period of twenty sessions. In other cases
India signed a document establishing another the Faith itself became the subject of study:
Cha ir for Baha' i Studies with a similar range lectures were given in comparative religion
of functions to be developed. courses at Bermuda College, Malawi 's
Recognition of the Fa ith ~ s principles as Chancellor College and the University of
legitin1ate and irnportant subj ects of study Zimbabwe; the Faith was pari of an extenwas cultivated when Baha'is delivered papers sion course on religious studies at Fij i's
and lectures relating the teachings to current University of the South Pacific; and entire
issues. A Baha ' i scholar presented his analy- courses on the Faith were offered at Brazil's
sis of the Third World debt at the prestigious Federal University of Santa Catarina and the
World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzer- Univers ity of Hawaii ' s Hilo Campus. An
land; papers on refugee mental health and office of the United States National Assema case study on a Baha'i refugee settlement bly drafted A Curriculum Guide to the
program were received with considerable Baha'i Faith to help college professors
interest at the World Conference on Refugee include the Faith in their courses.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACT I VITIES 155

Two institutions which contributed to the should guide the nation, the Assembly of that
increasing respect afforded the Faith in country offered its Statement on the National
scholarly circles were the Associations for Ideology, which recommended that consulta-
Baha'i Studies, with their international co- tion be applied to the whole decision-making
ordinating centre in Canada, and Landegg process. Two pioneers at the University of
Academy, founded in Switzerland in 1988. Benin conducted a research project in which
Baha'is also influenced the curriculum of they used consultation with local farmers to
public schools at the primary and secondary demonstrate its value in rural development.
levels. In Australia, after a retired Baha'i Increasingly, a variety of organizations
teacher offered a multifaith religious educa- recognized the value of this important Baha ' i
tion course to Queensland school officials, principle, and requested advice and training.
the Queensland Department of Education In 1986, following a three-hour session on
invited a Baha 'i representative to be present consultation led by Baha ' is, the Social and
at Curriculum Development Committee Ethics Committee of the Canadian Nuclear
meetings, and the State Religious Education Association requested that the Baha ' is facili-
Advisory Committee voted to offer commit- tate discussion between the various factions
tee membership to officers of the Faith. In in the nuclear energy debate. A mayor in
Peru high school teachers assigned research New Zealand called the Local Assembly on
concerning the Faith as homework, refer- behalfofhis city council to request a meeting
ring to Radio Baha'i as a resource. British on consultation; the council met with three
Columbia's Ministry of Education in Canada Baha ' is who explained and demonstrated the
accepted The Hidden Words and The Seven concept.
Valleys as literature which could be studied
in high schools. PROMOTING EQUALITY OF THE SEXES
The believers initiated and supported numer-
ADVOCATING CONSULTATION ous activities to promote the equality of men
As Baha'is worked to improve the level of and women. In most cases this took the form
consultation within their communities (see of enhancing the status of women. Baha' is
also "Higher Levels of Consultation," p. 167), sponsored hundreds of conferences open to
they simultaneously increased efforts to the public; formed Baha ' i women's groups
share this dynamic concept with the rest of which associated with other organizations
the world. pursuing similar aims; and participated in
Education about consultation took various various commissions and projects dedicated
forms. In Guyana members of the Women's to equality of the sexes. (See also "Women's
Affa irs Task Force presented the principle Activities", p. 409.)
to sixteen representatives of women 's groups; Local, regional and national conferences
the Baha'i model was demonstrated in a were hosted by Baha'is to address this issue
graduate course at the University of Hawaii in such diverse locations as Cape Verde,
to overwhelmingly positive response; and Chad, Grenada, Korea, Paraguay and Spain.
Tonga ' s National Women's Greater Involve- The most noteworthy of these gatherings
ment in the Life of Human Society Committee were: a 1988 international women's confersponsored a highly successful conference on ence in the United States which provided a
consultation. forum for more than 1,000 women from
In different ways, Baha'is seized opportu- sixty-five countries to discuss their role in
nities to educate decision-making bodies the global peace-making process; the
about the impo1iance of consultation. When Pacific Women's Conference spearheaded
the government of Singapore invited groups by Hawaii ' s South Hilo Local Assembly in
to submit their views on the core values that 1991 and attended by seventy people from
156 THE BAI-IA •j WORLD

seventeen nations; and a Caribbean Women's contributions to food production in Africa
Conference held in the Leeward Islands in and the importance of their involvement in
1988 with pa1iicipants from twelve countries. all levels of decision-making.
Baha'i groups forged links with non- A number of related projects and com-
Baha' i associations working toward similar missions benefited from the involvement of
goals by registering with umbrella organiza- individual oelievers and Baha'i communities.
tions, co-sponsoring events and speaking at The Faith was represented by both women
meetings. The Baha ' i Women 's Committee and men at meetings called by the UN Comof Singapore collaborated with the Sin- mission on the Status of Women, including
gapore Council of Women's Organizations , global and regional conferences, seminars
which is composed of thirty-four groups; two and workshops. During the Plan fifteen state-
Baha' is served as Executive Board members ments were presented to the Commiss ion on
for a combined total of four years. In Nigeria such topics as social and economic developthe Baha'i Women's Development Board ment, education and the status of girls. One
registered with the National Council of direct result of this involvement was a joint
Women's Societies. Ireland's Baha'i National project supported by the United Nations
Committee for Fostering the Equality of the Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
Sexes fom1ed strong ties with other commu- called "Traditional Media As Change Agent."
nity groups. In cooperation with various consultants
Since 1988 a representative of the Faith Baha' i agencies, National Assemblies, and
has served as convenor of "Advocates for UNIFEM, Baha'is created a project using
African Food Security: Lessening the Burden traditional means, such as music and dance,
of Women," a coalition of United Nations to stimulate discuss ions about women's
agencies with non-governmental and inter- and men's roles in society. The project
governmental organizations. Participants commenced in localities in Bolivia, Brazil,
educate policymakers about women's vital Cameroon, Malaysia and Nigeria.

The President of
France, His Excellency
Franr;ois Mitterand,
with Mrs. Peggy
Maichoo, pioneer
to Reunion (right),
at a reception at the
Elysee Palace in Paris,
in commemoration
of International
Wom ens ' Day,
8 March 1990.
INT ERNA TION AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACT IVITI ES 157

c. Increasing the Worldwide Availability has a permanent collection of 1,000 volumes
and Use of Baha'i Literature and also sells Baha'i books. In addition, the
A worldwide increase in the translation, Local Spiritual Assembly ofMoissala, noting
production, distribution and use of Baha'i the paucity of educational facilities available
literature was designated as a priority during to villagers , started a mobile library in colthe Six Year Plan with a view to proclaiming laboration with the Local Spiritual Assembly
the Faith and its principles to all sections of of Munich, Ge1many; it contains both
society and broadening the Baha'i commu- Baha 'i and general reference materials and
nity's understanding of Baba 'u' llah and His travels between villages, spending one day
Message. This objective was energetically in each place.
addressed throughout the Baha' i world in a
number of ways. PRO DUCTION AND TRANSLATION
Trans lations of Baha ' i literature were signifi-
AVAILABILITY cantly increased in a number of languages,
Efforts to present Baha' i literature to both covering a greater range of subj ect matter.
the general public and the Baha'i commu- Spiritual Assemblies strnve to enrich Baha' i
nity were intensified, taking m any fo1ms. literature in national and local languages .
The most widespread were the participation Many such efforts were acclaimed for their
of Baha'is in book fairs and exhibitions, the conháibution towards the preservation of culdistribution of Baha' i literature to public ture and heritage. In Dominica, for example,
libraries, and the establishment of book the first háanslation of The Hidden Words
depots and lending libraries. It is not possi- into Creole was received with appreciation
ble to enumerate the achievements of every by a high-ranking government official and
community in this sphere of activity, but to was seen as advancing the culture of the
focus on the accomplishments of a few is island.
revealing. The National Spiritual Assembly of
In India the Baha'is participated in some Switzerland published a booklet in Ladin, a
thirty-eight book fairs, held nearly two main dialect of Romansch, the fourth lanhundred book exhibitions and established as guage of Switzerland; the booklet was
many as 110 book depots an d 865 lending disháibuted to the media and to agencies
libraries. In one Indian state the Baha'is engaged in preserving the language. In the
received a request from the Director of Netherlands a national teaching conference
Public Libraries for 3,000 copies of Baha' i was organized by a Loca l Assembly to celebooks to be distributed among the 1,500 brate the publication and to develop plans
public libraries throughout the state. In for the use of a compilation of the Writings
Argentina the Baha'is took part in the ammal of 'Abdu ' l-Baha in Frisian, a language of the
Buenos Aires Book Fair, one of the most Frisian Islands and the northern Netherlands.
important in Latin America, drawing nearly In Togo and Benin, where selected Writa million people each year. At the Interna- ings were háanslated into the native tongues
tional Book Fair held in Yugos lavia and of villagers, a powerful effect on Baha' i
attended by nearly 400,000 people, the conmmnities was achieved. To encourage
Baha' i Book Distribution Service of Austria application of Baha'i teachings certain háibal
gave out some 2,800 items. Baha'i publish- chiefs also made recordings of the obligaers attended three ammal International Book tory prayers so that illiterate villagers could
Fairs in Beijing, China. In Chad the Olinga listen to the Words of Baha ' u ' llah; other
Bookstore-Library was opened in Moissala audio recordings of the Writings amplified
in the presence of religious, civi l and military this mode of learning prayers and studying
leaders; the library, open to the public daily, the Creative Word.
158 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In Papua New Guinea a booklet of prayers the publication of a number of bibliographies
from several of the world's major religions of Baha' i works and an English-language
was translated into Nalik, one of the local Baba 'i dictionary. Two more concordances
languages, the first book ever printed in that were added to the seven already available,
language; a written forn1 of Nalik had to be and the Sacred Writings in an electronic
created by Baha'is before this could occur. format became accessible for the first time
The booklet, entitled Saaule Nakmai, a tradi- through the publication of two software
tional Nalik call for assistance from God, programs.
was part of the Baha' i community's contri- With the overall enrichment of Baha'i
bution to the United Nations International literature throughout the world, it became
Literacy Year. necessary to ensure that the desire to create
A clear trend emerged and gained momen- variety did not overshadow the need to make
tum during the Plan to produce more Baha'i basic Baha' i literature available to the
literature on a broader range of subj ects. masses of humanity. Cognizant of this need,
New Baha' i publications appeared on themes the International Teaching Centre fostered a
such as health and hea ling, marriage and program that is now known as the "core
family, decision-making and consultation, literature" program. Core literature refers to
implications and applications of peace, and a a selection of titles comprised of Holy Writrange of social and economic development ings, works on the Life and Miss ion of
issues. Prior to the Plan only a handful of Baha'u' llah, and introductory and deepening
Baba ' i publications existed on the subject of materials, which are printed in large numliteracy. By its close, the number of Baha'i bers and made available to the friends at
publications related to literacy easily reached affordable prices. The list of titles chosen
forty. Among the languages in which Baha' i as core literature for a given language not
literacy materials can now be found are: only is unique to that language, but grows
Hindi and Marathi for India; French and and changes as the community develops and
Creole for Haiti; Lunda for Zambia; Guaymi as the general enrichment of literature
for Panama; and Spanish, Portuguese and progresses.
Quechua for Latin America. Nowhere did this approach prove more
It is also interesting to note the marked useful than in the former Eastern Bloc,
upsurge in the publication of Baha'i refer- where the sudden opening of the countries of
ence materials. The Six Year Plan witnessed the region to the rest of the world in late

An estimated
1,000,000 people
visited the
i nternational Book
Fa ir held in Buenos
A ires in April I 989.
Th is was th e sixth
year the Bahri 'i
Publishing Trust of
Argentina participated in the Fair and
its booth attracted
much attention.
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 159
1989, and the large-scale teaching efforts systematize efforts in translation, publication
that followed, created an unprecedented and distribution on the various continents.
demand for Baha'i literature. In languages Likewise, the first International Chinese
spoken in those countries experiencing large- Baha'i Writers' Seminar was held in Malayscale expansion, namely Albanian, Bulgarian, sia in June 1991, which explored the need
Romanian and Russian, a packet of basic for suitable Baha'i materials in Chinese. In
core literature was printed in large quantities order to enhance the range of Baha'i literato put essential items into the hands of the ture available in Arabic, a committee known
people. While the production and distribu- as the "Reviewing Board of Baha'i Literation of core literature was vigorously pursued, ture in Arabic" was appointed by the House
parallel plans were developed to create a of Justice in September 1991, with its base
broad spectium of Baha'i literature in these in London. A Baha'i publishers' conference,
languages. Both processes gradually gath- held in England in February 1992, was
ered momentum during the last two years of attended by forty-four representatives of
the Plan and will continue for many years to twenty-two publishers from seventeen councome. tries. As an outgrowth of that conference,
However, it was not only in the former the International Association of Baha' i
Eastern Bloc where this approach proved Publishers was formed with its base in the
useful. Core literature programs were also Netherlands.
developed for languages spoken in other
regions of the world where large-scale expan- DISSEM INATION
sion is taking place, including Hindi, Khmer, The capacity of the Baha'i world to dissemi-
Lao, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Portuguese and nate literature on specific issues to thousands
several vernacular languages of Africa, such of people increased enormously. The release
as Bemba, Igbo, Yoruba and Sara. of The Promise of World Peace provided
the impetus for the development of this
COLLABORATION capacity.
Greater collaboration among Publishing Since the appearance of the Peace State-
Trusts and Baha'i publishers was brought ment, some National Spiritual Assemblies
about by technological advances in the field have published items focusing on issues relof printing and the increase in organizational evant to their own countries and have called
capacity throughout the Baha 'i world. On an upon their national communities to use these
operational level, closer collaboration was publications extensively in their proclamawitnessed in the increasing number of Pub- tion and teaching efforts. The most outstanding
lishing Trusts sharing computer discs and/or example is the statement prepared by the
films of manuscripts to facilitate the printing National Spiritual Assembly of the United
of the same book in different locations, thus States in 1991 entitled The Vision of Race
avoiding the cost, difficulties and delays of Unity: America 's Most Challenging Issue.
transporting books over long distances and There is every indication that this newly
across borders. acquired capacity will be fully utilized in
On an organizational level, this collabora- the dissemination of the Statement on
tion was reflected in the number of international Baha'u'llah. Issued in April 1991, the Stategatherings and consultative meetings about ment had already been translated into at least
literature which took place during the Plan. forty-eight languages by the close of the
In 1987, for example, Argentina held the Plan, and reports were received at the World
first Baha' i conference on the production of Centre of its presentation to many prominent
literature in Spanish to coordinate and figures in various lands.
160 THE BAHA'I WORLD

d. Further Acceleration in the Process of An illustrated booklet outlining the major
the Maturation of Baha'i Communities tasks of a Local Assembly was distributed at
The Six Year Plan itself, its goals and the a national convention in Togo.
method used to fommlate them, reflected a Seminars, workshops and regular visits
new level of community maturity. In its let- provided the other major fom1 of education.
ter of2 January 1986 the Universal House of In the United States, Auxilia1y Board mem-
Justice stated: "This new process ... signalizes bers, assistants, Counsellors and National
the inauguration of a new stage in the Assembly representatives conducted a series
unfoldment of the Administrative Order." of eighteen local conferences as part of the
"Local Spiritual Assembly Development
STRENGTHENING LOCAL SPIRITUAL Program" launched in 1989. The sessions
ASSEMBLIES were based on training modules and on a
In some areas of the world, most notably new compilation prepared at the National
Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union Center called Developing Distinctive Bahti 'i
and East Asia, the number of Local Assem- Communities: Guidelines for Local Spiritual
blies significantly increased, reaching and Assemblies.
sometimes surpassing national goals. A mile- Members of the various institutions
stone in Local Assembly formation occurred working together in Spain established tl1e
when the central authorities in Moscow "Consolidation Project for Local Spiritual
approved the Baha'is' application to restore Assemblies." A similar National Conunittee
the long-lost Assembly of Ashkhabad for the Support of Local Spiritual Assem-
('Ishqabad) in 1989. Yet the primary empha- blies was created in the Netherlands.
sis during the Plan was on encouraging In the Philippines a simplified Local
existing Local Assemblies to manifest their Assembly manual translated into Tagalog
full potential. was distributed during seminars run by the
National Assemblies created innovative Area Teaching Committees' "Local Spiritual
and effective deepening programs for mem- Assembly Development Project." A "Travel
bers of Local Assemblies, and Auxiliary Deepeners' Program," created in Tanzania,
Board members and their assistants worked worked with twenty Assemblies during the
tirelessly to nmture these vital institutions. Plan, and the National Assembly of Ethiopia
Local Assemblies took greater initiative in conducted mini-deepenings for members of
holding regular meetings, canying out their its urban Assemblies.
administrative functions, reformillg themselves The Assembly of Chad reported that
without outside assistance, and conducting individual Baha'is travelled thousands of
extension teaching projects. kilometers per year by bicycle to regularly
A number of National Assemblies pro- visit, encourage, deepen and deliver mail to
duced deepening materials for their local Local Assemblies, greatly contributing to
institutions. In Brazil a set of nine booklets their development. Similarly, in tl1e Central
called Forming Conscientious Local African Republic, the assistant secreta1y of
Spiritual Assemblies was shared with more the National Assembly rode some 1,200
than 200 Local Assemblies. Standards for kilometers by bicycle to hold institutes for
organizing and conducting secretariat and thirteen Local Spiritual Assemblies in five
treasury tasks were formulated by the locations, reaching nearly 300 individuals .
National Assembly of the Eastern Caroline The effects of such efforts could be seen as
Islands and sent to all Local Assemblies. local institutions began demonstrating more
The National Assembly of Fiji taped and responsibility and initiative.
distributed materials related to Assembly Local Assemblies increasingly handled
development in Fijian, Hindi and English. their basic duties without undue reliance on
INT ERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURREN T BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 161

Counsellor Edith
Senoga (second from
left) visits Baha 'i
communities in the
remote western region
of Uganda , near the
Ruwenzori Mountains;
Februmy 1990.

National Assemblies . For example, by the Local Assemblies in Bolivia organized and
end of the Plan, incorporated Assemblies in locally financed regional conferences with
Singapore and Hawaii were handling their between 200 and 600 participants each. Fifty
own administrative work to maintain incor- Canadian Assemblies initiated their own
poration, and eight Assemblies in Taiwan deepening programs and fourteen were overhad assumed responsibility for their own seeing the functioning of bookstores and
local centers. The minutes of Norway 's info1mation centers at the end of the Plan.
Local Assemblies showed these institutions Eleven Local Assemblies in Transkei adopted
to be increasingly advising individuals on and pursued twenty-four extension teaching
their personal problems and on avenues for goals.
service to the Cause. Hawaii reported that
the number of personal cases reaching the D EVELOPING LOCAL BAHA'I COMMUNITIES
National Assembly radically decreased after "It is not enough to expand the rolls of
the Auxiliary Board members held deepen- Baha'i membership, vital as that is, " the
ings with Local Assemblies on how they Universal House of Justice reminded the
might handle this aspect of Assembly believers of the world in its message of
responsibility themselves. Ri~van 1989. "Souls must be transfmmed,
Many Assemblies went beyond bas ic communities thereby consolidated, new
functioning and fully developed loca l models of life thus attained."
activity plans. All Local Assemblies in the It is difficult to measure the develc.pment
Netherlands composed their own arumal of local communities, because no numbers
plans which were then confim1ed by the can be applied to the spirit at a Holy Day
National Assembly. Thailand reported that celebration, to the level of cooperation
four Assemblies created their own plans, among the friends on a daily basis, or to
became financially self-sufficient and the creativity poured into preparation for
supported surrounding communities. Italy's a Nineteen Day Feast. However, as the
National Assembly dissolved its National National Assembly of the Cook Islands
Corrunittee for the Assistance of Local reported, " .. .if the spirit of enthusiasm and
Assemblies because of the level of maturity loving unity among the members of our
that had been achieved. community has anything to do with the
Finally, more Assemblies developed maturity of the community, then we have
sufficiently to begin initiating activities of made great strides over the past six years in
benefit to the wider community. Several this area. " The National Assembly of Nepal
162 THE BAHA'I WORLD

similarly reported, "no doubt the greatest of members of the Mura Tribe, was elected
progress during the Six Year Plan has been at Ri~van 1990. The number of native Seneregistered in the area of the maturation of galese on the National Assembly of that
local communities." country reached eight in the last year of the
The successes of large-scale enrollment Plan; as the number of pioneers decreased,
in various parts of the world created an the Senegalese have "taken over, in the
immediate and pressing need for community administration as in the teaching, and in so
consolidation. India's "Muhajir Project" doing, have developed a greater sense of
combined deepening with mass teaching, belonging to the Faith". The Pygmies of the
using a mobile deepening institute to help Central African Republic fom1ed their first
newly formed communities to hold Nineteen Local Assembly in 1987.
Day Feasts, Holy Day celebrations and to Another sign of maturation was the
perform administrative functions. Also in attention given to achieving greater equality
India, the Baha'i Academy in Panchgani between men and women within the Baha'i
significantly contributed to the process of community. Women's issues and the topic
consolidation through well-designed courses of equality were studied at numerous Baha'i
which were attended by Baha ' is from both schools, conferences, mini-courses and sem-
India and abroad, and conferences and semi- inars, and entire conferences focusing on
nars for Auxiliary Board members and women were held in countries as diverse as
assistants. Puerto Rico, Korea, Austria, Mauritius and
In the Khulna area of Bangladesh, where Cape Verde.
the populations of approximately 100 vil- Baha'i groups were formed to provide
lages came close to becoming 100 percent support for women and to encourage com-
Baha'i, the Regional Teaching Committee munities to address the issue of equality.
designated a few as "model Baha'i villages" The Women's Association for Development
and focused efforts on making the difference of Peace and Unity in France consisted of
between Baha'i and other villages readily ninety members in four regional groups and
apparent. held deepenings at various Baha'i gather-
One outstanding sign of community ings. In Spain the National Committee for
growth was the greater participation of Women was created to provide articles,
native believers in activities and institutions. lectures and deepenings. A committee in the
As culh1ral expressions of indigenous people Eastern Caroline Islands, which was formed
were better incorporated into Baha'i com- to foster equality, developed a participatory
munity life and as Baha'is sought to preserve workshop on the topic.
the most positive aspects of native cultures, Women from rnral areas and indigenous
loca l people took greater responsibility for tribes also exhibited greater pariicipation in
their Baha'i communities. Zimbabwe, for community life. In Costa Rica in 1992, tluáee
example, reported that one of the highlights indigenous communities were represented
of the Six Year Plan was the transfom1ation by women at the National Convention for the
of pioneer-dominated activities into collec- first time. In India large numbers of women
tive efforts supported by local believers. were reported to be taking responsibility for
The increased number of native believers the affairs of the Faith in Rajasthan, and in
elected to institutions reflected this greater November 1988 sixty-two Indian women
participation. At the end of the Plan the from thirteen villages attended a deepening
majority of the members of twenty-two Local conference at the Malhousi Baha'i Center in
Assemblies in Guatemala were indigenous Uttar Pradesh, a reported "miracle" for
people. The first indigenous Local Assembly women to leave their homes to share their
in the Amazonas State in Brazil, composed views with others.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURREN T BAHA'i ACTIVIT IES 163
STRENGTH EN ING NAT IONAL SPIRJTUAL Baha'i elections, often carried out by the
ASSEMBLIES Counsellors, contributed to greater Assem-
Between 1986 and 1992, new National Spiri- bly maturity and improved the quality of
tual Assemblies were formed or re-fo1med in elections, so that they reflected an increas-
Angola, the Congo Republic, Guinea, Guinea- ingly spiritual atmosphere. One recurring
B issau, Greenland, Macau, Niger, the West deepening program, which was developed in
Leeward Islands, Zaire and throughout East- Hawaii for delegates, evolved into a national
ern Europe and Central Asia. The twelve educational program on the electoral process.
National Assemblies formed at Ria:van 1992 Higher levels of cooperation and greater
alone equalled the total number in the world understanding of how to apply Baha'i prinof forty years ago. ciples were reported by Assembly members .
Overall, National Assemblies functioned Kenya reported growth in planning, consulmore effectively as secretariats improved; tation and organization, stating "members are
elections more closely reflected the Baha'i more committed, more loving, more vigoridea; Assemblies delegated more tasks to ous, and they have been trying to play their
strong committees or councils; and members rightful role as 'servants'." Togo's Assembly
generally developed greater understanding reported becoming more understanding of
of their roles. the importance of administering with justice
Record-keeping and organization of the the affairs and property of the Faith. The
administrative work of Assemblies improved National Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands
with greater access to office technology. declared that its degree of growth "is
Membership records were computerized reflected in the fundamental unity among
in numerous places , including Dominica, its members, the increased reliance on the
Taiwan, Sri Lanka, the Eastern Caroline power of divine assistance in decision-
Islands and Zimbabwe; and many secretari- making, and the constant attempt to make
ats tluáoughout the Baha ' i world acquired decisions based on principle and to arrive at
word processors and fax machines to facili- consensus and wrnnimity ... "
tate their correspondence work. In Canada In several communications to National
comprehensive information on localities was Assemblies, the Universal House of Justice
entered into a database and a history of Local recognized greater Assembly maturity by
Assembly establishment was compiled. delegating more responsibility to these insti-
The emphasis in some areas on educating tutions . In 1986 Assemblies were urged to
convention delegates in the unique nature of develop their own national archives, and in

The Spiritual
Assembly of the
Baha 'is of French
Guiana, with two
A uxilimy Board
members, in
April 1987.
164 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

1990 the House of Justice encouraged and Assemblies in the Netherlands worked
National Assemblies to begin selecting pio- together to provide deepenings and children's
neers to be deputized and to match them with classes. In some cases Local Assembly
sponsors, thereby complementing the efforts collaboration was international: seventy
of the International Deputization Fund. believers from twenty-five localities in
Some National Assemblies, in turn, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom
moved to decentralize their activities as their met in 1988 to consult on ways they could
communities and workloads grew. Malay- join efforts to better teach in their local
sia's first State Baha'i Councils were communities.
established, and several oflndia's Councils, Regional consultations among National
created in 1986, developed sufficiently to Assemblies provided additional opportuniinclude their own secretariats, committees, ties for exchange. In October 1990 the
Feast newsletters and journals. Encouraged Continental Board of Counsellors in the
by the Co unsellors to appoint stronger Americas organized a meeting in Guatemala
committees, Hawaii held its first two- for seven Central American National Assemday National Committee Training Institute, blies. Thirty-seven representatives of the
focused on making committees into effec- twelve National Assemblies of the Eastern
tive arms of the Assembly, with authority Caribbean met in Saint Lucia in 1987 to
to act without further approval except in foster collaboration among the participating
cases involving a principle, policy or major communities. That same year representafunding . tives of the Assemblies of Hong Kong,
Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan began what
COLLABORATION AMONG INSTITUTIONS became annual joint meetings ; they were
As Baha'i institutions at all levels matured, joined by the new Assembly of Macau in
greater efforts were made toward sharing 1990. Representatives of the Assemblies of
ideas and encouraging collaboration in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bangcommon goals among Local Assemblies, ladesh, India, Nepal, Sikkim and Sri Lanka
National Assemblies, and between the elected met in India in 1989. Several joint meetings
and appointed institutions. and institutes have been held between the
At least twenty collaborative endeavors Assemblies of Thailand and Laos.
involving 105 Local Assemblies took place In Africa members from the National
in Canada; forty-one Assemblies in Guyana Spiritual Assemblies of Zimbabwe, Zambia
participated in regional conferences in 1991 ; and Malawi met with Counsellors in 1988 to

Participants in the
National Convention
of the Baha 'is in
Ciskei, April 1987.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 165

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, ~
. -' ' . '' .

Members ofthe National Spiritual Assembly Counsellor Violette Haake (right) meeting
of the Bahri 'is ofJamaica at the Interna- with Auxiliary Board members in
tional Convention in Haifa, Israel, 1988. New Caledonia in November 1991.

discuss the goal of entry by troops on both institutions in Belgium. Several National
that continent. In Europe that year members Assemblies made observations similar to
of the National Assemblies of the United Hawaii's: "Trust and confidence between
Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland met the institutions and the collaborative spirit of
in Belfast with some 150 Baha'is from learning from each other, growing and
both countries to consult on winning border- working together have characterized the two
teaching goals. The Netherlands reported arms of the administrative order. ... "
greater collaboration among the National This spirit of cooperation manifested itself
Assemblies of Belgium, Gem1any, Luxem- in gatherings of representatives of all the
bourg and the United Kingdom, including the institutions. One conference held in Moscow
regular exchange of teachers. in 1990 was sponsored by the National
In June I 987 the Universal House of Assembly of Germany and attended by
Justice assigned international collaboration members of three Continental Boards of
goals to National Assemblies. National com- Counsellors and all Assemblies involved in
munities were encouraged to aid each other teaching in the Soviet Union.
with teaching, contribute toward properties A national Six Year Plan conference in
and needed equipment, share course materi- Canada brought together representatives from
als and collaborate on literature translation every institution, which then was followed
projects. (See also "Increasing ... Baha' i by five meetings for large groupings of
Literature'', p. 157.) Local Assemblies and, finally, six smaller
In May 1986 the House of Justice regional gatherings. Togo's National Assemannounced an expansion of the Boards of bly reported that a "big step forward in
Counsellors and the Auxiliary Boards, and the process of maturity" took place when
throughout the Plan these institutions forged members of both institutions held two conever-stronger relationships with National and secutive meetings to discuss divergent points
Local Assemblies. A few examples of efforts of view on the best time in the teaching
to increase consultation between Counsellors process to elect Local Assemblies. The frank
and Assemblies include joint regional and consultation "brought the participants to tum
national conferences of the elected and to the directives and advice of the Guardian
appointed institutions held in Pakistan; annual and of the Universal House of Justice. This
meetings between the Assembly of Chad effort... has released an energy which has
and its Auxiliary Board members; and annual spurred our efforts during the last three
weekend meetings with representatives of months of the Plan."
166 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Participants in a conference for Auxiliary Counsellor member of the International
Board members' assistants held at Teaching Centre Magdalene Carney met
Swakopmund, Namibia in July 1988. NSAs of Sen egal and Gambia, May 1990.

COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF Advanced technology- including fax
NEWS machines, conference calls and electronic
Baha'i news and ideas continued to be shared mail- enabled a worldwide network of
among the believers primarily through pub- Baba' i communication to be established.
lications and radio, but communication was Electronic bulletin boards such as "Newsenhanced by increasing access to television, wire" in the United States, and international
fax and electronic mail. When the Office and national computer networks such as
of Public lnforn1ation at the Baha'i World "bahai-net," allowed individual believers in
CentTe a1mounced the creation of a Baha'i far-flung locations to exchange ideas and
International Information Network to better make contacts. The regular use of satellites
coordinate effmts to proclaim the Cause and to link believers in the Cook Islands,
defend its interests, another step was taken Hawaii, Western and American Samoa and
toward increasing unity through improving the United States, beginning in 1986, forecommunication among Baha'is. shadowed a time when satellites would
Newsletters for assistants to Auxiliary connect the whole Baha'i world.
Board members and regional bulletins pub- In 1990 the Media Services Depa1tment
lished by Teaching Conmlittees complemented of the United States National Center began
national newsletters and Feast letters to regularly producing Baha 'i Newsreel, a videoform the backbone of inforn1ation exchange. tape highlighting Baha' i events around the
Baha ' i radio stations, which by the end of world. Six editions of the newsreel were
the Plan were broadcasting an average of produced and sent to almost all National
thirteen hours per day each, seven days a Spiritual Assemblies during the Plan. In the
week, year-round, also served to unite final year, tapes also became available in
believers in their listening areas. Particularly Spanish and French.
in Africa, radio was used to announce The importance of face-to-face communi-
Feasts, Holy Days and teaching campaign cation was not lost in the midst of the new
events; in India national public radio was possibilities opened up by technology. The
available for a1mouncements. Radio has United States initiated two programs to
served as a primary vehicle for conmlllnica- foster greater unity among members of its
tion in rmal areas of South America, where geographically widespread community: the
a considerable amount of programming is "Weekend Visits Program," begun in 1989,
done in native languages such as Guaynli, brought groups of fifteen to thirty Baba ' is to
Quechua, Mapuche and Aymara. the National Center to exchange thoughts
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 167
and concerns with the National Assembly; "families" for a demonstration of consultathe "Town Meetings Program" begun in 1990 tion in this context; the groups discussed
and planned by the Treasurer's Office and the rights and responsibilities of each family
members of the Auxiliary Boards, "fostered member, family discipline and the eliminaincreasingly open and frank discussion with tion of prejudice.
the conununity and has provided. .. vital National Assemblies in Bolivia, Guyana,
information about many aspects of the com- Mali and Norway reported reserving time
munity's life." during their meetings for regular study of
In Taiwan the National Assembly and passages in the Baha'i Writings on consultanational committees held meetings around tion.
the country to help members meet as many
individual believers as possible. In Zimbabwe SUPPORT OF THE FUND
the Regional Teaching Committee system The health of the Baha'i Fund is yet another
created a communication network using trav- indicator of the community's developing
eling teachers to deliver news and messages. maturity. Although there is no way to measure the spirit of sacrifice and sense of duty
HIGHER LEVELS OF CONSULTATION behind voluntary contributions, effo1is by
A sign of growing maturity in Baha'i com- local believers to take more responsibility
munities was the importance given to better for the needs of national and international
practicing the art of consultation. The believ- funds indicate spiritual growth.
ers developed materials, organized classes In 1989 Landegg Academy held its first
and seminars, and began Assembly meetings study course on "Effective Fund Managewith deepenings on this fine art. ment for the Development of the Faith,"
Among the materials created and distrib- which illustrated the importance of fostering
uted were Brazil ' s Baha'i Consultation and a spiritual basis for donations .
Consult to Decide Better; audio-visual aids In the United States the "Local Assembly
and a booklet were produced and dissemi- Goals Program for the National Fund"
nated in Bangladesh; a complete course was was launched in October 1990. Based on
prepared in Madagascar; and a document factors such as locality size and past record
was written for presentations during Baha' i of donations , the National Assembly made
hannattan schools in Togo. specific recommendations to a number of
Consultation was often studied in confer- Local Assemblies which reflected the level
ences, institutes and summer schools in of sacrifice felt to be within the local commany countries. India organized an annual munity's power.
conference on it, and workshops were held In Canada the Loca l Assembly of West
in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Denmark, El Vancouver, British Columbia, initiated what
Salvador, Luxembourg and Spain. became a national program to contribute in
The practice of consultation formed a specified units toward elimination of the
major portion of several courses. During a 1990- 91 National Fund deficit.
nine-day workshop in Australia, Baha'is from The number of regular contributors to the
three Aboriginal Reserves elected a mock National Fund of Thailand increased four-
Assembly and practiced consulting on hypo- teenfold after the national treasurer began
thetical issues; an Auxiliary Board member making personal visits to communities and
joined the process, thereby helping partici- sessions on the Fund were included in nearly
pants to gain insight into the role of that all schools and conferences.
institution. At a conference in the Western Local communities in several countries
Caroline Islands sponsored by a Regional regularly supported their National Funds by
Teaching Committee, participants formed planting crops to sell just for this purpose.
168 THE BAHA'I WORLD

The Hand of the
Cause of God
Amatu 'l-Baha
Ruhiyyih
Khanum opening the local
Baha'i Center in
Sheung Shui,
Hong Kong, in
November J990.

Right: Counsellor Lucretia Warren with
members of the National Spiritual Assembly
of Mozambique in fiwit of their newly
acquired National Baha'i Center, 1989.

Above: The new
National Office of the
National Spiritual
Assembly of the
Baha 'is of Kiribati
which was dedicated
in 1989.

Right: Friends
gathered at the Baha 'i
Center in Ndava,
Burundi, for the
inauguration held
22 October 1989.
INT ERNAT ION AL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 169
Frnit grown on the national endowment LEGAL RECOGNITION OF BAHA'i
property at Fam1ers, St. Thomas Parish, INSTITUTIONS
Barbados, was used to make jam to sell fo r The Universa l House of Justice was able
the Fund. The Local Assembly ofNyiakungu, to call fo r the re-formation of the National
Kenya, grew and sold tomatoes to become Assemblies of the Congo Republic and Niger
the first Assembly to meet its contribution at Ri9van 1992 after the Faith had been
goal for the National Fund. The Local Assem- legally recognized by the authorities in both
bly of Tshilaka, Zaire, harvested crops of countries. These significant events were part
coffee, com, manioc, beans and peanuts to of a trend toward governments ' officially
benefit the Fund. Believers in Danane, Cote recognizing the Faith's independence. This
d'Ivoire, cultivated rice for three consecu- facilitated the incorporation of its Assemtive years to support their Local Fund. blies, and acceptance of the legality of Baha'i
maniage and absences of Baha'i students
BAHA'I PROPERTIES from public schools on Holy Days .
As the Baha ' i community expanded, a greater A milestone in legal recognition of the
number of localities were able to build, Faith occurred in Germany in February 1991
purchase or rent local, regional and national when the Federal Constitutional Court,
Baha'i centers. Efforts were also made to the highest legal authority in the country,
renovate existing properties, encouraged by affirmed the legality of Assemb ly bylaws,
the message from the House of Justice in upholding the constih1tional appeal made by
October 1990 outlining standards for main- the Local Spiritual Assembly of Ti.ibingen
taining Baha 'i properties. after a series of lower courts had refused
New national centers were acquired in incorporation. The lower courts had based
Ciskei, Macau, Mozambique, Romania and their decision on the grounds that the author-
Saint Lucia. In Botswana, Project "Buy a ity granted to the National Assembly in the
Brick" was initiated in 1988 to accelerate bylaws of the Local Assembly violated the
contributions for the new center. The great- legal principle requiring all legally incorpoest number of new regional centers were rated associations to be autonomous . In a
acquired in African countries such as decision with far-reaching implications, the
Burnndi, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, Siena Leone Federal Court affi1med the right of the
and Zimbabwe. More than 200 local centers Baha'is to organize as a hierarchically
were opened throughout the world. shuctured legal community according to the
Two of the most significant achievements revealed Law of God. Because the decision
in this area were the constmction of the was based partially on the constitutional
Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent, right to freedom of religious practice, the
which was dedicated to public worship in Court declared its recognition of the Faith as
December 1986 (see pp. 731-740), and the an independent religion, stating, "the characopening of the De Poort Conference Centre ter of the Baha ' i Faith as a religion and the
in the Netherlands in June 1987. De Poort, Baha'i Community as a religious community
which means "the gate," is owned and oper- is evident, in actual everyday life, cultural
ated by the Dutch Baha'i community and tiáadition, and in the understanding of the
hosts gatherings sponsored by members of general public as well as of the science of
the European Baha ' i community and various comparative religion. " The Court even took
other organizations. the rare step of issuing a statement to the
Renovation of a number of Baha'i proper- press explaining its decision.
ties also took place, the most extensive being In June 1988, the Legislative Council of
the refurbishment of the Houses of Worship Hong Kong passed an ordinance giving the
in Kampala, Uganda, and in Wilmette, U.S.A. Baha ' i Assembly a new status which may
170 THE BAHA'I WORLD

well afford the Faith further legal protection lifted. Chicago' s Board of Education in
in the years beyond 1997 when Hong Kong the United States, the Superintendent of
becomes a part of the People ' s Republic of Education for the Northern Mariana Islands,
China. The National Assembly of Saint Germany's Bavarian State Ministiáy for
Lucia was also incorporated, and the Ciskei Education and Culture, and the Cantonal
Assembly's constitution was approved by its authorities in Bern, Switzerland, all gave
Government. permission for Baha'is to be absent on Holy
Government documents acknowledging Days. In Zimbabwe the Holy Days are listed
the Faith were used in India, where the on government calendars. Authorities in
Director of the Census instlucted all enu- three counties of the Republic of Ireland
merators to record the Baha'i Faith as an have granted a holiday to all pupils for the
independent religion and list the believers Birthday of Baha 'u 'llah.
properly. In Turkey, some fifty believers
were able to change the religion section e. Promoting Universal Participation and
of their birth certificates from "Islam" to the Spiritual Enrichment of Individual
"Baha'i. " In Austria, Baha ' i credentials Believers
became accepted as valid documents for In its Ric;lvan message of 1988, the Universal
obtaining visas, and, in Saint Lucia, Baha ' i House of Justice wrote:
registration of births and deaths was ... it is on the initiative, the resolute will
recognized. of the individual to teach and to serve,
The National Spiritual Assembly of the that the success of the entire community
Hawaiian Islands was issued mailboxes in depends .... The ultimate tiáiumph of the
the State Senate and the House of Represen- Cause is assured by that 'one thing and
tatives to receive copies of all bills before only one thing' so poignantly emphasized
the legislature. Baha'i institutions received by Shoghi Effendi, namely, 'the extent to
tax exemptions in Equatorial Guinea, Guinea- which our own inner life and private
Bissau, New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands, character mirror forth in their manifold
and Uruguay. aspects the splendor of the eternal princi-
Advances were made in recognition of ples proclaimed by Baba 'u 'llah'.
Baha' i maniage. The Nigerian government
pern1itted Baha'i institutions to issue gov- UNIVERSAL PARTI CIPATION
ernment maniage certificates; five additional Baha'i institutions nurtured believers toward
Local Assemblies in Uganda were authorized higher levels of participation in community
to conduct legally valid marriage ceremo- life and service to the Cause by using educanies; Baha'i marriages were recognized for tional methods that reached the widest
the first time in an additional nine National possible Baha'i audience, and by relating the
Assembly areas; and Baha'i marriage offic- Teachings to the particular backgrounds of
ers were appointed in Grenada, Guyana, the individuals in the community.
Pakistan, Saint Lucia and Transkei. A wide Baha ' i audience was reached
Progress was also made toward excusing through ongoing study guides published in
more students and teachers from schools on national newsletters, such as the course on
Baha'i Holy Days. In Ecuador permission the Kitab-i-Iqan that ran in the October and
was granted for the Raul Pavon School to November 1989 issues of The American
close on Holy Days. In Uganda the Educa- Bahiz 'i and was reproduced by the National
tion Department of Mbale granted students Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands and
exemption from classes on the nine Holy mailed to all believers through Local Assem-
Days, the first instance of Holy Day recogni- blies. In addition, a study guide on the
tion since the 1979 ban on the Faith was Epistle to the Son of the Wolf was published
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 171
in the Febrnary, March and April 1991 issues. Particular efforts were made to help
Other methods used to reach believers believers integrate their ethnic identities and
included an experimental program in India their Baha'i identities, particularly for indigoffering insh-uction through television, and enous people entering the Faith. In New
increased use in Brazil of riverboats to carry Zealand a "Whare Wananga" (School of
Baha'is along the Amazon River and its trib- Leaming) was established in June 1987 to
utaries, providing deepening from village to provide twice-yearly intensive courses for
village. the Maori Baha'is on the teachings and
Correspondence courses were used to history of the Faith and the relationship
reach believers who might not otherwise between Maori culture and the teachings .
have access to regular deepenings or be able Also in New Zealand 107 Maori Baha' i
to attend Baha'i schools. During the Plan women, including National Assembly and
courses were developed in places such as National Teaching Committee members,
Canada, El Salvador, Bangladesh, Thailand, held their first National Women's "Hui", or
Burkina Faso and Tanzania, and previously traditional gathering, in Febrnary 1987. In
published lessons continued to be disháibuted May of that year the National Convention
in Saint Lucia, India , Botswana, Chad and of New Zealand was held for the first time at
Malawi. In Belize, Brazil and Bangladesh, a "marae" (háaditional Maori meeting place).
all of which experienced the challenges of The message from the Convention to the
consolidation fo llowing large-scale emoll- World Centre said the decision to hold the
ments, at least one correspondence course convention at a "marae" tapped the spiritual
was sent to each new believer. Zimbabwe reservoir of the indigenous culture.
reported that 4,5 00 believers participated in In the United States in August 1988,
correspondence courses. Courses specifi- Native American men and women representcally for children were published in Taiwan ing fifty háibes gathered under a giant tent
and Malaysia. surrounded by teepees near the sacred burial
New believers were helped to establish site of Chief Sitting Bull at Standing Rock
the foundations of their Baha'i identities in Reservation in South Dakota to attend the
a variety of ways, the most common being Baha'i-sponsored "Fifth Continental Indigethe sending of Baha'i books, compilations of nous Council". Written pledges to serve the
the Writings, or correspondence courses with Cause and carry the Faith to Africa, Europe
welcome cards. In Guyana a "National and South America were received by the
Deepening Program" for new believers was National Assembly on the last night of the
launched in 1992, in which 1,000 have Council. In July 1989 Baha'is from eight
pa11icipated. In the Netherlands all new countries joined seven Counsellors for a
believers were invited to the National Center conference in Bolivia on the development of
to meet the National Assembly and study the Faith among the indigenous peoples of
the administration, and to a special weekend Latin America. Deepening conferences and
of study at De Po011 Conference Centre. training programs specifically for the Lunda
The National Assembly ofBurw1di regularly people of Zambia also resulted in offers to
reserved one day of its program of classes háavel to teach and homefront pioneer. In
fo r new Baha'is to ask questions. The Saint Lucia assistance was provided for
National Assemb ly of Rwanda regularly indigenous believers to take part in overseas
corresponded with new believers , sending conferences and teaching projects.
news, deepening courses and selections from Zimbabwe provides another example of
the Holy Writings. In Puerto Rico several success in encouraging the pai1icipation of
regional conferences for new believers were native believers. The majority of Regional
held. Teaching Committee members were local
172 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Baha'is, ninety percent of Convention dele- basics of Baha'i life by producing two comgates were indigenous, deepening institute pilations, Prayer and Meditation and Shining
teachers were indigenous and classes were Examples, and then launching a National
conducted in vernacular languages. Teaching Conmlittee plan, printed in booklet
Strengthening the Baha'i identities of fo1m, called Spiritualization in Action. Meetnew believers was particularly crucial in ings on each island conducted by National
areas where mass enrollment had occmTed. Assembly members began in November
The method used by resident teaching teams 1991. The Spiritual Enrichment Committee
in Guyana of immediately revisiting new produced a series ofleaflets on the requisites
believers, providing deepening, and involv- for spiritual growth to be used to stimulate
ing them in the teaching work right away, consultation during Nineteen Day Feasts.
spread to other countries experiencing entry Material promoting reflection on spiritual
by troops. For example, a 1988 teaching principles was also provided to national
project in Bolivia began with a two-day conmmnities by the Universal House of
spiritualization and training course at the Justice. A compilation on tmstworthiness
Firdawsi Institute in Caracollo, resulted in prepared by the Research Department of the
the enrollment of more than 1,000 new souls Baha' i World Centre was sent to all National
and ended with deepening courses designed Assemblies in January 1987, and extracts
to maintain the momentum of expansion and from the Writings concerning the sanctity of
consolidation. Baha'i marriage, together with a statement
on preserving Baha'i maniages, were sent
INDIVIDUAL SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT in December 1990.
Regular deepenings sponsored by Baha'i
institutions or initiated by individual believ- LITERACY
ers, and armual summer, winter and spring In its Ri<;lvan 1989 message the Universal
schools held regionally or nationally contin- House of Justice stated that "further systemued to provide consistent opportunities for atic attention needs to be given to the
the Baha'is to develop their understanding eventual elimination of illiteracy from the
of the Teachings and to experience the spiri- Baha'i community, an accomplishment
tual unity of these gatherings. The focus of which would, beyond anything else, make
study shifted more and more to the Life of the Holy Word accessible to all the friends
Baha'u'llah as the Holy Year approached. In and thus reinforce their efforts to live the
Alaska all believers were sent a copy of the Baha'i life."
Statement on Baha'u' llah. The importance of such a campaign was
The Assembly of Thailand reported greater again emphasized when the House of Justice
enthusiasm and participation in Baha' i sum- wrote a Jetter to all National Assemblies
mer and winter schools when the programs on 10 July 1989, calling on each to address
were changed from lecture format to interac- itself to this objective. "Access to [the Holy
tive learning. Word]," the Jetter read, "constant study of
The word "institute" was used to designate it and daily use of it in our individual lives
a variety of Baha'i educational entities, from are vital to the inner personal háansformation
comprehensive consolidation and spiritual towards which we sháive and whose ultimate
enrichment programs, to permanent facilities outer manifestation will be the emergence of
offering regular courses, to one-time week- that divine civilization which is the promise
end workshops. of the World Order ofBaha'u'llah."
One example of a comprehensive program Baha'is responded to this call in various
was Hawaii's Spiritualization Campaign, ways, participating in commemorations of
which focused the entire community on the the United Nations International Literacy
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 173
Year in 1990, joining local adult literacy which described the society-building proprograms and creating their own programs. cesses of the Baha'i community and the
operation of the Administrative Order using
BAHA'i SCHOLARSHIP the language and concepts of general evolu-
Notable advances were made in the develop- tion and systems theories, was ve1y well
ment of Baha'i scholarship during the course received. Contact with this society, later
of the Plan, such that an increasing number renamed the International Society for the
of believers were engaged in analyzing the Systems Sciences, was maintained through
problems of humanity and demonstrating the the presentation of papers with Baha'i conefficacy of the Baha ' i teachings in solving tent at each of its annual meetings. (See also
these problems. "General Systems ... ", pp. 459-460)
The process of relating the Teachings to In 1988 Switzerland 's Landegg Conferthe cunent issues of concern to the people of ence Center, a venue used for conferences,
the world was fostered by the activities of seminars and summer schools since being
the Associations for Baha' i Sh1dies which acquired by Baha ' is in 1983, became the
are to be found now in every continental home of Landegg Academy which offers
area, and which attract a growing number seminars, symposia, conferences and fornms
of people, both Baha'is and others, to their for Balla ' is, such as a conference for young
periodic meetings on such topics as racial professionals on "Reaching People of
unity, the equality of men and women, the Capacity," and for the wider academic
development of world order, and the spiri- community, such as symposia on conflict
rual foundations of social development. (See resolution and the global environmental
also pp. 461-470) crisis. In September 1990 the historic first
A significant role is played by the Associ- "International Dialogue on the Transition to
ation for Baha'i Sh1dies in North America, a Global Society," organized by Landegg in
which has published proceedings of some of cooperation with the Vienna Academy for
its conferences in books such as Unity: The the Srudy of the Furure and the University of
Creative Foundation of Peace; Racial Unity: Maryland, brought together eighty leaders of
An Imperative for Social Progress; The thought from around the world to present
Bah6. 'i Faith and Islam; and Th e Baha 'i papers and discuss the changing world
Faith and Marxism .. order.
The inauguration in 1988 of Th e Journal In August 1989 Landegg launched the
of Baha 'i Studies, a quarterly, trilingual "Ce11ificate Programme in Baha ' i Srudies."
journal that publishes articles by scholars of Designed to foster systematic Baha ' i scholthe Baha'i Writings, created a fornm open to arship as called for by Shoghi Effendi, the
all researchers . three-year independent srudy course requires
Several Baha' is participated in a scientific pa11icipants to spend the month of August
conference organized by the International each year at Landegg and to submit a num-
Society for General Systems Research in ber of papers throughout the rest of the year.
Budapest, Hungary, in 1987. Dr. Ervin The program began with twenty-eight
Laszlo, a renowned scientist and member of srudents from eleven countries.
the Club of Rome, had encouraged the The establishment of Baha'i Chairs at
Baha ' is to participate and requested that a universities in the United States and India
paper on the Faith be presented. The Baha'i also marked a significant step in the devel-
Community as a Model for Social Change, opment of Baha'i scholarship.
174 TH E BAHA'I WORLD

f. Baha'i Education of Children and traditions of child education had been estab-
Youth and Baha'i Family Life lished ten or twenty years earlier, previously
The education of chilc!Jen and youth and the weak Local Assemblies were beginning to
nurturing of Baha'i families have been im- function and new generations of stalwart
p01iant components of several recent Plans . believers were arising .
However, the efforts required to open new Following this letter and others in a simiareas to the Faith and to consolidate new lar vein, the idea of placing emphasis on
communities often meant that few resources children and youth increasingly became the
were available for this crucial concern. Dur- focus of the believers' thinking, consultation
ing the Six Year Plan the institutions of the and planning. In Africa, Latin America and
Faith, encouraged by the Counsellors, gave Asia, as a result of large-scale enrollments
fresh attention to the needs of children and among the masses, many Baha'i communiyouth. As the Plan drew to a close the training ties were particularly obliged to take a new
of children 's teachers and the development look at the challenges of chi ld education.
of children's materials were progressing In Colombia, beginning in 1990, háaditional
with increased vigor and resolve, often as campaigns of expansion and consolidation
a major activity of the growing number of were altered to pay greater attention to
permanent teaching institutes. children and junior youth and, through them,
Renewed focus on the imp01iance of to their parents. In the Caribbean also, it
educating children, youth and fa milies, and was found that where organized children's
greater understanding of the requirements classes occurred, they provided the greatest
for building successful programs, were major access to the people. In many villages of the
achievements of the Plan in this area. world it was not only Baha ' i children but
also children and junior youth in the general
BAHA ' I C I-llLD REN ' S EDUCATION population who showed an ardent desire to
A December 1988 letter from the Interna- receive Baha'i education. As the Plan drew
tional Teaching Centre to all Continental to a close, more communities were incorpo-
Counsellors shared a vision of the children rating the establishment of children's classes
of the world as teachers of their own genera- into their plans of action for large-scale
tion, and as agents for the deepening of expansion.
others, placing pa1iicular emphasis on chil- Teachers of children's classes were trained
dren aged ten to sixteen. The Counsellors during a number of seminars organized by
had seen how in conmmnities where strong national and local Baha'i institutions and by

Children in a Bahri 'i
tutorial school in
Ngoakiri 11, in the
Central Aji-ican
Republic, 1987.
INTERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF C URRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 175
permanent institutes. The International Teach- children. Nicaragua 's first National Chiling Centre, in a letter to all Counsellors in dren's Conference was held in Managua
November 1992, foresaw the Six Year Plan in 1990, with more than forty children from
setting the stage for the corning Three Year six communities participating in deepenings,
Plan, and stated that "the rapid multiplica- singing, games and the breaking of a
tion of programs for the training of children's traditional "piiiata" filled with gifts. Two
class teachers represents one of the most children's conferences were held in Japan in
promising developments of institutes around the last year of the Plan. The first "Children's
the world". Unity Camp" was organized in Malaysia.
The Ruhi Institute in Colombia continued
to train youth as facilitators capable of stim- CURRI CULA AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
ulating other youth to educate themselves Efforts to create materials for use in chilin order to become effective Baha'i teachers dren's classes were carried out in a number
for the children in their communities. Ruhi of countries. The Children ' s Education Task
materials are designed to help the believers Force in Australia developed a complete curlearn to study the Sacred Writings on their riculum of Baha'i studies for children up to
own and to apply them in their daily lives, age fifteen and worked to fulfill its National
thus spurring them on to higher and higher Assembly's international collaboration goal
levels of service to the Cause. The materials to produce and exchange materials with
were also used in other Latin American coun- other National Assemblies in the Pacific.
tries, several African nations and in India. The School of the Nations in Brazil and the
The National Assembly of India published Maxwell International School in Canada
one of the Ruhi Institute manuals in Hindi, each began long-range projects of rewriting
and in June 1991 held an intensive course to the curricula of their academic courses to
prepare over forty individuals as trainers of reflect a spiritual approach to the subjects
children's class teachers. This effort formed and to provide appropriate ethical content.
part of a program to train hundreds of teach- Curricular materials for Baha'i children's
ers in the Hindi-speaking states. classes were developed in many communi-
The New Era Development Institute in ties , including Canada, Fiji, France, Gabon,
India and Nur University in Bolivia also pre- Kenya, Norway, Singapore, Thailand and
pared material for training teachers. the United States.
Special activities to complement classes A number of National Assemblies and
added to the positive Baha'i experiences of Baha' i educational institutions developed

A Bahci 'i children 's
class in Florida,
southern Uruguay,
poses for a happy
photograph,
November J988.
176 THE BAHA'i WORLD

A Bahci 'i tutorial
school in Chaco,
Paraguay, in
March 1989.

curricula for teaching comparative religion reserved for children. Chile published chiland the Baha'i Faith in public schools. A dren's letters and artwork in a quarterly
particular milestone was the approval of a bulletin called Capullitos, and a publication
Baha'i curriculum for public schools in the for children called Light of the Lotus was
states of New South Wales and Queensland, produced in the Canary Islands.
in Australia. The Chilean Ministry of Education approved the inclusion of study programs YOUTH
about the Faith in the general high school cur- Throughout the Plan the Baha'i education of
riculum, and the National Assembly prepared youth took a variety of forms, including
teachers for this task. Courses on religion and national and international youth conferences
moral education prepared by Baha'is were á (often organized largely by the youth themused in Brazilian public schools, and efforts selves), deepening retreats, youth camps
were made to introduce courses on the and week-long study institutes. For example,
Faith in the educational systems of Bolivia, in the United States an international youth
Cameroon and Spain. conference organized in 1988 attracted some
Near the end of the Plan, Malawi's 8,000 participants. Youth schools, youth
Regional Education Officer in the Southern symposia and forums for young profession-
Region accepted a plan for Baha'is to present als, held at Landegg Academy in Switzerland,
the history and moral teachings of the Faith among other places, provided opportunities
in secondary schools . Also, a curriculum on for intensive study and international exthe Faith developed by the National Assem- change.
blies of Jamaica and of Trinidad and Tobago Education programs that focused on prewas submitted to the Caribbean Examina- paring youth for the teaching field proved
tions Council for use in the English-speaking particularly successful. In the summer of 1991 ,
Caribbean islands. following several intensive teacher háaining
Publications for children also helped to courses for youth that were sponsored by the
involve children in the rhythm of Baha'i National Teaching Committee in the United
community life. A one-page lesson in every States and included field experience, some
Feast letter in Zimbabwe was said to be in- sixty full-time teaching teams arose. Some
shumental in establishing children's classes of the youth became so excited by their
in rural areas; a separate Feast letter for chil- experiences that they decided to postpone
dren was distributed in Brazil; and in Puerto their studies for one year to continue teach-
Rico a page of the national newsletter was ing full-time.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIV!TlES 177

ASSISTING PARENTS and fifty children needing medical háeat-
Parental guidance is central to the education ment, were commended by the government.
of Baha'i youth and children, and a number In Papua New Guinea a National Women's
of programs were devised to help parents Conference in October 1987 covered the
prepare for their vital role. Efforts were háaining of children.
made to ass ist African mothers who wished The Baha' i Mothers' Deepening Project of
to supplement their education so that they the Baha'i National Teaching Committee of
would be better prepared to educate their the Philippines was designed to give Filipina
children; the African women Counsellors in Baha'i mothers and future mothers guidance
particular saw this as a worthy mission and on the care, education and training of chilundertook extensive travels to further this dren; on maintaining a Baha'i atmosphere in
aim. The Baha'i Programme for Mothers, an their homes; and on cultivating rapport with
expanding series of booklets published by their husbands and fami lies. The intensive
the National Spiritual Assembly of Kenya, project began in February 1988 with the
provided guidance on raising healthy chil- holding of twenty-one Mothers ' Deepening
dren, teaching good character and creating a Classes in different parts of the counh-y, and
spiritual home environment. Translated into culminated in seven large Family Life Conalmost forty languages, the booklets are ferences in March and April 1988. A meeting
widely used by parents throughout Africa, to explore the principle of the equality of
and in 1987 a set was sent by the House of women and men was held in Cote d'Ivoire in
Justice to all National Assemblies. October 1990, in which the Baha'is were
The Baha 'i Education Network Commit- joined by a dozen other concerned parties to
tee in Canada collaborated with various Local discuss the role of women as the first educa-
Assemblies to sponsor more than thirty tors of their children, the importance of
workshops on helping parents teach values mutual support and common goals among
and virtues to children. The workshops were women, and ways to enhance understanding
attended by over 1,000 people, half of whom between mothers and daughters.
were not Baha'is. In Costa Rica a conference devoted to fami ly consultation and BAHA'i MARRIAGE AND FAM ILY LIFE
parent-child relations was well attended. Various efforts were made throughout the
In July 1986 classes for women in Pakistan world to develop programs to foster wholeon the basics of health care, hygiene and the some Baha'i family life, including deepenings,
feeding of infants, attended by fifty women conferences and special classes at summer

Th e wedding of two
Bahti 'i couples at the
l enakel Bahti 'i Centre
on Tanna island in
Vanuatu.
Janumy 1987.
178 THE BAHA'I WORLD

and winter schools. Baha'i families were interest among the participants, and invitaencouraged to become fully involved in tions to address the public followed. A
practicing the basic teachings of the Faith, National Women's Conference, held at the
with emphasis on prayer, maintenance of a Nakuru Baha'i Center, Kenya, in February
loving and humble attitude toward others, 1990, focused on the spiritual, intellectual
reading of the Writings, upholding family and material well-being of the Baha'i family;
unity through consultation and encouraging the National Women's Committee arranged
teaching of the Cause. television publicity and invited women rep-
A conference was held in Cameroon in resentatives of the Government of Kenya to
June 1986 to discuss the development of take part. The Baha'i youth of the Andaman
women, marriage, family life and child edu- and Nicobar Islands joined other island youth
cation. Also in Cameroon, mothers and to form a discussion group on Baha'i marfathers were invited to paiiicipate in regional riage in July 1990. The State Baha'i Council
conferences on family life held periodically of Andhra Pradesh in India held a "Baha'i
during the Plan; topics discussed included Family Conference" in November 1990.
chastity, consultation in the family, the role In addition to studying the topic of family
of fathers, discipline without physical pun- life, communities worked to create Baha'i
ishment, and the effects on children of activities for families to enjoy together.
parents' words and deeds. Every year the House of Worship in Sydney,
The Baha'is of San Juan, Pue1io Rico, Australia, hosted a Children's Day celebrasponsored weekly talks on "Marriage as a tion in which families participated in readings,
Fortress for Well-Being". The talks, pre- prayers and festivities. In Liberia a 400-acre
sented by a Baha'i psychiatrist under the fatm owned by the National Assembly was
auspices of the Auxiliary Board, attracted used early in the Plan as a center for the
media attention which led to five radio sta- education of families. In Belize a nineteentions' broadcasting weekly announcements day program of readings and activities for
about the project, and one popular station' s families was distributed. The Assembly of
airing two-hour "call-in" shows for several Sri Lanka reported that its efforts to hold
months on topics related to healthy marriage. family conferences and deepenings and to
Elsewhere around the world, a prominent arrange individual visits to homes resulted
Baha'i psychiatrist conducted a one-week in an increase in the number of identifiable
seminar on marriage at the Landegg Academy Baha'i families.
in Switzerland in 1986, which participants Families were the focus of teaching
reported was practical, scholarly and cre- efforts in one city of El Salvador. A Local
ative. In September 1987 the National Baha'i Spiritual Assembly chose a middle-class
Women's Committee of Zaire held a Re- neighborhood where a Baha'i family lived
gional Women' s Conference in Kinshasa, in which to proclaim the Faith during March
Zaire, on marriage, family life and the edu- 1990. Of the 355 families visited by memcation of children. A traveling teacher visited bers of the Baha'i community, almost all
Singapore in August 1989 and conducted a accepted literature, and follow-up visits
workshop on "Marriage and Family Life", were made to thirty-six families. About fifty
which focused on setting life goa ls, defining people from the neighborhood attended at
one's personality, determining what one has least one evening event. By the end of four
to offer the Faith, and examining one ' s weeks ten people had embraced the Faith
expectations from a partner. A traveling and there continued to be interest among
teacher in Lesotho conducted a three-day In- people in at least ninety households. Classes
ternational Deepening Institute on Marriage in morality and virtues were established and
and Family Life; the issues provoked intense offered to the children in the neighborhood.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAI-IA'i ACTIVITIES 179
g. Pursuing Social and Economic Develop- strengthened existing programs to ensure
ment Activities in Well-Established Baha'i that new ventures proceeded from a strong
Communities foundation. Baha'is worldwide now general-
The dramatic worldwide expansion of Baha'i ly possess a much clearer understanding of
social and economic development activities the unique Baha 'i approach to development
since the October 1983 message by the and have gained invaluable experience in
Universal House of Justice contributed in developing the art of applying spiritual conno small measure to the emergence of the cepts to the practical challenges of daily
Baha'i community from obscurity and con- life. At the conclusion of the Plan a reported
stitutes one of the distinguishing characteristics 1,344 Baha'i development endeavors were
of the development of the Cause of God functioning throughout the world under the
in the past decade. The virtually exponential jurisdiction of 137 National Spiritual Asexpansion achieved in the number of devel- semblies . (See Appendix.)
opment activities during the Seven Year Baha'i programs established a reputation
Plan (1979- 1986) became more gradual dur- for honest management and altJ.uistic service.
ing the Six Year Plan as Baha'i communities Collaboration with other organizations gained
momentum as support was received from
organizations such as UNICEF, the United
Nations Development Fund for Women
(UNlFEM), and governments as widespread
as Canada, India and Norway. Baha'i institutions began to be identified as important
contJ.áibutors to international development,
while the Baha'i administJ.áative network was
seen as a potent force for coordinating
development activities within a global framework. Many communities developed their
consultative skills in order to more effectively identify feasible projects, formulate the
necessary plans, and guide the resulting
undertakings. The wisdom of starting small
and ensuring that initial activities could be
canied out successfully with local resources
became increasingly evident. Assemblies
became more adept at recognizing whether
and how proposed development projects
would contribute to the sttáengthening of the
community. Many communities, especially
those with permanent programs, began taking
steps to ensure that effective development
activities would continue even if external
sources of supp01i were to be withdrawn. To
an ever greater degree, National Spiritual
Jn Guam, l 8 children from the Jnarajan Assemblies recognized the importance of in-
Baha'i School planted 600 acacia seedlings creasing the local communities' awareness
on 2 l October l 990. A statement of appre- of needs and possibilities, and of guiding
ciation was issued by the Forestry Division and coordinating the efforts resulting from
of Guam's Department of Agriculture. such awareness. Administtáative capabilities
180 THE BAHA'I WORLD

grew and Baha ' i institutions continued the objective was to supplement or improve the
process of building the organizational infra- nutritional value of the local diet, while in
structure needed to guide and nurture more other instances the friends contributed their
complex programs. The diversity of Baha'i labor to cultivate a communal field to raise
development undertakings also increased money for a useful purpose, such as the
dramatically. A high proportion of these Baha'i Fund, a Baha'i center or a tutorial
ventures, especially in basic education and school. For some communities agricultural
vocational training, targeted women and self-sufficiency was the goal.
youth. A highly successful fish culture program
Effective models for stimulating self- was implemented by the Baha 'is of Enteban
sustaining community development were Ulu in Malaysia. The seven fish ponds profo1mulated and refined during the Six Year duced enough fish to meet the needs of the
Plan and, as Baha'i communities throughout entire village of two hundred people.
the world began to address their develop- The Community Development Program
ment concerns, a remarkably diverse pattern of the Rabbani School, Gwalior, India,
of activities emerged. From modest coopera- achieved notable success with its model farm.
tive agricultural projects which raise funds The farm enabled this residential school
for construction of a local Baha'i center, to to become almost self-sufficient in food
community health education programs which production, while providing a real-world
increase the prevention of endemic diseases; laboratory for the students to learn practical
from ttáee-planting efforts to training semi- agricultural skills, and setting an outstanding
nars which combat racism; from programs example for area farmers. Technical assiswhich offer succor to orphaned children to tance was offered to local agriculturists who
those which confront the problems of mug wanted to introduce ecologically sound
abuse; Baha'i communities discovered myriad farming practices.
ways to express their faith through service to In Queensland, Australia, forty acres of
humanity. New ttáaining programs for teach- bushland were donated by a Baha'i family
ers of Baha'i childiáen's classes emerged, based to be used by Aboriginal people for growing
on an increasingly sophisticated understand- bananas and other crops. It was dedicated
ing of the learning needs of prospective in a ceremony attended by many Aborigines
teachers who generally possessed limited as well as the Hand of the Cause of God
educational backgrounds and teaching expe- H. Collis Featherstone.
rience. Baha ' i educators began rewriting
traditional academic curricula to reflect the INTEGRATED COMMUNITY D EVELOPM ENT
spiritual perspective of the teachings. They Certain Baha'i development programs have
also developed curricula for public schools, been conceived and designed with a confor adult literacy programs, and for courses scious understanding that all social and
on the Faith or on human values. All these spiritual needs are interrelated. This requires
notable areas of progress either emerged or that social and spiritual change go hand in
became more evident during the Six Year hand, progressing from simple to more com-
Plan, and are described in more detail below. plex unde1iakings. Activities of the Bayanda
Project in Zaire and the New Era Develop-
AGRICULTURE ment Institute in India are examples of this
Small-scale agricultural activities, including approach.
training courses for the improvement of fa1m- From the first contact of the Bayanda
ing practices and productivity, were carried people (the Pygmies of northeastern Zaire)
out by a number of Baha' i communities in with the Faith, they received assistance and
developing counttáies. In some cases the encouragement from the Baha 'i community.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BA HA'I ACT IVI TI ES 181

An experimental
p epper farm is a
Bahci 'i economic
development project
in Sarawak,
Malays ia. 1988.

Jn Bolivia, Baha 'is
use the Dorothy
Baker Center for
Environmental
Studies. 1987.

Jn Switzerland,
Bahci 'is participate
in the annual cleanup of the marshland
form ed where the
Rhone River flows
into Lake Geneva.
March 1992.
182 THE BAHA'I WORLD

During the Plan agricultural activities enabled Community responsible for conducting the
the Bayanda to improve their diet and to activities of the Faith related to the environbecome relatively self-sufficient; classes were ment. A compilation entitled Conservation
held for the children; many adults learned of the Earth's Resources was subsequently
to read and write: and health education issued by the World Centre. Communities
programs improved nutrition, sanitation and and schools sponsored environmental educahygiene. The Bayanda developed greater tion and action programs involving wetlands
confidence and a new vision for their future conservation, afforestation, pollution control,
thus enabling them to interact more success- teclmological advancements, community refully with the wider community. sources and energy efficiency. Outstanding
The Community Development Facilitator environn1ental programs were canied for-
Program of India 's New Era Development ward in Taiwan and Bolivia. During the
Institute trained young people to stimulate final year of the Plan the Office of the Enviand assist local communities to embark on ronment and the Baha'i community of Brazil
the path of self-sustaining development. Dm- diligently prepared for the Earth Summit to
ing the closing months of the Plan institute be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.
staff reported major success in implementing Among other Earth Sunmlit activities, a
a new model for community development in major recognition award was to be bestowed
which a group of highly unified trainees with upon the Baha'i Vocational Institute for
modest development-related skills spent four Rural Women in Indore, India, for its guinea
or five days in a village and conducted a worm eradication project.
training institute for the local youth. The During the concluding year of the Six Year
program included moral education classes, Plan twenty-six Baha'i tree-planting proj ects
conununity service activities and training were undertaken, along ,with twenty-six
in a practical skill which could be learned other enviro1m1ental activities. Many of
quickly . The unity and spirit of service these activities were conducted in support of
exemplified by the group of visitors, who government-sponsored programs or to mark
would share in the life of the village for a World Environn1ent Day and Earth Day.
relatively extended period of time, com- Some of the more notable initiatives during
bined with integrated spiritual education and this period were those of the Anis Zunuzi
valued community service, had a profound Baha'i School in Haiti and the Rabbani
impact. In one instance the entire village School in India, where tree nurseries were
enrnlled in the Faith and appeared ready to established and many thousands of seedlings
introduce important changes in the organiza- were planted in villages. In 1986 the Rabbani
tion of village life based on their growing School received a national award for its
understanding of the Baha ' i teachings. afforestation activ ities. Subsequently, its
wasteland reclamation effo11s, both at the
CONSERVATION/ENVIRONMENT school farm and in the surrounding villages,
Creation reflects the names and attributes of which had already reclaimed many acres of
God, and mankind has a profound responsi- salt-affected soil, attracted widespread attenbility to protect the natural environment and tion from government authorities of Madhya
preserve its ecological balance. Thus , in its Pradesh. This continuing project was con-
1989 Ric;lvan message the Universal House ducted in collaboration with the Society for
of Justice called on Baha ' is to increase their Promotion of Wasteland Development in
activities in support of environmental con- New Delhi.
setvation, and in October it announced the Among others, collaborative tree-planting
establishment of the Office of the Environ- eff011s were conducted in Colombia and
ment as an agency of the Baha'i International Guam. In Colombia Baha'i youth joined
INT ERNATION A L SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACT IVITIES 183
forces with a group called the Corporation to HEALTI-1
Defend the Bucaramanga Plateau and planted The importance of both preventive and curanumerous trees. On the island of Guam, a tive health care is clearly stated in the
group of eighteen Baha'is assisted a govern- Writings . When the Universal House of
ment foresháy agency in its tree-planting Justice released its message on social and
work. economic development in 1983, there was
A very successful environmental program only one modest Baha'i health care project
was developed in Taiwan where the National in operation; by the end of the Six Year Plan,
Assembly's Baha'i Office of the Environ- national communities around the world had
ment and the Taiwan Council of Agriculture undertaken fifty-six health projects of varycollaborated in a "Nature Awareness Educa- ing scopes.
tion Project." During 1990 thirty-six workshops Baha'i community health education proon environmental education for more than grams were conducted in Burkina Faso,
750 kindergarten and elementary school Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, Ecuador, India,
teachers were conducted. A second series of Kenya, Laos , Malawi, Malaysia, Swaziland,
twenty-seven workshops was held in 1991. Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia
Public awareness of the Faith in Taiwan and Zimbabwe. Generally speaking, proconsequently rose and cordial relations with grams were organized to serve areas having
government authorities were promoted. a significant number of relatively well-
In Cochabamba, Bolivia, the Dorothy established Baha'i communities . Participating
Baker Center for Environmental Studies, communities nominated one or more mature
a private non-profit institution owned by and dedicated believers to receive háaining
Baha 'is, managed an environmental research which would prepare them to serve as voluncenter and an interactive educational fac ility. teer health educators. The initial course
The Center developed a unique approach to normally lasted approximately two weeks,
environmental studies integrating elements focusing on inununization, basic hygiene
of academic and environmental education, and sanitation, maternal and child health,
sustainable agriculture and health care. nutrition and first aid. The participants also
In Northern Ireland believers organized received intensive spiritual education based
an environmental education program to learn on the Baha'i teachings, such as learning
about community resources. Topics included prayers and passages on health from the
wind power, conversion of agricultural Writings . A further development of the comwastes, small-scale water power, integrated munity health workers' program was the
education of children, tree planting, fish selection and training of some of the experistocks in the area, willow biomass and fuel enced vo lunteers to serve as háainers for
from the wetlands. Similarly, the Associa- future participants.
tion for Baha' i Studies in Colombia and a The volunteers, working with their Local
socio-eco logical group of the United Nations Assemblies in a mutually supportive way,
organized an ecological fo1um entitled "Edu- were expected to offer at least several hours
cation has an Enviromnental Conscience." of service per week to their local communities,
In Brittany, France, Baha ' is joined members often working in tandem with govenm1ent
of a regional Society for the Study and Pro- health workers. In some cases, usually
tection of Nature to carry out a tluáee-week where funding had been obtained from an
conununity service project to beautify a international development agency, it was
nature reserve ; tasks included collecting possible to provide minimal full- or patifirewood, clearing the land, making observa- time staff support to coordinate activities
tion lookouts for animal and bird watchers, and maintain contact with the volunteers.
and painting and repairing a house. Overall, dropout rates were very low and
184 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Dr. Zeeba Faroughi
prescribing medicine
to a patient she has
examined during a
ji-ee medical camp
held on Bhit Island
near Karachi,
Pakistan. 1989.

indicators of community health status sug- medical assistance were also pursued in the
gested that the programs were having a Baha'i world. A few Baha'i communities
significant impact. The outstanding success and individuals constructed small rural hosof several of these programs attracted the pitals or clinics to serve areas with limited
attention of development agencies and gov- access to medical care. In such areas the proernments at local, national and international vision of curative care as well as preventive
levels. health measures contributed significantly to
For example, the Baha ' i Community De- the leve l of health of the communities which
ve lopment Project on Health commenced they served.
operation in Sarh, Chad, in 1984 as a The Bayan Project in Palacios, Honduras,
humanitarian relief project in response to composed of a small hospital with out-patient
the emergency situation which had resulted services, was established in 1985 by two
from civil war and widespread famine. The doctors and their families who pioneered to .
project expanded rapidly, and by the end of this remote area on the Caribbean coast.
the Plan community health workers were Before its establishment the nearest hospital
providing health care services in almost sixty was more than four hundred kilometers
villages to more than 12,000 people. The away and was only accessible by air or water
project, which received support from inter- transport. The new hospital provided medinational funding agencies, was praised by cal consultation and surgical treatment, and
Chadian government officials. In 1991 a its staff conducted health education in the
government official stated that the Baha'i local area. The hospital received support
health program had been responsible for from various Baha'i and non-Baha ' i sources.
blocking the spread of a cholera epidemic Baha'i communities in several counháies,
into the district of Moyen-Chari, where the especially Bangladesh, India and Pakistan,
project operated and the largest concentra- conducted medical camps in areas where
tion of Baha'i communities in the country access to medical facilities was limited,
was found. The health program also gave offering free consultations and basic medirise to the development of a network of eigh- cines. Camps specializing in eye and dental
teen tutorial schools serving over 1,300 care were particularly effective.
children. One of the most successful medical assis-
In addition to health educational programs, tance programs was conducted in Guyana
a number of endeavors aimed at offering where a number of Baha'i physicians from
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 185
other countries offered their professional substance abuse, orphans and homeless peoservices to the health authorities on a short- ple, the elderly and handicapped, persons
tem1 basis. Some physicians made repeated with marital difficulties, refugees and victims
visits, providing specialty care and conduct- of disasters .
ing in-service seminars for medical staff. In Hawaii the Baha'i Community Assis-
Following this initiative, arrangements were tance Program (B-CAP) was established in
made to provide shipments of medical sup- 1987 to provide deepening and counseling
plies to hospitals. Not only did the success on marriage and remarriage, assistance for
of these activities foster wa1m relations family problems, a food bank and an elders '
between the Guyanese authorities and the program. Three essential characteristics of
National Assembly of Guyana, but it also B-CAP were its reliance on Baha'i Writings
inspired the creation of a similar program in for approaches to personal problems; refer-
Nicaragua. rals to professional agencies, doctors or
social workers qualified to handle particular
RACE UNITY ACTIVITIES problems; and Local Assembly supervision
Baha'i communities in the United States of each program. B-CAP, as an arm of the
launched institutes for racial understanding National Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands,
and cooperation in response to this, "the became a means by which the Baha'i commost vital and challenging issue" facing the munity could begin to take care of its own
American nation. In addition to many con- members, as well as train a cadre of
ferences and seminars, training sessions were volunteers.
conducted for members of several local In Brazil the Lar Linda Tanure Center for
police departments at their request. Within Social Well-Being, begun in 1986, offered
a framework emphasizing the oneness of shelter, aid and education to needy children
humanity, police officers and cadets were who were referred by the Juvenile Justice
encouraged to adopt positive attitudes and Court in the Amazonas area. It had thirty
behavior in their interactions with minority resident children, with 150 children attending
groups. its preschool and youth programs. The Center fo1med part of the Association for the
SOCIAL SERVI CES Coherent Development of the Amazon. Its
Tluáoughout the world Baha'i communities activities for youth emphasized moral eduoperated programs offering compassionate cation and agricultural skills. The Center
assistance to people in need: sufferers from also provided courses for women in health,

In auguration of a
public well built for
the community by the
Local Spiritual
Assembly of Bata,
Equatorial Guinea.
November 1988.
186 THE BAHA 'i WORLD

hygiene, nutrition and the prevention of program. It taught village women, most of
disease. whom came from extremely isolated tribal
A number of American and Canadian areas in Madhya Pradesh and many of whom
Baha'i communities assisted refugees and had never been away from home before,
new immigrants to adapt to life in North to read and write, and provided training in
America. Often the Baha'is conducted classes practical skills which would enable them to
in English as a second language, helped the be self-supporting in their home conununities.
newcomers to find jobs, and oriented them Moral education, personal hygiene, nutrition
to available social services. and basic agricultural techniques were also
Several Baha'i conununities assisted with taught by a devoted staff which surrounded
disaster relief operations in the wake of the young women with loving-kindness and
devastating storms. Relying on prayer and personal attention. The consistent result was
consultation, Baha'i conununities drew upon a dramatic transformation in the characters
the friends' sp irit of service to play an and competence of the participants, and the
important role in quickly and calmly mobi- women' s home communities shared in these
lizing the community during emergencies benefits upon their return.
and in coping with the lingering effects of a Another project, involving Baha'i comdisaster. As one examp le, in the aftem1ath munities in Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon,
of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the Baha ' is of Malaysia and Nigeria, promoted the equality
the Virgin Islands actively assisted with of men and women. During the programs
food distributions, counseling, provision of men and women examined traditional gender
temporary roofing for homes of the elderly, roles based on the perspective of the Baba' i
management of a shelter, and opened a local teachings. The facilitators strove to create a
Baha'i center to a homeless family-all this loving, supportive atmosphere to encourage
despite the fact that many of the Baha'is' participants to modify their behavior in
own homes were damaged or destroyed. appropriate ways. In Bolivia, Cameroon and
Malaysia these activities were supported by
WOM EN UNIFEM.
Many Baha'i development act!Vlt1es fo- In Uganda the Baha'is collaborated with
cused specifically on realizing the potential the Uganda Women ' s Finance and Credit
of women. The Baha ' i Vocationa l Training Trust and the Uganda Women Lawyers '
Institute for Rural Women in Indore, India, Association in a five-day gathering which
is the longest-running example of such a enhanced the participants' knowledge of

Participants in a
fence-making course
held by Bahri 'is in
Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, as a rural
development project
in November 1988.
INTERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CU RR ENT BAHA ' i AC TI VITI ES 187

A geography lesson at the Baha'i School of the Nations in Arecibo,
Puerto Rico, in April I 99 2.

The children of the Mbabane Pre-School in Swaziland pose for the photographer while
singing one of their favorite songs; I 987.
188 THE BAHA'i WORLD

financial management, marketing, book- These schools conducted simple village-level
keeping, legal issues and laws of marriage programs which provided basic education for
and succession. The workshop, which brought children with limited educational opportutogether nearly thirty leading women, had nities.
the overall aim of enabling these women to In many cases Baha'i tutorial school
become more effective in guiding their own teachers themselves possessed only modest
destinies and in contributing to the progress levels of education, but they often compenof their country. sated for their lack of academic training
through their love for the children and the
YO UTH spirit of service which animated their work.
Youth around the world provided much of Likewise, the wholehearted support of the
the energy, enthusiasm and spirit of service sponsoring local Baha' i community contribanimating Baha' i development programs by uted to the success of such ventures. The
participating in a broad range of community teacher frequently functioned as a key
service activities, and especially as tutorial believer who stimulated a wide variety of
school or children's class teachers. A large activities in the local Baha' i community, and
number of proj.ects were also specifically the tutorial school became a center for addiaimed at enhancing the social and spiritual tional activities. During the Plan many
development of these young people. Two Baha'i tutorial schools, even some of those
such locally initiated programs in the United which had commenced operating under a
States, the Elbow Learning Lab and Fathers háee, evolved to t11e stage of offering a basic
Incorporated, gained warm commendation primary school education in accordance with
and recognition for their services. The Elbow the government-approved curriculum.
Learning Lab in Griffin, Georgia, helped At the end of the Plan the most notable
to meet the remedial education needs of tutorial school programs were those oflndia,
children and youth in a low-income area where Baha' is operated almost 200, and
where illiteracy and other social problems Zaire, where over ninety were functioning.
were widespread. In July 1992 the project Other countries with major tutorial school
received recognition as a "Point of Light" programs included Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil,
from the President of the United States. Chad, Colombia, Malawi, Panama and the
Fathers Incorporated provided academic assis Philippines.
tance and positive role models for inner-city In contrast to tutorial schools , Baha 'i
youth in Detroit, Michigan, with the goal of academic schools are formally established
improving academic competence and enhanc- institutions which have, or seek, official
ing self-esteem. Activities included workshops accreditation from government authorities .
and consultations on marriage and family These schools employ full-time staff and
life, interviewing and resume writing, dress, usually offer academic subj ects which are
behavior, peer pressure and substance abuse. taught according to government standards.
Knowledge of the program's success spread During the Plan the number of Baha ' i
in the wider communi ty, and outside finan- academic schools increased fro m forty-one
cial assistance was rece ived to help fund a to one hundred and seventy-eight largely due
summer project. to the evolution of many tutorial schools. In
general, enrollments substantially increased,
BAI-IA' i S CHOOLS the range of subjects taught broadened, and
At the end of the Plan there were almost 500 physical faci lities were expanded or
Baha ' i tutorial schools se1ving an estimated upgraded. Major academic schools include
20,000 children in developing countries in the New Era, Rabbani and Tadong Schools
Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific. in India; the New Day Schoo l in Pakistan;
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 189
the Santitham School in Thailand; the Ruaha Masetlha Baha'i Institute in Zambia had per-
School in Tanzania; School of the Nations haps the most highly diversified programs.
in Brazil; the Anis Zumizi School in Haiti; Others effective in promoting development
Colegio Nill in Chile; the Raul Pavon School activities included the Vocational Institute
in Ecuador; and the Maxwell International for Rural Women in India, the Djalal Eghrari
School in Canada. Polytechnic Institute in the Amazon region
Baha'i schools increasingly distinguished of Brazil, the Ruhi Institute in Colombia, the
themselves through their academic achieve- Yukon Institute in Canada and, in the United
ments and the praiseworthy character of their States, the Native American Baha'i Institute,
students. The schools generally followed a the Louis Gregoty Institute, and Louhelen,
formal academic program, as established by Bosch and Green Acre Baha 'i Schools.
the educational authorities, complemented by
regular prayers, religious studies, commu- LITERACY
nity service and vocational training. Several Access to the transforming power of the
schools pioneered efforts to infuse Baha'i Word of God is an essential human right.
concepts into their entire academic curricula. In July 1989 the Universal House of Justice
In addition to schools operated by Baha'i called on all National Assemblies to aim at
institutions, a number of private educational the elimination of illiteracy from the Baha'i
establishments were founded by believers community. In response to this call many
who strove to operate their programs in ac- Baha'i communities and the offices of the
cordance with the basic principles, aims and Baha'i International Community actively
objectives which vivify Baha'i development supported the United Nations International
activities. Nill University in Bolivia and the Literacy Year in 1990 and either instituted
School of the Nations in Macau are perhaps literacy programs or began to support existthe best known of these institutions ofleaming. ing ones.
During the Plan the number of reported
TRAINING INSTITUTES Baha'i literacy programs, many of them
During the Six Year Plan several permanent short-term, rose from sixty-seven to 186.
Baha' i institutes emerged as major centers Their goal was to teach reading and writing
of the Faith's social and economic develop- to youth and adults who either had been
ment activities. The New Era Development deprived of a formal education or who
Institute in India and the William Mmutle had left school functionally illiterate. Baha' i

A Mobile Baha'i Institute in Cotonou, Benin,
in January 1989.
190 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

educators specializing in literacy began public schools. The Baha' is of Namibia were
to advocate an approach using "root" or invited to participate in efforts to restructure
"generative" words with spiritual meanings the national education system, while the
in order to teach vocabulary while evoking Baha'i community of Swaziland has been
meaningful discussions on vital issues. Re- involved in a significant manner in the trainsults have indicated the effectiveness of this ing of preschool teachers nationwide. Also in
approach for teaching literacy and, of equal Swaziland two Baha ' i educators have been
importance, for stimulating personal growth developing core international curricula for
and community development. environmental education based on the per-
For example, in Panama, Guaymi Indian spective of the teachings.
Baha'is collaborated with government liter- Ongoing teaching efforts in colleges and
acy instructors to develop a literacy course universities have resulted in a large number
in their native tongue focusing on the use of of short courses on the Baha'i Faith and its
words having spiritual significance as part of principles. The most notable achievements
a systematic effort to preserve and revive were the establishment of two university
traditional culture. Chairs related to Baha ' i Studies: one at the
The most ambitious literacy project was University of Maryland in the United States
established by the National Assembly of India. in January 1990 and one at Indore Univer-
Its goal was to eventually achieve universal sity in India in April 1990.
literacy among the more than two million The accomplishments of the Baha'i com-
Baha'is in the subcontinent. Comprehensive munity in the area of social and economic
teaching materials were developed for courses development during the Six Year Plan reflect
in the Hindi and Marathi languages, and ini- great audacity and cornn1itrnent to service.
tial tráaining sessions for prospective trainers The believers worked to apply spiritual prinof literacy instructors were conducted. ciples to practical needs. The goodwill
towards the Cause generated by these
CURRICULUM D EVELOPMENT services has created countless opportunities
A number of National Spiritual Assemblies for the future. The friends have seen that
and Baba' i educational institutions have their endeavors in the path of service, no
developed curricula to teach comparative matter how modest, have set in motion proreligion. Baha' is have also contributed to cesses which will long continue to produce
improving the overall curricula of some beneficial effects.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RR EN T BAHA'i ACT IV IT I ES 191

APPENDIX

Bahn 'f lnlernationa/ Community Statement, Ninlh Meeting of !he Committee of Represen tatives of Governments
and Administralions, South Pacific Commission, 23rd lo 27th May 1988, Noumea, New Caledonia.

Health, Education and the Role of Women
The Ba ha' i International Community representing the Baha'i Communities of the Pacific Region wishes to express
its appreciation to the South Pacific Commission for the invitation to attend thi s meeting of the Committee of Governments and Administrations. Although we are keen ly in terested in the variety of concerns bein g discussed at this
meeting, we would like to direct our comments to the areas of health and ed ucation. The dynamic relationship
between these two dimensions of human development is fu ndamental to the realization of all others.
Baha'is beli eve that health is more than the absence of disease or infirmity. In add ition to the three w idely recogn ised aspects of health-physical , mental and soc ial wel l-being- the spiritual dimension is likewise important
and shou ld be manifested not on ly in the indi vidua l, but also in the life of the family and the community.
Consequently, Baha'i communities stri ve to address the needs of indi vidua ls, fam ili es, and the communi ty as a
whole in their activities. The role of education in the reali za tion of thi s harmonious ba lance between all aspects of
life cannot be overemphas ized and the ed ucation of wo men is of particul ar importance in thi s process.
Women, as the main agents of primary health care, play an essen tial role in mai nt aining fam il y and commun ity
hea lth. They are the ones who are most aware of sickness and su ffering in the communi ty because of their soc ial
ro le as nurturers and care-takers of the youn g, the old , the sick and the handi cap ped, and they exert an important
inn uence on health habits in the fam il y. Although it is o ften recogn ised that primary hea lth care has to respond to
the needs of people, and that women have the most extens ive awareness of these needs, their opinion is hard ly ever
so licited when hea lth care programmes are being formul ated.
In order fo r communities to benefit from the knowledge whi ch wo men possess, a renewed self-confide nce of
wo men has to be encouraged. Women have to learn to regard themselves as capable human beings with important
contributions to make on the basis of their life experience and their accumul ated wealth of knowledge. Furthermore
a conscious effort has to be made to enable women to organise and to vocalize the information they have acqu ired.
If thi s partic ipation is to become a real ity, women mu st penetrate all levels and all areas of the hea lth care system. They have to be doctors, nurses, community deve lopment agents, educators, agricu ltural extens ion workers,
public health officials, pl anners, legis lators, politicians. At the same time , they have to enco urage the participation
o f people at the grass-roots, incl udin g women and women 's organizations, in th e decisions affectin g indi vidua l and
co mmuni ty hea lth . None o f these resu lts can be reali zed unl ess special efforts are made to organise education and
vocational and professiona l training in such a way that more girls and wo men can take advantage of them .
Investing reso urces in primary health care programmes which includes health education and the app lication of
health promoting activities based on simple but scientifica ll y so und measures in which women can participate at the
local level, is likely to prov ide more benefits than traditional efforts ded icated to the formation of highl y skilled
physicians who practice medicine in clinics and hospital s.
Primary health care activities should be fu ll y integrated w ith the activities of other sectors involved in community devel opment, agriculture, education, pub li c works, housing, and communication, and the local population
shou ld be active ly involved in the formulation and impl ementation of these activities , so that health care can be
brought into lin e with loca l needs and prioriti es. These priorities will be based on decisions resulting from a continuo us d ialogue between the people and the se rvices.
The Baha' i In ternational Community is active ly involved in primary health care. In India, Ma lays ia, Tanzania,
Kenya, Zambia and many more countri es inc lu din g the Pacific region , Baha ' i vi ll ages are implementing health and
educat iona l programmes of many kinds and are hav ing much success. It is our view that these programmes are successful because the ove rall ed ucation of women is the key facto r and conseque ntl y they recogn ize their own va lue,
thereby enab lin g them to participate more readily in decisions concerning their communitys' hea lth.
While the Baha'i International Community continues to work toward the improvement of li fe in our commun ities thro ugh these programmes we also welcome the opportunity to lend sup port to health programmes which
req ui re loca l as we ll as profess iona l volunteers.
192 THE BAHA'I WORLD

2. EXPANSION AND CONSOLIDATION OF THE BAHA'i FAITH

SUMMARY STATISTICS
OF THE SIX YEAR PLAN 1986- 1992

WORLD TOTALS
21April1986 20 April 1992
National Spiritual Assemblies................. ..... ....... .......... ...... .. 148 165
National I:Ia'.?iratu ' l-Quds ... ...... ............... ..... .. ....... ... .. ...... .... . 141 146
Baha'i Temples. ... ...... ........ .... .... ..... ....................... ..... .......... . 6 7
Sites for national Baha'i Temples. .............. ..... ....... ... ... ... .. ... 124 127
Baha' i Publishing Trusts... .................................................... 25 28
Languages into which Baha'i literature has been translated. 802 NIA+
Baha'i schools ............................................ .. ....................... .. 599 666
Social and economic development projects ..... ........ .. ..... .. ... . 431 678 .
(other than schools)
Countries that exempt the Baha'i community
from payment of taxes on properties .... .. .. ......... .. ...... ..... .. . . 61 77
Countries that recognize Baha'i Holy Days ... .... ....... .. ...... ... . 76 81
-.
Countries that recognize Baha ' i maITiage ....... ...... .... ........... . 60 70
Localities where Baha'is reside .... ..... ... ..... ..... .. .... ... .. ... .. ...... . 114,988 120,046
Isolated centres and groups .................. ..... ........ ... ...... ..... ..... . 89,658 99,611
Local Spiritual Assemblies ... ........ .... .. ... ....... .... ... ..... .......... .. . 25 ,33 0 20,435*

+ No information available.
* Between 1986 and l 988, a numerical dec rease of 11 ,000 Local Spiritual Asse mblies and 6, I 00 loca liti es
occurred in India due to rev ised civil areas of jurisd iction. Similar changes took place in some other countries.

I
AFRICA
2 l April I 986 20April 1992
National Spiritual Assemblies..... ............... .. .......... ....... .. .. .... 43 47
National I:Iaziratu '1-Quds ............ ... .............. ..... ........ ...... ...... 41 42
Baha' i Temples.......... ....................... ..... ....... ..... ....... ....... ...... 1 1
Sites for national Baha'i Temples ....... ... ...... ...... ..... ........ .... .. 36 36
Baha'i Publishing Trusts. ............. .......... ......... ............. ......... 4 4
Languages into which Baha' i literature has been translated. 266 NIA
Bahc't' i schools .. ... .. ... .. . .. . .. ... ... ... ... .. .. .... .. . .. .. .. ... ...... .. .... .. ... .. .. 143 166
Social and economic development projects ..... ........... ..... ..... 139 120
(other than schools)
Countries that exempt the Baha' i community
from payment of taxes on properties. .... ....................... .. ... 16 21
INTERNATIONAL SU RVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIV ITIES 193

Countries that recognize Baha'i Holy Days .. .... ...... .... ..... ..... . 16 18
Countries that recognize Baha'i marriage ....... ... ..... ....... ...... . . 10 13
Localities where Baha' is reside .. ................... .... .... .. ....... ..... ... 36,145 33,270
Isolated centres and groups ... ....... .. ... ..... .. .. .. ... ....... ... ... .. ..... .. . 29,878 27,366
Local Spiritual Assemblies ..... ..... ... .. ...... ............ .... ............ ... . 6,267 5,904

AMERlCAS
21April 1986 20April 1992
National Spiritual Assemblies..... ......... ... .... ...... .. .. .... ... .. ... .... . 41 43
National I:Ia?'. iratu ' l-Quds ... ... .... .. .. .... ... ....... .... .... .. ...... ........... 40 41
Baha'i Temples .. .. .................. .... ............... .. .. ....... .... .. ... ...... ... 2 2
Sites for national Baha'i Temples....... .. ...... ........... ... .. ....... .... 32 31
Baha'i Publishing Trusts........................... ............. ............. ... 3 3
Languages into which Baha'i literature has been translated. . 172 NIA
Baha'i schools ..... ... ... .......................... .. ...... ....... ........ .. ... ....... 106 184
Social and economic development projects ... .. . .. ... .. . ........ .. .. . 98 195
(other than schools)
Countries that exempt the Baha'i community
from payment of taxes on properties ............ ... .. ..... .. ..... ... .. 18 23
Countráies that recognize Baha'i Holy Days .. .. .. ..... ..... ..... .. .. .. 24 25
Countries that recognize Baha'i marriage .... ..... .... ..... .. ........ .. 13 17
Localities where Baha' is reside ....................... .. ......... .. .... .... . . 26,514 27,470
Isolated centráes and groups ..... .... .... ... ......... ...... .... ...... .... .... ... 20,303 22,079
Local Spiritual Assemblies .... ... .. .. ... .... ........ ... ... .. ..... .. ... ... ... .. . 6,211 5,391

ASIA
21Aprill986 20April 1992
National Spiritual Assemblies ....... ~ .................. ..... ... .. .. ..... .... . 27 29
N ational I:Ia?'. iratu ' l-Quds ....... ....................... ... ...... .... ........ .... 23 25
Baha'i Temples ....... .. ......... ............... ..... ... ... ...... ...... .. .......... .. 0
Sites for national Baha'i Temples ..... ..... ..................... ......... .. 22 24
Baha'i Publishing Trusts ....................................... ...... .......... . 8 9
Languages into which Baha' i literature has been tráanslated .. 174 NIA
Baha'i schools ... .................. ....... .. ... ....... ..... ....... .... ......... ..... .. 342 300
Social and economic development projects ........... ............. .. 15 1 232
(other than schools)
Counháies that exempt the Baha'i conununity
from payment of taxes on properties ... ..... ........... ....... ..... ... 11 13
Countráies that recognize Baha ' i Holy Days ....... .. .. .. ..... .. .... . .. 13 13
Countráies that recognize Baha ' i marriage ......... .. ... .. ..... ....... . . 12 12
Localities where Baha'is reside .. ..... ...... ... ....... .. .. ... ............. .. . 46,270 51 ,119
Isolated cenháes and groups .... ........ ..... .... ..... .. ... ....... ......... .... . 34,976 43,700
Local Spiritual Assemblies ........... .... .. ......... ... ......... ....... ... .... . 11 ,294 7,419
194 TH E BAH A' I WORLD

AUSTRALASIA
21 Aprill986 20April 1992
National Spiritual Assemblies ... .... ....... ........ .... ................. .... . 17 17
National I:Ia~iratu' 1-Quds ............. ... ... ..... ..... ..... ... ... ..... ..... ... .. 17 17
Baha' i Temples ........ ....... .... ....... ... .. ....... ... ... ............ ... ..... .. .. .. 2 2
Sites for national Baha' i Temples .... ... .... ........ ............ ... ... ... .. 15 16
Baha'i Publishing Trusts .... .... ... .... .. ....... .. ..... ................... ... .. . 2 2
Languages into which Baha'i literature has been translated .. 110 NIA
Baha'i schools .................................. .. .... ...... ....... .. ........... ..... . 8 16
Social and economic development projects
(other than schools) ... ... .... .... ...... .... ............... .. ... ......... .. .... . 20 101
Countries that exempt the Baha' i community
from payment of taxes on properties .... ..... .................. .. .. ... 8 8
Countries that recognize Baha'i Holy Days .. .. ... ........ .. ... ..... .. 11 12
Countries that recognize Baha'i marriage ..... .... ..... .... .. ... ..... .. 16 18
Localities where Baha' is reside ............ ..................... .. .... ... .. . 3,062 4,094
Isolated centres and groups ....... ............. ... ...... ......... ...... ... ... .. 2,257 3,218
Local Spiritual Assemblies ... .. ........... ............. ........... .... ...... .. 805 876

EUROPE
21Aprill986 20April 1992
National Spirih1al Assemblies .. ..... .. ...... ..... .... ... ...... ............... 20 29
National I:Ia~iratu'l-Quds........... . ....... .. ...... . ........... .. ........ . ..... 20 21
Baha'i Temples ..................... .................................... .. ......... ..
Sites for national Baha' i Temples .................. .. .................... .. 19 20
Baha'i Publishing Trusts .. ......... .. ........................................... 8 10
Languages into which Baha' i literature has been translated.. 80 NIA
Baha'i schools ... ....... ..... .... .. ...... ..... ... ....... ....... ..... ... ...... ......... 0 0
Social and economic development projects ... .... ... .. .. ........... .. 23 30
(other than schools)
Countries that exempt the Baha'i community
from payment of taxes on properties ... ... ........ .... .... ... .. .... ... 8 12
Countries that recognize Baha' i Holy Days .. ...... .. ...... .. ....... .. 12 13
Countries that recognize Baha'i marriage ............ ... ... .......... .. 9 10
Localities where Baba' is reside ...................... .. .. .. ............. .. .. 2,997 4,093
Isolated centres and groups .. ................ ....... ..... ........ .. ... .... .... . 2,244 3,248
Local Spirih1al Assemblies ............. .. ........ .......... .. .... ..... ...... .. 753 845
II
THE Two Y EAR SUBSIDIARY PLAN
1990-1992

ON 8 Febrnary 1990, the Universal House COUNTRIES AS POSSIBLE UP TO AND INCLUD-
of Justice sent the following cable to the fol- ING RTQV AN I992.
lowers ofBaha'u ' llah throughout the world: CALLING UPON THOSE NATIONAL ASSEM -
FAR-REACHING EVENTS BEING ENACTED BLI ES EUROPE, AS IA AND AMER ICA WH ICH
WORLD STAGE, PARTICULARLY JN EASTERN BEAR PRIMARY RESPONSIB ILITY FOR IND IVID-
EUROPE AND SOV IET UN ION, ON THRESHOLD UAL NATIONS INVOLVED, TO CONSULT WITH
FINAL FATE-LADEN DECADE CENTURY OF COUNSELLORS AND FORMULATE DETAILS
LIGHT, PROVIDE FURTHER DRAMATIC SPEC IFIC GOALS INCORPORATING AND SUP-
EV IDENCE RES ISTLESS OPERAT ION OF GOD'S PLEMENTING THOSE ALREADY ADOPTED AND
MAJOR PLAN FOR TRANSFORMATION OF IN PROCESS ACCOMPLISHMENT UNDER SIX
HUMAN SOCIETY. RAPID UNFORESEEN DEVEL- YEAR PLAN. MOVED PAY TRIBUTE PRESENT
OPMENTS NECESS ITATE CORRESPONDING HOUR REMARKABLE UNSUNG ACH IEVEMENTS
PARALLEL ACCELERATION IN LIFE-GIVING THOSE INSTITUTIONS A D INDIVIDUAL
ENTERPRISES BEING PURSUED BY INHERITO RS BELIEVERS PRESE TL Y LABOURING AD-
BAHA°U'LLAH'S RESPLENDENT REVELATION. VAN CEMENT CAUSE IN EASTERN EUROPE AND
REJOICE THEREFORE ANNOUNCE LAUNCHING SOVIET UN ION, ACHIEVEMENTS WH ICH HAVE
AT RIQVA. 1 OF SUBSID IARY TWO YEAR BLAZED TRAILS FOR COMING LARGE-SCALE
TEACH ING PLA N FOR VAST REMA IN ING IN ITIATIVE. CALL UPON BAHA'i WORLD AR ISE
REACHES EASTERN EUROPE AND AS IA. SUPPO RT DIFFUS ION WORLD-REDEEMING
MOMENTOUS STEP INVOLVES FURTHER SYS- MESSAGE FAITH GOAL AREAS THROUGH SET-
TEMATIC UNFOLDMENT PROVISIONS TABLETS TLEMENT PIONEERS AND THROUGH DISPATCH
MASTER-PLAN OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA ALREADY STEADY FLOW TRAYELLING TEACHERS, ESPE-
IN ADVANCED STAGE OF OPERATION OTHER CIALLY THOSE WITI-1 KNOWLEDGE LANGUAGES
AREAS PLANET. REG IONAL ENTERPRISE, CON- COUNTRIES AND REPUBLICS EASTERN BLOC.
CEIVED IN CONSU LTATION INTERNAT IONAL CONCOM ITANT TH ESE MEASURES, VITAL
TEACH ING CENTRE, DES IGNED SIG NIFI CANT- ONGOlNG PROCESS CHINESE TEAC HING RE-
LY RE INFORCE CURRENT SIX YEAR GLOBAL CEIVING FURTHER IMPETUS.
PLAN. OBJECTIVES INCLUDE ATTRACTION BROAD VISTAS NOW OPEN TO FA ITH GOD
NUMEROUS NEW SU PPORTERS FA ITH , GREAT PROVIDE UN PRECEDENTED OPPORTUN ITI ES
INCREASE TRANSLAT ION, PUB LICATION AND WIN FRESH VICTORIES AS WORTHY OFFERING
DISS EMINATION BAHA'i LITERATURE IN SACRED THRESHOLD BLESSED BEAUTY
REQUISITE LANGUAGES ENTIRE AREA, AND OCCAS ION COMMEMORATION FIRST CENTE-
EXTENSION BENEFICENT INFLUENCE DJVINEL Y NARY HIS ASCENS ION COMING HOLY YEAR.
APPOINTED ADMIN ISTRATIVE ORDER THROUGH fMPLORING ABUNDANT OUTPOURING DIVIN E
ERECTION FRAME-WORK LOCAL NAT IONAL CON FIRMATIONS PARTI CIPANTS ALL FACETS
BAHA'i INSTITUTIONS IN AS MANY EASTERN HISTORIC SIX YEAR CAMPAIGN.
196 THE BAHA'I WORLD

1. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The countries included in what was known He expressed the wish that Budapest "might
as the Eastern Bloc had witnessed signifi- become a centre for the reunion of the East
cant developments in the spread of the and West, and that from this city the light
Cause towards the end of the nineteenth might emanate to other places". The first
century and in the early decades of the twen- Local Spiritual Assembly in Budapest was
tieth. In Baha'u ' llah 's lifetime, Baha'is were elected in 1939.
living in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and The indomitable Martha Root visited
Turkistan (now known as Central Asia) , the Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Estonia,
first Baba' is settling in the latter in 1882. Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania
A flourishing Baha ' i community devel- and Yugoslavia during the 1920s and 1930s.
oped in Ashkhabad ('lshqabad) and became Queen Marie of Romania penned her hearta centre of Baha'i scholarship. In 1902, felt tributes to Baha' u' llah and His Message,
construction began in Ashkhabad of the first earning the immortal distinction of being the
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the Baha'i world, an first among royalty to raise her voice in His
act characterized by Shoghi Effendi as "the praise. Small Baha' i communities grew in a
first major undertaking launched through the number of these lands. Yuk Echtner, in
concerted efforts of His followers in the Czechoslovakia, learned of the Faith in 1925
Heroic Age of His Faith". Russia became and later was imprisoned for being a Baha'i.
the first country to extend full recognition, Bulgaria was blessed from 1930 to 1954 by
justice, and protection to the followers of the the selfless labours of Marion Jack, whom
Baha'i religion. Strong Baha' i communities, Shoghi Effendi called a "shining example to
with their own Local Spiritual Assemblies, pioneers'', and by the laying to rest in its soil
were eventually established in Moscow, of her and of Adam Benke, the pioneer from
Balm, and other centres in the Soviet Union; Germany whom Shoghi Effendi designated
indeed in 1925 two National Spiritual as the first European Baba' i martyr.
Assemblies, that of the Caucasus, with its Esperanto played an important role in the
seat in Baku, and that of Turkistan, with its spread of the Faith in these regions, particuseat in Ashkhabad, came into being. larly in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, where
The Faith had also attracted the attention believers continued to reside throughout the
of prominent figures in Russia, such as Leo entire period. The earliest records of the
Tolstoy. A Russian translation of the Kitab- Baha'i Faith in the Baltic States mention
i-Aqdas had been made by Aleksandr four persons in Lithuania in the early 1930s
Grigorevich Tumanskil and a compilation of who were Esperanto correspondents of
the Writings of Baha'u'llah in Arabic was Dr. Hermann Grossmann and his wife, Anna.
published in St. Petersburg in 1908. The These men showed interest in the Baha'i
poetess and dramatist Grinevskaya had writ- teachings and were eventually visited by
ten two dramas, one on the Bab and one on Martha Root in 1934. One of the earliest and
Baha'u'llah; they had been performed in most outstanding believers in Poland was
St. Petersburg and other places, including in Lidia Zamenhof, daughter of the creator of
Germany after they had been translated by Esperanto.
the poet Fielder. With the consolidation of Communist rule
In the countries of Eastern Europe outside in the Soviet Union, restrictions began to be
the Soviet Union, the Faith had been intro- imposed upon Baha'i communities, becomduced by various means . 'Abdu'l-Baha ing more pronounced in 1928 and increasing
Himself visited Budapest in 1913 and during the next ten years. The Soviet authoraroused the interest of eminent Hungarians. ities confiscated documents, books, and a
INT ERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACT IVITI ES 197

The Saha 'is of
Moscow celebrating
a Nineteen Day
Feast for the first
time since the 1930s.
The event took place
in the Hainsworths'
home. 9 April 1989.

printing press, dissolved Baha'i committees, Romania and White Russia (Belarus) and
and took over Baha'i schools. Hundreds of for consolidating Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia,
Baha'is were imprisoned, some were Hungary, Poland, the Russian Soviet
sentenced to exile in Siberia and other penal Federated Socialist Republic (S.F.S.R.), and
settlements, and others were deported to Iran. Yugoslavia.
The National Assembly of Turkistan was The National Spiritual Assembly of the
dissolved. The Temple in Ashkhabad was Baha 'is of Iran was made responsible for
expropriated and turned into an art gallery. opening Kirgizia (later named Kyrgyzstan),
A small number of Baha'is continued to Mongolia, Tajikistan (Tadzhikistan) and
reside in the region, striving to keep the Uzbekistan, and for consolidating Azerbaijan,
flame of their faith alive in the face of inten- Am1enia, Georgia, and Turkmenistan.
sive atheist propaganda, the ever-present The National Spiritual Assembly of the
danger of renewed persecution, and the United States was responsible for opening
disability imposed by the prohibition of Kazakhstan, Sakhalin, and the Ukraine.
teaching religion to anyone under the age of Goals for the translation of Baha'i literaeighteen. For these reasons, the flow of news ture into many of the languages of these
from the Baha 'is in the Soviet Union to their countries were also part of the Ten Year
fellow believers outside virtually ceased, á Crusade.
and only very gradually over the years did it The Guardian expressed all these goals as
become possible to re-open avenues of being subject to "circumstances pem1itting."
communication in a few instances. Nevertheless, activities were carried out
World War II and the subsequent advance with increasing efficacy through all the
of Communism in Eastern Europe left only succeeding decades. The Baha'is of Germany
tiny remnants of Baha'i communities. and Austria in particular were spurred on by
Devoted individuals and families remained words of the Guardian such as these:
steadfast through many difficult years. De- ... a community that has achieved so
spite this situation, Shoghi Effendi included much in the past for our Faith, that has
all these territories in his Ten Year Plan, been so dearly loved by 'Abdu'l-Baha,
unveiled in 195 3, as follows. and is destined to spread, as He foretold,
The National Spiritual Assembly of the light of God 's sacred Revelation not
Ge1many and Austria was made responsible only in the heati of Europe but throughfor opening Albania, Estonia, Finno-Karelia, out that dark, war-devastated spiritually
Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia (Moldova), famished continent. (22 November 1946)
198 THE BAHA'I WORLD

.. .carry the fame of this community ... The work continued patiently, and quietly,
as far as the Eastern fringes of the Asiatic with relays of travelling teachers continually
continent. (30 October 1951) crossing and recrossing these lands, contact-
The administrative base from which it ing old believers, bringing new souls into
must spread out into Eastern and South- the Faith, and fostering wann relationships
ern Europe, and beyond these spheres with seekers. Such was the danger that little
into the heart of Northern Asia, as far as if any of this activity could be reported to the
the China Sea, must first be thoroughly Baha'i world. Already during the latter years
consolidated. (30 October 1951) of the Guardian's lifetime it was found that
The beloved Guardian referred to these there were Baha'is living in certain of the
tasks as "the Mission envisaged for them by Central Asian republics which had previously
'Abdu ' l-Baha, and now confirmed through been reported to be virgin territories. Later
the provisions of the Ten-Year Plan". (14 Firaydun Khazra' i settled in Romania and
August 1957) Helmut Winkelbach settled in White Russia
As the years passed and new National (Belarus), becoming Knights ofBaha'u ' llah.
Assemblies came into existence, some of the Moldavia (Moldova) was opened to the
goals originally allotted to the community of Faith by a single believer, Annemarie Kri.iger,
Germany and Austria were reassigned. The who through persistent visits and teaching
newly formed National Assembly of Austria brought the first native Moldavian into the
was given responsibility for Czechoslovakia, Faith in Kishinev (Ch~ in~u); she was
Hungary, and Yugoslavia. The National As- named a Knight of Baha'u'llah by the Unisembly of Finland was given responsibility versal House of Justice for this achievement.
for the goals in Estonia, a country whose In 1979, a Baha'i of Polish background, Alma
language is akin to Finnish. TI1e National Monadjem, pioneered with her family to Po-
Assembly of Sweden was given responsibility land and settled on the farm of her ancestors.
for Latvia and Lithuania. Responsibility for During the 1980s, accounts were found in
Sakhalin was transferred from the National the International Archives of the pioneering
Assembly of the United States to that of work done in Albania by Mr. Refo <;:apari, a
North East Asia (later Japan). Fi1mo-Karelia Baha'i of Albanian descent from New York
ceased to be a separate Soviet Socialist Re- who had anived in Tirana in 1931. He had
public (S.S.R.) and became an Autonomous stayed in Albania and died there alone and
Soviet Socialist Republic (A.S.S.R.) of the of starvation. Meanwhile, a flourishing Baba 'i
Russian S.F.S .R. community had been established which had
When persecutions in the Cradle of the conesponded with the Guardian. The records
Faith made it no longer feasible for the revealed that the conditions of World War II
Iranian Baha ' i community to pursue its and its afte1math had dispersed these believgoals in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and ers, and indicated that members of
Mongolia, responsibility for these areas was Mr. <;:apari's family might be living in Yutransferred. Mongolia and the republics of goslavia. The National Assembly of Austria
Centrnl Asia for which Iran had been therefore sent Baha ' is to look for them. The
responsible were given first to the National search was fruitful, and these faithful, long-
Assembly of India, then to Germany, while suffering believers put the Baha'i institutions
the Caucasian republics (Almenia, Azerbaijan, in touch with another member of their family
and Georgia) were transferred directly to who had been living as the only Baha'i in
Germany. The Central Asian republic of Albania for forty years, raising her children
Kazakhstan and the Ukraine remained under as firm believers in the Faith. Thus began
the jurisdiction of the National Assembly of the unprecedented efflorescence of the
the United States. Baha'i community of Albania.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 199
The emergence of the policies of glasnost An example of the kind of painstaking,
and perestroika in the mid-1980s and the re- persistent work which helped make possible
forms launched in the Soviet Union aroused the open teaching projects of the Two Year
intense interest in the countries which were Plan, comes from an individual who saw a
responsible for the establishment of the need and arose to fill it. In October 1987,
Faith there. These new opportunities and the Lynda Godwin made her first journey to the
steps necessary to take advantage of them Soviet Union, travelling under the auspices
were major themes of the consultation at the of a programme called Citizen Diplomacy,
Counsellors' Conference held in the Holy which encouraged individuals to design pro-
Land at the end of 1986. Shortly thereafter jects of cultural exchange between Americans
the National Assembly of Germany held a and Soviets. She developed one project,
special conference, at the end of March 1987 called the Soviet/American Teachers Task
in Langenhain, for the representatives of Force, which brought American teachers to
the various responsible National Assemblies the Soviet Union to team teach in Soviet class
and committees to consult on the situation. rooms, and another called Birthday Friends
This was immediately followed by a "Great for Peace, which made pen pals out of Soviet
Eastern Conference" in Dieburg. At the re- and American children with common birth
quest of the National Assembly of Germany, dates. The projects were so successful that
which attached great importance to these she was invited back numerous times, making
conferences, the Universal House of Justice more friends each visit as she worked with
sent one of its members to represent it. At Soviet guides and translators and ananged
that time it was unclear whether the precious for visitors to stay in Soviet homes. Between
opportunities then available would remain October 1987 and April 1992, Lynda Godwin
for long. It was decided that, in either even- made at least twenty trips into what became
tuality, it was vital for the Baha'is to seize the forn1er Soviet Union, each time intrntheir chance without delay. Two Counsellors ducing a new group to the region and finding
particularly stimulated and assisted the teach- different avenues for exchange.
ing work in Eastern countries: 'Abbas Katirai Two plans projected by the Universal
in Asian Russia and Sohrab Youssefian in House of Justice were the opening of Baha'i
Albania and Romania. Paul Semenoff was Inforn1ation Offices in Moscow and Budanoteworthy for his work in European Russia pest. Documentation was prepared, a search
and the Ukraine. was begun for suitable premises in both
The fourteen believers who made up the cities, and a formal approach was made to
Hungarian community in 1987 were blessed the appropriate agency of the Soviet Governto be visited by the Hand of the Cause of ment on behalf of the Baha'i International
God Amatu'l-Baha R!'.Il_iiyyih Khanum, who Community. However, events advanced so
inspired them with a vision of the future. rapidly that these initiatives were subse-
The Hand of the Cause also visited Mongolia quently superseded by the rapid spread of
in 1989, where she was invited to give lec- the Faith in both countries and the establishtures about her travels and about world peace ment of Local and National Assemblies.
to students of English at a university. In some The accelerating growth of the Baha'i
cases, the Faith could be directly promoted, communities and the drastically changing
as in Poland where a Baha ' i booth was set conditions in the Soviet Union and the Eastup at the World Esperanto Congress in 1987 ern Bloc impelled the Universal House of
and public events were held to proclaim the Justice to call for a subsidiary Two Year
Faith. But generally, teaching consisted of Teaching Plan to rnn from Ric;lvan 1990 to
making friends and preparing for a time when Ric;lvan 1992, with greatly increased goals
restrictions on religion would be lifted. for all these lands.
200 THE BAHA'I WORLD

2. TRA YELLING TEACHERS AND PLONEERS
The laws concerning the practice and shar- Statement, holding fund-raisers , and giving
ing of religion in the Soviet Union had interviews about the project during the
begun to change in 1989, the same year that course of a year, sixty-two Bahi'is from
the Berlin Wall was breached. Restrictions eight nations entered the Soviet Union under
on bringing in literature were lifted and the the auspices of Youth Ambassadors Internafirst open teaching event occurred when tional. They presented 3,000 copies of the
Baha' is from Scandinavia participated in the Peace Statement and proclaimed the Teach-
Murmansk Peace Festival organized by the ings of Baha ' u'llah from public platforms,
Red Army. In August 1989, an individual in schools and universities, and in Soviet
working in the region wrote: "This is a very homes. The man largely responsible for the
special moment in the history of the Russian first public presentation of the Statement in
nation and the Soviet peoples. It is a mo- Kazan later embraced the Faith, was elected
ment, I feel, as do most of those who are chairman of the first Spiritual Assembly
deeply involved in the work there, especially there, and eventually was elected to the first
created by God to facilitate the presentation National Spiritual Assembly of the Union of
of the Greatest Gift, the Message which the Soviet Socialist Republics at Ri~van 1991.
King of Glory has brought for all mankind. As laws and attitudes changed, a hunger
There are mighty spiritual forces at work for information about the Faith became evithroughout the length and breadth of that dent, and Lynda Godwin found herself in the
land .. . forces which make possible the real- position to help meet this need. She was able
ization of the most audacious of plans. All to draw on her experience and contacts from
that is required is for the instruments of His leading projects sponsored by non-Bahi'is
Faith, we the believers, to be present, to hT1st to organize explicitly Baha ' i endeavours. A
fully in and be willing to follow the clear company called Inter National Soviet Redirection given by Bahi' u ' llah. " sources, Inc. was formed to oversee the work.
In November 1989, The Promise of World Another group of Bahi ' is in the United
Peace Tour became the largest group of States created the Soviet-American Cooper-
Bahi ' is ever invited to enter the Soviet ative Society, and in Canada NetEast was
Union with a specific Baha ' i purpose ap- established to assist Canadian Bahi'is to unproved by Soviet officials: to disseminate derstand the needs of the Faith in the Soviet
the Peace Statement. After studying the Union and how they could be of service.

Th e Baha'i display at
the Murmansk Peace
and Environment
Festival, organized
by the Red Army in
July 1989. This was
~ the first open
teaching event in the
U.S.S.R.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 201
Among the projects Lynda Godwin and Canta perform at its next destination, as they
others organized were two international deeply missed being near the spirit of the
women's forums which allowed Baha'is and group. One admirer journeyed thirty-two
non-Baha'is from different backgrounds to hours .
share their ideas about the issues facing Another perforn1ing group which had
women; two business seminars in the Ukraine formed at the Baha'i World Centre and
to share the Baha'i principles related to eco- which greatly stimulated the teaching work
nomics and ethics; the Lesson in Peace in the Soviet Union was Daystar. Twentyteaching trip; and tours of the musical per- three singers and dancers and a French mime
formers Red Grammer, El Viento Canta, and artiste spent July 1990 enchanting hearts,
Days tar. making friends, and sharing Baha'u ' llah' s
In fact, Baha'i musicians and singing Message in the major cities of the Soviet
groups responding to the call of the Two Union. The group travelled with eight Soviet
Year Plan brought many people into contact guides and stayed in Russian homes, learnwith the Baha'i Faith for the first time. A ing as much as they could about the culture
variety of talented performers drew large they were privileged to visit.
crowds in the streets, parks, schools, and Among the venues for Daystar's welltheatres of the Eastern Bloc, as they demon- attended concerts were parks, a philharmonic
strated the unique beauty of art expressed in hall, a children's camp, and the dining car of
praise of God. When audience members the train from Leningrad to Kiev. A presensought the source of the artists' special tation on the Faith, which included slides,
spirit, they found Baha'u'llah. was shown nightly in hotel lobbies. The
El Viento Canta, a group which had group's members had the honour of being
formed at the Baha'i World Centre and which the first Baha'is ever to visit Chernovtsy, in
had travelled throughout Western Europe the Ukraine, where they met children who
and Africa sharing traditional Latin Ameri- had never before seen anyone from outside
can music and teaching the Faith (see also Russia.
"Special Youth Projects'', p.443), began a In the summer of 1991, six youth formed
three-month tour of the newly opening areas Daystar II as part of the "Youth Can Move
in January 1990. Their route took them from the World" project. The project drew on the
Yugoslavia to Hungary, Poland, Estonia, spirit and talents of Daystar, another music
Russia, the Ukraine, Siberia, and Mongolia. group called Bridges which played folk,
They played before audiences ranging from bluegrass, contemporary, and country music
fifty to 1,000, and performed and were inter- from the United States, and thirty-eight other
viewed on television in Yugoslavia, Hungary, international participants. The group was
and in Leningrad and Moscow in Russia. divided into three teams, each assisted by
Following El Viento Canta's concerts, four or five Russians who served as guides
lively discussions of the Faith continued for and translators. Through their efforts people
hours around the stage and in coffee shops, were able to witness, some for the first time,
hotel lobbies, and private homes . One night living examples of the transforming power
in Odessa, conversations about the Faith were ofBaM 'u'llah.
in progress in four dormitory rooms at once, Light in the Darkness, a music group
in English, German, Spanish, and Russian. It which had formed in Italy in December 1988,
was not uncommon for people to stand in spread the Faith in Yugoslavia, Poland, and
line for over half an hour after conce1is to Romania during the Plan. Audience memregister in a guest book for later contact and bers at their concerts heard the principles of
literature. More than once, audience mem- the Faith explained between the singing of
bers travelled many hours to see El Viento Baha ' i songs and popular songs about peace.
202 THE BAHA'I WORLD

A music group spontaneously formed among participants in the Tahirih II Teaching Project
in Neptune, Romania, in July J99 J. ft pe1formed in the streets, causing crowds to gather.

Travelling teachers ji-om Brazil sing for Members of El Viento Canta giving a radio
young Fiends in Poland in J990. interview in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, 1990.

Baha 'is attending the first National Baha 'i Conference to be held in the US.SR. in about
60 years. The event took place on 24-25February1990 near Moscow.
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAH A' I AC TIV!Tl ES 203
At the end of each concert, audience mem- Renowned violinist Bijan Khadembers were directly invited to join the Baha'i Missagh shared his talents during one of the
community. public concerts associated with the Ali Forum.
In summer 1991, Light in the Darkness Mr. Khadem-Missagh and singer Ahdieh
performed at the first European Youth Con- Pakravan also brought the name of the Faith
ference in Neptune, Romania, and at other to many of the inhabitants of Dushanbe,
locations in the area. When the group took a Tajikistan, during concerts given in the
break during one concert that had 1,000 autumn of 1991.
spectators, people began lining up at a Baha'i The European Baha' i Youth Council
information booth near the stage. Eighty of helped channel the energies of European
them declared their belief in Baha' u 'llah. youth into the work of the Two Year Plan
The world renowned jazz musician Dizzy by organising teaching projects in Czecho-
Gillespie mentioned the Baha'i Faith from slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and
the stage during concerts in East Berlin, Yugoslavia during the summer of 1990. In
Moscow, and Prague in May 1990. The addition, the George Adam Benke Project
musical tour was organized by professional held in the autumn led to the forn1ation of
agencies in honour of a European event the first Local Spiritual Assembly in Bulgaria
called One World Week. At each concert, since World War II. The Youth Council
about 2,000 people heard the announcement continued to contribute significantly to the
that the performance was a contribution of teaching work during the remainder of
the Baha'i community to the special week the Plan. (See also "European Baha' i Youth
and that it was dedicated to peace and global Council", p.432.)
understanding. The East Berlin concert was With the Tablets of the Divine Plan as
attended by the President of the East Geiman their guide, a group of youth from the United
Parliament, and portions of it were broadcast States formed the Marion Jack Teaching
on East Gern1an television. In Moscow, the Project in the summer of 1990 to bring
performance was held under the patronage Baha 'u'llah's Message to the Soviet Union.
of Mrs. Raisa Gorbacheva and was followed Canying 10,000 copies of the Peace Stateby a one-hour press conference attended by ment and 2,000 copies of The Hidden Words
eighty international journalists. The Presi- in Russian, the youth travelled from the
dent of the new Republic of Czechoslovakia, Ukraine to Siberia. When members of the
Vaclav Havel, and his wife attended the con- team visited the village ofKolodnia, Siberia,
cert in Prague. Following a press conference the chief invited them to return to "our
with about one hundred reporters, Dizzy village and tell us how to become a Baha'i
Gillespie and the Baha'i representatives were village". A second Marion Jack Project was
received privately by the President. organized for January 1991, and Marion
In July 1991, an International Baha'i Art Jack III took place that summer.
Forum, held in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, While members of the first Marion Jack
brought together approximately fifty aiiists Project were traversing the Soviet Union
from around Europe and the Soviet Union to west to east, nineteen Baha' is from nine
exchange ideas, share their work, and dis- countries were sailing south down the Volga
cuss the contributions artists could make to and Don Rivers from Petrozavodsk toward
the coming Baha'i Holy Year. An art gallery the Black Sea. A group of Soviet citizens had
exhibited works by Baha'i artists, and every decided to build three Viking-style ships and
evening for a week, public performances sail them from the Soviet Union to the Holy
were held. Two musicians embraced the Land. When Captain Alexander Dubovsky,
Faith during the week. who had become a Baha'i in the summer of
204 THE BAHA'i WORLD

1989 at an Army-sponsored peace fair, heard streets, in the houses of the friends where we
of the plan for the Golden Age Mission, he were received with unforgettable hospitality,
recruited Baba'is for it. When none of the on the beach, in the hall of the Albanian Parother passenger groups showed up for the liament, in hotels, in universities, and musical
journey, it became a mission for Bah a 'u 'llah. academies-and enrolments occurred every-
Down the rivers they sailed, going ashore where".
and teaching by setting up display stands In August 1991, thirteen Baha' is from six
with pictures and Baha'i literature in town European countries took part in teaching
after town. Conditions were extremely rug- projects in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and in
ged, as the little ships (18 x 20 metres) had Bishkek, Kirgizia. The teams set up book
no cabins and were caught in storms several stalls in a busy square, in a town, and at a
times . Yet each member carried a copy of university; spoke about the Faith to mema letter of encouragement from the Universal bers of a spiritual organization; and were
House of Justice, and they "huddled around interviewed for radio and television.
it during storms, shouted it in exaltation and On 1 January 1991, a French Baha'i
mutmured it in wonder and praise". In al- group, calling itself Caravan of Peace, was
most every port of call, one or more people able to present the Peace Statement to the
embraced the Faith, and eleven members of authorities of Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
the ships' crews became believers. Although The collapse of the Eastern Bloc's politithe Baha'is had to end their journey in the cal, economic, and social systems, coupled
Soviet Union, the ship called "Hope" arrived with the region's emergence from decades
in Haifa in September with twenty-four of isolation, created great demand for infor-
Russians aboard . The travellers spent three mation on a wide range of topics. Baha ' i
days meeting with members of the Baha' i experts in various fields travelled to the area
World Centre staff and visiting the Holy to share their professional experience and to
Shrines. explain how Baha'u'llah's principles speak
Many groups organized themselves dur- to the needs of the modem world.
ing this period to make short-term teaching The Hand of the Cause 'Ali-Akbar Furutan
trips. For one week in June 1991, fifteen was able to visit Russia in 1990 after
Baha' is from Austria and Italy travelled to more than sixty years away. He was invited
Albania and were able to enrol 150 people to speak to the approximately 380 particiinto the Faith. "Teaching was carried out pants of the "International Conference of
everywhere", a participant reported, "in the Young Psychologists" at Moscow University.

A group of nineteen
Baha 'is spent three
weeks sailing down
th e Volga and Don
Rivers on this and
two other Viking -
style ships in the
summer of 1990,
teaching the Faith
to both ship crews
and dock-side
visitors.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 205
Mr. Furutan also gave a lecture on education sought information about life outside the
at the Murmansk Institute of Pedagogy. Eastern Bloc. In addition to coverage of the
Counsellors conducted seminars on moral events described above and fairly regular
education in Albania and Czechoslovakia, interviews of travelling teachers around the
and possibilities for future cooperation and region, several films on the Faith were
exchange were discussed. Also in Czecho- broadcast. Russian television aired a docuslovakia, an environmental consultant was mentary on the Baha'i Faith called "A
able to approach high-ranking government Temple on My Way" which was produced
officials responsible for environmental issues. by the Russian company Rus-film. The video
In 1988, a presentation entitled "Participa- "Jewel in the Lotus'', about the Baha'i
tory Radio for Rural Development: the House of Worship in India, was broadcast
Baha'i Experiments" was presented at the on national television in Bulgaria through the
International Colloquium on Communication unified efforts of the Varna Baha'i commuand Culture in Bled, Yugoslavia. nity and travelling teachers. Polish television
A number of Baha'i doctors were able aired a documentary about the Faith called
to consult their Eastern European colleagues "The Fold of the Ninth Prophet".
for the first time . In the spring of 1990, a As the teaching work began to include
doctor visiting Uzbekistan was able to share more and more native believers, (see also secthe Faith at a hospital in Tashkent. In every tion on "Numerous New Supporters attracted
depa1tment, at least one doctor read the to the Faith'', p. 207 .) teaching conferences
Peace Statement and discussed it with fellow were held to stimulate and coordinate these
physicians. In the autumn of 1991 , a Baha ' i efforts. The first national teaching conferwas invited by the Institute of Preventative ence in Albania, held in Durres in November
Medicine in Uzbekistan, to present two pa- 1991 , drew 200 Albanian Baha'is from ten
pers at a congress of genetics and molecular different localities and fifty travelling teachbiology. The doctor was able to mention the ers. A journalist who attended all the sessions
Faith in his speech and during informal talks decided to spread the Faith through his
with doctors and scientists. He stressed the newspaper. The teaching conference ended
impo1tance of cooperation between the East with a public meeting at a hall in the centre
and the West. of the city. The first national teaching confer-
Three doctors from three different coun- ences of Bulga1ia, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,
tries spent twelve days in August 1991 at the and Yugoslavia also occurred in 1991. In
university town of Olomouc, Czechoslova- January 1992, the first teaching conference
kia, where they conducted an unprecedented of Croatia and Slovenia took place in Kranj.
combined course in medical English and Approximately 400 believers performed
"The Promise of World Peace" for a group "the prince of all goodly deeds" during the
of Czechoslovakian doctors. Also at the Two Year Plan, leaving their homes to reset-
University of Olomouc, the Baha'is helped tle in the Soviet Union or Eastern Europe.
organize a symposium called "Rational Faith The final two pioneering goals of the Ten
and Blind Science?" which was addressed Year Crusade were fulfilled when Sean
by a Baha'i physicist from Germany. Two Hinton settled in Mongolia and 'Abbas and
Baha 'is were frequent visitors to Czechoslo- Ric;lvaniyyih Katirai settled in Sakhalin. As
vakia, where they lectured on psychology at the Plan progressed, native believers began
different universities and assisted with the arising to pioneer. The first Slovak hometeaching work. front pioneers of Czechoslovakia moved to
Media coverage of many Baha'i-sponsored Jindrichuv Hradec in 1991. The first Ukraievents was excellent, as journalists eagerly nian pioneer settled in Minsk in early 1992.
206 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Th e Hand of the Cause of God 'A li-Akbar Funitan in Samarkand (US.SR.) , visiting with
some Baha 'i fiáiends on 1 April I 990.

Baha'is meeting with the President of Albania, His Excellency Ramiz Alia, in his offices in
Durres, J November J99 I. Shown Ji-om left: Mrs. Luci Bylykbashi of the Local Assembly of
Durres, President Alia, Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre Farzam
Arbab, Mrs. Laurie Arbab, and Mr. Gian-Franco Mazzoni of the National Assembly of Italy.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITI ES 207

3. NUMEROUS NEW SUPPORTERS ATTRACTED TO THE FAITH
By the end of the Two Year Plan, more than heart from reading it in Baha 'u 'llah and the
12,000 people in Eastern Europe, the former New Era.
Soviet Union, and Mongolia had embraced Also in Albania, a young man approached
the Cause of Baha' u'llah and thousands some travelling teachers to ask them where
more had been exposed to His Message. they came from, and upon hearing of the
Many who had not formally emolled in the Faith, said that a Faith like this can only
community had expressed their deep appre- be hue. He said the oneness of mankind is
ciation for the teachings and helped make it the highest aspiration of today's man. After
possible for them to spread. emolling in the Faith three days later, the
People from all backgrounds became Baha'is. man shared the teachings with a co-worker
The comments of one travelling teacher in who then requested a meeting with the trav-
Albania were very typical: "Many different elling teachers . After some discussion, this
kinds of people accepted the Faith-cultured man called on yet another friend and said, "I
people, artists, professionals, students, musi- have met some Italian friends who have
cians, actors, directors, judges, refugees and disclosed to me a religion that spiritualizes
the unemployed". A seventy-year-old nun, democracy and democratizes spirituality."
after forty-eight years of service to the Cath- Both men joined the Faith, the latter returnolic Church, accepted the Baha' i Faith in ing to his home, waking up his wife and
Maribor, Yugoslavia. After reading Thief in seventeen-year-old son, and sharing the
the Night, she said, "I came to the clear Cause with them. Both accepted Baha'u'llah
understanding that I have to strive for com- that night.
plete integration into the Baha' i community." In Romania, 350 people in at least sixty
In the village ofKolindo in Sakhalin, a mayor different localities accepted the Faith during
and leaders of the indigenous minority were a three-week teaching campaign.
among more than 150 people who declared In the Soviet Union, it was more common
their allegiance to Baha'u'llah. for those first hearing about the Faith to ea-
A readiness to accept the Faith quite soon gerly begin an intense study and application
after first hearing about it was not unusual in of its teachings which could continue for a
Eastern Europe. In one case, a Baha'i was number of years before emolment in the
speaking to an Albanian lawyer regarding community. Travelling teachers were often
official recognition for the Faith when the amazed at the depth of tmderstanding and
lawyer said, "I have always believed in these commitment demonstrated by seekers and
teachings . Please register my name. I want new believers.
to be a Baha'i." The Baha' i who had been One of the numerous examples of this
speaking to her was surprised by her readi- comes from the Ukraine. A man was exness and asked for an opportunity to explain posed to the Faith at a Baha'i business forum,
more. During the next fifteen minutes, she and after the Baha'is left, he continued to
stopped him two or three more times, repeat- think deeply about what he had learned. He
ing her wish to emol. The next day, when began abstaining from the use of alcohol and
contacted by one of the local believers, the then made the major decision to resign his
lawyer said, "I have consulted all my membership in the Communist Party, a
friends ... . They all want to join [the Fa ith]". move that would cause him to lose his job as
When she was visited later by her original manager at a large plant. He formed the goal
teacher and was offered a wall hanging with of creating his own business based on the
three prayers on it, she said she already principles learned at the Baha'i fornm. He
knew the short obligatory prayer almost by also decided that although he would like his
208 THE BAl-IA'i WORLD

family members to become Baha'is, and that One of the people to declare his faith in
according to tradition he could issue this de- the Soviet Union just before the Two Year
cree, he would instead expose them to the Plan was a sixteen-year-old boy who immeteachings and let them reach their own con- diately taught his mother what he had learned.
clusions. "My whole family will be Baha'i A few months later, she enrolled and set in
someday but it must be when they discover motion the Russian film project about the
it in their hearts," he said. Faith. She in tum taught her parents who
For several years prior to 1990, four men brought nine residents of their Ukrainian
from Leningrad University had studied the village into the Faith.
Faith without knowing that there were any Much of the teaching work was facilitated
Baha' is in their city or that there was litera- by the enthusiastic support of non-Baha'is
ture in Russian. The situation came to light who appreciated Baha'i prmciples and conwhen the men wrote a letter to the Associa- tributed to their diffusion. One family, who
tion for Baha'i Studies in Canada. When a discovered the Baha ' i Faith when they
pioneer later visited them, she found four offered to host a travelling Baha'i in their
dedicated believers. home, called themselves devout atheists, yet
When a travelling teacher asked a mem- they regularly talked late into the night with
ber of a new Local Spiiitual Assembly about their guest about God, religion, Christianity,
the election, the relatively new Baba 'i ex- and the Teachings ofBaha'u'llah. Each day
plained in great detail the whole election they would share what they had learned with
procedure, including rules for absentee votes co-workers. When Baha'is returned to the
and tellers, and showed the ballot that had city for other teaching projects, the family
been carefully prepared. The visitor stood in repeatedly allowed their home to be used as
silence as the native believer demonstrated a central point of contact for Baha 'is needhis clear understanding of the important pro- ing to exchange messages. Another woman
cess of which he had become a part. who hosted a travelling Baha'i made her
A fervent eagerness to share their new- modest flat available for firesides, coming
found Faith with others was common among home from work each night and preparing
new believers throughout the Eastern Bloc. food for twenty-five to thirty-five people on
Speaking about some of the 126 people who a tiny two-burner stove.
enrolled in Bulgaria duriI1g December 1991 Following a Baha 'i business seminar in
and January 1992, one travelling teacher the Soviet Union, one company chief called
said, "Watching them teach and talk about all his employees together to announce that
Baha'u ' llah made one wonder whether these the office would begin applying some newlyare the ones who could cross the seven leamed spiIáitual principles to its work. He
valleys in 'seven steps, nay rather in seven told the employees that they would be using
breaths, nay rather in a single breath'". consultation so he could hear their cont1ibu-
Within a day or two of enrolling, some of tions and feedback. This was an entirely new
them took full responsibility for the teaching concept, and the employees were amazed.
efforts, translating talks and articles, distrib- In one of the Soviet cities where the music
uting leaflets, giving public talks, inviting group Daystar performed, the director of a
people to join the Faith and giving their philharmonic hall offered the facility and the
phone numbers as contact points. In Albania, staff at no charge. F ollowmg El Viento Cana travelling teacher found that "once they ta' s tour, university students in another city
heard about the Faith, they immedi ately be- instantly prepared the necessary documents
came active so as to make their contribution to make the visits of more Baha'i groups
to the establishment of the World Order of possible and offered to cover the expenses of
Baha'u'llah". the concert hall and accommodations.
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'f ACT IVITIES 209
One university student in the Ukraine, fact, the Ministry co-sponsored the event,
who was not a Baha'i, received the highest which was initiated by Baha'is and wellmark in his class for his presentation on the received by the 300 university professors,
Faith in a course called "Scientific Atheism". teachers, educational administrators, and
The student had discovered the teachings students who attended. The Ministry offiwhen he volunteered to help guide a group cials said the symposium had provided them
of travelling teachers. He read all the books with the impetus they needed to begin
he was given and prepared a thirty minute changing their educational system in a
oral presentation which won the praise of his fundamental way.
professor. After a successful public meeting in Sofia,
In Mongolia, the organizers of the eighth Bulgaria, a high government official asked
Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace invited the Baha'is to help draft legislation on relithe Baha'i International Community to send gious tolerance. In Tajikistan, a member of
representatives. The delegation received a the Supreme Soviet attended quite a few
warm response to its statement, "The Com- Baha'i meetings and expressed several times
mon Goal of Universal Peace in Buddhism her great respect and love for Tahirih and
and the Baha'i Faith'', which was delivered for the Baha ' i Faith in general. The forn1er
by the only woman speaker at the gathering. President of Uzbekistan said he was deeply
A Baha'i International Community represen- impressed and highly interested in the Faith
tative was the only non-Buddhist speaker to after visiting the House of Worship in India
address a public meeting arranged for the and then meeting Baha'is back in Uzbekistan.
conference's final day. After the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Other support for spread of the Faith came Republic of Croatia was visited and presentfrom the organizers of the centenary Univer- ed with The Promise of World Peace, he said,
sal Czech Exhibition. The Bahi'is were the "Your Peace Message has been studied in
only religion to have a special exhibit, be- our Ministry and we support this initiative".
cause the organizers were attracted to the One of the prominent people who not
concept of the oneness of religions and felt only supported the Baha'is but joined the
the Baha'i Faith could represent all the faiths. community was the first Deputy Minister of
The Albanian Minister of Education Culture of Tajikistan, who became a Baha' i
attended the opening session of a national along with twenty-four members of the
symposium called "A New Framework for Opera Choir in Dushanbe, after the concert
Moral Education" held in Tirana in 1991. In of Bijan Khadem-Missagh in 1991.

' The delegation of the
Baha 'i International
Community, which
was invited to attend
the eighth Asian
Buddhist Conference
for Peace, held in
Ulaan-Baatar,
Mongolia, in
September J990.
210 THE BAHA'I WORLD

For both those who declared their belief realized that they are not alone in their strugin Baha'u'llah and those who chose to take gles. Even the West is going through hard
more time to investigate, their encounters times and must change. We can encourage
with the Faith often meant an end to many each other and share skills to implement upforms of isolation. Living in societies where to-date thinking as we jointly prepare for the
ideas were tightly controlled, spiritual needs twenty-first century." A Soviet participant in
were not acknowledged, and interaction the school said it was the first time she had
with foreigners was extremely limited, the seen the eyes of the businessmen shine.
people of these regions had been deprived of When the first Moscow Baha'i conference
exposure to the world's growing acceptance took place in December 1990, it was a comof oneness. At one international women's pletely new experience for the Soviets to
forum which the Baha'is organized in Len- openly gather for expressly spiritual reasons,
ingrad, a participant commented that it was a to meet people from different areas without
whole new thought for her to realize that she the need for suspicion, and to realize that
was part of a global sisterhood. Similarly, a there was no hierarchy among them. Even
Baha'i who travelled to the Soviet Union though they had known there were Baha 'is
and participated in a Baha'i business forum scattered throughout their vast country, it
observed: "The Soviets made a 180 degree was the first time they actually sat side by
tum from the first day to the last. They side.

4. TRANSLATION, PUBLICATION, AND DISSEMINATION OF B AHA 'f
LITERATURE IN REQUISITE LANGUAGES OF THE ENTIRE AREA

In the early years of the twentieth century, in Romanian included a prayer book printed
a number of translations of Baha'i Sacred in 1982, Bah6 'u 'llah and the New Era in
Writings and introductory materials about 1983, and The Hidden Words in 1984. The
the Faith were produced in the languages of Eastern Literature Committee in Germany
the region that later became the Eastern was particularly active, preparing and pub-
Bloc. As already mentioned, a Russian trans- lishing Baha'i literature in most of the
lation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas was made, and languages of the countries for which the
a compilation of the Writings ofBaha'u ' llah German community had responsibility.
was published in St. Petersburg in 1908. In However, as manuscripts were not allowed
addition, Paris Talks was printed in Polish into or out of the countries of the Eastern
in 1915. Literature printed in Albanian in- Bloc before the collapse of communism,
cluded Words of Wisdom in 1930, the Kitab- the translations were often done by native
i-Iqan in 1932, and Baha 'u '!Lah and the speakers living in exile, many of whom did
New Era in 1933. A Bulgarian translation of not speak the most current version of the
The Hidden Words was printed in 1937. language. In 1989, the laws restricting reli-
During the decades that followed, a few gious literature in the Soviet Union were
other publications were also produced. An lifted, and in 1990 the Spiritual Assembly of
Introduction to the Bah6 'i Faith in Albanian Moscow obtained government permission
came out in 1954. Paris Talks was printed in to have Baha' i books published in Russian.
Estonian in 1968. A book of selections from Despite the obstacles that existed when the
Baha 'u '!Lah and the New Era in Hungarian Six Year Plan began, nearly two dozen
was printed in 1979, followed by a selection Baha'i books, booklets, Tablets and introof prayers in 1981 , and The Hidden Words ductory pamphlets were translated and
in 1982. A Polish translation of The Hidden printed in Russian during this period. Also,
Words was produced in 1979. Publications 50,000 copies of a Russian edition of
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACT IVITIES 211
the Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali Akbar cancellation in 1989. At the close of several
Furlitan's book Mothers, Fathers and Chil- book fairs , Baha'i books were donated to the
dren were printed in 1992. Lenin Library in Moscow which in tum dis-
To serve the needs of the rapidly expand- tributed them to other libraries, including
ing Baha'i communities in Albania, Bulgaria, one of the main libraries in Leningrad.
Romania, and Russia, particular effo1is were An annual international book and video
made to quickly print large quantities of"core fair in Budapest, Hungary, first held in 1989,
literature" in the languages of these coun- included Baha'i participation every year.
tries. (See p.158 for an explanation of the The Publishing Trust of the United Kingdom
core literature programme.) In all the nations organized the Baha'i booth, which was visitof the former Eastern Bloc, previous transla- ed by prominent people such as the Minister
tions were revised, new translations made, of Education, and drew the attention of the
and reprints of existing materials produced. Hungarian National Television and Radio
The translations and publications are too Company. Hundreds of items of literature
numerous to list, but a few examples will were distributed each year.
provide a sense of the range of projects The Baha'i Committee for Eastern Literaundertaken in such a short period of time. ture organized a very successful book fair
During the Two Year Plan, prayer books in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1989, at which
were printed in Azeri, Croatian, Macedonian, 4,500 copies of the Perspective Series
and Slovene; the Kitab-i-Iqan was printed in booklet The Bahci 'i Faith in Serbian were
Romanian; Selections from the Writings of disháibuted. The following year, the Baha'i
Ba!ui 'u 'llah was printed in Hungarian; the Book Distribution Service Austria participat-
Kitab-i- 'Ahd was printed in Polish; The Re- ed in the thirty-fifth International Book Fair
ality of Man was printed in Czech and in Belgrade. Approximately 2,000 introduc-
Slovak; Paris Talks was printed in Serbian; tions to the Faith, 700 copies of The Promise
The Promise of World Peace was translated of World Peace, and one hundred copies of
into Estonian, and printed in A1menian, prayers were distributed.
Georgian, and Latvian; Baha 'u 'llah and the A Baha'i Book Exhibition, held in Riga,
New Era was translated into Lithuanian; and Latvia, in October 1990 under the auspices
Pathway to Peace was printed in Mongolian of the Central Latvian State Library, attractand Uzbek. The Hidden Words was published ed some 600 people. Following the exhibit a
in Armenian in the prestigious bimonthly great number of the Baha 'i books were connewspaper Punik in 1991. tributed to the State Library.
Even before the Two Year Plan, book It is difficult to convey the significance of
fairs in the Eastern Bloc had provided an im- the translation, production, and distribution
po1iant vehicle for bringing Baha'i literature work which intensified during the Two Year
to the attention of a wide audience, and they Plan. Perhaps its importance can be hinted at
continued to serve this vital function . by recounting the story of a Russian believer,
The German Baha'i Publishing Trust, in who, when she saw Baha 'u 'llah and the New
collaboration with other Baha'i Publishing Era in Russian for the first time, was "like a
Trusts, began its successful biennial repre- starving person who just found food" . She
sentation at the Moscow International Book grabbed two copies, held them to her breast
Fair significantly before the Two Year Plan, and cried, "Now my friends can see that I
and continued participation until the fair's am telling the truth ... they can read these".
212 THE BAHA •j WORLD

Knight ofBaha 'u 'llah
'Abbas Katirai (left)
arrived in Sakhalin
on 24 March 1990
with his wife,
Ri<f,vaniyyih, fulfilling the last remaining
pioneer goal of the
Ten Year Crusade.

5. DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER

By the end of the Two Year Plan, 127 Local for the largest country of the world; reflected
Spiritual Assemblies had formed throughout on the high expectations of the Guardian
Eastern Europe, Mongolia, and the former concerning the progress of the Faith in the
Soviet Union. Baha'is were residing in more Soviet Union; and prepared the delegates for
than 700 localities. In a region of the world their heavy responsibility. Mr. Furutan also
where just a few short years earlier it had read, in Russian, the message from the
been illegal to openly teach the Faith, the ad- Universal House of Justice to the Baha' is of
ministrative order brought by Baha'u ' llah the U.S .S.R. for Rigvan 1991.
had taken root. When the time came for representatives
of other National Assemblies to present gifts
The Spiritual Assembly of the Union of to the new Assembly, the Soviet Baha'is
Soviet Socialist Republics also felt moved to proceed to the front of the
In March 1990 the Hand of the Cause of hall and make their contributions. Some
God 'Ali Akbar Furutan, who had lived in gave books, others funds , and others rethe Soviet Union from 1914 to 1930, study- counted the great difficulties they had faced
ing at Moscow University and serving the during the past decades and expressed their
Cause in Ashkhabad, returned to the U.S.S.R. utmost joy about the formation of the
and witnessed the re-election of the Local Assembly. For more than ninety minutes,
Spiritual Assembly of Moscow after a lapse Baha'is from throughout the Soviet Union
of some fifty years. Slightly more than one proceeded to the front to express their joy.
year later, at Rigvan 1991, he returned again, In March 1992, after the dissolution of
this time as a representative of the Universal the Soviet Union, the Spiritual Assembly of
House of Justice to attend the historic elec- the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was
tion of the first Spiritual Assembly of the renamed the Regional Spiritual Assembly of
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. the Commonwealth of Independent States,
In the three major addresses Mr. Furutan the Baltic States and Georgia. At Rigvan 1992
gave to the Convention in the Russian lan- this Assembly was renamed the Regional
guage, he related some of his early experiences Spiritual Assembly of Russia, Georgia and
in Moscow; spoke about the spiritual impor- Armenia, and the territory under its jurisdictance of the election of a Spiritual Assembly tion was reduced. Four other National or
INTERNATIONAL SURV EY OF CURRENT BAH A' i A CTIVITI ES 213
Regional Spiritual Assemblies were estab- 150 believers, the majority living in Baku.
lished to cover the territory of the former Furthermore, the Baku Assembly was offi-
U.S.S .R.: the National Spiritual Assembly of cially registered.
Azerbaijan; the Regional Spiritual Assembly Teaching and consolidation were carried
of the Baltic States; the Regional Spiritual out in the early stages of the Six Year Plan
Assembly of Central Asia; and the Regional by travelling teachers making contact with
Spiritual Assembly of the Ukraine, Belarus relatives in Azerbaijan. Many of the descenand Moldova. dants of the early believers had kept their
deep love for the Faith through all the years
The Regional Spiritual Assembly of of religious oppression. Later in the Plan
Russia, Georgia and Armenia radio and television interviews brought the
At the beginning of the Six Year Plan, there Faith to the attention of the public.
had been seven believers in Russia. Baba' is By the end of the Plan, four long-term
from various countries had been studying in pioneers had settled in Azerbaijan. Like the
the U.S.S.R., and a young couple from the travelling teachers, they played a crucial role
United Kingdom had settled in Moscow in in the development of the community, and
1982. After the beginning of the Six Year their effmis produced notable results .
Plan, other pioneers followed who greatly At Ri<;lvan 1992, the National Spiritual Asassisted the teaching work which had been sembly of Azerbaijan, with its seat in Baku,
persistently pursued by relays of travelling was elected after a lapse of more than fifty
teachers for many years. years.
In 1990 'Abbas and Ri<;lvaniyyih Katirai
settled in Sakhalin, for which they were The Regional Spiritual Assembly of the
named Knights ofBaha'u ' llah, thereby com- Baltic States
pleting the pioneering work called for by the The Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and
Guardian at the opening of the Ten Year Lithuania were independent countries before
Crusade. At the end of the Six Year Plan, being annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940.
there were some forty pioneers in Russia. These republics became sovereign countries
By Ri<;lvan 1992 there were some thirty again in 1991.
Local Assemblies in Russia, one in Armenia At Ri<;lvan 1992 the first Regional Spirand one group in Georgia. Assemblies in itual Assembly of the Baltic States was
Moscow, Ulan-Ude, Kazan, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk established with its seat in Tallinn, Estonia.
and Kholmsk were registered, and a local One hundred Baha' is from the Baltic States
centre had been purchased in Kazan. The and ten other countries filled the hall to
Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is capacity for this historic firs t convention, at
of Russia, Georgia and Armenia was over- which the Hand of the Cause of God ' Ali
seeing the largest Baba 'i territorial area in Akbar Furutan represented the House of
the world, with a general population of over Justice. Mr. Furutan spoke in Russian when
15 5 million. conveying the love and greetings of the
House of Justice to the friends.
The National Spiritual Assembly of Estonia, whose population of nearly two
Azerbaijan million is eighty per cent Lutheran, had only
There is no accurate record of the number of three Baha ' is at the beginning of the Six
believers in Azerbaijan at the beginning of Year Plan, including Brigitte Lundblade,
the Six Year Plan. The goal of the Two Year who had returned to her country of birth in
Plan was to form two Local Assemblies. By April 1989. Other pioneers joined her, and
Ri<;lvan 1992, Azerbaijan had three Local their dedicated efforts led to the formation of
Assemblies, five groups and approximately two Local Assemblies: one in the capital city
214 THE BAHA'l WORLD

Balui 'is in Tallinn, Estonia, US.S R. on 7 June J987. From left to right: Johannes Palu,
Raja Palu, Antonina Apollo, Vjaceslav Hromov.

Jn Riga, Latvia, pioneers Darrel and Sylvia Vice, with their children Tamara and Talis,
held theirfirst Nineteen Day Feast on 7 September 1989.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIV ITI ES 215
of Tallinn formed at Ric;lvan 1990, and one in formulated a one-year teaching plan which
Tartu, formed at Ric;lvan 1991. was received by the assembled believers with
Latvia, with a population of nearly three joy and appreciation.
million people, has three primary religions:
Lutheran, Roman Catholic and Russian The Regional Spiritual Assembly of the
01ihodox. The first Local Spiritual Assem- Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova
bly of Riga, the Latvian capital, was formed In the Ukraine, three Local Assemblies had
in January 1991. By the end of the Plan, two been formed by 1990 as a result of the conpioneers resided in this country. solidation work of travelling teachers and a
Lithuania, with a population of nearly four few pioneers. By Ric;lvan 1991 the commumillion, is ninety per cent Roman Catholic. nity had grown to six Local Assemblies and
The first Local Assembly of Vilnius, the 200 believers; by the end of that year,
Lithuanian capital, was formed in Septem- eighteen long-te1m pioneers were settled in
ber 1990. In January 1992 Lithuania held its various parts of the country. The Plan ended
first large-scale teaching project called with some 250 believers in the Ukraine.
"Project Kaunas". It was sponsored by the Belarus (White Russia) had been opened
International Goals Committee of Sweden by Knight of Baha'u'llah Helmut Winkeland proved to be very successful. The Plan bach in 1978, who stayed for two years. He
ended with four pioneers in Lithuania. returned in 1986 with his wife, Olga, a
native of that country. Their teaching efforts
The Regional Spiritual Assembly of and the an-ival of one more pioneer pro-
Central Asia duced a group of eight believers by Ric;lvan
The population of this region is approximate- 1991. By September that year a Local
ly fifty million and includes the republics of Assembly had been formed in Minsk. Other
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turk- enrolments occun-ed after a group of twenty
menistan and Uzbekistan. There is no accurate enthusiastic travelling teachers came through
record of the number of believers in these from the United Kingdom. By the end of the
republics at the beginning of the Six Year Plan there were twenty-three adults, six
Plan; however, by the end of the Plan, there youth and one Local Assembly in Belarus.
were approximately 500 Baha' is, and all the Moldova began the Six Year Plan with
goals had been achieved, with eight Local one believer. In May 1991 the first Local
Assemblies established or re-established. The Assembly was formed in C hi§in~u (Kishhistoric re-establishment of the Local Spiri- inev), and a pioneer from the United States
tual Assembly of Ashkhabad had taken place an-ived. At the end of the Plan there were
at Ric;lvan 1989, and the Assembly had been approximately fifty believers in Moldova.
registered the same year. The first Local At Ric;lvan 1992 as a result of the teaching
Assembly in Tajikistan had been formed in activity during the Two Year Plan, the
Dushanbe at Ric;lvan 1990 and was recog- Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Ukraine,
nized by the Ministry for Religious Affairs in Belarus and Moldova was formed with its
November of that year. A local centre had seat in Kiev. The Hand of the Cause of God
been purchased in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Dr. 'A li -Mul~ ammad Varqa represented the
At Ric;lvan 1992 the Regional Spiritual House of Justice at this Regional Convention.
Assembly of Central Asia with its seat in By then there were six Local Assemblies in
Ashkhabad was re-formed, having previously the Ukraine with two, Kiev and Odessa, offiexisted fro m 1925 to 1939 as the National cially registered; one Local Assembly in
Spiritual Assembly ofTurkistan. lnspired and Belarus; and one in Moldova, all goals
guided by the Counsellors at the Convention, having been achieved. A local centre had
the new National Assembly immediately been purchased in Chi§ in~u, Moldova.
216 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Seventy-five Baha 'is from twelve cities and villages attending the National Teaching
Conference held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from 25 to 27 October 1991.

Participants in the regional conference held in Odessa, Ukrain e,
fro m J4 to J6 Februmy, J992. "Fellowship, deepening, and rich artistic presentation filled
our hours, " according to the conference report.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 217
Other Countries of the Former Sofia. By the end of the Six Year Plan, there
Eastern Bloc were 400 Baha'is residing in twenty-five
ALBANIA localities with ten Local Assemblies. The
The goal of the Two Year Plan for Albania first National Spiritual Assembly of Bulgaria
was to establish one group of nine adults and was elected at Ri9van 1992 in the presence
open three localities, but by the end of that of the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu '1-
Plan there were between 3,000 and 4,000 Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum, the representative
Baha 'is in Albania with eighteen Local Spir- of the Universal House ofJustice.
ihial Assemblies and fourteen groups. The Nearly 200 people from eighteen counnumber of travelling teachers and the subse- háies and twenty-one localities in Bulgaria
quent diffusion of the Faith had accelerated attended the Convention, which was held in
dramatically following the contacts made Sofia. "Bulgaria is bursting into a beautiful
with descendants of the <;apari family in and abundant spring which seems symbolic
1985 in Tirana. These áactivities had been of the wonderful, united, enthusiastic and
enthusiastically promoted by the National happy spirit animating the first Baha'i Con-
Assembly of Italy, which had been asked to vention held in this promising land," it was
lead this work, sharing the responsibility long reported. On the last day of the Convention,
held by the Baba 'is of Germany. the participants accompanied the Hand of the
The National Spiritual Assembly of Albania Cause to the burial places of Adam Benke
was elected at Ri9van 1992 at a Convention and Marion Jack in the central cemetery of
attended by over 180 Albanian Baha'is from Sofia. That evening, ninety per cent of the
all parts of the country. The news of this audience, carried away by sheer joy, opti-
Convention and the announcement of the mism and exuberance about the significance
election of the Assembly was broadcast of the convention, danced together holding
the following day by the national television hands, a snaking column winding around the
during prime-time news. aisles of the hall.

BULGARIA C ZECHOSLOVAKIA
The original Six Year Plan goal for Bulgaria At the begi1ming of the Six Year Plan there
was to establish one group of nine believers were fifteen believers in Czechoslovakia,
and open six localities. With the Two Year and the initial goal was to form one group of
Plan the goal was expanded to establish two nine adults and open five localities to the
Loca l Spiritual Assemblies and open six Faith. With the Two Year Plan this goal
localities to the Faith. was raised to forming four Local Spiritual
The first Local Spiritual Assembly was Assemblies, opening six localities and formformed in Plovdiv in January 1991. During ing a National Spiritual Assembly at Ri9van
the week of the election there were teaching 1992. These goals were all surpassed. The
activities in which thirty-one people em- first Local Assembly was elected in Prague
braced the Faith. In March 1991 the Local in June 1990. Approximately forty-five per
Spiritual Assembly of Sofia was re-formed, cent of the growth in the number of believers
and by Ri9van there were 150 Baha'is in during the Six Year Plan occurred during the
eight localities with three Local Assemblies. final year. By the end of the Plan, Czecho-
During that same year the first National slovakia had five Local Spiritual Assemblies,
Teaching Conference was held and the first seven groups and approximately 170 believ-
National Teaching Committee appointed. ers, including forty-one pioneers.
The Faith was officially registered in The National Spiritual Assembly of
Bulgaria on 26 November 1991, and by that Czechoslovakia was elected at Ri9van 1991
date a small Baha'i centre had been rented in in the presence of the Hand of the Cause of
218 THE BAHA'I WORLD

God Dr. 'Ali-Mul;ammad Varqa as repre- in that region was elected in March 1992 in
sentative of the Universal House of Justice. Erfurt. By the end of the Six Year Plan there
The Convention participants reported: "In- were approximately fifty Baha'is in the eastdeed, a new and glorious chapter in the ern part of Germany, with two Local Spiritual
history of the Baba' i community of Czecho- Assemblies and twenty pioneers.
slovakia has opened. The future is truly
dazzling. We stand committed to face these HUNGARY
prospects united in service to our beloved The goals of the Six Year Plan for Hungary
Lord, ever mindful of the immeasurable sac- were to form two groups of nine adult
rifices made by those heroic souls whose Baha'is each and to open six localities. In
immortal services have brought us to where 1987 Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum visitwe now stand." ed Budapest, greatly encouraging the small
number of local friends and inspiring an
EAST GERMANY increase in the flow of travelling teachers.
Although the territories of both parts of By 1989 there were five pioneers residing
Germany had always been under the juris- in three localities. In that same year the first
diction of the National Spiritual Assembly of summer school was held, followed by one
Germany, that Assembly had experienced each subsequent year. By 1990 there were
great difficulty in making contact with the forty believers, including eight pioneers.
few Baha'is living in the East until the fall of The Local Assembly of Budapest was rethe Berlin Wall in 1989 and the opening of fom1ed in the presence of a Counsellor, the
the frontier. members of the National Spiritual Assembly
In September 1990, just before the unifi- of Austria, and fifty Hungarian believers and
cation of the two parts of Germany, the Austrian visitors, at what was called the most
National Spiritual Assembly obtained offi- joyous Ric;lvan since before World War IL
cial recognition from the Cabinet Council's The friends recalled the historic visit of the
Department of Religious Affairs as "The beloved Master to Budapest and His stay
Religious Community of the Baha'is in the only a few metres from the place the election
German Democratic Republic". This far- was being held.
sighted action by the National Assembly By 1991, after a number of teaching
ensured the recognition of the Faith in each projects and the formation of the first Nationof the five new eastern states of the united al Teaching Committee, the community had
Federal Republic. The first Local Assembly grown to two Local Spiritual Assemblies

- Bah a'i youth from
several different
countries staffing
a display in
Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, on
27 August 1990.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 219
and eight localities, and there were nineteen Council of Ministers, in Warsaw, thus ensurresident pioneers. By the end of the Plan ing full legal status for existing and future
there were 130 believers, four Local Spiritual Assemblies. The National Assembly was
Assemblies, twenty-six localities and twenty- elected at Ri<)van 1992 in the presence of the
five pioneers scattered around the country. Hand of the Cause of God Amatu 'l-Baha
The first National Spiritual Assembly was Ru]:iiyyih Khanum, who served as the repreelected at Ri<)van 1992, with the Hand of the sentative of the Universal House of Justice.
Cause of God 'Ali Akbar Furutan represent- Almost the entire Polish Baba 'i community
ing the Universal House of Justice. After the and guests from thirty-four countries attenddevotional part of the Convention, the ap- ed the first National Convention, held in
proximately 160 participants from nineteen Warsaw. The Convention paid a special tribcountráies were thrilled to witness the enrol- ute to Knight ofBaha'u'llah Ola Pavlovska,
ments of three more Hungarian friends into who after many years in the pioneering field,
the Faith. was able to return to her native Poland.

POLAND ROMANIA
Poland was opened to the Faith in 1926 by After the communist takeover of Romania
Martha Root, who visited again in 1932. following World War II, the Baha'is were
After the seeds she planted lay dormant for forbidden to teach the Faith. In 1989 governmany years, the Faith began to blossom in ment restraints relaxed, and the Faith began
1990 when Baha'is from many countries, to spread with the support of travelling
particularly Germany, the United Kingdom teachers from Austria and Germany. At the
and Ireland, responded to new teaching outset of the Six Year Plan the Romanian
opportunities. In 1991, Ola Pavlovska re- Baha'i community consisted of three students
turned to the land of her birth and settled in from Germany and one native believer.
Warsaw. By the beginning of the Six Year By Ri<;lvan 1989 six localities had been
Plan thirteen believers were reported to be in opened to the Faith, and there were sixteen
Poland; by the end of the Two Year Plan adult believers. Many music groups and
there were approximately eighty. travelling teachers continued to spread the
By April 1992, there were seven Local Faith in different parts of the country, lead-
Assemblies in Poland, and the Baha'i Faith ing to the holding of the first National Baha'i
was officially registered and recognized by Teaching Conference in 1990, at which forty
the Department of Religious Affairs of the people became Baha' is.

Five members of
New Zealand 's
Youth for One
World, who travelled
to East Germany in
the summer of J990,
then went on to
Romania.
220 THE BAHA'i WORLD

The Knight of Baha 'u 'llah for Mongolia, Sean Hinton (left) seated with the first native
Mongolian Baha 'i, Oyundelger; 1990.

By Ric}van 1991 the great receptivity of four Local Spi.J.itual Assemblies, increase the
the Romanian people and the ardent services number of localities to thirteen and form the
of the Baha ' is had raised the community to National Assembly . All of the goals were
twelve Local Assemblies, twenty-eight groups reached except the formation of the National
and fifty-seven isolated centres, with some Assembly, which could not be achieved due
1,000 believers in all. A firm foundation had to the extreme political unrest in the counhy
been created for the election of the National The National Assembly of Austria con-
Assembly that Ric}van, in the presence of the ti.J.med to be responsible for the Faith in
Hand of the Cause Amatu ' l-Baba Rul:iiyyih Yugoslavia throughout the period. After the
Khanum, representing the House of Justice. political breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 two
The historic Convention was covered on Regional Teaching Committees were fom1ed
a forty-minute-long national television pro- to cover the geographical areas of the fom1er
gramme which included an interview with republic. They were named the Regional
Rul:iiyyih K.hanum. A dynamic press confer- Teaching Committee of the Baha'is ofBosniaence with twenty-four journalists was also Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and
held. During the Convention and closing pub- Serbia; and the Regional Teaching Commitlic meeting, the 300 participants welcomed tee of the Baba'is of Croatia and Slovenia.
forty-four new believers into the Faith. Despite the challenges of ethnic rivalries,
Following the Convention, Amatu'l-Baha political unrest and exháemely diverse cultures
Rul:iiyyih Khanum visited the grave of Queen and languages, Baha'i travelling teachers,
Marie of Romania with Baha'i friends. mainly from Austria, contributed greatly to
the growth of the Faith in Yugoslavia.
YUGOSLAVI A Greater awareness of the Faith had been
The goal of the Six Year Plan for Yugoslavia raised in 1988 when BaM' is presented pawas to form two groups of nine adults and to pers on current issues at several conferences.
open eleven localities. The goal of the By the end of the Plan the former Yugosubsidiary Two Year Plan was to establish slavia had approximate ly 120 believers,
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 221
including twenty pioneers, and four Local of 1990, the music group El Viento Canta
Assemblies. In April 1992 the Faith was communicated the Baha'i spirit to nationofficially recognized in Slovenia. wide television and radio audiences, and the
second and third Mongolians became Baha'is.
MONGOLIA One of these new believers, Burembayar,
When Sean Hinton, a young Baha'i from translated the first Baha ' i prayers into
Australia, first entered Mongolia in December Mongolian.
1988 to do research, it was still a virgin terri- The goal of the Two Year Plan was to
tory and one of two remaining pioneer goals establish one group and to open three localifrom the Ten Year Crusade. Mr. Hinton was ties. Travelling teachers from Germany,
named a Knight ofBaha'u'llah for being the Switzerland, Canada, the United States and
first Baha' i to settle in Mongolia. He spent Malaysia were among those who visited the
several prolonged periods in the country country, and two new pioneers, one from
studying Mongolian folk music, sometin1es Germany and one from the United States,
in very remote areas of the Altai Mountains. joined Mr. Hinton in settling there.
In 1989, the first Mongolian enrolled in the Toward the end of 1991 responsibility for
Faith. the Faith in Mongolia was transferred from
Amatu'l-Baha R1ll_iiyyih Khanum visited the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany
Mongolia for one week in May 1989. She to the Spiritual Assembly of Singapore. The
gave a series of lectures about her travels formation of the first Mongolian Local Spirand about world peace to university students itual Assembly in Ulaan-Baatar was reported
studying English in Mongolia. In the spring at Ri~van 1992.

6. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE Two YEAR PLAN
There is no doubt that the day will come hitherto unmatched vigour, to atone for
when the very people who are now their past failures. They will join the
engaged in destroying the foundations of ranks of the followers of Baha 'u ' llah and
faith in God and promoting this baseless arise to promote His Cause ...
doctrine of materialism will arise and, by This time seems finally to have come. An
their own hand, snuff out the flame of this indication of the extraordinary achievements
commotion .. ., made during the sho1t span of the Two Year
the Guardian wrote in 1923, concerning Plan can be seen from the listing of the goals
the events then transpiring in Russia. at the outset of the Six Year Plan, the goals
They will sweep away the entire structure established for the Two Year Plan, and the
of their unrestrained godlessness and actual situation in each country at Ri~van
will arise with heart and soul, and with 1992 when both plans came to an end.
222 THE BAHA'I WORLD

GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN EASTERN EUROPE AND MONGOLIA

Six Year Plan Two Year Plan
Territory Achievements
Goals Goals

Albania Open to the Faith One group of9 in 18 LSAs
Tirana 21 other localities
Open 3 localities NSA formed and
registered at Ri<;lvan
1992

Bulgaria Form 1 group of9 Form 2 LSAs 10 LSAs
Open 6 localiti es Open 6 localities 25 localities
NSA formed at
Ri<;lvan 1992

Czechoslovakia Form 1 group of 9 Form 4 LSAs 5 LSAs
Open 5 localiti es Open 6 localities 11 localities
Establish NSA at NSA formed at
Ri<;lvan 1992 Ri<;lvan 1991

Former East Form 4 groups of9 Form 6 LSAs 2 LSAs
Germany Open 30 localities 26 other localities
At least 12 groups

Hungary Form 2 groups of9á Form 5 LSAs 4 LSAs
Open 6 localities Open 13 localities 17 localities
Establish NSA at NSA formed at
Ri<;lvan 1992 Ri<;lvan 1992
Poland Form 4 groups of9 Form 6 LSAs 8LSAs
Establish NSA at 29 other localities
Ri<;lvan 1992 NSA formed at
Ri<;lvan 1992
Faith registered

Romania Open 6 local iti es Form 4 LSAs 25 LSAs
Open I 0 localities 485 localities
Establish NSA at NSA formed at
Ridvan 1992 Ridvan 1991

Yugoslavia Form 2 groups of9 Form 4 LSAs 4 LSAs
Open 11 localities Open 13 localities 20 other localities
Establish NSA at Political situation
Ri<;lvan 1992 did not allow NSA
to be formed

Mongolia Open to the Faith Establish 1 group I LSA in Ulaan-
Open 3 localiti es Baa tar
INTERNA TIO NAL SURVEY OF CUR RENT BAHA' I ACT IVITI ES 223
GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

Six Year Plan Two Year Plan
Territory Achievements
Goals Goals

Armenia Conso lidate LSA in Yerevan LSA Yerevan

Azerbaijan Consolidate Establish 2 LSAs 3 LSAs
5 other localities
NSA at Ri<;!van
1992

Belarus (Bielarus) Reopen to the Faith Form LSA in 1 LSA in Minsk
Minsk

Estonia Form 1 group of9 Form 1 LS A 2 LSAs
Open 4 localities 3 other localities

Geo rgia Consolidate Form 1 LSA in 1 group in Tbilisi
Tbilisi

Kazakhstan Consolidate Form ILSA 1 LSA
Form 1 group 1 loca lity

Kyrgyzstan Consolidate Form 1 LSA in 1 LSA in Bishkek
(Kirgizia) Bishkek (Frunze)

Latvia Form 1 group of9 Form 1 LSA 1 LSA
in Riga Open 3 localiti es 2 other localities

Lithuania Form 1 group of9 Form 1 LSA 1 LSA
in Vilnius Open 3 localiti es 2 other localities

Moldova Settle one pioneer Form 1 LSA in 1 LSA in Kishinev
(Moldavia) Kishinev (Chi~ in~ u)
(Chi~in~u)

R ussia Groups of 9 in Len- Form at least 7 25 LSAs
ingrad & Moscow LS As Mo re than 50 other
Open Petrosko i I LSA and 3 locali - localiti es
Open at least 6 ties in Sakhalin NSA formed at
local ities Establi sh NSA at Ri<;!van 1991
Ri<;lvan 1992

Tajikistan Consol idate LSA in Dushanbe 1 LSA in Dushanbe
(Tadzhikistan) 3 other localities

Turkmenistan Consolidate Form 2 LSAs 3 LSAs
3 other localiti es
224 THE BAHA ' I WORL D

GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS I N TH E FORME R SOVIET UNION (CONTINUED)

Six Year Plan Two Year Plan
Territory Achievements
Goals Goals

Ukra ine Conso lidate Form 4- 5 LSAs 7 LSAs
More than l 0 other
loca liti es

Uzbekistan Consolidate Form 2 LSAs in 2 LSAs in Tashkent
Tashkent and and Samarkand
Samarkand 2 other localities

Th e first issue of the
Russian Baha 'i newsletter, "The Express",
is done after friends
worked all night to
meet their selfimposed deadline.
December 1991 .

Th e first Local
Spiritual Assembly
of the Baha 'is of
Marv, Turkmenistan,
Russia. Formed on
23 September 1990.
III
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF
CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES
1986-1992

1. THE OPENING OF THE FOURTH EPO CH OF
THE FORMATIVE AGE
S HER NA DE AME R

The Reve lati on of Baha' u' llah, whose supreme mi ss ion is none other but the achi evement of [the]
organi c and spi ri tual unity of the whole body of nati ons, should .. . be regarded as ... marking the last and
highest stage in the stupendous evolu tio n of man' s collective li fe on this planet. 1

THE growth of the Baha ' i Faith could be the International Baha'i Council, in 1951, as
charted, Shoghi Effendi wrote, in terms of the foremnner of the Universal House of
th1ee major stages : the Heroic Age (1844- Justice.
1921) associated with the Central Figures of The third epoch encompassed 1963- 1986,
the Fa ith; the Formative Age (1921- ), during when the influence of the Faith began
which the Administrative Order would be extending into the world at large, and the
established; and the Golden Age, which wi ll Baha' i conmmnity began to demonstrate its
see the emergence of the Kingdom of God potentialities. The third epoch began with
on earth. the inaugural election of the Universal House
Within each Age, Shoghi Effendi described of Justice, and witnessed the writing of the
distinguishable periods. In the Formative Age constitution of that Supreme Body, the
he used the tenn "first epoch" for the period codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and the
1921-1 944/46, when the foundations of the fulfilment of Isaiah's prophecy when the
Administrative Order were first erected- Universal House of Justice moved into its
the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. pe1manent Seat at the apex of the Arc on
The second epoch encompassed 1946-1963, Mount Carmel. The institutions of the Conwhen the Faith spread, its administration tinental Boards of Counsellors and the
matured, and its World Centre was consoli- International Teaching Centre were created
dated. A notable fea ture of this epoch was and developed during the third epoch.
the designation by Shoghi Effendi, beginning The opening of the fourth epoch of the
in 1951 , of Hands of the Cause of God to F01mative Age of the Faith was announced
ass ist him, and then, in 1954, of Auxiliary in a letter dated 2 January 1986, written by
Boards to assist the Hands. He also created the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'is
of the world. In that letter, a process was
Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Balin '11 '/liili outlined whereby the task of fommlating
(Wi lmette : Baha' i Publi shing Trust, 1974), p. 163. national goals would devolve largely on the
226 THE BAHA'I WORLD

National Spiritual Assemblies, in consultation period from 1979 to 1986. At the end of this
with the Boards of Counsellors, rather than Plan, Baha'is were living in 116,707 localibeing specified by the Universal House of ties around the world, representing about
Justice or the International Teaching Centre. 2, 100 ethnic groups with members who had
Emphasizing the significance of this devel- embraced the Faith. One hundred and fortyopment, the House of Justice stated that eight National Spiritual Assemblies and 32,854
" ... we have no hesitation in recognizing that Local Spiritual Assemblies were elected at
this new development in the maturation of Ri~van 1986, and thousands of properties
Baha'i institutions marks the inception of enhanced the ability of the Baha'is to carry
the fourth epoch of that Age". forward the work of the Cause.
The concept of national goals had first The numerical growth in the rolls of
been introduced by 'Abdu'l-Baha in a series believers reflected the growing spiritual transofletters He had written to the Baha'is of the formation of the lives of the believers. From
United States and Canada between 1916 and the early days of the Cause Baha 'is had
1917. Called the Tablets of the Divine Plan, founded schools and hospitals, homes for
they had offered a vision of the Faith spread the aged and charities for the poor. As
around the world and encouraged the friends Baha ' is developed the attitudes of service
to act on that vision. Shoghi Effendi had used called for by their Faith, they found new
the Tablets of the Divine Plan as the charter abilities to translate its Teachings into
for a series of Plans he designed to spread the action. By the end of the Seven Year Plan,
Faith, and to provide an administrative order an Office of Social and Economic Developfor the community. The Universal House of ment had been established at the Baha' i
Justice had continued to develop Plans for World Centre to help coordinate the more
the Baha'i world, in consultation with the than one thousand projects initiated by Baha'is
International Teaching Centre after that insti- in the fields of agriculture, community develtution was created in 1973. opment, health, education, improvement of
The last Plan of the third epoch was the the status of women, environment, and other
third Seven Year Plan, which covered the areas of activity.

Counsellor member of the International Teaching Centre Donald Rogers (center) facilitated
community consultation on th e Six Year Plan held in Kingstown, St. Vincent, in May 1986.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF C URR ENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 227
The increasing numbers of Baha'is and World Peace to the Heads of State of their
the activities they sponsored demanded a respective nations and territories, and by
corresponding maturation of the institutions Ri9van 1986 a total of 138 such presentaof the Faith. Births were recorded, marriages tions had been made. Concunently, the
conducted, and funerals organized. By the Baha'i world community began to distribute
end of the Seven Year Plan, locally spon- The Promise of World Peace to other leaders
sored children's classes were held in 165 of society as well as to their friends and
countries or territories, youth activities in neighbours, so that within eighteen months
143, and special women's activities in 116 of its release, more than a million copies, in
countries or territories. Funds were raised, some seventy languages, had been presented.
newsletters were published, properties were The law1ching of the Peace Message had
acquired, and legal recognition of the Faith an electráifying effect upon the Baha'is of the
was attained. world, and evoked a new confidence in the
In 1985, the development of the Faith elected administrators of the Faith. But the
took a dramatic new course with the release most dramatic development of the Faith's
of The Promise of World Peace, a Jetter institutions during the third epoch was the
from the Universal House of Justice to the result of forces outside of the control of the
peoples of the world. This was the first time believers. In its 1986 Ri9van message to the
the House of Justice had ever addressed Baha ' is of the world the Universal House of
itself directly to the generality of human- Justice wrote:
kind, and it took up the central issue facing The opening of [the Seven Year] Plan
the human race in the closing years of the coincided with the recrudescence of savtwentieth century. (For the full text of Th e age persecution of the Baha'i community
Promise of World Peace see pp. 324-333 of in Iran, a deliberate effort to eliminate the
The Baha 'i World, volume XIX.) Cause of God from the land of its birth.
The Universal House of Justice asked the The heroic steadfasmess of the Persian
National Spiritual Assemblies around the friends has been the mainspring of tráeglobe to present copies of The Promise of mendous international attention focussed

Jn Thailand, Baha 'is in a refi1gee camp called "Site Two North Camp" were married
during a ceremony held on 7 October 1987.
228 THE BAHA'I WORLD

on the Cause, eventually bringing it to the Each N ational Spiritual Assembly was
agenda of the General Assembly of the also asked to meet with a member of the
United Nations, and, together with world- Continental Board of Counsellors before
wide publicity in all the media, accom- Ric:lvan 1986, "so that from this initial conplishing its emergence from the obscurity sultation a basis will be laid for consultation
which characterized and sheltered the on the goals at the National Conventions".
first period of its life. Delegates from throughout each country
The implications of the Faith's emer- gathered during Ric:lvan and shared their
gence from obscurity were discussed during thoughts and feelings about the proposed
the fifth Baha'i International Convention, goals, then took new ideas home to be disheld in the Holy Land from 30 April to cussed at the grassroots level. Meanwhile, the
2 May 1983. Among the themes especially National Assembly members elected during
emphasized was the importance of the fol- the Conventions consulted with Counsellors
lowers of Baha'u'llah living up to the high about the ideas presented by the delegates
standards set by the Blessed Beauty, so that and drafted a set of goals for the Six Year
Baha'i institutions and community life can Plan to be considered at the Baha'i World
confidently welcome examination by the Centre.
peoples of the world. Each set of goals was evaluated by the
To ass ist National Spiritual Assemblies Universal House of Justice and the Internadetermine their own levels of maturity, the tional Teaching Centre in relationship to the
Baha'i World Centre's Department of the country's strengths and weaknesses as
Secretariat sent a letter on behalf of the Uni- described by the National Assembly itself
versal House of Justice to each Assembly on and in relationship to the goals of other
25 November 19 84, asking it to evaluate its National Spiritual Assemblies. If the goals
community's strengths and weaknesses: seemed within the country's potential and
the broader direction of the Faith's develop-
1. Current Status and Specific Needs of ment, they were warmly endorsed. Where
the Baha'i Community. What distinctive further consideration was needed, they were
strengths and weaknesses do you see in referred back to the Spiritual Assemblies
your community? Are there any unusual concerned for consultation and revision.
features of the condition of the Faith in It was this involvement of the total
your community which must be taken community in setting goals through selfinto account in the fo1mulation of the evaluation, consultation at all levels, and full
next Plan? cooperation between the appointed and
2. Condition of the Nation. Do the social, elected arms of the Administrative Order
political and economic trends indicate that was a new feature of the development
any unusual opportunities or difficulties of the Faith, one that distinguishes the fourth
for the development of the Baha'i com- epoch of its history.
munity in the immediate years ahead? Once the goals of the new Plan were set
and published, the friends began working
The assessment of each country's toward their fulfilment. As one result, by the
strengths and weaknesses became "the pre- end of the first six years of the fourth epoch,
liminary steps in goa l-setting", the Universal at least one and a half million new Baha'is
House of Justice wrote to all 1-fational Spir- had emolled in the Faith. The community's
itual Assemblies ill a letter dated 25 February s~ccess in á the wide difflision of Baha 'u-
1986. They "will undoubtedly be of great 'llah's Message was publicly recogmzed
assistance to each one of you as you enter when the Encyclopaedia Brita1mica, in its
the next stage of the process". Britannica Book of the Year for 198 8,
INTERNA TIO NAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 229
described the Faith as the second most of the Baha ' is in Iran brought the Faith to a
widely spread religion after Christianity. new level of recognition, and the increasing
In addition to the Six Year Plan goals set maturity of its life gives its experience great
by the National Spiritual Assemblies for importance for the social and moral developthemselves, the Universal House of Justice ment of humanity generally. The views of
assigned international collaboration goals Baha'is are being sought by people working
for National Assemblies. Communities who on problems at local, national, and internahad the advantage of bonds that crossed tional levels. Examples of this are replete in
nationa l borders, such as commonality of the pages of this volume.
language, racial background or cultural That the world sorely needs an encouragtraditions, were asked to work together to ing model as it moves into the twenty-first
support international projects including cenh1ry is made only too clear with any
teaching activities, the translation and distri- cursmy glance through a daily newspaper.
bi1tion of Baha'i literature, the development In The World Order of Baha 'u '!!ah, Shoghi
of Baha ' i, educational material for children, Effendi referred to the "two-fo ld process"
and the production of audio-visual materials. which is "to bring to a climax the forces
In many cases communities were asked to that are transforming the face of our planet".
supply funds to support social and economic One process is destructive, the other is condevelopment activities, or other work of the strnctive. "The constructive process stands
Faith in other lands. associated with the nascent Fa ith of Baha-
The international collaboration goals were 'u' llah, and is the harbinger of the New World
conveyed to all National Spiritual Assem- Order that Faith must erelong establish. "
blies in a letter from the Universal House of In a world the structure of whose political
Justice dated 5 June 1987. and social institutions is impaired, whose
The goals are devised not only to ac hieve vision is befogged, whose co nscience is
objectives, but to encourage mutual coop- bewildered, whose religious systems have
eration and sharing of ideas between become anemic and lost their virtue, this
National Spiritual Assemblies, processes healing Agency, this leavening Power,
which will strengthen the Baha'i world this cementing Force, intensely alive and
conununi ty and enable it to present to all-pervasive, has been taking shape, is
mankind the pattern of a truly organic, crystallizing into institutions, is mobilizuniversal, diversified but united society. ing its forces, and is preparing for the
Both the change in the numbers of fol- sp iritual conquest and the complete
lowers of Baha'u'llah and the way in which redemption of mankind . 1
they are working together are altering the
1 Th e Wo rld Order of Bnhri á11 'l/rih , p. 195.
public image of the Faith. The persecution

A. A LETTER FROM TI-IE UNIVERSAL HOU SE OF JUSTICE
2 January 1986 fac ing the Baha'i wo rld community, has, at
To the Baha ' is of the World the conclusion of their historic conference,
been transmuted into fee lings of deepest
Dearly-loved Friends , joy, gratitude and love.
The eager expectation with which we wel- Graced b y the presence of the Hands of
comed to the World Centre, on 27 December, the Cause Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum,
sixty-four Cow1sellors from the five conti- Ugo Giachery, ' Ali-Akbar FurUtan, 'Alinents to discuss, with the International Teaching M u l~anunad Varqa and Collis Featherstone,
Centre, the challenges and opportunities the Conference was organized and managed
230 Tl-IE BAHA.'i WORLD

with admirable foresight and efficiency by by commemorations around the world and
the International Teaching Centre, whose the inauguration of His Covenant will be
individual members watched over and served celebrated, in the City of the Covenant, by
untiringly the needs of the participants and the holding of the second Baha' i World
the progress of the Conference itself. Congress.
Convened in the concourse of the Seat of The beloved Counsellors, strengthened
the Universal House of Justice as the Coun- and enriched by their experience in the Holy
sellors of the Baha'i world entered upon Land, will, as early as possible, consult with
their new five-year term of office, within all National Spiritual Assemblies on meamonths of the te1mination of the Seven Year sures to conclude triumphantly the cmTent
Plan and the opening of the new Six Year Plan, and on preparations to launch the Six
Plan, its aura heightened by the spiritual Year Plan. In anticipation of those consultapotencies of the Holy Shrines and the tions, National Spiritual Assemblies will
euphoric sense of victory and blessing now receive the full announcement of the aims
pervading the entire Baha'i world, the Con- and characteristics of that Plan, so that
ference attained such heights of consultative together with the Counsellors they may
exaltation, spirituality and power as only formulate the national plans which will, for
those serving the Blessed Beauty can enjoy. each community, establish its pursuit of the
The organic growth of the Cause of God, overall objectives.
indicated by recent significant developments This new process, whereby the national
in its life, becomes markedly apparent in the goals of the next Plan are to be largely
light of the main objectives and expectations formulated by National Spiritual Assemblies
of the Six Year Plan: a vast expansion of and Boards of Counsellors, signalizes the
the numerical and financial resources of the inauguration of a new stage in the unfold-
Cause; enlargement of its status in the world; ment of the Administrative Order. Our
a world-wide increase in the production, beloved Guardian anticipated a succession
distribution and use of Baha'i literature; a of epochs during the Formative Age of the
finner and world-wide demonstration of the Faith; we have no hesitation in recognizing
Baha'i way of life requiring special consider- that this new development in the maturation
ation of the Baha 'i education of children and of Baha'i institutions marks the inception of
youth, the strengthening of Baha 'i family the fourth epoch of that Age.
life and attention to universal participation Shoghi Effendi perceived in the organic
and the spiritual enrichment of individual life of the Cause a dialectic of victory and
life; further acceleration in the process of the crisis. The unprecedented triumphs, genermaturation of local and national Baba 'i com- ated by the adamantine steadfastness of
munities and a dynamic consolidation of the the Iranian friends, will inevitably provoke
unity of the two arms of the Adminisháative opposition to test and increase our sháength.
Order; an extension of the involvement of the Let every Baha'i in the world be assured that
Baha'i world conununity in the needs of the whatever may befall this growing Faith of
world around it; and the pursuit of social and God is but incontrovertible evidence of the
economic development in well-established loving care with which the King of Glmy
Baha'i conununities. These are some of the and His martyred Herald, through the
features of the Six Year Plan which will open incomparable Cenháe of His Covenant and
on 21 April 1986 and tenninate on 20 April our beloved Guardian, are preparing His
1992. humble followers for ultimate and magnifi-
Ric;lvan 1992 will mark the inception of cent triumph. Our loving prayers are with
a Holy Year, during which the Centenary of you all.
the Ascension ofBaha'u' llah will be observed The Universal House of Justice
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF C URRENT BAHA ' i ACTIV ITI ES 231

B. STATEMENT BY THE RESEARCH D EPARTMENT ON
THE EPOCHS OF THE FOR1\1A TIVE AGE

5 February 1986 In relation to the Heroic Age of our Faith,
To all National Spiritual Assemblies the Guardian, in a letter dated 5 June 194 7
to the American Baha' is, specified that this
Dear Baha'i Friends, Age consisted of three epochs and described
In the letter dated 2 January 1986 written the distinguishing features of each:
by the Universal House of Justice to the
... the Apostolic and Heroic Age of
Baha ' is of the world, reference was made
our Faith, fell into three distinct epochs,
to the inception of the fourth epoch of the
of nine, of thirty-nine and of twenty-nine
Formative Age. In response to questions
years' duration, associated respectively
subsequently put to the House of Justice
with the Babi Dispensation and the minisabout the periods related to the earlier epochs
tries ofBaha 'u ' llah and of 'Abdu'l-Baha.
of that Age, the Research Department was
This primitive Age of the Baha' i Era,
requested to prepare a statement on the subunapproached in spiritual fecundity by
ject. This has now been presented, and a
any period associated with the mission of
copy is enclosed.
the Founder of any previous Dispensation,
Kindly share this material of topical interwas impregnated, from its inception to
est with the friends, as you deem fit, so that
its termination, with the creative energies
it may be studied in their deepening classes,
generated through the advent of two
summer schools, conferences and similar
independent Manifestations and the estabgatherings.
lishment of a Covenant unique in the
With loving Baha'i greetings ,
spiritual annals of mankind.7
For Department of the Secretariat
The Formative Age, in which we now
live and serve, 8 was ushered in with the
The Epochs of the Formative Age
passing of 'Abdu ' l-Baha. 9 Its major thrust is
Prepared by the Research Department ofthe
the shaping, development and consohdat10n
Universal House a/Justice
of the local, national and international insti-
INTRODUCTION tutions of the Faith. 10 It is clear from the
In disclosing the panoramic vision of the enumeration of the tasks associated with the
unfoldment of the Dispensation ofBaha'u 'llah, Fonnative Age that their achievement will
Shoghi Effendi refers to three major evolu- require increas ingly mature levels of functionary stages through which the Faith must tioning of the Baha ' i community:
pass- the Apostolic or Heroic Age (1844-
During this Formative Age of the Faith,
1921) associated with the Cenháal Figures of
and in the course of present and succeedthe Faith; 1 the Formative or Transitional Age
ing epochs, the last and crowning stage
(1921- ),2 the "hall-mark" 3 of which is the rise
in the erection of the framework of the
and establishment of the Administrative Order,
Administrative Order of the Faith of
based on the execution of the provisions of
Baha' u' llah- the election of the Universal
'Abdu' l-Baha's Will and Testament; 4 and, the
House of Justice-wi ll have been com-
Golden Age which will represent the "conpleted, the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Mothersunm1ation of this glorious Di spensation".5
Book of His Revelation, will have been
Close examination of the details of Baha ' i
codified and its laws promulgated, the
history reveals that the individual Ages are
Lesser Peace will have been established,
comprised of a number of periods- insepathe unity of mankind will have been
rable parts of one integrated whole. 6
232 THE BAHA ' i WO RLD

achieved and its maturity attained, the began in 193 7, with the inception of the First
Plan conceived by 'Abdu ' l-Baha will have Seven Year Plan of the North American
been executed, the emancipation of the Baha ' i community, and concluded with
Faith from the fetters of religious ortho- the successful completion of the Ten Year
doxy will have been effected, and its Crusade in 1963. 19 The second epoch of
independent religious status will have 'Abdu ' l-Baha 's Divine Plan commenced in
been universally recognized, .. . 11 1964 with the inauguration of the Nine Year
Plan of the Universal House of Justice.)
The epochs of the Formative Age mark The prin1ary focus of this statement is on
progressive stages in the evolution of the the epochs of the Formative Age of the Disorganic Baha ' i community and signal the pensation ofBaha'u'llah.
maturation of its institutions, thus enabling
the Faith to operate at new levels and to THE F IRST EPOC H OF TH E FORMATIVE AG E
initiate new fimctions. The timing of each 1921- 1944/46
epoch is designated by the Head of the Faith, The first epoch of this Age witnessed the
and given the organic nature of evolutionary "birth and the primary stages in the erection
development, the transition from one epoch of the framework of the Administrative Order
to another may not be abrupt, but may well of the Faith". 20 The epoch was characterized
occur over a period of time. This is the case, by concentration on the fom1ation of local
for example, in relation to both the inception and national institutions in all five contiof the Formative Age and the end of its first nents, 21 thereby initiating the erection of the
epoch. In re lation to the former, the passing machinery necessary for future systematic
of 'Abdu ' l-Baha is the transitional event most teaching activities. This epoch was further
often identified with the close of the Heroic marked by the launching, at the instigation
Age and the beginning of the Formative of the Guardian, of the First Seven Year Plan
Age. 12 However, the Guardian also asserts (1937- 1944) by the American Baha ' i comthat the Apostolic Age of the Faith con- munity. This Plan, drawing its inspiration from
cluded "more particularly with the passing the Tablets of the Divine Plan, represented
[in 1932] of His well-beloved and illustrious the first systematic teaching campaign of the
sister, the Most Exalted Leaf-the last survi- Baha'i community and inaugurated the inivor of a glorious and heroic age". 13 With tial stage of the execution of'Abdu'l-Baha' s
regard to the termination of the first epoch Divine Plan in the Western Hemisphere.22
of the Formative Age, Shoghi Effendi has
placed this between the years 1944 14 and THE S ECOND EPOCH OF THE FORMA TTVE AG E
1946. 15 1946-1963
Before describing the individual epochs This epoch extended the developments of the
of the Formative Age, it is important to com- first epoch by calling for the "consummation
ment on the use of the term "epoch" in the of a laboriously constmcted Administrntive
writings of the Guardian. In a letter dated Order",23 and was to witness the formul ation
18 January 1953, written on his behalf to a of a succession of teaching plans designed to
National Spiritual Assembly, it is explained facilitate the development of the Faith beyond
that the term is used to apply both to the the confines of the Western Hemisphere and
stages in the Formative Age of the Faith, and the continent of Europe. 24 This epoch was
to the phases in the unfoldment of 'Abdu ' l- distinguished, in the first instance, by the
Baha's Divine Plan. 16 We are currently in sinmltaneous and often spontaneous prosethe fourth epoch of the Fom1ative Age 17 and cution of Baha' i national plans in both the
the second epoch of 'Abdu' l-Baha's Divine East and the West. 25 For example, in a letter
Plan. 18 (The first epoch of the Divine Plan written at Naw-Ruz 105 to the Baha'is in
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURR EN T BAHA'I ACT IVITIES 233
the East, the beloved Guardian listed the the Guardian and proclaimed the commencespecific plans tmdertaken by the United States, ment of the third epoch of the Fmmative
British, Indian, Persian, Australian and New Age, an epoch which called the Baha ' is to a
Zealand, and 'Iraqi National Spiritual Assem- yet more mature leve l of administrative
blies, and indicated that this concetied action functioning, consistent with the expected
signa lized the transition into the second vast increase in the size and diversity of the
epoch of the Formative Age. 26 The internal community, its emergence as a model to
consolidation and the administrative experi- mankind, and the extension of the influence
ence gained by the National Assemblies was of the Faith in the world at large. The House
utilized and mobilized by the Guardian with of Justice, in a letter dated October 1963,
the launching of the Ten Year Crusade 27- a stated:
crusade involving the simultaneous prosecu-
Beloved friends , the Cause of God,
tion of twelve national plans. The plans
guarded and nutiured since its inception
derived their direction from ' Abdu ' l-Baha's
by God's Messengers, by the Cenháe of
Divine Plan, and the goals were ass igned
His Covenant and by His Sign on earth,
by Shoghi Effendi from the World Centre of
now enters a new epoch, the third of the
the Faith.28 A second distinguishing feature
Fom1ative Age. It must now grow rapidly
of this epoch was the "RISE" 29 and " STEADY
in size, increase its spiritual cohesion and
CONSOLI DA TION" 30 of the World Centre of the
executive ability, develop its institutions
Faith.
and extend its influence into all strata
The second epoch thus clearly demonstrated
of society. We, its members, must, by
the ft.niher maturation of the institutions of
constant study of the life-giving Word,
the Administrative Order. It witnessed the
and by dedicated setvice, deepen in spiriappointment of the Hands of the Cause,31 the
tual understanding and show to the world
inháoduction of Auxiliary Boards, 32 and the
a mature, responsible, fundamentally asestablishment of the International Baha' i
sured and happy way of life, far removed
Cotmcil.3 3 The culminating event of the epoch
from the passions, prejudices and disháacwas the election of the Universal House of
tions of present day society.36
Justice in 1963 . It fmiher demonsháated the
more effective and co-ordinated use of the The period of the third epoch encomadminisháative machinery to prosecute the passed tluáee world plans, involving all
goa ls of the first global spiritual crusade, and National Spiritual Assemb lies, under the
the emergence in ever sharper relief of the direction of the Universal House of Justice,
World Centre of the Faith. namely, the Nine Year Plan (1964- 1973), the
Five Year Plan (1974- 1979), and the Seven
TH E TH IRD EPOCH OF TH E FORMATIVE A GE Year Plan (1979- 1986). This third epoch
1963- 1986 witnessed the emergence of the Faith from
In addressing the British National Sp iritual obscurity 37 and the initiation of activities
Assembly in 195 1, the Guardian foreshad- designed to foster the social and economic
owed "world-wide enterprises destined to be development of commutlities. 38 The institution
embarked upon, in future epochs of that of the Continental Boards of Counsellors
same [Formative] Age, by the Universa l was brought into existence39 leading to the
House of Justice". 34 In announcing the Nine establishment of the International Teaching
Year Plan, " the second of those world- Centre.40 Ass istants to the Auxiliary Boards
encircling enterprises destined in the course were also introduced.4 1 At the World Centre
of time to cany the Word of God to every of the Faith, the historic construction and
human soul" ,35 the Universal House of Justice occupation of the Seat of the U niversal
embarked upon the process anticipated by House of Justice was a crowning event. 42
234 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

TH E FOURTH EPOCH OF THE FORMATIVE AGE This new process ... signalizes the inau-
1986- guration of a new stage in the unfoldment
In a letter dated 2 January 1986 written by of the Administrative Order. Our beloved
the Universal House of Justice to the Baha' is Guardian anticipated a succession of epochs
of the World, the Supreme Body announced during the Fmmative Age of the Faith;
the inception of the fourth epoch of the we have no hesitation in recognizing that
Formative Age. It highlighted the significant this new development in the maturation
developments that had taken place in the of Baha'i institutions marks the inception
"organic growth of the Cause of God" 4 of the fourth epoch of that Age. 44
during the course of the recently completed
third epoch, by assessing the readiness of the
Baha'i community to begin to address the FUTURE EPOC HS
objectives of the new Six Year Plan sched- The tasks that remain to be accomplished
uled to begin on 21 April 1986, and, outlined during the course of the Formative Age are
the general aims and characteristics of this many and challenging. Additional epochs
new Plan. Whereas national plans had previ- can be anticipated, each marking significant
ously derived largely from the World Centre, stages in the evolution of the Administrative
in this new epoch the specific goals for each Order and culminating in the Golden Age
national community will be fommlated, within of the Faith. 45 The Golden Age, itself, will
the framework of the overall objectives of involve "successive epochs" 46 leading ultithe Plan, by means of consultation between mately to the establishment of the Most
the particular National Spiritual Assembly Great Peace, to the World Baha'i Commonand the Continental Board of Counsellors. wealth and to the "birth and efflorescence
As the Universal House of Justice states: of a world civilization". 47

NOTES

Shoghi Effendi , Citadel of Faith (Wil mette: Baha ' i I 0 ibid . p. 324.
Publishing Trust, 1980), pp. 4- 5. Letter dated 11 Citadel. of Faith, p. 6. Letter da ted 5 June 1947 to
5 Jun e 1947 to the American Baha ' is. the American Baha'is.
2 Shoghi Effendi , Th e World Order of Ba hit '11 'llith 12 God Passes By, p. xiv .
(W ilmette: Baha ' i Publi shin g Trust, 1974), p. 98. 13 The World Order of Bahit '11 'I/Ith, p. 98. Letter
Letter dated 8 February 1934. dated 8 February 1934 .
3 Th e World Order of Ba hit 'u 'I/Ith , p. 156. Letter 14 Citadel of Faith, p. 5. Letter dated 5 Jun e 1947 to
dated 8 February 1934. the American Baha ' is.
4 Citadel of Faith , p . 5. Letter dated 5 June 1947 to 15 Messagesto theBahit 'iWorld, 1950- 195 7
the American Baha'is. ( Wilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Tru st, 197 1), p. 89.
5 Th e World Order of Bahit '11 'I/Ith , p. 156. Letter Cabl egram dated 23 Augu st 1955. See al so letter
dated 8 February 1934. dated 18 January 1953 written on behalf of the
6 Shoghi Effend i, God Passes By (Wilmette : Baha 'i G uardi an to the Nationa l Spiritual Assembl y of the
Publi shin g Trust, 1970) , p. xv. United States (reference cited in no. 16 below).
7 Citadel of Faith, pp. 4- 5. Letter dated 5 June 1947 16 Bahit 'i News, no. 265, March 1953, p. 4. Letter
to the American Baha' is. dated 18 January 1953 written on behalf of the
8 Th e World Order of Bahit '11 'I/Ith, p . 98. Letter G uardi an to the National Assembl y of the U. S.
dated 8 February 1934. 17 Letter dated 2 Janu ary 1986 written by the Univer-
9 God Passes By, p. xiv. sa l House of Justice to the Baha' is of the World.
INTERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURR ENT BAHA'I ACT IV IT IES 235
18 Uni versa l House of Justice, Wellspring of Guid- 34 Shoghi Effendi, Unfolding Destiny (Lond on:
ance (W il mette: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1969), Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1981), p. 261. Guardian's
p.25. Letter dated Ric;lvan 1964 from the Universal postscript to a letter dated 25 February 195 1,
House of Justice to the Baha'is of the World. written on hi s behalf to the National Assembly of
19 Baha'i News, no. 265, p. 4. Letter dated 18 January the Bri tish Isles.
1953 wri tten on behalf of the Guardi an to the 35 Wellspring of Guidance, p. 14. Letter dated Oc to-
National Spiritua l Assembl y of the United States. ber 1963 written by the Un iversal House of Justi ce
20 Citadel of Faith , p. 5. Letter dated 5 June 1947 to to the Baha' is of the World.
the Ameri can Ba ha'is. 36 Wellspring of Guidance, pp. 17- 18. Letter dated
2 1 Messages to th e Baha'i World, 1950- 1957, p. 19. Oc tober 1963 written the Universa l House of Jus-
Cablegram dated 24 December 195 1. tice to the Baha'is of the World.
22 Citadel of Faith, p. 5. Letter dated 5 June 1947 to 37 Letter dated 19 May 1983 written by the Universal
the American Baha'is. House of Justice to the Baha' is of the World.
23 Citadel of Faith, p. 6. Letter dated 5 June 1947 to 38 Letter dated 20 October 1983 written by the Uni -
the Ameri can Baha'is. versal House of Justice to the Baha'is of the World.
24 ibid. p. 6. 39 Wellspring of Guidance, p. 139. Cablegram dated
25 Messages to th e Bahii 'i World, 1950- 1957, p. 13. 2 1 June 1968 fro m the Universa l House of Ju sti ce
Cablegram dated 25 April 195 1. to the Ba ha'fs of the World.
26 Tawqi'at- i-M11barakih, 102- 109 8.E. (Ti lm\n: 40 Letter dated 8 June 1973 written by the Universal
Baha' i Publish ing Trust, 125 B.E.), pp. 99- 188. House of Justice to the Baha ' is of the World .
Letter dated Naw-Ruz 105 8.E. to the Baha' is in 4 1 Letters dated 8 Ju ne 1973 written by the House of
the East. Justi ce to the Continental Board of Counse ll ors,
27 Citadel of Faith, p. 140. Letter dated 20 August and, 7 October 1973 to the Baha'is of the World .
1955 to the American Baha' is. 42 Telex dated I February 1983 written by the Uni ver-
28 Messages to the Baha'i World, 1950- 1957, pp. sa l House of Justice to the Baha' is of the Worl d.
151 - 153 . Letter dated 4 May 1953. 43 Letter dated, 2 January 1986 written by the Univer-
29 ibid., p. 13. Cablegram dated 25 April 1951. sal House of Justice to the Baha' is of the World.
30 Messages to the Baha'i World. 1950-1957, p. 13. 44 ibid.
Cablegra m dated 25 Apri l 195 1. 45 Citadel of Faith, p. 6. Letter dated 5 June 1947 to
31 ibid., pp. 18- 20. Cablegram dated 24 December the American Baha' fs.
195 1. 46 Messages to the Baha'i World, 1950- 1957, p. 155.
32 ibid., p. 44. Cablegram dated 8 Oc tober 1952. And , Letter dated 4 May 1953.
pp. 127- 128. Letter dated October 1957. 47 Citadel of Faith, p. 6. Letter dated 5 June 1947 to
33 ibid., pp. 7- 8. Cab legram dated 9 January 195 1. the Ameri can Baha' fs.

American Baha'i
entertainers Leslie
and Kelly (second and
thirdfi'om left) in
Taipei, Taiwan, during a news conference
held in May J986.
236 THE BAHA'I WORLD

C. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION GOALS

IN addition to the Six Year Plan goals set in June 1987. As the Plan progressed goals
by National Spiritual Assemblies for them- were added, eliminated or modified.
selves, the Universal House of Justice This information is based on coITesponassigned international collaboration goals for dence and other material received by the
National Assemblies to support and assist Department of Statistics before the end of
each other in a variety of ways. These special 1992; only goals achieved by Ric;lvan 1992
goals were conveyed to National Assemblies are included.

Summary of Collaboration Achievements by National Baha'i Communities

AFRICA: 44
13 Provision of international travelling teachers
18 Cross-border teaching activities
Assistance with special teaching activity
4 Emichment and translation of Baha ' i literature and training material
8 Development and provision of Baha' i educational material for children

AMERICAS 154
78 Provision of international travelling teachers
25 Cross-border teaching activities
2 Assistance with special teaching activity
10 Emichment and translation of Baha' i literature and training material
29 Development and provision of Baha'i educational material for children
4 Development of audio-visual material
4 Contribution of funds to acquire/maintain property
2 Miscellaneous collaboration

A S IA 138
34 Provision of international háavelling teachers
3 Cross-border teaching activities
12 Enrichment and translation of Baha'i literature and training material
15 Development and provision of Baha' i educational material for children
8 Establishment or consolidation of national communities
38 Conháibution of funds to acquire or maintain property
7 Conháibution of funds to acquire or equip a mobile institute or vehicl e
3 Conháibution of funds to establish rnral schools
7 Contribution towards youth patticipation in Baha ' i schools
4 Support of twin-city projects
7 Miscellaneous collaboration

AUSTRALAS IA 41
25 Provision of international háavelling teachers
1 Assistance with special teaching activity
13 Development and provision of Baha'i educational material for children
Conháibution of funds to acquire/maintain property
Miscellaneous collaboration
INT ERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURREN T BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES 237
EUROPE 98
33 Provision of international travelling teachers
37 Cross-border teaching activities
1 Assistance with special teaching activity
3 Enrichment and translation of Baha'i literature and training material
12 Development and provision of Baha'i educational material for children
2 Development of audio-visual material
5 Contribution of funds to acquire/maintain property
3 Contribution of funds to acquire/equip a mobile institute or vehicle
2 Miscellaneous collaboration

WORLD TOTAL 475
183 Provision of international travelling teachers
83 Cross-border teaching activities
5 Assistance with special teaching activity
29 Enrichment and translation of Baha'i literature and training material
77 Development and provision of Baha'i educational material for children
6 Development of audio-visual material
8 Establishment or consolidation of national communities
48 Contribution of funds to acquire/maintain property
10 Contribution of funds to acquire/equip a mobile institute or vehicle
3 Contribution of funds to establish rnral schools
7 Contribution towards youth participation in Baha' i schools
4 Support of twin-city proj ects
12 Miscellaneous collaboration

Two Bahit 'i youth fi'om the United States participate in a cross-border teaching project
which took place in Zacatacas, Mexico , in July 1987.
238 TH E BAHA'i WORLD

In St. Lucia, representatives of National Assemblies from thirteen eastern Caribbean countries and the International Baha 'i Audio-Visual Center gathered for a Planning Conference
heldfi'om 16- 18October1987.

Representatives offi ve National Assemblies and Bahiz 'i International Community offices in
New York and Geneva met in Februaiy 1988 to discuss external affairs work of the Faith .
Represented were: Canada, France, Germany, th e United Kingdom and the United States.
INT E RNATIONA L S URV EY O F C URR ENT BA HA'I A CTIVITIES 239
D. PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF THE TRUE CHARACTER
OF THE BAHA 'f COMMUNITY

Of the myriad examples ofpublic recognition of the true character of the Bahti 'i community
mentioned throughout this volume, two have been chosen for reproduction: "World Religious Statistics," an article published in the 1988 Britannica Book of the Year; and "What
is the Baha'i Faith?", a leaflet published by the [Roman Catholic) Bishops' Conference of
England and Wales' Committee for Other Faiths .

a. World Religious Statistics
Reprinted from the 1988 Britannica Book of the Year

The 1987 table below gives details of the global spread of the world 's 16 largest faiths or
ideologies. It illustrates the articles on the various religions by showing each religion's continental statistics in the overall global context. It also demonstrates an extraordinary
religious development of the 20th century religious pluralism.
As the right-hand column demonstrates, over 14 major religious systems are each now
found in over 80 countries. C hristianity, Islam, and the Baha' i World Faith are the most global; agnosticism and atheism are also widespread. Hinduism has recently spread to 88
countries, Buddhism to 86.
This 20th-century spread has brought the religions into contact with each other as never
before. Thus we find Filipino Catholics and Korean Protestants in Saudi Arabia, Gujarati
Hindus in rural England, Tibetan Tantrists in Wales, Muslim mosques in every capital of
Western Europe including Rome. The long-term effects of this mass proximity are sure to be
profound. They are certainly resulting in unprecedented interest in other people's religions,
expressed in seminars, courses, discussion, dialogue, tolerance, and even acceptance.
(David B. Barrett)

NOTES :
C ontinents. UN demographic practice divides the world into e ight continental areas as shown below (see United
Nations, World Population Prospects , New York, 1986, with population of all countries covering the period 1950-
2025). Countries. The las t co lumn enumerates sovereign and nonsovereign countries in which each re ligion has a
s ignifi cant followin g. Rows. The li st of re li gion s is arranged by descending order of magnitude of global adherents
in 1987 (las t two columns but one). Adherents. As defin ed and enumerated for eac h o f the world 's countries in
World Christian Encyclopedia ( 1982) , projected to mid-1 987 C hristians. Followers of Jes us Christ a ffili ated to
churches (church me mbers, including ch il dren), plus persons pro fessi ng in census or poll s though not so affi li ated.
Other Christians. Catholics (non-Roman), marginal Protes tants, crypto-Chri sti ans, and adherents of Afri can,
As ian , Bl ack, and Latin-American indigenous churches, Muslims. 83% Sunni s, 16% Shi 'ahs, I% other schools.
Nonreligious. Persons professing no re ligion, non-believers, agnosti cs , free thinkers, dereligion ized sec ul ari sts
indifferent to all reli gion. Hindus. 70% Va\shnavites, 25 % Shaivi tes, 2% neo-Hindus and reform Hindus. Buddhists. 58% Mahayana, 38% Theravada, 6% Tantri sm. Atheists. Persons profess ing atheism, skepti cis m, disbeli e f,
or i1Teli gion, including anti reli gious (opposed to all reli gion). Chinese folk religionists. Followers of traditi onal
Chinese reli gion (local de ities, ancestor veneration, Confuci an ethics, Taoism, uni versism, di vin ation, some Buddhi st elements). New-Religionists. Foll owers of As iatic 20th-century New Reli gions , New Reli gious movements,
rad ical new cri sis reli gions , and non-Christian syncreti sti c mass reli gions, all fo unded si nce 1800 and mostl y since
1945. Jews. 84% Ashkenazim , 10% Ori entals, 4% Sephardim Confucian s. Non-Chinese fo ll owers o f Confucianism, mostl y Koreans in Korea. Other religionists. Inc ludin g 50 minor world reli gions and a large number o f spiritist reli gions, New Age reli gions , quasi re li gions, pseudoreli gions, parare li gions, religious systems, mystic systems,
reli gious and semireli gious brotherhoods of numerous varieti es. Total Population. UN med ium variant figures for
mid-1 987 , as give n in World Population Prospects ( 198 6) pages 72-77 .
240 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

ADHERENTS OF ALL RELIGIONS BY EIGHT CONTI ENTAL AREAS, 1987:

A frica East Asia Europe Latin
A merica

Christians 27 1,035,700 78,100,000 4 13,920,700 395,554,500

- Roman Catholics 102,522,200 9,204,000 257, 155,000 37 1,863,600

- Protestants 71,883,000 32, I 00,000 76,652,000 13,960,000

- Orthodox 24,746,700 8 1,000 35,606, 100 570,000

- Anglicans 22,389,900 334,000 32,886,200 1,2 10,000

- Other Christians 49,493,900 36,38 1,000 11 ,62 1,400 7,950,900

Muslims 245, 1 I 0,500 23,795,000 8,90 1,500 645,000

Nonreligious 1,495 ,000 64 1,756,600 50,923,940 13,237,000

Hindus 1,4 10,000 10,100 590,000 660,000

Buddhists 12,800 154, 796,300 2 16,000 490,000

Atheists 240,000 I 36,886,000 I 7,803,000 2,53 8,000

Chin ese folk religionists 9,500 179, 103,100 49,000 60,000

New-Re ligionists 13,000 42 ,2 17,200 34,000 370,000

Tribal religionists 68 ,219,450 730,000 100 1,160,000

Jews 257,000 1,800 1,483,600 990,000

Sikh s 26,000 1,000 215,000 6,000

Shama nists 1,000 I 2,500,000 400 400

Confucians 500 5,900,000 1,000 500

Baha'is 1,265,000 48 ,400 70,500 570,000

Jains 47,500 500 9,900 2,000

Shintoists 50 3,400,000 360 800

Other religionists 65,000 62,000 3 10,000 6,768,800

Total Population 589,208,000 1,279,308,000 494,529,000 423,053,000

Th is article updates the Ma cropcedia arti cles the B udd ha and BUDDHISM; CHRISTI AN ITY;
EASTERN ORTHODOXY; Mul:iamrnad and the Rel ig ion of !SLAM; JUDA ISM; PROTESTANTISM;
Th e Study and C lass ifi cation of RELIGIONS; ROMAN CATHOLIC ISM; and Micropcedia entries
on the vari ous denominations.
I NTE RNA TIO NAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I AC TI V IT I ES 24 1
ADHERENTS OF ALL RELIGIONS (CONT.)

Northern Oceania South Asia U.S.S.R. World % Coun-
America tries
232,048,400 2 1,287,100, 129,076,700 103,373,400 1,644,396,500 32.9 254

9 1,209,800 7,434,000 8 1,694, 100 5, 111 ,900 926,194,600 18.5 242

94,965,500 7,5 10,000 26, 142,100 8,803,800 332,016,400 6.6 230

5,910,000 507,400 3,200,000 89,442,300 160,063,500 3.2 98

7,5 11,000 5,350,000 290,000 400 69,971,500 1.4 148

32,452, 100 485,700 17,750, 500 15,000 156,150,500 3.1 110

2,682,600 96,000 547,350,500 3 1,807,200 860,388,300 17.2 172

21,047,700 2,884,400 20,65 1,100 84,332,030 836,327,770 16.7 220

8 10,000 295,000 65 1,9 18,900 1,200 655,695,200 13. 1 88

190,000 16,000 153,585,000 320,000 309,626,100 6.2 86

1,073,000 512 ,000 5,300 ,000 60,774,500 225, 126,500 4.5 130

110,000 16,000 8, 169,400 100 187,517,100 3.7 56

1,075 ,600 6, 100 66,990,000 200 110,706,100 2.2 25

60,000 8 1,000 24,508,200 0 94,758,750 1. 9 98

8,084,000 86,000 4,050,000 3,123 ,000 18,075,400 0.4 125

9,500 6,600 16,340,000 50 16,604,150 0.3 20

200'1..._ 200 10,000 250,000 12,762,200 0.2 IO

10,000 ' 200 2,000 200 5,914,400 0.1 3

310,000 59,000 2,300,000 5,000 4,627,900 0.1 205

2,000 900 3,400,000 20 3,462,820 0.1 10

1,000 500 200 100á 3,403,010 0. 1 3

750,000 25,000 230,000 6,000 8,216,800 0.2 170

268,264,000 25,372,000 1,633,882,000 283,993,000 4,997,609,000 100.0 254

l..
242 THE BAHA'I WORLD

b. Getting to Know People of other Faiths
(A leaflet published by the [Roman Catholic] Bishops' Conference of England and Wales'
Committee for Other Faiths)

What is the
Baha'i Faith?

To a Baha'i there is no demarcation between religion and everyday life. The most
Introduction important prayer, Baha ' is say, is a person's
daily life. Religion, in other words, is an atti-
In the Vatican II ' Declaration on the rel a- tude towards God reflected in life.
tionship of the Church with Non-Christians'
we find that the Church speaks with warmth Today there are between 5 and 6 million
and openness and greets People. of Faith as Baha'is in the world, extending over more
partners in a single great enterprise. These than three hundred and forty countries, terrireligions contain much that is good and holy tories and island groups. In England there
and provide ways of salvation for millions of are 6,000 registered Baha'is (1989) with 180
people all over the world. Throughout the local Assemblies, resident in over 400 localdocuments of Vatican II we find encourage- ities. At least 9 people are needed to fonn a
ment to respect, accept and meet as friends, local assemb ly. The Scriptures of the Baha' i
those who profess faiths different from our Faith consist of the writings of the founders
own. The Baha'i Faith will be introduced and are translated into over six hundred
here in this spirit. languages. The rapid growth they have
experienced puts them in the category of a
world religion, the youngest in the line of
Who are the Baha'is? the prophetic tradition.

The Baha ' i founders sprang from Islam ic
roots, but are seen by the Baha'is as found- Origins of the Baha'i Faith
ing a religion that fulfils all previous
religions . Today Baha'is are people who for- The Forerunner of the Baha'i Faith Was a
merly had different religious backgrounds. young Persian merchant known as the Bab
They have been Christians, Jews, Muslims, (the Gate), who in 1844 proclaimed Him-
Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians or self to be a Messenger of God and a herald
else they had no religion at all. They give of One greater than Himself-One who
equal homage to all the past prophets, but would inaugurate a new era in religion and
believe that religion progressively evolves, civilization. Like earlier Messengers of God,
and that Baha'u'llah is God's spokesman for the Bab was opposed and denounced. After
this age . Although Baha'is are from differ- six years of persecution He was publicly
ent religious, racial , national , economic and martyred at the age of 30 in Tabriz.
soc ial classes, the Baha'i teachings have
given them a higher loyalty- the loyalty to Its founder was Baha'u'llah (the Glory of
humanity. God), a Persian noblem an who in 1863
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 243
declared Himself to be the One whose com- the elimination of prejudice of all kinds, uniing the Bab and all the previous Prophets versal education, elimination of extráemes of
had foretold. Like His predecessor, He wealth and poverty, the protection of culwas bitterly opposed and persecuted. During tural diversity. It also advocates individual
nearly forty years of exile and imprison- search after truth, the harmony of science
ment He cormnitted to writing the teachings and religion, use of an auxiliary universal
of His revelation, some of them in letters language and world government.
to the most important kings and leaders of
religion, as well as teaching and training His
followers. His fourth and last place of ban- The Baha'i House of Worship
ishment, reached in 1865, was the prison city
of 'Akka (Acre), Palestine, where He passed A Baha' i house of worship is open to people
away in 1892 at the age of seventy-four. of all nations, races, classes and creeds. It is
a place of prayer and meditation for all, a
Its authorised interpreter and exemplar was gift from the Baha'is and a demonstration of
Abdu'l-Baha (the servant of the Glory), eldest their faith of the oneness of God, the oneson of Baha'u'llah, who was appointed by ness of His Prophets and the oneness of
his father as the Centre of His Covenant and mankind.
the one to whom all must tum for instruction
and guidance. Abdu'l-Baha was the close There is one major Baha' i House of worship
companion and constant helper of his father, in each continent. For local regular gatherwhose sufferings he shared. He remained a ings the Bah a' is hold meetings in their
prisoner until 1908, when the old regime in homes or in hired halls. The community has
Turkey was overthrown and all religious neither a priesthood nor rituals. The Baha' is
and political prisoners throughout the Turk- see their teachings as a ringing call to action.
ish Empire were liberated. Afterwards he They see them as offering hope, courage and
tráavelled widely in Egypt, Europe and vision, in a world beset with universal
America, explaining and exemplifying the problems .
principles of the Faith and inspiring and
directing the activities of its followers
throughout the world. He passed away in Baha'i Administration
Haifa in 1921 , mourned by people of all
faiths. His life was and continues to be a Consultation is the keynote of all Baha' i
shining example to all. In his will and testa- administration.
ment, Abdu ' l-Baha appointed his grandson, There is no clergy and no ritual.
Shoghi Effendi, to be the Guardian of the The Scripture is in written fom1, preserved
Faith, and the interpreter of its scripture. and authentic . Administrative bodies are
Under his guiding hand, the faith spread rap- called Spiritual Assemblies; they are local,
idly. He passed away in London in 1957. national and international. All Assemblies
Since 1963 the Faith has been under the meet in a spirit of prayer.
guidance of the Universal House of Justice.
These spiritual Assemblies are elected by
the people, but their responsibility is trust
The Baha'i Faith .... from God to whom alone they are answerable.
Proclaims:- The Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion and of Mankind, and the There is no seeking for votes, no candiequality of men and women. It encourages dates, no platfo1m promises, no parties.
244 THE BAHA'I WORLD

The Nineteen Day Feast is a community 2. In what areas would cooperation with
occasion, for the reading of prayers, dis- people of Baha'i faith be most fruitful
cussion of affairs with the Local Spiritual and possible?
Assembly, and material refreshment together.
Suggested further reading
The Universal House of Justice-an elected ' The Baha'i Faith' Leaflet published by the
International body constituted by Baha'u' llah Baha'i publishing Trust, 6 Mount Pleasant,
as the supreme legislative and governing Oakham, Leicestershire.
body of the Faith-carries out its duties at ' The Baha'i Faith' Booklet Ibid.
the Baha' i World Centre in Haifa, Israel. ' Gleanings from the Writings of
Baha'u' llah' .
Only members of the Baha'i Faith may con- 'Paris Talks' by Abdu'l-Baha.
tribute to the Baha' i Fund. ' Guidance for Today and Tomorrow' by
Shoghi Effendi.
Questions for discussion 'Baha 'u'llah and the New Era' by Dr. J. E.
Esslemont.
1. Baha' is clearly place great emphasis on A complete catalogue of Baha ' i literature can
social teaching and the community of be obtained by writing to: The Baha'i Pubhumankind. How do we as Christians re- lishing Trnst, 6 Mount Pleasant, Oakham,
spond to the social teaching of the Church? Leicestershire LE15 6HY.

This is part of the series of leaflets prepared for the Catholic community by the Committee
for Other Faiths . Understanding andji-iendly relations with those who believe in God and
live their lives with religious principles and purpose contribute to the harmony of society
and the happiness of all. The series offers useful information to those who want to overcome
the obstacle of ignorance and promote through dialogue, prayer and action the Catholic
Church 's teaching of respect and love for all peoples.

The Committee is grateful to its member Sr. Elizabeth West YSCJ for this contribution
+ Charles Henderson
Chairman

COMM ITTEE FOR OTHER FAITHS PUBLICATIONS
"Getting to Know People of Other Faiths"- introduction to the seri es. "Ne ighbours and Neighbourhood- a Catholic introduction to liv in g with neighbours of other Faiths". "W hat is Islam?". "What is Buddhism?" . "Who was the
Buddha?". "What is Hindui sm?". "The Mosq ue- th e Muslim Hou se of Prayer" . "What is the Baha ' i Faith?" . "Ou r
S ikh Ne ighbou rs". " Is God at work outs ide the Church?". "Chri stian Prayer and Eas tern Meditation" .

ORDERS may be sent to: C.F.O.F., 6a Cresswell Park, London SE3 9RD. Orders up to 25 lea fl ets will be c harged
at !Op per lea fl et plus 50p postage and pack in g. Orders in bundles to 50 of the same leaflet £3.00 post free (U.K.
onl y) . Pl ease make cheques payab le to: N.C.F. (Other Faiths). Postage increases should be added.

Further information and copies of these leaflets can also be obtained from:
The Multi-Faith Ce11tre, Harbome Hall, Old Church Road, Harbome, Bir111i11gham Bl7 OBE and The Westmiuster Interfaith Programme, 110 Thornbury Road, Osterley, Middlesex TW7 4NN.

COMMITTEE FOR OTHER FAITHS
Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 245

/
I

II
I
' .

Pope John Paul JI, and Franco Ceccherini (left) representing the Baha 'f International
Community, at a meeting between the International Council of the World Conference on
Religion and Peace held 4 July 1991.

Baha'i representatives presenting a copy of The Promise of World Peace to the Prime
Minister of the Bahamas, the Right Honourable Sir Lynden Pindling, on 3 February 1988.
246 TH E BAH A ' i WORLD

It is said that in
South Africa, a
diamond mine is
discovered. Although
this min e is most valuable, yet after all it is
stone. Perchance,
God willing, the mine
of humanity may be
discovered and the
brilliant pearls of the
Kingdom be found.
- 'Abdu 'l-Baha
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES

2. SURVEY BY CONTINENTS

A. AFRICA

BARA 'is in the approximately fifty diverse projects in the areas of health and education
countries which made up the African conti- which gained the respect of governments
nent in 1986 faced a daunting array of and the peop le involved.
challenges. Few areas escaped the effects The perseverance of the African believers
of political strife, extreme poverty, under- and pioneers brought the continent closer to
developed infrastructure, and the ravages of its destiny, as illumined by the words written
civil wars . Yet the believers, seeing these on behalf of the Guardian:
problems in the larger context of God's Africa is truly awakening and finding
unfolding plan , ever kept in view the beauty, herself, and she undoubtedly has a great
strength, and potential of Africa. message to give, and a great contribution
Faced with limited material means, the to make to the advancement of world
Baha'is continued to seek out and capitalize civili zation . To the degree to which her
on the unique resources existing in their people accept Baha'u' ll ah, will they be
countries. In areas where illiteracy rates blessed, strengthened, and protected. 1
were high and televisions scarce, radio was
widely and effectively used to share the Faith Government Relations
and to connect its adherents. Recogni zing Much of the political life of Africa in the late
the importance and pervasiveness of music twentieth century was characterized by upin African culture, the believers shared their heaval and violence, as many nations on the
Faith through song and organized music fes- continent struggled to establish new directivals to stimulate the development of this tions following their independence. Yet
art forn1 . The warn1th and hospitality charac- Baha'i communities in Africa were able to
teristic of much of African society and the remain politically neutral while gaining goventhusiasm and dedication of the African ernment permission and even support for
Baha'i youth created a recipe for continued their activities by following Baha' u'llah 's
teaching success. Teachings on loyalty to government and
At the same time, Baha' i communities non-participation in partisan politics. The
strove to develop the resources they had Baha'is worked to create and respond to
identified as lacking when the Six Year Plan opportunities for educating public officials
began. Noting the crucial need for meeting about the Faith, and growing awareness led
places, the believers found ways to stretch to new legal rights being granted.
limited funds and build or acquire more Baha'i delegations met with Heads of
local and regional centres than any other State and high government officials in a
continent. Recognizing the importance of number of African nations, presenting some
providing Baha' i literature in the many lan- with copies of The Promise of World Peace.
guages of Africa, the believers made great During the Plan, the Peace Statement was
strides in the area of translation . Understand- presented in person to the Presidents of
ing the contributions which Baha'u'llah's
Teachings make to the field of development, 1
4 June I954 to the British Africa Committee,
the believers established and expanded published in Unfolding Destiny, p. 330.
248 THE BAHA'f WORLD

Chad, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa; ments . Extensive Baha'i participation in the
the King of Lesotho; and the House of Chiefs Kenya Expanded Programme for Immunizain Botswana, the nation 's highest traditional tion (see subsection on Social and Economic
body. When the Baha'is of the Seychelles Development, p. 179) over a period of five
met with the President of the Republic, years helped to estab li sh a good working
France Albert Rene, in December 1991 , the relationship between the Government and
delegation found that the questions he asked the Baha'is. Similarly, relations between the
demonstrated he was already well-informed Malawi Government and the Baha'is were
about the spread of the Faith in the Indian strengthened in 1990 when the Primary
Ocean region. Health Care Programme began.
A meeting with the President of Zaire, The establishment of Radio Baha'i Liberia
Mobutu Sese Seko, which took place in in 1987 drew attention and praise from
November 1990, resulted in the gradual government officials. At the inauguration
emergence of the Faith from obscurity in ceremony, the Assistant Minister for Posts
that country; the National Spiritual Assem- and Telecommunications spoke of his admibly received requests for Baha'i literature ration for the Baha' is and their talent for
from other important government dignitar- maximizing materials and human resources .
ies, and then distributed books at all levels. He stated, "Radio Baha' i, in our view, is a
When the King of Lesotho, His Majesty significant achievement ... a turning point in
King Letsie III, met with the Baha'is in our existence as a nation."
April 1991 , he expressed his admiration for Some of the most significant fruits of the
the Baha'i principles and his hope that they growing awareness of and respect for the
would spread across his country. work of the Baba' is came in the form of
The Peace Statement was also distributed legal recognition of the Faith's institutions.
to the Chairman of the Counci l of State in Five National Assemblies were formed or
Ciskei, several hundred administrative author- re-formed in Africa during the Plan, and
ities in Burkina Faso, Government ministers three of these Assemblies received official
in Togo, countless Government officials in recognition. In 1988, the Government of
Transkei, and the Head of State of Rwanda Guinea-Bissau signed a document recogni zthrough the Chief of Etiquette. ing the National Spiritual Assembly, and in
In addition to meetings with officials, 1989 the Government Gazette published the
Baha'i involvement in development projects "Official Recognition and Statutes of the
brought the Faith to the attention of govern- National Spiritual Assembly"; in September

The President of
the Seychelles, His
Excellency Albert
Rene (centre) met with
a Bahir. 'i delegation
in Victoria on
31December1991 .
Counsellor Gilbert
Robert (second from
right) joined five
representatives of
National Assemblies
of the Indian Ocean.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACT ! VfTfES 249
1991, the Government of the Congo acknowl- Yet another sign of good relations
edged the legal existence of the Baha' i between Baha' is and African governments
comm unity; and in December 1991, the was the increasing frequency with which
Government of Niger authorized Baha'i governments invited Baha'is to participate
institutions in that country to engage in the in official functions and to contribute their
activities of the Faith. ideas.
The National Spiritual of Assembly of When the Government of Uganda orga-
Zaire was re-formed in 1987; the National ni zed a National Seminar for Religious
Assembly of Guinea-Bissau was formed in Leaders in July 1989 to discuss ways the
1989; and the Assemblies of Angola, of the Government and religious institutions could
Congo Republic, and of Niger were estab- work together in harmony, the Baha'is were
lished in 1992. invited to send six representatives. The Pres-
Baha' i marriage was recognized by sev- ident of Uganda opened the seminar, urging
era l governments. In September 1988 the re ligious leaders to play their part in reha-
Baba' is of Nigeria were granted a marriage bilitating the moral conduct of society. He
licence which authorized them to hold wed- emphasized the importance of women in
dings at the National Teaching Institute in society and the role of science and technol-
Oghara, Bendel State. The licence is a privi- ogy in development. The Baha ' is responded
lege granted only to some religions . In 1989 to his challenges by preparing a written
the federal government granted the Faith, as statement with quotations from the Writings
a religious institution , authori zation to issue on the equality of men and women, the hargovernment marriage certificates. mony between science and religion , and
In Uganda, additional Local Spiritual work as worship . The statement was distrib-
Assemb lies were empowered to conduct uted to all seminar participants.
Baha'i marriages, extending the general rec- During the seminar, Uganda ' s Minister of
ognition granted just prior to the beginning State invited the Baha' is to meet with him
of the Plan. Baha' i marriage was also recog- later, which three members of the National
nized in Guinea-Bissau. Assembly did . During the meeting, the Min-
In Zimbabwe, recognition of the Faith ister asked questions about the origin of the
resulted in Baha ' i Holy Days being listed on Faith and its administrative structure, and
government and pub lic school calendars to the Baha'i delegation spoke about the relamark when teachers and students could be tionship of the Faith to government and the
excused from class. Baha' i perspective on peace. The Minister

Baha 'is taking part in
a parade in Bangui on
the occasion of the
twenty-eighth
anniversaty of the
proclamatio11 of
Indep endence of the
Central African
Republic.
1 December 1986.
250 THE BAHA'i WORLD

was presented with the Peace Statement and religion was allocated eight minutes in an
a copy of The Earth is But One Country. evening programme which was performed in
When the Rural Development Office of the presence of the Head of State, the Prime
the Transkei Government began to plan an Minister, many other high officials, and an
event for World Environment Day in 1990, audience of more than 1,500 people. The
members of the organizing committee met Baha'i presentation was very well received .
Baha'is who worked in the water department The Head of State pointed out in his closing
and, through them , became fully acquainted speech that what Zambia needs is unity in
with the Baha'i Office of the Environment in diversity; the master of ceremonies, a staff
Transkei. The two Baha'i water department member of the State House, introduced the
officials, who shared Baha'i concepts related Baha'i group by saying, "they have a beautito the environment, were asked to help ful message to give"; and the audience
organize the event. The Baha'is were also applauded the message from the National
requested to prepare a statement on behalf Spiritual Assembly when it was delivered.
of the Chairman of the Military Council to Members of the National Spiritual Assembe broadcast over the radio, and they were bly of Kenya were routinely invited by the
invited to participate in a radio panel Office of the President to attend official
discussion . functions. Baha'i representatives were also
The Baha'is of Zambia reported that "sig- consistently invited to attend major events in
nificant progress towards the recognition of Cape Verde, as the Faith is one of only four
the Faith" took place in October 1990 when officially recognized religions in the coun-
Baha'is received, for the first time, an invita- try. In Botswana, cabinet ministers and
tion from the Cabinet to participate in the chiefs often attended Baha'i activities. The
nation's independence anniversary. Each Baha'is of Togo were invited by the Chief
of State to have a stand at an international
commercial fair; the Baha'i exhibit was
visited by thousands of people, including the
Chief of State and his entourage.

Universities
Politicians were not the only leaders of
thought to become more familiar with the
Baha'i Faith. African academicians also
expanded their knowledge of the Teachings,
and the Faith was recognized as a topic worthy of serious study by a growing number of
universities. The Faith was included in
courses taught by both Baha'i and non-
Baha' i professors.
By the end of the Six Year Plan, the Faith
had been part of the curriculum at the University of Swaziland for more than four
years. Baha'is taught the history, principles,
and administration of the Faith to third year
students. In 19'9 l, university officials asked
During a teaching conference in Assomada, the Baha'is to develop a curriculum on spe-
Cape Verde, in 198 7, two youth present a cific Baha'i subjects in relation to African
theatrical piece about teaching in iran. customs and traditional religions.
INTERNATIO N AL SURV EY OF C URRENT BAH A 'i A CT IVITI ES 251
Courses based on Baha'i principles and Kenya, the head of Christian Religious Edutaught by Baha ' is were offered several times cation at Shanzu Teacher Training College
at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. in Mombasa invited three Baha ' i speakers to
In 1989, Dr. Tim Rost designed and taught address first-year sh1dents at the school. The
courses called "Peace and Justice" and "Reli- 420 students subjected the speakers to many
gion and Development" . This led members questions. The Faith was added to the syllaof the Department of Religious Studies to bus of the College's religious education
visit the House of Worship in Kampala to section as a new topic of study.
familiarize themselves with the Faith and its Other African nations where the Baha'i
institutions. Faith was included in post-secondary courses
In 1991, Dr. Mark Perry was invited to of study included: South Africa, where it
join the Department at Makerere University was part of the syllabus for a course called
to teach special courses on "Religion and "Science and Philosophy of Religion" at the
Social and Economic Development' and University of Westville, Durban, in Natal;
''Research Methods". The course on devel- Zimbabwe, where portions of the curriculum
opment, which examined the contributions for comparative religious studies at the Unithat religion can make to the transformation versity of Zimbabwe and Gwem Teacher
of Ugandan society, included a specific dis- Training College included the Faith; and
cussion on the Baha'i Faith. The course on Sierra Leone, where a pioneer started a
research methods generated a great deal of course on the Faith at Makeni Teachers
interest in, and discussion of, fundamental College.
spiritual principles .
When the Spiritual Assembly of Malawi Social and Economic Development
responded to a request for information from In its message to the Baha ' is of the world at
the Head of the Department of Religious Ric:lvan 1990, the Universal House of Justice
Sh1dies at the University of Zomba, the wrote, 'The affairs of mankind have reached
Baha 'is discovered that the professor had a stage at which increasing calls will be
already been using Bahri 'u '!!ah and the New made upon our community to assist, through
Era to teach the Faith in his classes. After advice and practical measures, in solving critmeeting with some Baha ' is, he invited them ical social problems''. Development projects
to address his students, who responded were one type of assistance offered to an
enthusiastically to the presentation and asked ailing humanity. During the Plan, existing
many questions. progranm1es were expanded and new initia-
Talks on the Faith were also given at tives launched. The majority of the Baha'i
Malawi 's Chancellor University in a course social and economic development projects
on comparative religion. At the end of the in Africa related either to health care or
Six Year Plan, the government approved a education. In fact, Africa was the continent
plan for the Baha'is to present the Faith, its with the greatest number of health-related
history and moral teachings, in teacher háain- projects.
ing colleges around the country. In accordance with a philosophy of devel-
In Burkina Faso, the Higher School of opment which emphasizes local self-reliance
Law of the University of Ouagadougou gave and self-determination, the Baha'i health
permission for two courses on "The Pro- professionals trained local believers to
gramme of Baha ' u ' llah for Peace" to be become leaders in health education. In Zaire,
taught, fulfilling one of the National Assem- the Regional Social and Economic Developbl y's goals for the Six Year Plan. One of the ment Conm1ittee of Kivu (CREDESE)
Baha ' is of Burkina had already given two prepared participants in its programmes to
courses on the Baha'i Faith and peace. In teach different health-related subjects using
252 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Jn Burkina Faso, a
training and reji-esher
course for primm y
health workers was
held.fimn 4 to 7 May
1990 in Ko alio as
part of an on-going
sanitation and
nutrition educational
project sponsored by
the National Baha'i
Social and Economic
Development
Committee.

Jn Lome, Togo,
children in the
Rainbow International
School and Kindergarten present their
cultures during a
Peace Festival held
March 1990.

Jn th e Prefecture of
Ginkongozo- Rugazi,
Rwanda, children,
paren ts and tutors
can be seen during
a literacy co urse
held in J988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 253
simple teaching aids. This training was part received support from international funding
of CREDESE's support for the activities of a agencies. Training programmes for commularge number oflocal Baha'i Councils work- nity health workers were also conducted in
ing to transforn1 their communities. In Cameroon, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Zambia, instrnctors from the William Mmutle Throughout the Plan, Canadian Baha'i
Masehla Baha'i Institute travelled to villages Dr. Ethel Martens háained Baha'is in Kenya
to give seminars on the causes of various and Swaziland to become primary health
illnesses and how they can be prevented. care workers.
The Masehla Institute also offered its first In several areas where access to hospitals
All-Women Training Programme for Com- was limited, Baha' is helped to provide
munity Primary Health Educators. maternity and emergency care. By 1991 , the
Throughout the Six Year Plan, Baha ' i Hakim Dispensary in Moissala, Chad, which
volunteers assisted with the operation of opened in 1985, had a permanent staff of
the Kenya Expanded Progranune for Immu- seven and operated a laboratory and a pharnization, helping to inocu late more than macy. In Swaziland, the Piggs Peak Clinic, a
7 ,500 children. In 1988, Balla 'i participation private facility operated by a Baha ' i doctor,
became more formalized under the name offered regular medical consultations and
Kenya Baha'i Social Mobilization Pro- conducted a health ouháeach progranm1e
granu11e for Inununization, the first project which included visits to outlying rural areas
Baha'is embarked upon in collaboration with and the screening of school children for
the Canadian Public Health Association. diseases.
Working with the Kenya Expanded Pro- Education was the other area of deve lopgranm1e for Inmmnization, the Baha'is ment which received the most attention in
offered a series of seminars to train primary Africa. Zaire had one of the most notable
health care workers to educate people about progranunes of tutorial schools in the Baha'i
the importance of inununization. Other sem- world, with approximately ninety operating
inars brought together various members of toward the end of the Plan. By Ric;lvan 1992,
communities interested in health, such as Baha ' i tutorial schools in Chad were serving
medical personnel, traditional healers, and more than 1,3 00 students. Baha'is in Swazilocal officials, to share info1mation and land operated tluáee preschools and one
ideas. The project was approved by Kenya's primary school using a cmriculum largely of
Ministry of Health. their own design. This curriculum was
In September 1990, the Baha'i adminis- approved by the educational authorities for
trator of the inununization progranune was use in schools throughout the country. In
invited by the Ministry of Health to attend a Tanzania, the emolment of the Ruaha Techseries of workshops on health care planning, nical Secondary School grew from 160
and he chaired one of the sessions. The Dis- students at its opening in 1986 to 400 by
trict Conm1issioner of Bungoma, where the Ric;lvan 1992.
workshops took place, conunended the A conunittee appointed by the Universal
Baha'is, in both his opening and closing House of Justice worked during the Plan to
statements, for their good work in the promote the development of educational
Disháict. activities in Africa. The Central and East
Conummity health workers were also African Regional Development Conmlittee
trained in Burkina Faso, where members of (known as READCO), which was appointed
the Health and Nutrition Project taught basic in November 1985, produced a wide range
nutrition and sanitation and provided first of educational materials for Baha'i chilaid care. In Chad, the Conmmnity Develop- dren's classes, conducted institutes for the
ment Project on Health expanded and háaining of children's class teachers, and
254 THE BAHA'I WORLD

sponsored conferences and workshops on dedicate this regular programme to the
Baha'i education. African child. Baha'i Writings and United
Nations statistics on the plight of children
Radio were broadcast. Baha'i children also pre-
The first Baha'i radio station on the African pared a special forty-five-minute edition of
continent, Radio Baha'i of Liberia, was the radio programme, "Kids' Special'', aimed
officially inaugurated on 21 March 1987 in a at presenting the Baha'i teachings.
ceremony attended by the Assistant Minister On a Sunday morning in September 1991 ,
of Telecommunications, the Deputy-Minister Radio Transkei aired the first of nine fifteenof Information, a traditional chief, media minute programmes based on The Promise
representatives and several hundred Baha'is. of World Peace. Each segment consisted of
The event was covered on national news, music, an introduction, a reading from the
and several days of continuous announce- Peace Statement in the Xhosa language, and
ments over national radio followed. By the quotations from the Bible and the Writings
end of its first year, Radio Baha'i Liberia's of Baha'u'llah. A Baha'i prayer and music
broadcasts had already stimulated consider- closed each broadcast.
able growth in the Baha'i community. A Radio Lesotho gave the Baha'is a fifteenreport from a station staff member in March minute time slot every Sunday evening for
1988 read, "We simply cannot keep enough one year. Beginning in September 1990,
Baha'i literature ... Some have walked miles "Tumelo Ke Thebe" ("Faith is a Stronghold")
to the station to get us to tell them more ... covered topics such as life after death, mar-
There have been enrolments at the station, riage and divorce, and The Promise of World
and demand from listeners for more Baha' i Peace. Each programme concluded with
programming." readings from the Sacred Texts.
Regular radio programmes prepared by Weekly radio programmes were also pro-
Baha'is were also aired on non-Baha ' i duced in Burkina Faso, the Central African
stations. The Local Assembly of Bamenda, Republic, Chad, Ciskei, and Rwanda. In
Cameroon, produced a weekly programme Madagascar, a Nineteen Day Feast tape procalled "Mothers, Fathers, and Children". duced by the Radio and Television Team of
When the Bamenda Baha'is joined other the National Assembly was regularly aired
religious groups and government authorities on National Malagasy Radio.
to plan a week-long celebration of the African News stories about Baha 'i events and
Day of the Child in 1991, they decided to interviews with travelling teachers were

Staff members at
Radio Baha 'i Liberia
(ELRB) in Monrovia
in March 1987.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIV ITI ES 255

Jn Transkei, hundreds
of people stopped at
the Baha 'i booth to
learn about the
Faith during the
Agricultural Show
held in Um ta ta fi"om
9-12 October 1990.

broadcast on radio in Cameroon, Guinea- two weeks, a total of2,500 people signed the
Bissau, Kenya, and Sierra Leone. The first guest book at the display, and during a public
such interview to be aired in Equatorial meeting on the exhibition 's last day, thirteen
Guinea- with a travelling teacher and two people enrolled in the Faith. In Transkei, a
National Spiritual Assembly members- oc- public meeting called "The Pre-Conditions
cuned during the Plan. of Peace in Southern Africa and the World"
In a number of African countries, includ- followed the second annual week-long book
ing Cape Verde, Togo, and Uganda, radio display in the Unitra Library, creating a sigwas used to announce Baha'i activities and nificant amount of interest in the Faith. In
Holy Days. Zimbabwe, two displays were organized in
libraries.
Book Exhibitions Agricultural fairs provided forums for the
Many Africans discovered the Creative Word display of Baha ' i literature in several southof Baha 'u ' llah for the first time when they ern African nations. In addition to regular
came upon book exhibitions organized by displays at regional and national fa irs in
Baha'is. Universities, libraries , and agricul- Zambia and Zimbabwe, a booth was orgatural fairs were the most common venues. nized at the Transkei Agricultural Show in
Book displays in the students' halls of Umtata in October 1990. Approximately
residence at Nigeria's University of Benin dm- 400 people visited the booth, including the
ing four evenings in January 1989 attracted Minister of the Department of Agriculture,
approximately 1,400 students. The Peace and many Baha'i books in Xhosa and English
Statement was the most popular document at were sold.
a book exhibition held at the University of The National Assemb ly of Burkina esti-
Zambia in 1988, and another display was mated that 1,000 people visited Baha'i book
organized in 1989. Hundreds of students vis- exhibitions held in Ouagadougou, Koudougou,
ited a book exhibition at Kenya's Kenyatta and Dedougou Fada during 1987. Then in
University near the end of the Plan. Two 1988, the Baha ' is mounted an exhibition of
successful book displays were held at the books related to peace and chi ldren after
University ofTranskei . being invited by the Government to play a
The municipal library of Atakpame, central role in the commemoration of Inter-
Ogou, Togo, was the site of a Baha' i exposi- national Peace Day and Children 's Day. The
tion in September 1990 which was visited by exhibit was officially opened by a represen-
300 people on the first day. In the following tative of the Head of State, who , with his
256 THE BAHA'I WORLD

entourage of government officials and ambas- Music
sadors of various countries, listened to an ... the Manifested Light, Bahli 'u 'llah, in
introduction to the Faith. this glorious p eriod has revealed in Holy
A week-long book exhibition was held at Tablets that singing and music are the
the Independence Hotel in Burkina Faso in spiritual food of the hearts and souls. In
1989, and in 1991, the Baha'is of Ouaga- this dispensation, music is one of the arts
dougou organized three book and poster that is highly approved and is considered
exhibitions with the assistance of the United to be the cause of the exaltation of sad
Nations Infom1ation Centre and the Move- and desponding hearts.
ment for Civil Rights of Burkina Faso. The Th erefore ... set to music the verses and
exhibits were displayed during a one-week the divine words so that they may be sung
convention and included a stand at one of with soul-stirring melody in the Assemthe entrances to the marketplace. Some of blies and gatherings, and that the hearts
those who visited the display were invited to of the listeners may becom e tumultuous
a fireside and later embraced the Faith. and rise towards the Kingdom of Abha in
Thousands also heard of the Faith at Togo supplication and prayer. 2
Fair 2000, where the Baha' is displayed liter- On a continent where music has long
ature. Book and poster exhibits followed by played an exceptionally important role in
public conferences were found to be suc- conmmnity life, it was natural for those
cessful in that country. Book displays in who embraced the Cause of Baha 'u 'l lah to
urban areas were used to proclaim the Faith express their love of the Blessed Beauty and
in the Gambia, and in Rwanda, a public share His principles through song. During
reading room was opened at the National the Six Year Plan, music festivals and com-
Centre. petitions were sponsored, new Baha'i songs
were composed, and a number of music
groups were formed both to spread the
Cause and to emich the spirihial life of the
believers.
The Continental Board of Counsellors
organized three Inter-Regional Music Festivals in 1989. Held in Botswana, Liberia,
and Kenya, these festivals encouraged and
inspired musicians across the continent and
gave birth to many other music-related
activities .
Despite the political h11111oil in Zaire 111
late December 1991, the Baha'is managed to
attract more than 1,8 00 people to the first
Baha'i Youth Music Festival in Kaboke
Nudu, Fizi. Eighteen choirs and youth clubs
presented songs, plays, and poems on the
theme of "The Life, the Mission, and the
Sufferings of the Blessed Beauty". Ananged
as a means of preparing the youth of the

'Abdu ' l-B aha , Bahlr 'f World Faith: Selected Writings
The Baha 'i International Music Fes tival in of Bahlr '11 '//lrh and 'Abdu '/-Bahlr (Wilmette: Baha'i
Gaborone, Botswana in December I 989. Publishing Trust, 1976), p. 378.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 257
South Ki vu province for the Holy Year ( 1992- National Assemblies taking part in the bi-
93 ), the festival generated much enthusiasm, annual event. The awards ceremony was held
with some groups composing and performing before an audience of approximately 300
more than twenty songs. film-makers, writers, and journalists from
The Baha'is of Transkei held a National three continents and was broadcast on radio
Music Festival in 1989 in Umtata which was and television.
attended by about one 100 people from
seven communities. The festival generated ~a~iratu'l-Quds
considerable publicity in the press and on Africa stood out for the number ofI:Ia~iratu ' l­
radio. That same year, the National Music Quds which were acquired or built on the
and Drama Committee of Zambia organized continent during the Plan. Particularly in
a competition on the use of the Faith's prin- areas where individual houses were insufficiples in music. Arumal music and drama cient for gatherings, I:I~iratu'l-Quds provided
competitions were held in rural areas of crucial meeting places for the believers.
Zimbabwe during the Plan, and the Spiritual Inauguration ceremonies for the local,
Assembly of Botswana called its Interna- regional, and national centres provided
tional Music Festival in Gaborone "one of the oppo1tunities to share the Faith with surmost significant achievements of the Plan". rounding communities.
In Mauritius, the Baha'is organized cultural Local centres were built or acquired or
activities for non-Baha'i guests to mark the land obtained in at least fifteen African
World Music Day. countries, including the war-ravaged Angola,
At a cultural festival held in Uganda in Liberia, and Mozambique. An estimated
August 1991, the Baha'is ofMbale came first thi1ty-five local centres were established in
in the competition for composed songs. The Uganda. The believers in a Local Spiritual
National Assembly noted that the festival Assembly area of Burundi whose members
provided a great opportunity for proclaiming were all Pygmies fmished building their own
the Faith, and opened new avenues of collab- local centre by Ri<;ivan 1992. The Local
oration with rural women's organizations. Spiritual Assembly of Gamma Koni Koni in
The festivals provided just one forum for Guinea also constructed a local centre withlocal music groups to perform. Local singing out any outside assistance. Local initiative in
groups were also active in teaching and com- Guinea-Bissau resulted in the purchase of a
munity life in the Central African Republic, local centre. At the inauguration ceremony
Chad, Mauritius, and Rwanda. In Kenya , for the cenháe of Agboville, Cote d'Ivoire,
eight choirs performed at a Holy Day cele- tluáee dignitaries were presented with casbration in 1988 attended by more than 900 sette tapes of the Peace Statement in the
people. The group Kwayera Mbee, which local dialect.
formed in Malawi, sang at youth conferences Inauguration ceremonies fo r regional cenin Botswana and Zimbabwe and was invited tres were regularly attended by prominent
to tour in Europe. The Nationa l Assemblies people who praised the establishment of
of Equatorial Guinea and Siena Leone such institutions. The first regional Baha' i
reported that a number of local songs were centre in Siena Leone was dedicated at
composed on Baha'i themes during the Plan. Pujehun at a ceremony in January 1987
A film about the role of music in bringing attended by the Paramount Chief, a member
about racial integration was awarded a spe- of Parliament, and the Inspector of Schools.
cial prize by the National Spiritual Assembly When the Regional Cenháe of Tabligbo,
of Burkina during the 12th Panafrican Film Togo, was inaugurated in June 1987, a repand Televis ion Festival in 1991. The resentative of the regional prefecture spoke
National Assembly joined other African hopefully about how the cenháe would serve
258 THE BAHA'i WORLD

the interests of both the area and Togo in market. Regional centres were also estabgeneral. When a new regional I:Ia~iratu'l ­ lished in places such as Cape Verde, Ghana,
Quds was opened at €urepipe, Mauritius, in Mali, and Transkei.
November 1986, the Mayor of Curepipe, In September 1987, Mauritius dedicated a
who was formerly Minister of Health of the new national I:Ia~iratu'l-Quds in Port Louis
Mauritian government, praised the Faith in a in a ceremony that included participation of
speech which concluded with the hope that the Governor-General of the nation, and was
the new centre would "dispel social and spir- publicized in newspapers and on radio and
itual darkness in this region". His talk was television. In November 1987, the Baha'is
heard on radio and television. of Mozambique acquired their first national
The first regional centre in Burundi was cenháe, and in 1990, Ciskei opened its first
inaugurated in January 1989, on a road lead- national I:Ia~iratu'l-Quds. At Ri~van 1992,
ing out of Bujumbura which is widely the National Cenháe of the Cenháal African
travelled by people bringing products to Republic was inaugurated in Bangui.

Th e Baha 'is of
Manzini, Swaziland,
laying the cornerstone for their
Regional Bah6 'i
Centre during a
ceremony held on
15 October 1990.

Women
The emancipation of women, the achieve- are welcomed into full partnership in all
ment of full equality between the sexes, is fields of human endeavour will the moral
one of the most important, though less and psychological climate be created in
acknowledged prerequisites of peace. The which international peace can emerge. 3
denial of such equality perpetrates an The National Assemblies of a number of
injustice against one half of the world's African countries noted that women participopulation and promotes in men harn1ful pated in Baha' i activities to a greater degree
attitudes and habits that are carried from than previously, and they used their creativthe family to the workplace, to political ity and energy to initiate projects which
life, and ultimately to international rela- would lead to their further emancipation.
tions. There are no grounds, moral,
practical, or biological, upon which such 3
Universa l Ho use of Justice, Th e Promise of World
denial can be justified. Only as women Peace.
INT ERNAT ION AL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA'I AC TIVITI ES 259
Left: Participants in
a Family Life Conference held in Limbe,
Cameroon, on
17Februmy 1991.

Below: Participants
in the National Baha 'i
Women's Conference
held at the Nakuru
Baha 'i Centre in
Kenya; February 1989.

Below: This group of Baha 'is walked 800
kilometres fi'om their village to attend a
Baha 'i conference held in th e Fizi Zone of
Zaire in July l 989.

Some of the new
Baha 'is in Lwefeu,
Senegal, who
embraced the Faith
during the Viera
Teaching Project in
1988.
260 THE BAHA'I WORLD

New national women's committees and family Baha' is in Cameroon and N igeria particicommittees were born in various countries, pated in the project 'Traditional Media as
and regular meetings among women were Change Agent' supported by the United
instituted, from the national to the vi llage Nations Development Fund for Women
level. (UNIFEM). In cooperation with various
Conferences were the most common type National Assemblies, Baha' i agencies , conof activity organized both by and for women. sultants and UNIFEM, Baha'is used
Regional and national gatherings were held traditional means, such as music and dance,
in many countries. Among the most note- to stimulate discussions about men 's and
worthy were: the International Women's women's roles in society. In Liberia, a
Conference held in Nigeria in November Balla 'i woman was recognized by the Minis-
1991 which was attended by more than 200 try of Information, Culture and Tourism for
people coming from sixteen countries and starting the first magazine in the country
representing 44 ethnic groups; the National dedicated to advancing the status of women.
Women 's Conference in Mauritius in August A Baha'i villager from Zaire organized the
1987 which drew members of seven Mothers' Committee of South Kivu with the
National Assemblies and participants from goals of liberating women from the back-
Reunion, Madagascar, Cote d' Ivoire, and breaking labour of grinding maize; teaching
France; and the first Baha'i Women's Con- literacy; establishing creches for the care of
fe rence in the Wes tern Region of Ghana, infants whose mothers work in the fields;
held in a mud-walled centre filled with bam- supplying pure drinking water; forming
boo benches aITanged for the 78 Baha' is local stores for the sale of their products; and
attending. protecting pregnant women from hard field
Women comprised the majority of partic- labour.
ipants at three consecutive conferences in Baha'i involvement in development
Za ire, each of which devoted a special ses- projects led to education of the public on the
sion to women. Held in July 1989 in Fizi, status of women in the Baha'i teachings.
Mwenga, and Bukavu, the conferences drew Interaction with other women's groups and
thousands of people, some of whom had to participation in special events also served
walk 800 kilometres to reach the gathering. this purpose. In Uganda, a written statement
The final conference in Bukavu was covered on the Baha'i perspective on women was
by four radio and newspaper jomnalists and presented to religious leaders during a
attended by the Regional Secretary for national seminar organized by the govern-
Women's Affairs. ment in July 1989. In December 1989, a
Some of the conferences focused on discussion-debate on "The Rights of Women
development projects related to the advance- and Social Progress" was held in Cote d'Ivoire
ment of women. Following one conference under the patronage of the Minister of Priin Cameroon in the summer of 1986, literacy mary Education and the President of the
classes were established for wo men in nine Federation of African Jurists. Baha'is fully
conununities. At Kenya 's amm al women 's pa1ticipated in activities marking National and
conference in 1989, a presentation was made International Women' s Days in Cameroon,
on income-generating proj ects, and partici- Nigeria, and Uganda.
pants visited a hospita l and heard a talk
called "Spiritual Life, Immunization, and Youth
Nutrition" . An interview with a panel of The endurance of youth under arduous
Baha 'i women was recorded for broadcast conditions, their vita lity and vigour, and
on a telev ision progranune called "Women their ability to adapt themselves to loca l
and Development". situations, to meet new challenges, and to
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 26 1
impart their warmth and enthusiasm to
those they visit, combined with the standard of conduct upheld by Baha ' i youth,
make them potent instruments for the
execution of the contemplated proj ects .
Indeed, through these distinctive qualities
they can become the spearhead of any
enterprise and the driving force of any
undertaking in which they participate,
whether local or national. 4
The quotation above was reprinted in a
compilation called Youth Can Move the
World prepared by the National Youth Committee of Nigeria and published in 1991. By
this time, the youth of Africa had already
demonstrated the truth of these words by
their actions during the Six Year Plan.
Increasingly, they took the initiative to organize conferences, teaching campaigns, and
children ' s classes, and accepted responsibility for their own Baha ' i education.
The youth of Botswana organized several
international youth conferences which were
well attended and received media coverage. Baha 'i youth participating in the "Star 88"
The 1987 conference, which included partic- teaching project in Botswana; June 1988.
ipants from seventeen countries, was opened
by a member of Parliament and closed by National and regional youth conferences
Chief Seepapitso IV. Eighteen countries were organized in Mauritius, Senegal, and
were represented by the 130 youth attending Togo. "The Role of Baha'i Youth" was the
the conference in 1988, and most of the theme of two regional conferences held in
sess ions were conducted by African youth. Ma lawi in 1990. A number of conferences
During the 1989 conference, called "A New took place at the Na ti onal Centre in Sierra
Spirit, A New Generation- Peace'', eighteen Leone, and the youth of Kenya held annual
indigenous youth accepted the Faith. conferences.
The international youth conference held Conferences stimulated you th to increase
in neighbouring Z imbabwe in August 1991 their service to the Cause, and often this
was completely organized by youth between took the forn1 of joining or creating teaching
the ages of thirteen and eighteen. More than proj ects . Following the success of the 1987
seventy youth from eleven countries studied European Youth Third World Teaching
their role in the community, learned about Project in Botswana, which involved eleven
the Youth Year of Service, and prepared for young Baha ' is from five countries who each
the coming Holy Year. In Gabon, youth pre- served at least one month in the Kalahari
sented the entire programme of workshops Desert communities, a series of summer
and talks at a national youth conference in teaching proj ects was born. "S tar 88" began
December 1988. with a two-week orientation programme at
the University of Botswana which acquainted
From a letter of the Uni versal House of Ju sti ce to al l the international participants with aspects of
National Spiritual Assembl ies, 25 May 1975. traditional African cu lture and provided an
262 TI-IE BAI-IA ' [ WORLD

opportunity to learn from experienced teach- the Collis Featherstone Project which brought
ers. The youth were also educated about the healing Message of Baha 'u ' llah to refuhow to begin village development projects. gees from Mozambique.
The Star projects continued throughout the In February 1988, more than two hundred
remainder of the Six Year Plan. people attended a round-table conference in
The National Spiritual Assembly of Cameroon called "The Challenge to the
Zambia reported that the youth of Lusaka African Youth in the Modern World". Orgaorganized themselves to participate in all the nized by the Yaounde University Baha'i
country's teaching plans. One example Club, the conference was held to inspire the
comes from 1989, when the youth created a Cameroon youth to higher ideals and to prolarge book display at the Lusaka Public vide a sense of direction for all young people.
Library and placed banners and posters all The progranm1e included addresses by tluáee
over the town announcing the exhibit. Local university lecturers from different departradio and television stations broadcast inter- ments. A thirty-minute interview with a
views with the Baha ' is associated with the Baha'i speaker was broadcast tluáee times by
display, and newspapers can-ied stories on it. the national radio station.
As a result of the proclamation, at least eigh- In addition to helping Baha'i communities
teen people emolled in the Faith. grow, African youth contributed to commu-
Zambian youth also played a major role nity development by organising deepenings,
in a proclamation project organized by the assisting with children's classes, and under-
Baha'is of Ndola in November 1988. They taking service projects. The youth of
helped distribute more than two thousand Mizpah, Zimbabwe, built a Baha ' i Youth
pamphlets to government offices, banks, Library out of ttáee branches, plastic sheets,
schools, hospitals, shops, newspaper offices, fence wire, and thatch for the roof. A sevenand private industries, while inviting people teen-year old girl was elected librarian. A
to a public meeting. A report from the Local youth library was also established by the
Spiritual Assemb ly of Ndola said, "The Nationa l Youth Conunittee of Malawi, news
reception of the public was ovetwhelming", of which was reported in the first issue of
and the meeting was covered in the Times of Malawi Saha 'i Youth Newsletter, published
Zambia. in July 1990.
The Spiritual Assemb ly of Malawi The youth of Zimbabwe also produced
reported that the country ' s sttáong National their own publication, The Saha 'i Star,
Youth Committee planned and carried out through which they encouraged their friends

Counsellor Lally
Warren (standing on
the far left) , visiting
with ji-iends in the
village of Kabwafi1,
Malawi, during
August I 990.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I A CTIVITIES 263
throughout the country. The National Spir- raised up 353 new believers . In the same
itual Assembly commented at the end of the area in 1988, twenty-eight Local Assemblies
Plan that "It has been very encouraging to and 643 enrolments were the result of the
witness the involvement of Baha'i youth in Olinga-Akwa lbom Teaching Project. Durthe work of teaching, adminisháation, trans- ing the first three years of the Plan, at least
lation of the Baha'i books in vernacular five large-scale teaching projects were carlanguages ... " ried out in Nigeria.
Such initiative was also seen in the Sey- In December 1988, 414 new believers,
chelles, where the Youth Task Force, born including ten chiefs, embraced the Faith and
in 1991, demonstrated its capacity to move ten new Assemblies were formed during the
quickly on assignments. Representatives as- two-week Behin/Calabar-Mamfe Road Teachsisted with deepening classes, visited the ing Project. The teachers involved were all
Bougainville community to discuss mainte- native believers. The Kay Wilson Teaching
nance of the future regional I:Ia?'.iratu'l-Quds Project held in Nnewi, Anambra State, and
of South Mahe, and visited the Takamak the Elizabeth Gibson Project, both held in
community to discuss the formation of a for- 1989, together were responsible for more
mal programme for the friends. The youth of than 1,400 enrolments. The projects in Nigeria
Gabon were rep01ted to be holding regular were can-ied out in a wide variety of setdeepening classes in four cities, and in South tings, bringing the Faith to Christians,
Africa regional and local youth committees Muslims, and traditional village elders. Over
were formed . and over, success was attributed to the unity
In March and April 1992, a six-week- among the teachers.
long development institute for youth was Teaching projects led to almost 18,000
held in Cote d'Ivoire. This was the first enrolments in Kenya and almost 16,000 in
attempt in West Africa to give youth specific Chad.
training, both practical and spiritual, to pre- National Assemblies reported noticeable
pare them for a year of service in their increases in the number of individuals taking
countries. responsibility for the teaching work outside
of projects organized by the institutions of
Teaching the Faith. Greater awareness of the teaching
Forn1ally planned projects and individual needs and commitment to fulfil them were
efforts to attain personal goals comple- noted in Btfrkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, and
mented the teaching achieved through all Transkei. The National Assembly of Tanzathe activities summarized in the previous nia could only attribute approximately 35 per
sections. cent of the new believers to formally
The teaching projects held in Africa dur- planned and funded projects, suggesting that
ing the Plan-many dedicated to Hands of much individual teaching took place. In
the Cause of God or outstanding teachers in Zimbabwe, a corps of travelling teachers
Africa ' s history-are too numerous to was trained whose members were continurecount. However, a few examples drawn ous ly active ; an average of six to ten
from the dramatic story of the Nigerian com- teachers were in the field at any given time.
munity ' s expansion illustrate the readiness The National Spiritual Assembly of Uganof many Africans to accept the Message of da wrote: "As evidenced by the increased
Baha 'u'llah . communication between the Assembly and
During the first week of the Enoch Olinga individual believers, there was quite an
Project in Eket, Nigeria, in 1987, twenty increased number of individuals who dedidedicated Nigerian teachers brought four- cated themselves more to serve the Cause,
teen new Local Assemblies into being and especially the youth. The result of it all is
264 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Teaching institute held
at the William Masehla
Bahri 'i Institute in
Zambia; J986.

Participants in a deepening seminar
held in Gueckedou, Guinea, fi'om
2 6-3 J December J990, included
two members of the Auxilimy Board
and seven members of the
National Spiritual Assembly.

Bahri 'is working on the construction of
their new Teaching Institute at Titye,
Kasulu, Kigoma,Tanzania in 1990.
INT ERNA TIO NAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA ' l ACT IVIT IES 265
that there are now more workers for the officer duties. The Spiritual Assembly of
Cause than before." Bophuthatswana organized a fruitful seminar in 1989 to generate ideas on maintaining
Local Spiritual Assemblies Local Spiritual Assemblies.
With increasing public attention being As Assemblies ga ined experience and infocused on the Cause of God, it becomes creased their understanding of the institution,
imperative for Baha'i institutions to im- they took more initiative and responsibility,
prove their perforn1ance, through a closer sometimes collaborating with neighbouring
identification with the fundamental verities Assemblies . One example comes from
of the Faith, thrnugh greater conformity Burkina Faso, where in 1989, about thirty
to the spirit and form of Baha'i adminis- members of the eight Loca l Assemblies of
tration and through a keener reliance on the Zecco region organized a teaching project
the beneficial effects of proper consulta- in the village ofNibrogo. On the third visit to
tion, so that the communities they guide the village, 100 people embraced the Faith
will reflect a pattern of life that will offer and a new Assembly was formed. The same
hope to the disillusioned members of group of Assemblies later launched proj ects
society.5 in Ziou and Affombissi.
In order to further educate members of In 1990 and 1991 , the Local Assembly of
Local Spiritual Assemblies about their Nabou, Burkina Faso, canied out two phases
duties and foster greater maturation of these of a successful teaching campaign called 'El
crucia l institutions, a variety of methods Bab' which opened fifteen localities, resulted
were used to overcome obstac les in Africa in the forn1ation of ten new Local Assemsuch as the difficulty of travel, poor systems blies, and emolled more than three hundred
of communication, and low leve ls of people.
literacy. In Transke i, eleven Local Assemblies
In Chad, believers used bicycles to travel adopted twenty-four extension teaching goals,
thousands of kilometres to visit, encourage, visiting the areas at least once a month and
and deliver mail to Local Assemblies. In some as often as weekly. The National
Tanzania, twenty Assemblies were reached Spiritual Assembly wrote: "One of the
by the Travel Deepeners Programme. In Togo, encouraging points about these campaigns is
an illustrated booklet on the major tasks of that they have all been organized by the
the Local Assembly was published and dis- respective Local Spiritual Assemb lies and
tributed to all the delegates at the National supported by the whole nation".
Convention in 1988. One example is the cooperation between
In Rwanda, some Local Assemblies were the Local Assemblies of Umtata and Pelini
invited to send two representatives to a deep- to teach the Faith in Mngamnye. Their conening institute and teaching project, which tinuous collaboration to organize numerous
so stimulated participants that they helped to trips, proclamation events, and deepenings
fonn fifteen new Assemblies and were able resulted in the re-fo rmation of the Assembly
to elect their own Assemblies the follow ing ofMnganmye.
year without assistance. Of the many new Local Spiritual Assem-
The National Assembly of Zimbabwe blies that were formed in Africa during the
sent a letter to every member of a Loca l Plan, severa l examples are noteworthy. In
Assembly along with deepening material, 1987, due to the efforis of the Baha'is ofBataland distributed info1rnation on elections and imo in the Central African Republic, that
countly fo1111ed its first Local Assembly made
From a letter of the Un ive rsal House of Just ice to the up of Pygmy believers . Two members were
Baha ' is of th e World , Ric:l van 1990. later able to attend the National Convention.
266 THE BAHA'I WORLD

On the island of
Rodriguez, in the
Indian Ocean, some
of the Baha 'is of
La Ferme pose with
Counsellor Gilbert
Robert, shown fourth
from left, and his wife,
Daisy Robert, on far
right, during the
couple's visit to the
island in October
1990.

Jn Sierra Leone,
Baha 'is in Yikandor,
Pujehun District,
work together to make
mud bricks for a new
Baha 'i Primary
School. Jn addition to
labour, the friends
contributed cash,
wood, stones, and sand
for the construction;
1987.

A Teaching Institute
being held in Bamako,
Mali, on 19 and
20 December 1987.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I A CT IVITIES 267
Liberian refugees held fast to the importance spiritual, social and material progress.
of the Baha'i Administrative Order, establish- Access to it, constant study of it and daily
ing a Local Assembly in a camp in Nigeria use of it in our individual lives are vital to
and virtually transferring the membership of the inner personal transformation towards
three Assemblies from Liberia to Cote which we strive and whose ultimate outer
d 'Ivoire. There the community expanded to manifestation will be the emergence of
include twenty-five Local Assemblies and that divine civilization which is the promnearly one thousand believers, both Liberians ise of the World Order ofBaha'u'llah.
and I vorians. During the Plan, efforts continued to be
The Baha ' is of Ethiopia rose to the chal- made to provide the greatest access to the
lenge of replacing the one Assembly of Addis Sacred Writings by háanslating the Holy
Ababa with twelve new ones when the gov- Word into as many languages as possible.
erm11ent sectored the city into districts, each Among the African languages into which the
with its own municipal seat. The National Writings were translated were: Kwangali in
Assemb ly considered the community 's re- Namibia, Kimndi in Bumndi, Kinyarwanda
sponse to this opportunity to be the single in Rwanda, Bambara in Mali, Tigrinya in
most important achievement of the Plan, as Ethiopia, and Fang in Equatorial Guinea.
it increased the base of the work-force in the Translations were made into multiple local
area. Deepening courses were provided for vernaculars in Burkina Faso, Cote d ' Ivoire,
the urban Assemblies, which in tum strength- South Africa, and Uganda.
ened the believers under their jurisdiction In order to bring the Creative Word to
who increased their participation in the illiterate seekers, the Writings were recorded
activities of the Faith. on audiotape in languages such as Portuguese Creole in Guinea-Bissau and Santiago
Literature Translation Creole in Cape Verde.
In a letter to all National Spiritual Assemblies The Cenháal African Republic, Transkei,
dated 10 July 1989, the Universal House of Malawi, and Zambia reported great sháides
Justice wrnte: forward in the area of háanslation, with the
The Holy Word has been extolled by the latter increasing its production by using pro-
Prophets of God as the medium of celes- fessiona l translators whose work was then
tial power and the wellspring of all reviewed by Baha' is .

Dr. Bahman Sadegzadeh, an Auxiliary
Board member,
handing medicine to
Liberian Baha 'i
reji1gees in Cote
d 'Ivoire during a
conference held in
March 1991 . He also
addressed the fi'i ends
on the subjects of
hygiene and the use
of natural remedies.
268 TI-IE BAHA'f WORLD

0 ye friends of God!
Exert ye with heart and
soul, so that association,
lo ve, unity and agreement be obtained
between the heart...
Should success crown
your enterprise, America
will assuredly evolve into
a center/ram which
waves of spiritual power
will emanate ...
- 'Abdu 'l-Baha
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 269

B. THE AMERICAS
MOST of the countries ofNorth and South Assemblies in their growing relations with
America share important commonalities in governmental and non-governmental organirelation to the Faith, such as relative free- zations and with the public in general'. Condom of worship and freedom to teach. tacts with government officials and profes-
However, any summary of activities in the sional and conununity affairs organizations
vast area of the Americas must be read with were particularly notable in the Americas,
an awareness of the significant cultural, eco- where they continued to develop throughout
nomic, and political differences between the the Plan, increasingly leading to invitations
United States and Canada on the one hand for Baha ' i participation and advice.
and the region of Central America, South One of the most outstanding examples
America, and the Caribbean on the other. of this trend comes from Brazil, where the
The Baha 'i communities in each area Baha'i conmmnity responded to the needs of
tended to capitalize on their strengths. Thus its nation at a unique historical moment.
when it is reported that large numbers of Possessing a strong national administration,
individuals enrolled in the Faith in the a diverse conmmnity, and an ample amount
Americas, many of them indigenous peoples of translated literature, the Baha ' is were
who then arose themselves to share the Mes- ready to seize the opportunities presented by
sage, it is Latin America which provides this Brazil's transition to democracy which virnews. In this region, a general openness to tually coincided with the begirming of the
religion, increasingly active native believers, Six Year Plan. Before the Plan began, the
and good relations with governments com- Baba ' is reported that few prominent people
bined with severe economic crises to create were aware of the teachings of the Faith.
an environment in which people searched By the end of the Plan, contacts with govfor deeper solutions to their immediate prob- enunent officials were so extensive and
lems and found them in the Baha'i Faith. consistent that the country's Federal Cham-
In the United States and Canada, where ber of Deputies had announced its intention
material and political conditions were much to commemorate the Centenary of the Asmore stable but where there are many groups cension ofBaha 'u ' llah with a special solenu1
working to solve social problems, the session.
believers spread understanding of the Faith After twenty years of military rule, a
to a large extent through deepening their civilian president took office in Brazil in
relationships with service organizations, high April 1985, and in February 1987 a Constitugovernment officials, and the media. Using tional Assembly was installed to draft a new
their resources in communications, the fine constitution. This political change transpired
arts, and the academic realm, the Baha'i amidst economic turmoil, including high
conununities of the United States and Canada foreign debt, more than two hundred per
generated more widespread awareness of the cent inflation and a steadily widening gap
Faith and greater respect for its activities between the wealthy and the poor. In 1987
than ever before. the National Spiritual Assembly presented
twenty proposals concerning law, human
Greater Involvement with Society rights, international relations, education, the
In its Ric)van message of 1988, the Universal economy, the rights of indigenous peoples,
House of Justice wrote that a new stage had the rights of women, and other subjects to
been reached in the external affairs of the the 559 Congressmen writing the country's
Cause. This stage was ' characterized by new constitution. Each Congressman also
a marked maturation of National Spiritual received a folder including The Promise of
270 THE BAHA'I WORLD

World Peace, information on the Faith, and In August 1986 a group of Baha'i physia letter from the National Assembly stating cians established the Brazilian Society of
the basic contributions the Baha'i Faith Physicians for Peace to awaken professioncould give to the new constitution . More als in medicine to the importance of their
than one hundred cables and letters and contributions to peace. The Society was also
many telephone calls were received express- to serve as a forum for studies on scientific,
ing gratitude for the suggestions provided. ethical, psychoaffective, educational, social,
In 1992 the Brazilian Government selected and spiritual aspects of peace. A decision was
the Baha'i report "Religions and Environ- taken by the Brazilian Society of Physicians
ment- A Specific Approach for the World for Peace to work for the elimination of
Ecological Crisis" to be included in its prejudices of race, class, nationality, and
report for the United Nations Conference belief, promoting unity among peoples, and
on the Environment and Development (also to avoid any involvement in political or
known as the "Earth Summit"), at the re- ideological disputes.
quest of the Brazilian Forum of Spiritual The Society's inaugural ceremony was at-
Traditions and Environment. And then, just tended by 120 doctors, the presidents of the
a few days following the close of the Six Medical Association and the Medical Coun-
Year Plan, the President of Brazil ' s Federal cils, professors of medicine in universities ,
Chamber of Deputies spoke to forty-five and the most outstanding authorities in medfederal deputies about the magnitude of the icine and health of the region. Hundreds of
Personality and Teachings of Baha' u ' llah, cables and letters of support came from phyquoting from His Writings on the establish- sicians and hospitals. These included special
ment of a new world order. messages sent by the Brazilian Office of the
Involvement of Brazilian Baha'is in the United Nations Organization and the intersocial issues facing their country went be- national entity Physicians for Prevention of
yond contact with government officials to Nuclear War, whose founders , Drs. Lown
include sponsorship of and support for orga- and Chazov, were awarded the Nobel Prize
nizations working toward Baha'i principles. for Peace.
Through these activiti es, the believers were The inauguration included lectures about
able to simultaneously proclaim the Faith 's the role and the influence of physicians in seteachings, form relationships with like- curing peace, preceded by the announcement
minded people, and work toward social that the initiative was launched by a group of
change. Baha' i physicians. The Peace Message of the

Th e bronze plaque
reads: "The earth is
but one country and
mankind its citizens.
-Bahti 'u 'llah (1817-
1892)." The group is
shown with one of
three such plaques
presented, along with
copies a/The Promise
of World Peace, to
the Brazilian Society
of Educators for
Peace. 1989.
INT ERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITI ES 271

Members of the
Raul Pavon Teaching
Project held in Peru
in 1989 are shown
with members of
the Moth ers ' Club
in Puno.

Universal House of Justice was presented in or approving new constitutions. Presentaan audio-visual programme by a member of tions were made on behalf of the National
the Auxi liary Board. Assemblies of Barbados and Guyana to the
Later in the Plan, the Brazilian Society of West Indian Commission Preparing the
Educators for Peace was formed which be- West Indies for the Future, a body estabgan organizing seminars for teachers. Then lished to study the future of the Caribbean
in 1990, the Brazilian National Assembly conununity and regional unification. In
sponsored the first International Expos ition El Salvador, the Central American Institute
on Education for Peace with the pariicipation for Business Adminisháation invited Baha ' is
of twenty-three embassies and educational to participate in a seminar on a Post-War
institutions. Displays featured the efforts of Reconstruction Plan.
various countries to reach peace tluáough In some counháies authorities recognized
education. the importance of the Faith by including
Permanent monuments to peace bearing Baha'is in official proceedings or sending
quotations from Baba 'u 'llah were erected in officia ls to Baha ' i events . In January 1987
1986 and 1991. The first stands near the spot the Bahit' is of Trinidad and Tobago were the
where the borders of Argentina, Brazil, and first presenters during an inter-faith service
Paraguay touch, in Foz do lguaya, and it is follow ing the formal opening of Parliament.
inscribed with the symbol of the Greatest In Barbados, the Prime Minister opened a
Name, the symbol of the UN International Caribbean Peace Conference sponsored by
Year of Peace, and the words, "The earth is Bahit'is in October 1986. In Guyana, the
but one count1y and mankind its citizens. Vice President requested a meeting with the
Baha 'u'llah (1817-1892)". The second National Assembly to discuss Bahit 'i particimonument was erected in the city ofFlorian- pation in the "Social Impact Ameliorati on
opolis, Brazil, in December 1991, bearing Program". By the end of the Plan, Guyana 's
quotations related to the disintegration of the then-Prime Minister Hamilton Green had
old world and the emergence of the new. become so familiar with and respectful of
Baha ' i communities in other nations of the the Faith, that he addressed the National
Americas also contributed to their govern- Convention of the Baha'is of the United
ments' efforts to bring about positive socia l States at Ric;lvan 1992.
change. Written statements offering Baha' i Bahit'is also tried to contribute to the
perspectives were presented in Paraguay and conununities in which they lived by work-
Haiti to individuals responsible for writing ing with existing organizations concerned
272 THE BAHA'I WORLD

with community affairs and organizing or after the Local Assembly of Saskatoon creco-sponsoring events of benefit to the wider ated an environment desk.
society. As their conháibutions came to be Racial unity was a major focus of the
known, Baha'is were increasingly invited to work undertaken by believers in the United
share their views and experiences. Baha'i States. The long-standing involvement of
perspectives on the topics of the environ- Baba ' is with commemorations honouring
ment, race unity, and world peace were Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , continued to expa1iicularly sought out. pand. In 1988, Coretta Scott King invited the
The National Assembly of the United Baha'is to co-chair the National Religious
States co-sponsored two Global Structures Involvement Committee of the Ma1iin Luther
Convocations on Environment and Develop- King Federal Holiday Conunission, and in
ment, in 1989 and 1992. The Assembly also 1992 a member of the National Assembly
continued to conháibute to the work of the was invited to serve as co-grand marshall of
Global Tomonow Coalition, an organization Atlanta, Georgia's King Day Parade, speakof more than 150 members involved in is- ing to a rally of one hundred thousand
sues related to resources, the environment, people. In June 1991, the National Assembly
and sustainable development. Just prior to issued the statement Th e Vision of Race
the end of the Plan, a member of the National Unity-America's Most Challenging Issue,
Assembly's Washington, D.C., staff became which by the end of the Plan had sold appart of a working group to draft suggestions proximately two hundred thousand copies.
for the United States Government's position The Baha'is in the United States increaspaper to be presented at the Earth Summit. ingly received requests for support and
Baha'is in Mexico participated in a public consultation from organizations wanting to
fornm in Mexico City in March 1991 called improve race relations. As early as 1987, for
"Preservation and Improvement of the Envi- example, a governor's aide in Kansas reronment", joining representatives of several quested that the Baha'is help train local law
Latin American countries. The Latin Ameri- enforcement officers in racial issues and colcan Council of Churches invited the Baha ' is laborate with the state Boards of Education
of Ecuador to collaborate on a round table to develop local programmes dealing with
discussion called "The Churches and Ecolo- racial problems in schools.
gy". Ba ha' is in Canada were invited by Baha ' is throughout the Americas conháibthe Saskatchewan Environmental Society to uted extensively to the promotion of world
help plan education programmes for schools peace. The Presidents of seven Cenháal and

Jn the United States,
Baha 'i singers Seals
and Croft participate
in the Martin Luther
King Day Parade held
in Atlanta, Georgia,
on 21 Janumy 1991.
Th e Parade was
televised, and the
reporter spoke of the
Saha 'i principles of
race unity.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 273
South American nations received The representatives of all the religions being prac-
Promise of World Peace during an intergov- ticed in the country.
ernmental meeting in Uruguay in October Celebrations of United Nations Days and
1988. A milestone was reached in Cuba Years and public meetings held to discuss
when , in 1986, the Baba' is were ab le to UN-related issues occurred regularly in a
distribute the Peace Statement to a number number of countries. In the United States parof prominent people for the first time. The ticularly, the National Assembly increased
same year, the President of Dominica, His its support of United Nations initiatives-
Excellency Sir C larence Seignoret, quoted such as the International Year of Peace and
from the Statement during a radio message International Literacy Year-and worked to
he delivered on the International Day of support ratification of UN human rights con-
Peace. ventions on torture, the elimination of all
In July 1987, five outstanding Baha'i forms of discrimination against women, and
professionals visited Costa Rica to give pre- the rights of children.
sentations at a Seminar on Family Education Early in the Plan, an ad hoc group of orfor Peace held at the University for Peace in ganizations working for U.S. Congressional
San Jose. During the Plan, Costa Rican ratification of the United Nation Genocide
Baha'is were honoured by Peace Radio, of Convention invited the Baha'is to particithe University for Peace, with a certificate of pate, and the National Spiritual Assembly
thanks for support and collaboration; the be- took a leading role; within one year, the conlievers worked with the University in various vention was ratified . The National Spiritual
activities, including a large peace conference Assembly's representative to the United
and a series of forums on educating chi ldren Nations also became heavily involved in UN
for peace. In Venezuela, four believers spoke Association activiti es, serving as Chair of
at the First International Encounter for the UNA-USA Executive Committee of the
Peace, Disarmament and Life, and an expo- Conference of United Nations Representasition of photographs and quotations was tives in New York and later as a member of
displayed at the site. A course based on the the Board of Governors of that body.
Peace Message was prepared for schoo ls in The UN International Year of Peace was
Haiti, and annual peace fairs were held in celebrated in the United States with an
Belize City, Belize. In both 1990 and 1991 , International Peace Conference held in San
the Baha'is of Guatemala participated in Francisco in August 1986 and attended by
the Congress for Peace which involved 7,800 people. In Bolivia, the Ministry of

Balui 'is of Havana,
Cuba, welcome the
visit ofMrs. Carmen
de Burafato, member
of the National Assembly of Mexico (seated
centre), and Miss
Teresa McGregor, a
member of an Auxiliary Board in Mexico,
(second from left) in
November 1986.
274 THE BAHA'i WORLD

In the United States,
First Lady Barbara
Bush welcomes
the Baha'i International Community
Representative,
Daniel Wegener, to
the White House
during a reception
held on 20 June
1990 for delegates to
the United Nations'
"World Conference
on Education for
All".

In Guadeloupe, ~RTS-Pl'P
Mr. Louis Luce
reads the Bahci 'i
~
statement
"Education for
Peace", while
Mr. Kamran, chairman of the World
Religion Day
activity, looks on;
18January1987.

In Trinidad and
Tobago, friends
gather to commemorate the United
Nations' Human
Rights Day on
I 0 December 1988
in Port of Spain.
INTE RNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURRE T BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 275
Foreign Affairs and Religions invited the 1987 when he visited and spoke about com-
Baha'is to be part ofa commission responsi- puters and about world peace to professors,
ble for the International Year of Peace students, and prominent people. The creation
activities. Baha ' is in Grenada supported the of the Association for Baha 'i Studies in Chile
International Literacy Year, 1990, by host- led to interaction with experts in many fields.
ing a Literacy Conference which included Efforts to contribute to the fi eld of educaa panel of experts and was opened by the tion included co-sponsorship by the Baha'i
Governor General. Other support of United community of Bucaramanga, Colombia, and
Nations activity included participation by the Latin American Language Centre of a
the Venezuela Baha'is in a meeting of the forum in October 1988 called "Excellence in
UN Economic Commission for Latin Ameri- Education", which attracted 70 people; disca and the Caribbean, following which the tribution of the monograph Educaci6n Moral
National Assembly helped forn1 the Associ- to educators in the Dominican Republic; and
ation of Non-Governmental Organizations. organization of a seminar on education by the
Canadian Baha'is worked with a team at the Center for Baha'i Studies in Ecuador, which
University of Ottawa's Human Rights was followed by Baha' i participation in
Research Centre over a two-year period to national consultation organi zed by the Minismount a nationwide campaign of activities try of Education. In March 1987 the Baha' is
for the 35th Anniversary of the Universal of Manizales, Colombia, held their first Peace
Declaration of Human Rights. Baha'is in Encounter with non-Baha ' is in the field of
Bermuda sponsored regular commemorations education. Paiiicipants analyzed issues such
of Human Rights Day, which eventually be- as the principles governing peace, the nature
came government-sponsored events. of man, and the dynamics of consultation,
Greater involvement in society also meant and worked to define their own attitudes and
that Baha' i professionals in the Americas decide on actions to take toward achieving
formed new relationships with colleagues peace.
and contributed to their fields by forming
associations and sponsoring seminars and Mass Media
conferences. In Guyana, for example, dinner The instruments of mass media were widely
receptions were held for visiting profession- used to foster awareness of the Faith in the
als to introduce them to their colleagues; Americas. As in other areas of the world,
visitors included artists, an ophthalmologist, oppotiunities greatly increased for Baha'is
and an expert in the area of drug abuse to share the principles of Baha'u'llah and
prevention who gave presentations to social to announce their events through radio, teleworkers, health professionals, doctors, and vision, and newspapers, and media coverage
medical students during a seven-country tour of the Baha' i community's activities was
of Central and South America. unprecedented.
An Association for Baha'i Studies con- Radio was the medium through which the
ference on science and religion held in widest variety of people in the Americas
October 1987 in the United States provided heard about Baha' u'llah, given its unique
opportunities for Baha'is to make val uabl e abi lity to reach remote areas and transcend
connections with eminent members of the the barrier of illiteracy. In addition to the regscientific community. A conference entitled ular programming on Baha'i-owned radio
"The Architecture of the Baha 'i Ed ifices" stations in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama,
held in Uruguay in July 1988 attracted thirty Peru, and the United States, weekly pronon-Baha ' i professionals. A Baha' i with grammes were aired in Belize, Dominica,
expertise in computer science opened many Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and
doors to professional circl es in Colombia in the West Leeward Islands.
276 THE BAl-IA ' i WORL D

Chile provides an example of the use of well-known media personality, created a
radio as a strong force for teaching and com- radio programme háansmitted from 10 p.m.
munity development, particularly among the to midnight from Monday to F1iday, designed
Mapuche Indians. Given the expense of to create a meditative atmosphere each
travel relative to the income level of much of evening using se lected poems, stories,
the population, limitations on travelling to legends, and writings from different sacred
teach in Chi le made the advantages of radio scriptures, accompanied by specially selectparticularly welcome. ed music. The popularity of the programme
For five years preceding the launching grew rapidly, and by early 1989 it was
of the Six Year Plan, Baha'is participated estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000
in a weekly programme reaching the entire listeners in the metropolitan area of Santiago
country, creating the basis for a regular and nearby small towns were enjoying it
listening audience. And for a brief period in each evening.
1986, selections from The Hidden Words of As phone calls and letters mTived, the own-
Baba ' u ' llah were read every hour all day on er of the station approached Mr. Amenabar,
twenty-eight stations. Then, having obtained conunending him on his initiative and offerapproval for their own frequency a few ing to repeat the same programme on
months before the Plan, the Baba'is launched co-owned stations in three other centres.
Radio Baha ' i de Chi le on 20 December 1986. Mr. Amenabar began making increasing use
The station was establ ished in Labranza, of the Writings of, and literature about, the
Commune ofTemuco, in the heart ofMapu- Baha'i Faith, always mentioning the source
che Indian territory. Radio Baha'i Chile both of the work, creati ng a wide public awarecontributed to the preserva tion of Mapuche ness of the Faith. Many people appearing at
culture and welcomed the contributions of firesides and public talks first heard about
the native population to its mission. the Faith through this programme.
In July 1988, six Mapuches attended the Further tribute to the positive effects of
station ' s first institute held in part to train the progranune was accorded by the Miniscommunity members to support the work try of Telecommunications when it awarded
of the station. Early in 1989, Radio Baha ' i the owner of the station a free frequency in
Chile was chosen by the Government as the the Va lparaiso area (where previously it was
prime vehicle for a development project in- impossible to obtain a frequency), in recogvolving bilingual literacy classes in Spanish nition of the "special programme dedicated
and Mapuche. Two rural Mapuche Baha'i to peace and unity".
schools were among ten selected to serve as Special broadcasts in other parts of the
liaisons between the station and the students Americas also reached large audiences. In
for the project, for which the Regional June 1986, the official government shmtwave
Ministry of Education provided materials , in Cuba, Radio Havana, invited Baha'is to
scripts, and planning, and Radio Baha 'i taped be on a show called "Religion in Cuba". An
and transmitted broadcasts. The project, interview with the chairman of the National
according to the Nationa l Assembly, indicat- Assembly about the principles, history, and
ed the recognition accorded by the Ministry current development of the Faith was broadof Education to the status and capacity of cast at intervals for a total of six hours
Radio Baha'i. in seven languages . In Ja nuary 1987, the
The initiative of an individual believer in Baha'is of Guadeloupe received wide radio
Santiago, Chile, also resu lted in unprece- coverage of their activities for World Relidented radio proclamation for the Faith and gion Day. For the nine days smTotmding the
a positive conháibution towards peace and event, eight different radio stations broadconununity health. Francisco Amenabar, a cast various interviews and programmes,
INTERN AT! ONAL SURVEY OF C URRENT BAHA ' I ACT IV IT IES 277

and on the day itself, the most popular com- evident from the active participation of inmercial station aired a two-hour phone-in digenous friends , mostly youth, and greater
show with a prominent Baha ' i. In Peru, the participation by women.
Baha ' is produced an educational radio One of the exciting developments in the
series, broadcast in Aymara and Spanish, use of television in the Americas came in
which addressed subjects such as rural fami ly Puerto Rico in early December 1989, when
life, prayer, consultation, and the value of the Baha 'is were asked by the local televinative languages. During December 1991 , sion station whether they wou ld produce a
public service announcements about peace ninety-minute holiday special programme,
were aired twenty times a day on two sta- fea turing guests from different religious
tions in El Salvador. backgrounds speaking on the theme of peace.
In late 1991 , the Baha'i community of The station offered to pay fo r the production
Argentina reported a great increase in its crew and to donate sh1dio and air time, if the
opportunities to proclaim the Faith through Baha' is would build the set, obtain the hosts
radio broadcasts and interviews. In Almirante and guests, and write the script. The pro-
Brown, the five- to-ten minute slot originally gramme was táansmitted on various cable
given to the Baha'is on the local FM radio services reaching fourteen localities . It was
was increased to an hour-and-a-half every shown on six consecutive days at various
Saturday dming which the diverse themes of times . Publicity for the Baha' i-sponsored
the Cause could be discussed. In La Rioja, programme included radio spots on two stathe Faith was proclaimed for fifteen minutes tions a thirty-second television announcement
after the presenter of the programme "Can- shown frequently, street banners at major
tares de! Litoral" ("Songs of the Littoral") intersections and the shopping mall, and alleft the radio booth and handed the micro- most one thousand flyers handed out by the
phone to the Baha ' is to talk about the Faith television station ' s pers01mel.
and its principles . During an interview with In 1988 the Baha' i Office of Public Afthe Baha'is by Radio Nacional in Mendoza fairs for the Greater M ilwaukee, Wisconsin,
which lasted one hour and fifteen minutes , area in the United States was given the
the interviewer showed great enthusiasm and Conmmnity Access A ward for Religious
receptivity towards the Faith and Baba 'u ' llah. Progranuning by Viacom, the cable televi-
This programme prompted calls from listen- sion service for the Milwaukee suburban
ers who expressed their happiness at hearing area. The Baha ' i Broadcast Media Task
such a message of peace. Force used "The Spiritual Revolution", a
One sign of the movement toward more series consisting of thirteen half-hour intersophisticated use of radio was the holding views with a number of knowledgeable
of several Radio Baha' i Seminars in Latin Baha' is about the Faith, and adapted it for
America during the Plan. The second semi- local use by adding an inháoduction and an
nar, held in Lima, Pem, in 1988, was attended ending which explained how viewers could
by more than fifty radio experts, six mem- obtain further info rmation about the Faith.
bers of the Continental Board of Cow1sellors, Another regular television programme
all the members of the International Baha ' i aired in El Salvador: a weekly show of fifty-
Audio-Visual Centre, and representatives of four episodes called "Journey Towards the
seven Baha ' i radio stations (five of them Future". Also in El Salvador, fifty-two interindigenous peoples). Reporting on the fourth views used to promote public meetings were
seminar, held in Cochabamba, Bolivia, in aired free of charge.
1991 , the Latin American Radio Adv isory In 1987, the Public Information Office at
Committee commented that signs of increas- the United States National Baha'i Center
ing mat11rity within the radio fa mil y were was asked by two television enterpri ses to
278 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Left: All of the
resources of Radio
-- Baha '£, Bolivia,
- being used in a
campaign to fight
cholera in 1991.

Above: The staff of the Baha 'i radio station WLGI
Hemingway, South Carolina, U.S.A. November 1987.
Left: A staff member at Radio Bahci 'i, Panama, in
Boca de! Monte, preparing to broadcast music; 1987.

Exterior view of the
Baha'i radio station in
Labranza, Chile,
in February 1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAI-IA'i ACT IVITIES 279

Below: Baha 'is teach the Faith during a radio
interview held in Colima, Mexico, in l 987.

Above: A staffmember
of Radio Balui 'i Ecuador (left) interviews a
villager as part of the
" Walking Together"
project; J987.

Right. The first
weekly Baha'i radio
programme in the
Guajiro language
aired on
2 September J990 in
Maracaibo, Venezuela.

~--á-~
- .91&NVENIDOS á
. llftOIO IRHlt'I .

-
OCL
UGO TITICllCll
.... . ISOKHi
Leji: Exterior view of
Radio Baha'i on Lake
Titicaca, Peru; J988.
This, like all Baha'i
- ~á-.~áá' .._,.
radio stations, is
- .... ~ t• ..,:,"}' community-based
.:. á..~~
~J;._-_.::-á.f~~á. ~ áá.$.~~: and participatory.
280 THE BAI-IA'f WORLD

supply Baha'i public service announcements teachings with television audiences. The Infor a cable channel to use on its satellite ser- ternational Convention video was broadcast
vice to cable television systems throughout in Bolivia and St. Lucia in 1988, and the
the United States, and for the Max Media Canadian music video "Mona" was shown
organization to distribute to thousands of nationwide in Paraguay in October 1986.
cable system operators for regular local use. Newspaper coverage of the Faith in-
In 1988 the Global News Network also creased and broadened its focus from the
requested Baha' i public service announce- persecutions in Iran to Baha' u ' llah and His
ments to be telecast over its new satellite and Teachings. The National Assembly of the
cable television channel. United States reported that during the Plan
In May 1988, the Baha' i community of the number of articles on the Faith increased
Alaska received an award from the Interior from an average of 2,000 per year to 3,800.
Alaska Ecumenical Peace with Justice Regular quotations from the Writings ap-
Council, in Fairbanks, for the "Peace Talks" peared in papers in Guyana and Haiti, and
television campaign. "Peace Talks", devel- special features included a full page summaoped in 1987, comprises four sixty-second ry of the Peace Statement in Ecuador and
public service television and radio announce- an eight-page supplement in El Salvador's
ments , using ideas adopted from the Peace Diario El Mundo , which was sold to 40,000
Statement. Each announcement focuses on a people.
different aspect of the theme, "Peace is The Public Relations Committee of the
More Than Just an End to War", and con- National Assembly of Guatemala achieved
veys the overall concept that achieving real extensive press coverage of the Faith in the
peace involves change in many areas of hu- first few months of 1987. In early January,
man interaction. At least 35,000 households the most widely read newspaper in the counin the Anchorage area and more than 240 try, Prensa Libre, published an article on
villages in Alaska regularly received the an- the inauguration of the House of Worship in
nouncements. They were also aired on radio India. A few weeks later the Committee arand television all across Canada in English, ranged a press conference with Counsellor
French, and Inuktitut, as well as on local Arturo Serrano of Mexico during one of
television in the Arecibo region of Puerto his frequent visits to Guatemala. In early
Rico . February two leading newspapers interviewed
In Canada, at least 66 hours of the pro- Mr. Hassan Sabri, head of the Office of
gramme "Baha' i Perspective" were broadcast Social and Economic Development at the
on cable television during the Plan. In Feb- Baha ' i World Centre. All newspaper a1iicles
ruary 1992, the new season began with a included photographs, and the interviews
thirty-minute talk about Baha'u ' llah based often quoted the Baha ' is.
on the Statement on Baha'u' llah, which had In the Bahamas in 1988, the National
been prepared by the Office of Public Infor- Assembly answered charges made against
mation at the request of the Universal House the Faith by delineating Baha'i principles
of Justice. According to the repo1i, "The and providing a comprehensive history of
programme is not only excellent for Baha ' is the Faith in a long letter which appeared in
studying the Statement on Baha'u'llah, but it the Nassau Guardian.
also is perhaps the most complete half-hour An overall increase in media coverage of
summary ofBaha ' u ' llah's life and teachings Baha'i activities was reported in a number of
that exists on video" . countries, including Chile and the Dominican
Baha ' i videotapes, such as those showing Republic. The Baha' is of Bermuda reported
highlights of the International Convention, that their Public Relations and Communicaprovided another vehicle for sharing the tions Committees were in regular contact
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIV ITIES 281

with representatives of all types of media, In an exchange of "war toys for peace
and it became commonplace for visiting prom- toy", the children of Ensenada were invited
inent Baha'is to be interviewed. Friends to exchange their rifles, swords, toy soldiers,
travelling to teacher in St. Lucia were also etc. for other toys suggesting peaceful activsubjects of television and radio interviews, ity. Most of the new toys were donated by
and a reporter was sent to cover regional the Baha' is of several communities near San
consu ltatio n between Caribbean National Diego, California, in the United States. The
Spiritual Assemblies. Newspaper artic les public and media response to this particular
about the Faith multiplied in Argentina, and event was extremely positive.
at the end of the Plan the National Assembly During the weeks preceding the El Salvasaid "the doors of radio stations are com- dor Baha ' i commun ity's celebration of the
pletely open ... " Proclamation via media was Anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u' llah and
called a "strong suit" in Bel ize, where teach- its own fiftieth anniversary in 1989, the
ing teams often found people who were Baha'is enjoyed extensive television expoready to become Baha'is after listening to sure and excellent publicity in newspapers,
weekly radio programmes. Television broad- including three major dailies, two of which
casts featuring Baha'i travelling teachers contained full-page articles featuring verses
also reached nationwide audiences in that of Baha'u'l lah. The Baha' is were able to
coun try. The National Assembly of Suriname speak for two hours on the Baha'i approach
stated that because of the mass media, "the to peace during a special television inter-
Name of Baha'u'llah is well-known to the view, responding to generally helpful and
population." friend ly questions from the moderator and
The Baha'is in the Arecibo region of the television audience. During a second
P uerto Rico establ ished such a friend ly rela- showing the following Sunday, the moderationship with the local media that they began tor phoned one of the Baha'is to say that it
having difficulty keeping up with the publ ic- had been one of the most significant proity opportunities presented to them. By early grammes he had ever produced. He asked
1990, the newspapers were regularly pub- whether the Baha'is, though removed from
lishing articles, photographs, and publicity political contention, could teach the spirit
for the twice-monthly Baha' i television pro- and methods of Baha'i consu ltation to the
gramme. One of the local radio stations adversaries in the nation 's confl ict.
invited the Baha'is for a two-hour interview
on the Faith. The interview was aired " live", The Arts
and also taped to be repeated in the future. T he arts were used to proclaim the principles
A wave of publicity for the Faith oc- of the Faith, to directly teach about the
curred in Mexico in early 1990 during the Cause, and to celebrate the diverse cu ltures
first phase of an intensive cross-border represented in the Baha'i community of the
teaching project, held in Ensenada, Baja Americas. The media used included music,
California. As a result of continuous contact drama, dance, slide shows, painting, video,
with the media, supplying key individuals and puppetry.
in television, newspapers, and radio with in- The Canad ian Baha'i community stands
formation on the Faith and regular news out for its use of virtually all these artistic
releases about the different activities of the media to proclaim the Faith. Finding itself, at
project, there were more than fifteen articles, the beginning of the Plan, with good resourceleven radio interviews, numerous thirty- es in the arts, and noting a growing openness
second "spots" and several announcements to diverse forms of cultural expression in the
on the local evening television news country, the community particularly moved
programme. to fulfil its Six Year Plan goal "to make use
282 THE BAHA'I WORLD

of drama and singing m the teaching and provide opportunities for sharing the Faith
deepening work". with different groups in the community.
In order to provide a forum for the Held in the city 's Centennial Theatre, the
exchange of ideas on how best to achieve event included dance, theatre, readings, muthis goal, the Baha'i Arts Council, Canada, sic, and visual arts from different cultures
sponsored "Invitation 88: A Festival of the dedicated to the promotion of unity through
Human Spirit". Held at the University of diversity. More than seven hundred people
Western Ontario, London, Ontario, during attended the concert, including local authorithe summer of 1988, the festival attracted ties and representatives of the media.
approximately 1,000 participants at various In many regions of the Americas, music
times to its programme of workshops, exhib- was used for proclaiming the Message, either
its, and performances. through the songs themselves or through the
A report reads : "During the course of the musicians speaking of the Faith in between
festival we recognized in each other diverse numbers and during publicity interviews.
and previously undreamed of capacities for Reporting on the "Concert for Peace" given
creativity and expression of the Faith". The in July 1987 by Baha'i pianist Alfredo
festival impressed both Baha'is and the gen- Speranza at the Solis Theatre, Montevideo,
era l public with the excellent quality of Uruguay, the National Assembly called it
performances, talks, workshops, and displays "an important success which attracted almost
and reflected the words of the Universal a thousand spectators to ... the principal hall
House of Justice: "New prospects for teach- in the country". Invitations were sent around
ing the Cause at all level s of society have the country through Local Spiritual Assemunfolded". blies, schools and universities, and the
That same year the Canadian youth troupe media. The artist, an Italian citizen born in
Let It Be This Generation won the hearts of Uruguay, was interviewed by reporters from
youth in high schools, colleges, universities, television channels, radio stations, and newsand community centres across the country papers, with mention made of his Baha' i
during a nationwide, ISO-performance, peace- beliefs and his worldwide service on behalf
promoting tour. The presentation, based on of the Faith. In addition, Maestro Speranza
the inevitability of peace and the steps to spoke at two public meetings at the National
attain a united global community, communi - Baha'i Centre on the subjects of music,
cated its ideas through dance, slide shows, unity, and the Baha' i Faith.
music, theatre, and movement. The troupe Starting in October 1986, the Louis G.
performed in high schools, jw1ior high schools, Gregory Baha 'i Institute in Hemingway,
elementary schools, and public places, and South Carolina, U.S.A., held annual oneestimated that about 12,000 people saw the week Peace Feasts: four-day programmes of
show, aside from television audiences. The jazz, gospel, and contemporary music, dance,
team also gave away between six and eight and addresses by distinguished speakers.
thousand copies of the Peace Statement. In 1987, the Governor of South Carolina,
The Sacred Writings, along with music Carroll Campbell, Jr., issued a proclamation
and dance, were used to tell the story of the designating the week of 14-20 September as
spiritual and social revolution of the Faith of Peace Week in the State.
the Bab at an international theatre festival in In March 1987, the small Baha'i commu-
Canada in 1990. The production , named nity of the city of Araguari, Brazil,
"Badasht", drew audiences totalling nearly (population 30,000) organized a big public
450 people. musical show called "A Chance for Peace"
Baha'is in Vancouver, Canada, organized performed by Baha' i musicians from a larga "Peace of Art" concert in May 199 l to er neighbouring community. The show
INTERNATIO N AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACT I VIT I ES 283
attracted an audience of a tho usand and Atlanta Baha'i Youth Workshop to give a
received wide press and radio coverage. si ngle performance of a programme entitled
Hundreds of pamphlets were given to the "Barriers to Peace" in October 1989, resultpublic. The same show was later sponsored ed in the youth giving a number of repeat
by another small community, where five performances and remaining all day in the
hundred attended. school.
A singing group fro m Guyana called The During the week before the scheduled
Carmel M instrels performed throughout the performance, the high school had expericountry and completed a Caribbean tour in enced an increase in racial tension among the
1987. The group was included in several students. After consultation with a Baha' i
national and governmental events and per- yo uth attending the schoo l, the principal and
formed fund-raising concerts for social and the Board of Education decided to use the
economi c development projects. Atlanta Baha' i Youth Workshop as a tool to
In Puerto Rico, at least five concerts were help defuse the tensions. The Workshop's
presented to audiences of more than a hundred four performances of song and dance were
people. A ll of these included presentation of arranged with ninety-minute breaks in
the Faith and di stribution of literature. between to enable students to meet with
Theatre groups capitalized on the inherent members of the Workshop and to consult
drama of the Faith, presenting its history and about rac ism. Much of the discussion led to
principles on stage. In Brazil in 1988, a the- proposed so lutions from the Baba' i perspecatrical prod uction relating the life of Muna tive. Enthusiasm about the programmes
Mal~mudnizhad , the youngest of the ten quickly spread. Students encouraged others
women martyred on 18 June 1983 in Shiraz, to participate and many students and teachers
Iran, rece ived official authorizatio1-;-after attended more than once.
government review, to be presented any- Slide shows were used in several counwhere in the country. It marked the first time tries to present the main points of The
a production by Baha'is, using a cast of both Promise of World Peace. A slide show
Baha'is and non-Baha'is, received such based on excerpts fro m the Statement was
recognition. shown to about five thousand students and
Baha'is in Arequipa, Peru, formed a teachers in seventeen primary-secondary
group in 1986 ca lled Universal Peace The- schools of Co lomb ia in 1986. The proatre which attracted favourab le notice fro m gramme was first conceived as a deepening
the Director of UNESCO clubs in Arequipa. tool for Baha' is, but its use as a teaching aid
After hearing a rad io interview with the was discovered when a group ofBaha'is in a
group, he invited the ir patiicipation in the teaching campaign decided to present the
December ce lebration of H uman Rights Day sl ide show in a school , and it was well
at the National Cu ltural Institute. They were received. Baha' is were invited to return to
heard on radio stations and performed for one of the schools until they had shown the
students in schoo ls of Arequipa "teaching audio-visual presentation to nearly thousand
the concept of world citizenship in support students.
of the Internation al Year of Peace". Two other slide shows based on the Peace
Baha'i Youth Workshops- youth groups Statement were shown wide ly throughout
using dance and drama to convey the princi- Brazil. "From War to Peace" was directed
ples of the Faith-multiplied in the United toward ad ult audiences and "The Peace
States, formi ng in dozens of cities. One ex- Pigeon" was aimed at children. fn 1989, the
amp le of their power comes from Georgia . Secretary for Education and Cul tural Mat-
What began as an invitation by the Milton ters of the State of Espirito Santo authorized
High School in Alpharetta, Georgia, for the the Baha' is to give talks abo ut the Peace
284 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Statement in all the public schools in the the show, the performers would tell their
state, opening the way for a great number of audience that Baha'u'llah is the Messenger
students to see the slide shows. of God for our time, and they would invite
The Promise of World Peace was also those who identified themse lves with His
the inspiration for an art exhibit sho wn for Message to embrace the Cause. During the
six days in 1986 and co-sponsored by the first two months of its perfonnances, the
National Spiritua l Assembly of Belize and group presented twelve shows in the
the country ' s National Arts Council. The Brazilian states of Sao Paulo, Parana, and
"Peace Exhibit" was arranged around ex- Santa Catarina. During this time, 150 peocerpts from the Message and quotations ple embraced the Faith through the group 's
from the Writings in beautifu l calligraphy by presentation. In the four following months,
a Baha'i artist. The art gallery was filled Planeta Paz, ass isted and guided by the
with works in a variety of med ia- painting, Auxiliary Board members in each counháy,
drawing, graphics, scu lpture, need lework, perf01med in more than ten cities in Argentina,
and stained glass- all on the theme of Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
peace. A poetry competition for children and A support group háavelled ahead of Planeta
youth from severa l schools and colleges was Paz and organized institutes to prepare local
publici zed on radio, and winners were an- communities for mass teaching. Local youth
nounced at the exhibition, where gifts were were deeply involved in the consolidation of
awarded by the Committee. those who enrolled in the Faith as a result of
At the opening ceremony for the exhibit, the performances. Severa l articles in newsthe Mayor of Belize City, who is himself an papers, some radio and two telev ision
artist, spoke briefly, and then the wife of the interviews helped bring the musical group to
President of Belize cut the ribbon starting the attention of the general public. The final
the event. It is estimated that three hundred result was more than 500 new believers and
to four hundred people saw the exhibit and proclamation to thousands.
received pamphlets on peace. Carrying on a tradition of cultural ex-
In 1989, the video production "Peace ... the change among indigenous peoples from
Promise" won an award as a finalist among divergent paits of the Americas, begun by
more than three thousand entries from more a group called Trail of Light in 1982, a fourthan thi1ty countries at the International Film person Garifuna (Carib) team from Honduras
and Television Festiva l in New York. and Belize shared dances, music, and legends
Some performing groups used a wide from their culture, as well as describing how
variety of artistic media to teach the Faith. the Baha'i teachings of unity and diversity
An idea put forward at the Baha ' i Interna- have encouraged them to be proud of their
tional Youth Conference in Brazil in 1991 heritage . Among the teaching activities of
became a reality: a performing arts group this new Tra il of Light was the presentation
ca lling itself Planeta Paz (Peace Planet) was of cultural performances at five schools in
formed , with five members from Argentina, St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1988 . It
one from Uruguay, and four from Brazil. was repo1ted that at one school a teacher
The show consisted of music with Baha'i became so enthusiastic about the team ' s prethemes, folk music, dancing, and a slide sentation that he closed the programme with
show conveying the principles of the Faith. a sunm1ary of the Faith ' s teachings on unity
A display about the Faith was also put up at and diversity. The hi story of the Garifuna
each venue. people is intimately linked with St. Vincent,
Each Planeta Paz concert began with a wh ich, in their folklore, is the place of their
háibute to Baha'u'llah, stating that He gave origin and the most beloved of all places to
His li fe for peace and unity. At the end of them.
INT ERNATIO NA L SURV EY OF CU RR EN T BAl-I A 'i ACT IVITI ES 2 85
"Play Jazz for Peace" was the name of a In January 1989, the Baha'is of Argentina
concert organized by a travelling teacher in reported that the Baba ' i Cultural Cenháe of
June 1989 in Caracas, Venezuela. More than Buenos Aires , named the May Maxwell
four hundred people attended the concert at Cenháe, was rmming a puppet show for the
which a group of professional musicians children of the disháict every fifteen da ys,
played tunes inspired by the . ideal of peace. and an average of fifteen children not from
At the same time, the Baha'i community of Baha'i families were attending. The show,
Caracas mounted an exposition of Sacred presented by El Retablo de! Mosquito (The
Writings and photographs related to the Mosquito ' s Retable), a group made up of
peace theme, which was viewed by several BaM' is and their friends, was also being taken
hundred people. to events arranged by other organizations.
From June 1989 until the end of the Plan,
Baha' is in El Salvador sponsored seven Large-scale Enrolment
musical and art festivals in cooperation with Special focused teaching proj ects involving
other loca l organizations. Audiences ranged cooperation among various institutions, fullfrom sixty to three hundred people. An arts time teams , Baha'i radio broadcasts, and
festiva l was also organized in Nicaragua by enthusiastic youth all played important roles
the National Baha ' i Youth Conm1ittee in in bringing about large-scale enrolment in
1989. About three hundred people attended Latin America and the Caribbean. A variety
the three-hour event which both proclaimed of projects- some with very few teachers
the Faith and raised funds for the pediaháics and a short amount of time- met with sucward of a hospital in the city of Jinotepe. cess, demonstrating the great receptivity of
Puppetry also served as an effective vehi- the souls in these areas.
cle for teaching. The People of Paradise The most outstanding example of large-
Puppets of Barbados performed before hw1- scale enrolment came from Guyana, where
dreds of children at Baha'i and non-Baha 'i during the first year of a three-year pil ot
function s, using puppettáy to address issues teaching proj ect, more than 20,000 enrolof social concern, such as the use of illegal ments were reported. This more than doubled
drugs. In Guyana, about thirty-five believers the number of Baha'is from two to five per
took part in four puppet workshops in three cent of the country 's population of 750,000.
regions of the country during 1991 , learning The first 5,000 Baha ' is embraced the Faith
how to use this art to proclaim the Faith. during the project's initial six weeks.

A Garifuna Baha'i
(right) travelled to
teach the Faith in
the Carib Territory
of Dominica during
f
Januwy and
Februwy J99 J.
286 THE BA HA ' I WORLD

Conceived at the Baha'i World Centre by Several of the teaching groups found that
the International Teaching Centre in consul- someone accepted the Fa ith in every home
tation with the Universal House of Justice, they visited, and sometimes whole families
the project was launched in October 1989 became Baha'is. One of the teams was based
under the direction of the enthusiastic Na- in the village of Crabwood Creek, which
tional Spiritual Assembly . It had two goals: subsequently enrolled a thousand believers,
large-scale expansion and conso lidation to or about twenty per cent of the village popuhelp raise the number of Baha'is in Guyana lation. The community held its Nineteen Day
to an appreciable percentage of the entire Feast in the park, as no house was large
population, and the training of existing enough to accommodate all who arrived.
human resources and an ever-increasing A visit in March 1990 by two Counsellors
number of new believers to become dedicat- from the International Teaching Centre helped
ed workers for the Faith. to clarify the impmiance of the proj ect's
Guyana was chosen for the project be- second goal of consolidation: to raise up ten
cause of the success Baha ' is had had to fifteen per cent of the new believers as
in teaching projects there, the continuous dedicated workers, primarily tluáough "good
support given to teachers by the National teaching" and a mature, systematic approach
Spiritual Assembly, the Baha'is' good rela- to deepening through the Institute Protionship with the authorities, and the fact gramme.
that the community had a significant number The Institute Programme involved new
of deepened and dedicated youth. The size Baba' is in basic deepening courses to help
of the community was also deemed suitable each develop a spiritual identity. Intensive
for a pilot project, and Guyana ' s racially study of the Creative Word was put into
di verse population seemed to be the most action tluáough various paths of service, conreceptive in South America. foming the believers in their newly found
Twelve experienced Baha'is from Brazil, Faith, and preparing them for more special-
Canada, Pern, the United States, and Vene- ized Institute courses such as teacherzuela were selected by the Continental training and children ' s education. More than
Board of Counsellors to serve as resident a thousand new believers participated in the
teachers for the project. Selection was based progranm1e during the project's first year.
on a number of spiritual and material consid- Children's classes were also held in all
erations, but primarily on each individual' s of the teaching areas, and deepening was
capacity to be obedient to the institutions pursued thrnugh radio ; the National Assemand to reach a unified vision with their bly increased its radio time from tluáee
fe llows. The overseas teachers were joined progranm1es per month to two per week and
by twenty-six local Baha'is who gave from added a devotional programme every day.
six to twelve months to the proj ect. Small In addition, the concept of revisi ting newly
full-time teaching teams spread over six dif- enrolled believers soon after their enrolment
ferent areas of Guyana, with a goal . of and providing deepening on prayer and
establishing teams in all regions of the teaching became part of the method used by
country. the resident teams.
The teaching work was carried out using One consequence of this attention to
various methods: proclamation events, mar- simu ltaneous expansion and consolidation
ket displays, use of the media, presentations was the significant involvement of new
to schools, and service projects. Baha ' i Infor- believers in service and teaching. Hundreds
mation Centres were established throughout of new believers in the eastern part of Guythe country to coordinate teaching activities ana arose to ca rry out conununity service
and make Baha' i literature available. proj ects developed at Feast consultations.
INTERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAI-1.. \' i ACT IV ITI ES 287
They worked in a spirit of cooperation and A five-day teaching campaign in February
service to humanity to design and construct 1992, which constituted one element of the
a children's playground, build a seventy-foot ongoing Muhajir Project begun in Septembridge to link two villages, and improve the ber 1991 , also focused on areas reached by
condition of a local hospital. A series of Radio Baha ' i broadcasts. During the five
literacy programmes was also developed in days, more than five hundred people recogdifferent parts of Guyana, and a three-day nized Baha' u ' llah, five new Local Spiritual
Baha'i Peace Festival sparked invitations for Assemblies were formed, and thirty-eight
the Baha'is to speak to a community service localities were opened.
group and make similar presentations to The important role played by youth in
students in sixteen schools in the area. large-scale expansion also deserves special
When the National Assembly, in February mention. Just one example comes from
1990, called for an increase in the number of Colombia, where a team composed of an
believers involved in teaching, the number Auxiliary Board member and seven youth
quadrupled. This broader base of participa- brought 1,245 new believers into the Baha'i
tion in the teaching field contributed to the community during the initial three-month
success of the pilot project; at its conclusion, phase of an ongoing proj ect.
Guyana had approximately 36,000 new During the period between September and
believers. December 1988, the team travelled to fifteen
Teaching teams (see next subsection) also communities in the departments (states) of
met with success in Ecuador, where a year Atlantico, Bolivar, and Sucre. Each day
of teaching dedicated to the memory of the began with prayer, study, and the memoriza-
Hand of the Cause Ral:unatu'llah Muhajir tion of the Holy Writings. A slide show
brought at least 2,300 people into the Faith. based on the Peace Statement was shown in
Begi1ming in January 1990, teachers from high schools and some public places, and a
seven countries supplemented the full-time conespondence course was offered to inter-
Ecuadorian teams in visiting each of the five ested people. The team then visited homes
goal areas targeted by the National Spiritual teaching the Faith directly, using the booklet
Assembly. Four week-long teacher-training l et 's Get to Know the Baha 'i Faith.
institutes were held as part of the project, as Two special aims of the project were the
well as several weekend training seminars. formation of youth groups and finding youth
The effectiveness of radio in preparing capable of carrying out regular children' s
large numbers of people to accept the Faith classes. Youth were also encouraged to focus
was demonstrated repeatedly in Bolivia. on service and develop community projects.
Following a two-day training course at the One teacher later returned to the community
Firdaws i Institute in November 1988, forty of Santa Catalina and found youth group
of the sixty patiicipants volunteered to visit members had already initiated a children ' s
communities in listeners' range of Radio class and were teaching a group of thirty stu-
Baha'i. During nine days , more than a thou- dents how to read, using the Baha ' i literacy
sand people embraced the Faith. The project, training booklet, God Illumines Us.
designed by the National Teaching Commit- While large-scale emolment was taking
tee in collaboration with a member of the place in South America, numbers were also
Continental Board of Counsellors and of the dramatica lly increasing in the Caribbean. A
National Assembly, continued, and by the report from the National Spiritual Assembly
end of February 1989, it had attracted and of Haiti in September 1988 relayed news of
confirmed more than 2,000 believers. In ad- the large-scale enrolments occurring in that
dition, fifty communities were opened to the country: It wrote: "Joyously inform results
Faith, some of which became entirely Baha' i. first phase Sununer Teaching Campaign.
288 THE BAHA'I WORLD

[Two thousand, three hundred and seventy- with the teaching, deepening meetings were
one] adults, youth, children accepted organized and Baha ' i children's classes
Baha'u'llah. [National Teaching CommitteeJ formed. A large amount of Baha'i literature
planning second phase emphasis consolida- was distributed, along with prayers and piction new believers. [Eight]-D ay Deepening tures of the Indian Baha'i Temple. During
Institute planned ... for new Baha'is." regular visits to the new believers, the project
In 1991 , 34 people took pmi in a teaching members showed films and conducted deepinstitute held to prepare believers for entry ening sessions.
by troops in Haiti. As a result, two teaching Even very short-term projects brought
teams were formed and they visited Bainet, in hundreds or even thousands of believers,
Blockhaus, Lavalee, and Musac during July strikingly demonstrating the receptivity of
and August. The role of the teams was both souls in Latin America to the Teachings of
to teach and deepen new believers, and by Baba 'u' llah.
the end of the four-week campaign, more In just two days in Febrnary 1990, 228
than 3,300 people had embraced the Faith souls embraced the Cause in the Southern
and some 135 localities had been opened. Teaching Project in the town of Alvorada,
A three-week teaching activity in Trin- Brazil. The joint efforts of an Auxiliary
idad and Tobago in the beginning of 1989 Board member, four Local Spiritual Assembrought five hundred new believers under blies, travelling teachers from three states,
the banner of the Cause of Baha'u' llah. The and pioneers resulted in this exciting camactivity was part of the ongoing Covenant paign. For fifteen years Alvorada had had a
Project, carried out in memory of the es- Baha' i school, so many of the new Baha'is
teemed Mr. H. Bonah Kavelin, late member were long-time friends of the Faith and were
of the Universal House of Justice. In June already quite familiar with its teachings.
and July of that year, 850 new believers The unified efforts of a member of the
were enroll ed in Chaguanas in the central International Teaching Centre, a member
part of the country, after the visit of a special of the Board of Counsellors, four Auxiliary
teaching team aided by tluáee members of the Board members, and members of the
National Teaching Conm1ittee, two full-time National Spiritual Assemblies of Peru and
teachers, one travelling teacher and a few Bolivia rekindled the Lake Titicaca region
other Baha'i friends. of Peru in September 1988. A two-day mass
An important pmi of the Covenant Project teaching workshop attended by sixty teachwas the consolidation process; simultaneous ers was followed by a five-day teaching

Participants in the
second Regional
Youth Conference/or
the Caribbean, held
in Grenada Ji-om l 2
to 14 August 1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACT IVITIES 289
project in which 1,764 new believers em- greater attention to be paid to the consolidabraced the Cause of the Blessed Beauty- tion component of large-scale teaching.
738 youth and 1,026 adults, almost half of Honduras began the Plan with a relatively
whom were women. large Baha'i population and freedom to
A one-day sháike and demonsháations teach, but faced the challenge of developing
which blocked roads did not hinder the strong Baha'i communities following mass
progress of the Baha'i teachers, who enrolment. Throughout the Plan, teams were
succeeded in their efforts. One historical used to continue proclaiming Baha'u'llah's
highlight was the teaching carried out at a Message to the large, receptive audiences
high school in Villa Quebrada, where the while simultaneously working to establish the
principal, all the teachers and students en- foundatio ns for self-sustaining communities.
rolled in the Faith. The project culminated in One of the goals of the Plan for Honduras
a two-day conference where results were was "to ensure mass teaching and the enevaluated and future directions suggested. trance of troops in the Garifuna areas''. One
Ten vo lunteers offered to continue with con- step in accomplishing this goal was Project
solidation work. Muhajir, the first phase of which was the
formation of a permanent team of five
Teaching Teams members in Janua1y 1989. The team visited
The large-scale enrolment experienced in Baha'i Garifuna conunw1ities for approxi-
Guyana was intimately linked with the use of mately seven days at a time to proclaim,
teaching teams in that country. The work of teach, and deepen. They worked to enrol
teams , both full-time and pe1manent (long- new Baha ' is, establish children's classes,
te1m) also contributed to the rapid growth of ensure the celebration of the Nineteen Day
the Baha ' i community in a number of other Feasts, and train several key Baha'is to carry
countries in the Americas. In addition to the on these activities. An important aspect of
advantages of concentrated resources and the plan was to make return visits to each
continuity provided by teams, such a method village to reinforce prev ious efforts and
of organization allowed new believers to continue the consolidation process.
work with more experienced teachers and The team worked w1der very arduous
native believers to join with travelling teach- physical conditions: all transportation was
ers. This diversity demonstrated the by foot or dugout canoe and food was
principles being taught, and the variety of critically scarce even for the indigenous
talents represented on the teams allowed population. However, in the first five months

Participants in a
youth conference
held in Barbados in
August 1990.
290 TH E BAl-IA'i WORLD

On the island of Cayemite, off the coast of Haiti, a member of a teaching team (right) shares
the M essage of Baha 'u '!!ah in !h e village of Anse-a-Macon during a project held in
November 1989.

The Baha'i teachers who participated in a five-day orientation as preparation for the second
phase of the Mirza Mihdi Project in Belize fi-mn 15- 19 June 1990. As a result of this phase
of the Project, 32 7 people enrolled in the Faith.
INTERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' f ACTIVITIES 291

of the project there were about a hundred level of service to the Cause, as well as to
new enrolments, and the team felt a firm the team , was a continual source of inspirafoundation was being established for entry tion for all", the National Spiritual Assembly
by troops. By the end of its first year, Project reported. By the Institute's end, the local be-
Muhajir reported more than 1,300 new be- lievers had committed themselves to hold
lievers, many from the Garifuna area. four firesides every Baha'i month, and to
On 1 January 1990, Project Olinga was establish and carry out at least seven study
launched in the same area, bringing into the groups and four children's classes weekly.
community 1,419 new believers in the first From Santa Rosa, the team went to Flor
eight weeks . During the rest of 1990, more de Campo, a neighbourhood of the nation 's
than 7,000 men, women, and children were capital , Tegucigalpa, to help that Assembly's
enrolled in the Faith in Honduras, largely teaching campaign. Over the next week
due to the effoiis of teaching teams. another three hundred souls were enrolled in
Under the inspired guidance of Counsellor the Cause. Many of the earlier new Baha'is
Hidayatu'llah Al:imadiyyih, one team grew were visited in their homes, and meetings
during a six-month period into five teaching were held to inspire the new believers.
teams composed of old and new Garifuna From Tegucigalpa the team journeyed
believers working in different areas of the to El Tular, a small town in the south of the
coast developing weekly adult study groups country. After four days, more than 400
and children's classes. The project carried on more people joined the Faith, including two
following Counsellor Al:imadiyyih 's death in policemen, four school-teachers, the Post
August, and by November, nearly one hun- Office chief, and other prominent people in
dred weekly study classes involving more the community. Nightly meetings were well
than five hundred new Baha'is in twenty- attended, and hundreds of pamphlets, bookfive communities were being held, as well as lets, and prayer books were distributed.
some thirty children's classes. The work of teaching teams in Honduras
Five-day training sessions were held on continued in 1991. On 24 June of that year,
five occasions to inspire more believers to a teaching team of nine youth and one adult,
participate in the work of the teams . More from Honduras, Canada, Iran and the United
than fifty Garifuna believers at one time or States, enrolled 99 people in Tegucigalpa.
another were involved in the teaching work. The National Spiritual Assembly reported
In December, under the guidance of the that the total number of enrolments in the
National Teaching Committee, a teaching capital in the preceding year had reached
team composed of three Garifunas, two one thousand.
Latin-Hondurans and one pioneer travelled The ninth pem1anent teaching team was
to three different areas of the country to formed in the State of Santa Barbara in
assist the mass teaching efforts. 1991. A member of the National Spiritual
In the first area, Santa Rosa de Copan, the Assembly who arose to serve full-time in
group attracted 254 men, women, and chil - the teaching work coordinated the team's
dren to the Faith during a five-day period. efforts. In the period between January and
Joined by youth and two pioneers in Santa July 1991 , five thousand people embraced
Rosa de Copan, the group also helped to the Faith in Honduras.
organize four evening meetings, and partici- Success with full-time and permanent
pated in an Entry by Troops Institute teams was also experienced in Belize during
sponsored by the National Teaching Com- 1988 and 1989, after which the Mirza Mihdi
mittee. Teaching Project was launched in February
"The spirit of love and fellowship among 1990 by a group of twelve teachers from
the Santa Rosa believers and their outstanding Belize, Canada, Jamaica, Mexico, and the
292 THE BAHA'I WORLD

United States. The first nine-week phase of on 15 June 1990. More than thirty teachers,
the project, which concentrated primarily on building on the successes of phase one, enthe Garifi.ma people, resulted in more than a rolled 327 new believers.
thousand souls being enrolled in the Faith. "We have received reports full of joy
The town of Dangriga, in Stann Creek from the teaching field' ', began an article
district, was chosen as the main base for the in a newsletter from the National Spiritual
project. Two houses were rented- one for Assembly of the Dominican Republic in
female and the other for male members of 1990. It referred to the full-time work of
the team-with one of the homes being used five Balla' is teaching the Faith in a special
also as a teaching centre for deepenings and project dedicated to the memory of Dr.
evening programmes. For the first six weeks Abmadiyyih. Their efforts were supported
the teachers stayed only in Dangriga, during by other Baha'is who were able to serve for
which time 450 people embraced the Faith. varying lengths of time, from one week to
Then for the last three weeks of the project more than a month.
the twelve teachers, plus a few Baha 'is who "The latest news is that there are 46 new
were on spring vacations from schools, went believers in the province of San Juan, and
to villages in the district and to Punta Gorda 36 new Baha'i adults plus 36 children in
in neighbouring Toledo district. Barahona. The key is to instrnct and inte-
"One man in Punta Gorda knocked on the grate these believers at once to achieve the
door of the Baha'is'', it was reported. "He transformation which is the purpose of the
had come in from a village especially look- Faith of God. With this in mind, the project
ing for them. He told them that he had heard teams are incorporating the new believers in
about Baha'is on Radio Baha ' i Ecuador and the teaching work, and deepening institutes
he wanted to join the Faith. Several times, are being planned."
both in Dangriga and Punta Gorda, Baha'is The work of permanent teaching teams
were stopped in the street by receptive souls was also reported in El Salvador, where
asking if they could join the Faith." members participated in national teaching
The project's successes, in addition to projects under the supervision of the National
the team's original goal of bringing tluáee Teaching Conunittee and coordinated by the
thousand Garifuna people under the baimer Regional Cormnittees . In the United States
of Balla 'u 'llah, inspired a second phase of also, approximately one thou sand teaching
the Mirza Mihdi Project. Phase two of the teams were formed, with members commitproject was held for nine weeks begim1ing ting themselves to regularly teach a certain

Children pe1form
traditional Guaymi
dances as part of th e
closing ceremony of
the Bilingual Training Seminar, held
on 21 April 1989 in
the Baha 'i Guaymi
Cultural Centre in
Panama. The training
was in Spanish and
Guaymi literacy.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVIT IES 293
segment of the population for a period of at listeners, included reports of lost animals,
least five years. Several full-time teams requests for transportation, announcements
composed of youth also met with success in of classes, medical services available, and
that counhy other topics of general interest.
Also in 1989, the radio station sponsored
Indigenous Peoples the Sabanero Festival in Boca de Soloy,
A particular strength of the teaching work in attracting over two hundred participants .
the Americas was the attention given to Sabanero, the original language of the
sharing the Cause with indigenous peoples Guaymi, embodies and preserves both the
and incorporating the positive aspects of culture and the religion of the people. It has
their cultural traditions into Baha'i comnm- come to be spoken only by the older generanity life. Increasingly indigenous peoples tion. A special guest who had been invited to
from all parts of the continent arose to spread sing háaditional Sabanero songs and promote
the Faith themselves. Guaymi culture, commented that his partici-
The efforts made by the Baha'is of Panama pation in the Festival was due to the
to conháibute to the preservation of Guaymi sincerity of the Baha'is and their awareness
culture exemplify this háend. In Febrnary 1987, of the importance of preserving the Guaymi
the Guaymi Cultural Cenháe was inaugurated culture. He presented three gifts to the
in Boca de Soloy (Chlliqui Province), Panama, Baha'i Guaymi Cultural Cenháe.
to become the focus of a Guaymi tutorial That same year, the personnel at Radio
school network as well as cultural, health, Baha'i's háansmitter link in Soloy participatand agricultural activities. The inauguration ed in a bilingual (Spanish-Guaymi) seminar
was attended by well over two thousand on education and literacy held at the Cultural
people, including the general Chiefs of three Cenháe. Staff members also took an active
provinces, representatives of the national role in a teaching campaign in the Guaymi
government and members from nine indige- area of Tole and helped with elections of
nous tribes of six counháies. Local Spiritual Assemblies.
During the Plan, the Cenháe sponsored The work of the Faith in preserving
regular deepening institutes for groups of Guaymi culture was noted by the director of
twenty-five live-in students at a time. The a Guaymi dance group during its perforinstitutes combined study with service, such mance at the Twelfth National Craftsmanship
as making recordings for Radio Baha'i Fair held at Atlapa Convention Centre in
Panama and preparing Cenháe land for the August 1989. The group of sixteen Guaymi
planting of beans and yucca. The Centre also Baha'is, who called their presentation "Trahosted special events such as a Health Day ditions of Guaymi Dances", came from Boca
in June 1988 which brought together twenty- de Remedio, an indigenous community whose
two Guaymi women to study nuháition and population is entirely Baha' i.
preventive medicine in honour of the fortieth During a seminar on the development of
anniversary of the World Health Organi- the Faith among the Indian peoples of Latin
zation. America held in Bolivia in July 1989, the
The work of the Cultural Cenháe included case of the Guaymi of Panama was cited as
the work of Radio Baha' i Panama, also one example of a people who decided to reestablished with the goal of cultural preser- create their own culture in relationship to the
vation and education. For example, in 1989 Faith, drawing upon the Creative Word to
Radio Baha'i Panama began broadcasting strengthen their culture's positive characterpublic service messages six days a week to istics. Some of these characteristics include
help provide a means of communication in religious devotion, courtesy, hospitality, cothe Guaymi area. The messages, sent in by operative work, education in traditional
294 THE BAHA'i WORLD

values, strong family life, and a love for three hundred were present from all parts
nature. of Canada, including some members of the
The importance of our demonstrating Canad ian National Spiritual Assembly. The
appreciation for indigenous cultures was Naat owa'pii Centre in Brocket, Albertaeloquently emphasized by the Hand of the the heart of Blackfoot Indian area-was
Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih officially dedicated in a special ceremony.
Khanum in a telegram she sent from the At the end of her trip she crossed the
heart of Canada's Blackfoot Indian area in border into the United States and visited
1986: "Feel very strongly world-wide com- the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota
munity Baha'is especially pioneers, teachers, where a concentrated teaching plan was unmust learn show proper respect profound derway. "We slept at the Oglalla Community
customs and spiritual associations indige- Co llege", Amatu'l-Baha wrote, "and held a
nous peoples if we desire share bounti es large potlatch and powwow in this important
Baha'u'llah's Message with them. All too centre in the heart of Sioux Indian territory.
often, alas, we neglect follow beloved Mas- Sioux believers and others from as far away
ter's footsteps who showered deep love and as Navajo Reservation [Arizona] ensured a
understanding, sincere praise and respect on most happy and memorable evening for us
those of different backgrounds. Such loving all. This impotiant reservation now has ninerespect other people 's way and deep feeling teen Local Assemblies, one of the all-Indian
essential if we intend pass healing cup this ones showering me with special gifts."
Revelation to other lips ." In August 1988, also in South Dakota,
Amatu' l-Baha's extensive travels in Canada native men and women, Baha'i and nonand the United States visiting with Native Baha'i, representing fifty tribes, gathered
American leaders and participating in tradi- under a giant red and white tent surrounded
tional gatherings powerfully demonstrated by tepees, near the sacred burial site of Chief
the truth of her words. In Montreal, she Sitting Bull at Standing Rock Reservation,
spent time on the Kahnawake Mohawk in Indian Memorial Park, Mobridge, to attend
Reserve with Grand Chief Joseph Norton the Fifth Continental Indigenous Council. A
and Chief Eugene Montour, and in Regina, telex describes the gathering: "We ... assem-
Saskatchewan, she had lunch with promi- bled beneath a canopy of unity, on a plain
nent Indian leaders, including a number of surrounded by the Missouri River, today
women. In Frobisher Bay, she attended part audaciously pledge our warrior peace-making
of Spirit North Council, a gathering of one spirits to win the foremost objective of the
hundred believers and guests, approximately Six Year Plan-to carry the healing Message
sixty per cent native Eskimos and Indians. of Baha'u'llah to the generality of Man-
Amatu'l-Baha reported that a moving com- kind." Written pledges to serve the Cause
memoration of the Martyrdom of the beloved and carry the Faith to Africa, Europe, and
Bab was "held outside on hill overlooking South America were received by the National
unbelievably beautiful Frobisher Bay full of Spiritual Assembly on the last night of the
scintillating pack ice, touched all heatis, Council.
and I was able share petals from Threshold The Council was attended by distin-
Baha'u'llah's Shrine in Bahji with friends .... " guished visitors including a member of the
Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum was also Universal House of Justi ce, for whom an
the special guest at a ceremony on the Honor Dance was performed; a Counsellor
Peigan Reserve which was presided over by member of the International Teaching Centre;
Chief Crowshoe, the only surviving chief of four Continental Counsellors; and members
five chiefs who had given her the name of the National Spiritual Assemblies of
Natuocist during her visit in 1960. Over Alaska, Canada, and Mexico.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 295
On the closing day the National Spiritual Gordon Tong, one of the original group that
Assembly visited the Looking Horse family, had worked to found the Institute.
keepers of the Sacred Pipe of the Lakota In September 1986 it was announced that
people. The Assembly presented the family The Promise of World Peace had become
with gifts including a framed photograph available in summary form in the Navajo
of 'Abdu ' l-Baha. The National Spiritual language on cassette tape. The publication
Assemb ly members then met with the was one result of a translation institute
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council in which served the double purpose of produc-
Eagle Butte where they presented individual ing new translations of the Creative Word
copies of the Peace Statement. The Council and deepening the thirteen participants.
members also received copies of The Seven Throughout the Plan, the Native American
Valleys and the Four Valleys, this book Baha'i Institute addressed the educational
having special significance as the numbers needs of the local population, initiating a
seven and four have great importance 111 tutoring programme in conjunction with a
their traditions. nearby school and holding classes on Navajo
"Native Americans and the Promise of culture.
Peace" was the theme of a Unity Council The education of young Indians was also
Fire held in August 1986 at the Native Amer- addressed by Baha'is in Brazil, where the
ican Baha'i Institute in Arizona, U.S.A . Mr. Polytechnical Rural Institute Djalal Eghrari
Maynard Eakan, an Inuit Baha'i, had trav- entered into an agreement with FUNAI
elled to several Reservation communities to (National Foundation of the Indian) to serve
invite the Navajo, Hopi, and Pueblo friends, the Indians of the Amazonas region.
more than one hundred of whom attended. The significance of the teaching work
Highlights of the Council Fire were a among indigenous peoples was also featured
Saturday evening performance by the Pine at the International Indigenous Believers'
Springs Singers, a group of children who Seminar held in Sucre, Bolivia, in July 1989.
had become popular performers of Navajo Seventy Baba' is representing nine distinct
traditional songs and dances under the guid- indigenous groups from eight countries,
ance of the Pine Springs Baha' i community; seven Counsellors, eight Auxiliary Board
a talk explaining to the group the symbolism members, members of the National Spiritual
of the beautifully carved and decorated Assembly of Bolivia, and pioneers discussed
"talking stick" given to him in Alaska; and the participation of indigenous peoples 111
Saturday afternoon prayers at the grave of building an ever-advancing civilization.

Friends gathered at
the Peigan Balui 'i
Institute in Alberta,
Canada, in
December 1989.
296 THE BAHA'i WORLD

This seminar was followed by a National in order to participate in a teaching project
Teaching Conference attended by more than in Paraguay and Argentina. It is also an old
two hundred Baha'is. Following the confer- Toba custom for the women to chant a
ence, nineteen teams went out "in search of prayer for the dawn to wake the family in the
souls ready to accept the Faith". This one- morning; the chant is said to be "from the
week-long teaching project resulted in five Maid of the Heavens".
hundred enrolments and the opening of ten A substantial increase in enrolments took
new communities. place among the Amerindian and Bushnegro
The results of teaching work among the populations of Suriname, and Guatemala
Toba people of northeastern Argentina over finished the Plan with twenty-two Local
a period of more than fifteen years were Assemblies counting indi genous members
demonstrated when the Toba inaugurated in the majority. The first Local Spiritual
a District I:Ia~iratu ' l-Quds in May 1986 in Assembly of the Mura Tribe in Amazonas
Puerto Tirol, a small town near the provin- State, Brazil, was formed at Ri~van 1990
cial capital. At the time, the Tobas numbered after a tráibal vi llage, located twelve hours by
54,000, making them the second most nu- boat from the village of Bernri, was visited
merous tribe in Argentina . The first teaching by some of the friends. The Mirza Mihdi
teams into the Toba region in 1970 had been Projects in Belize attracted an estimated
headed by Hooper Dunbar (then a pioneer in 1,200--1,500 Garifuna people into the Cause.
Argentina), and fittingly, Mr. Dunbar was Teaching among the Garifuna people in
present for the inauguration of the Toba Honduras (see also p. 284) also bore frnit. In
Distráict Centre. Sixteen years after the first 1989, the National Assembly reported the
contact, there were thi1ty-five localities and enrolment of more than 1,3 00 new believers
twelve Local Assemblies; three local centres in the Garifuna area, and between January
had been acquired and a Baha'i tutorial and September 1990, a total of over seven
school had begun operating. thousand people accepted the Faith. One
Many Baha'i teachings were found to be project, carried out by twenty-four women,
compatible with Toba custom, including the men, youth, and children who organized
importance of music and of dawn prayer. meetings in thirteen different cornrnunities
New Baha'is among the Toba began making on the north coast of Honduras, resulted in
songs from the Writings and even revived new enrolments reaching I, 170 in their area.
their old tribal songs again. Two members In Ecuador, full-tin1e teams spent several
prepared their native instruments and songs months teaching the Quechua-speaking

A Toba Baha 'i
woman jiáom the
Chaco Region of
northern Argentina;
1989.
INTERNAT IO NAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIV ITI ES 297

Left: Students of
violin at the School
of the Nations in
Brasilia, Brazil. The
School was opened
on 1 September 1980,
and in December
1987 was officially
inaugurated at its
new permanent
headquarters.

Above: The exterior of the Maxwell International Baha'i School near Vancouver,
Canada; 1992.
Right: A Baha'i tutorial school in Colorado
in the Guajira region of Colombia, in 1987.

Right: Jn Nicaragua,
young Baha 'is meet
with Costa Rican
youth who offered
teacher training
classes in Januaiy
1992. The young
travellers are working with believers
who want to learn
how to give ch ildren 's classes in their
own communities.
298 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Indians in Imbabura Province, their efforts in Dominica during September 1988. This
resulting in 250 enrolments during this peri- visit corresponded with the ammal celebraod. Also in that counháy, the Peace Statement tion of Carib Week. The Carib Chief, Irvince
was presented to the Chief of the Saraguro Auguiste, whose council acted as host to the
Indians and the governor of the Colorado In- group during its stay, received the group at
dians, both of whom then gave authorization the airport. On arrival at Bataka in the Carib
to teach among their people. Tenitory, a local television team was wait-
A significant sign of the teaching work's ing, wishing to make a feature on the Carib
success came when greater numbers of language. The dance team was interviewed
indigenous believers arose to become teach- and an impressive five-minute feature was
ers of the Cause themselves. In Costa Rica, aired on cable television. The group's activiindigenous believers were reported to have ties were also mentioned several times on
participated in large numbers of teaching the national radio station and in the weekly
projects. Interchanges took place between newspaper.
the Bribri and the Guaymis, including joint At the gala cultural show held for Carib
visits to the Baha'i Guaymi Cultural Cenháe Week, the group presented a twenty-minute
in Soloy, Panama, and to the International performance of drnnm1ing and dancing to
Native Council in June 1991. Teams ofBri- the 500-strong audience, as special guests of
bri teachers actively collaborated in teaching the Carib Council. At the close of the proprojects in Honduras for a number of gramme the Carib Council presented gifts of
months. A teaching team which worked in baskets and carved calabashes to each team
four Garifuna villages of Honduras in 1990 member. This was reciprocated by a presenincluded two Belizean Garifunas, two Costa tation from the team to the Council. In
Rican Bribri, twelve Honduran Garifunas, addition, presentations of the Peace Stateone Misquito Indian, two Latin-Hondurans, ment were made to other officials and the
and others. This effort was dedicated to the Kitab-i-Iqan was presented to the Carib
late Counsellor AJ:imadiyyih, and resulted in Chief.
1,207 new souls embracing the Faith. During their stay the team members also
The first week of a teaching proj ect visited local craftspeople and elders to dislaunched on the eve of Naw-Ruz 1989 in cuss aspects of their culture, and further
Quintana Roo, Mexico, was significant for performances were given. A local historian
the leading role played by the Mayan believ- remarked that this was the first time a cultural
ers. The campaign resulted in ninety-four exchange of Garifuna-speaking people had
adults, forty-seven youth, and seventy-nine taken place in Dominica.
children embracing the Faith.
In the summer of 1990, new Baha ' is con- Academic Circles
háibuted greatly to a teaching project on In its Ric:lvan 1990 message to the Baba' i
Canada's Peigan Reserve, being responsible world, the Universal House of Justice
for half the enrolments. By December of that praised efforts that had been made to reach
year, the total number of enrolments had such a wide variety of indigenous peoples,
reached eighty-five since the sunm1er effort stating "we have achieved a marvellous dibegan, and registration cards were coming versity in the large numbers of etlmic groups
into the National Cenháe from Peigan at the represented in the Faith ... " Then it called
rate of twelve or so eve1y week. on the believers to increase the conmmnity's
The four-perso n Carib (Garifuna) Baha'i diversity in yet another direction, by sháiving
music and dance team Trail of Light from to share the Message with "people of capaci-
Belize and Honduras made a memorable ty, including persons of accomplishment and
one-week visit to their fellow Carib people prominence in the various fields of human
INT ERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 299
endeavour". One avenue of this pursuit led excellent opportunity for Baba 'i as well as
to the world of academia. non-Baha'i academics to discuss common
Efforts to relate the Baha 'i teachings to questions of scholarship and to engage in an
the thoughts and problems of the wider soci- in-depth discussion of the points raised in
ety led to greater interaction between the broad range of presentations.
Baha ' is and educators from the university to "Vast changes on the international scene
the primary school. As understanding of the have prompted talk of the emergence of a
principles of the Faith grew, so did inclusion 'New World Order', began the description
of the Faith in cunicula. of a course offered by the Faculty of Part-
In the United States, strong relationships time and Continuing Education at the
had been forged with members of the aca- University of Western Ontario, Canada, in
demic community before 1990, but in the spring of 1992. The subject had been
January of that year a milestone was reached suggested by the Association for Baha'i
when a Memorandum of Understanding was Studies Campus Club at the University.
signed to establish the Baha' i Chair for The course description in the Faculty's
World Peace at the University of Maryland's catalogue continued: "The phrase 'new world
Center for International Development and order ', coined by the Baha'i Faith in the
Conflict Management. Proposed by a non- 1800's, articulates a vision ofa new, unified
B aha ' i professor in response to the Peace world order, and its premises serve as a
Statement, the Chair was created to conduct point of departure for this series of info1mal
and publish research, design courses and lead lectures and discussions on the world as it
seminars in the field of Baha' i studies and might be." The class topics were "Moral
world peace within an interdisciplinary con- Foundations of a New World Order", "The
text; to initiate public forums for discussing International Economy: New Disorder",
the issues proposed in The Promise of World "Political and Legal Dimensions of World
Peace; and to establish academic links with, Order'', "Feminism: International Movements
and provide teclmical assistance to, Baha'i Towards Equity", "Environment: Globa l
institutions in the fields of peace education Directions in Education", and "Racial Diand international development. The creation mensions of a New Social Order".
of the Chair marked the first initiative by a The Association for Baha'i Studies, with
prestigious institution of higher learning to its headquarters in Canada, continued to
fornrnlate a serious programme of Baha'i sponsor annual conferences on themes from
studies. the Writings , and published some of the
A variety of contacts between Baha' is proceedings, such as Unity: The Creative
and university professors had preceded Foundation of Peace; Racial Unity: An Imthis momentous event. For example, in perative for Social Progress; and Th e Balui 'i
December 1987, the New England Regiona l Faith and Marxism. In 1988, the quarterly,
Committee of the Association of Baha'i trilingual Journal of Bahri 'i Studies was
Studies in North America held a conference inaugurated to create a forum for all reon the relationship between the Baha ' i Faith searchers of the Baha ' i Writings. (See also
and Cluáistianity at Harvard Divinity School. sub-section on the Associations for Baha'i
A number of prominent non-Baba ' i speakers Studies, pp. 461-470.)
joined the Baha'i speakers to address many Other universities in the Americas also
current theological issues. offered opportunities to study the Faith. A
During the same month, a Baha'i seminar course on the Faith was established in
was held as part of the conference of the Brazil 's Federal University of Santa Catarina,
American Academy of Religion in Boston, and lectures were given in comparative
Massachusetts. The Conference provided an religion courses at Bermuda College. In
300 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Guatemala, the booklet Education for Peace the Middle East, the history of the Faith, the
was studied with a group of three hundred Covenant, group dynamics, children's rights,
student teachers at a college for twenty race unity, prayers, the creative power of the
periods of forty minutes each. In the United Word of God, and the subject of peace.
States, a document called "A Cuniculum In 1988, the National Spiritual Assembly
Guide to the Baha'i Faith" was drafted to of Jamaica was asked to prepare a detailed
help college professors include the Faith in curriculum for a chapter on the Baha'i Faith
their courses. The National Assembly of in the first year compulsory Caribbean Ex-
Suriname reported that a number of non- amination Council Course on comparative
Baha' i individuals had written theses related religion. The Assembly, working in conto the Faith. The Baha'i Club at the Univer- junction with the National Assembly of
sity of California, Santa Crnz, helped design Trinidad and Tobago, submitted the material
a course called "The Economics of a World for consideration.
Commonwealth" for an Elderhostel pro- The Faith was also included in the curricgramme in 1988. ulum of at least one government primary
In 1991 , the Baha'i community of Joao school in Bennuda. In Peru, high school
Pessoa, in the State of Paraiba, Brazil, suc- teachers assigned research of the Faith,
ceeded in having study of the Baha'i Faith refening to Radio Baha'i as a resource.
included in the ctmiculum of the Ecumeni- In 1991 the Ministry for Education for
cal Institute of Theological Sciences. The British Columbia, Ca nada , approved study
Institute, which was founded in March 1990, of The Hidden Words and The Seven Valleys
offers undergraduate studies in theology and the Four Valleys as valid for meeting
for high school teachers of religion. poetry requirements. At Maxwell Interna-
The efforts of Baha'is to have the Faith tional Baha'i School, students memorized an
included in primary and secondary curricula extract from The Hidden Words each week
also bore fruit. Study programmes about as part of their English literature progra1m11e.
the Baha'i Faith for basic general education On weekly work sheets they recorded their
in public schools in Chile were approved by understanding of the metaphors and symbolthe Ministry of Education in June 1989. In ism used, and they sometimes compared the
response to this, the National Spiritual metaphor or symbol with a previously studied
Assembly's Department of Education held extract. Teachers found that this exercise
several training courses for teachers of the stimulated students' use of their reflective
Faith. Topics of study included geography of and contemplative powers.

Participants in a
workshop that was
part of the Saha 'i
winter school held in
Haiti in March l 98 7.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I AC TIVITI ES 301

Leji: Jn Martiniqu e,
the ninth National
Convention was
held at Fort-de-
France; 1992.

Right: Jn Panama,
members of a
Balui 'i Regional
Native Council
taking a break from
their meeting in
Sa lay to visit the
House of Worship on
27June1991 .

Left: Jn Bermuda,
friends gathered for
a winter school held
in Februa ry 1987.
302 TH E BAHA ' I WORLD

How good it would be...
that through this going
and coming they [Baha 'i
travelling teachers] may
establish the oneness of
the world of humanity,
summon the people to the
Kingdom of God and
spread the teachings.
- 'A bdu 'l-Baha
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACT IVITI ES 303

C. ASIA

DURING the Six Year Plan, more than teachers found hundreds of thousands
one million souls embraced the Cause in of people eager to embrace Baha'u ' llah ' s
Asia. Although such large-scale enrolment Teachings about the oneness of mankind.
in the Faith provided a special energy and In India, where the legal abolition of
excitement to the work on the continent, it the caste system had not eliminated longwas not new to the region, which boasted a standing attitudes which support it, the
number of devoted fourth-generation believ- Baha'i community more than doubled its
ers. Thus the believers were also able to membership, reaching well over two million
focus their energies on the major challenge believers. The State Baha ' i Councils, created
of cha1melling this widespread love and in 1986, launched approximately three
belief into knowledge and action that would hundred teaching projects , and the number
transform conmmnities. of believers participating in teaching and
Several Baha'i principles, identified at the consolidation activities multiplied ten times.
beginning of the Plan as needing attention if Groups of Baha'i teachers followed in the
communities were to truly develop, were footsteps of the late Hand of the Cause of
given particular focus . Extreme conditions God Dr. RaJ:imatu' llah Muhajir, often carryof inequality between men and women, for ing out their teaching in his name.
example, and lack of full participation by In the state ofUttar Pradesh, an estimated
women in Baha' i activities were addressed 100,000 people enro lled dming one month
with education and encouragement. Illiteracy of teaching organized by the State Baha'i
among much of the mral population was Council. Three simultaneous projects held in
confronted by ever-expanding development June 1988 focussed on women, youth, and
projects. Believers were trained for their families. The percentage of women accountwork in the administtáative order with semi- ing for enrolments was impressive compared
nars and educational materials. Efforts were to previous experience in India .
made to reach individuals with formal edu- A variety of methods were used to pursue
cation and prominence so that their expertise the enormous task of consolidation in Uttar
could be called upon during this complex Pradesh. Audio-cassettes with a talk in the
process of social change. Hindi language, the Words of God, Baha'i
" It is not enough to expand the rolls of prayers, and Baha ' i Temple dedication
Baha ' i membership, vital as that is", wrote music were prepared. On another audio-casthe Universal House of Justice in its Ri~van sette, information on the history of the Faith,
message of 1989 . "Souls must be ttáans- the Covenant, the administration, and the
formed, communities thereby consolidated, principles were all woven into a folk song
new models of life thus attained." The sung in typical village style which was taped
Baha'is of Asia reached out in a variety of by one of the village groups. In addition,
directions to pursue this noble goal. typical village-style dramas using various
Baha ' i subjects were being prepared for
Large-scale Enrolment video-taping and mass distribution. A pup-
Dramatic teaching campaigns that led to pet show was also being developed.
large-scale enrolment were certainly among Late in 1988, the State Baha' i Council of
the most striking of all the activities carried Uttar Pradesh arranged for nine peopleout on the continent of Asia. In an area of members of the Continental Board of Counthe world with firmly rooted traditions of sellors, the Auxilia1y Board, the National
social separation based on religion, gender, Spiritual Assembly, and development project
education, and cultural background, Baha ' i staff- to visit six villages. The village of
304 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Rajja-ka-Purwa of Panchayat Bamnouti-a was spent praying and meditating upon
full Baha'i village- was holding regular the Word of God and attending deepening
Local Spiritual Assembly meetings, Nine- classes . Following this, the teachers were
teen Day Feasts, Fund collections, children's expected to maintain contact with the new
classes, tutorial school sessions and socio- believers through visits and conespondence.
economic development programmes. The The second movement involved the cre-
Continental Board of Counsellors reported ation of a task force for permanent teaching
that because of the visitors, "for the first activities. Members travelled to the new
time, the village women dressed in their areas, conducted deepening classes and
finery and sat on the same ground as the invited the more enthusiastic new Baha'is
menfolk". In another village, "because of a to institutes at central locations. In eve1y
large munber of women guests, the village village a teaching conunittee was formed to
women came shyly forward to sit alongside organize Feasts, children's classes and youth
the menfolk for the first time. Usually for activities, establish literacy classes where
any video film they sit on the roofs so the possible, hold deepenings, and communicate
men can't see them. At every village the with the State Baha'i Council. The commitwomen were encouraged to respond and did tee also encouraged as many believers as
so." possible to attend the election of the Local
Teaching projects dedicated to the late Spiritual Assembly for the area.
Hand of the Cause Dr. Muhajir were canied The third movement was intended to creout in the states of Tamil Nadu, Orissa and ate strong Local Spiritual Assemblies from
Karnataka. the very outset. Assistants to the Auxilia1y
The success of the Muhajir Project in Board members were appointed in all areas .
Tamil Nadu-more than 5,000 enrolled dur- The task force, along with the local conuniting a six-month period- inspired a second tees and the assistants, canied out local
phase which then outsháipped the first in teaching projects. Thus, teaching campaigns,
its achievements. In a nine-week period, activities to strengthen local communities,
14,000 people embraced the Teachings of and expansion at the local level were all
Baha'u ' llah. being canied out simultaneously.
Near the closing of the first part of the The dynamic example of Dr. Muhajir
project, a Counsellor, tluáee Auxiliary Board was also the inspiration for a teaching and
members, three State Council members and consolidation project in Orissa held from
about thirty-five of the teachers involved in May to November 1990. Earlier in the Plan,
the proj ect gathered in high spirits to evalu- Orissa had experienced large-scale emolment,
ate its success. It was determined at this including 2,600 declarations in October
conference that the proj ect consisted of tluáee 1988, a number which rose to 5, 150 by early
movements. December. The Muhajir Project of 1990,
The first movement was a series of teach- which itself brought 1,75 0 people into the
ing campaigns. The process consisted of a Faith, gave particular attention to consolteaching conference, a call for volunteers fol- idation.
lowed by an institute for the volunteers , and Of the newly enrolled Baha ' is, 95 were
finally , the launching of the teaching cam- particularly encouraged to attend Pe1manent
paign. During the campaign, five days were Teaching Institute courses, to work with the
spent teaching and emolling new believers, Mobile Deepening Institute, to go to local
and on the sixth day the teachers returned to conferences, and to participate in Assembly
the areas where the teaching had taken place teaching activities. As a result of this inuneand invited the new believers to a deepening diate involvement in the Faith, sixty of these
class in a nearby village. The seventh day new Baha 'is imn1ediately began assuming
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA'I ACT IVITIES 305
responsibilities in their home communities Radio Pakistan, and the meeting was
by assisting in the conducting of Nineteen reported in six newspapers, mostly on their
Day Feasts, Holy Day programmes, and front pages. The National Assembly
children's classes. reported that following this event, "Every
One goal of this Muhajir Project was to day, both morning and evening, editors and
revisit the mountainous west of Orissa and reporters have been visiting to contact the
to deepen the many tribal people who had Baha'is in their houses! They come to colaccepted the Faith out of love but whose lect information for their papers as well as
understanding of its teachings was relatively for themselves ."
limited. This goal was vigorously pursued In August 1986, the first Baha'i press
and resulted in a good number of believers conference in the history of Bangladesh
with deepened understanding and knowl- was organized by the Local Assembly of
edge of the Faith. Mymensingh, with all twenty-four invited
The Muhajir Project launched in Kama- .representatives of national and local newstaka in July 1988 won the support of the papers attending. Focusing on the Interna-
District Assistant Commissioner and the tional Year of Peace, the presentation drew
Chairman of the town municipality and praise from the audience. When questions
brought wide media coverage. Five district- were invited from the members of the press ,
level newspapers reported all the Baha' i an editor said, "We have nothing to say
activities, and one paper agreed to publish except to appreciate the Baha 'i Faith, and
"Baha'i Views" as a regu lar weekly feature . these goals are our hearts' wishes ... please
The project attracted more than three hun- say what kind of help we can offer."
dred people from colleges and offices to Positive public relations and intensive
embrace the Faith. teaching activity caused the total number of
Professionals and more formally educated Baha'is in Bangladesh to almost double
people became Baha' is in other regions of between September 1988 and September
India as well. A significant percentage of the 1989. Much of the activity took place in
20,000 people who joined the Cause in the Khulna. The Quddus Project, which began
Morena Distráict of Madhya Pradesh in 1988 in that district in November 1988, had
were doctors, engineers, schoolteachers, and brought 7,500 seekers into the Cause by
other professionals. October 1989. A highlight was the emol-
In remote Gum.la, India, approximately ment of two entire villages of the Monda
7 ,000 people in villages scattered among the Adibashi tráibe and the formation of its first
hills and valleys in thick forests were also Local Assembly.
touched by the Teachings of Baha' u ' llah. Bangladesh surpassed its Six Year Plan
The people had never embraced any estab- goal for Local Assembly formation, raising
lished religion before. the number from 143 to 630. In the Rajshahi
Successes like those in India were also District, Assemblies were fo1med despite
experienced by its notiheastem neighbour, considerable obstacles, such as conmmnica-
Bangladesh. The Baha'i community there tion problems, lack of books in the local
increased five-fold, with one hundred vi l- language, illiteracy, and the extreme poverty
lages becoming almost completely Baha' i. of the tribal people. About twenty youth
A public gathering on peace held in the contributed to the formation of sixty Assem-
Distráict of Khulna, Bangladesh, at the begin- blies during fiv e months of a special project
ning of the Plan created a great deal of in 1991. During this time, three of the vilinterest in Baha 'u'llah's Teachings. A part lages in Rajshahi- Galimpur, Bahanpur and
of the talk given by an Auxiliary Board Fulkuri-were named " model Baha'i vilmember before 150 peop le was broadcast on lages" by the Regional Teaching Committee.
306 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Baha 'is consulting
during the Vajdi
Memorial Teaching
Project held on
Great Nicobar ji-om
21 February to
9 March 1990.

All over Asia, Baha'i communities dra- students and teachers saw the dynamic
matically expanded. In the Andaman and perf01mances of the Baha'i youth. After
Nicobar Islands, one of the community's Six the shows, held in universities, schools, col-
Year Plan goals was fulfilled when three leges, public parks-and even one benefit
hundred people enrolled and fifteen locali- for the flood victims of Chumpon Provties were opened during a four-week period, ince-850 young people became Baha'is.
allowing the establishment of twenty-five The Thai youth contributed much to the
Local Assemblies. The number of Baha'is teaching work of the seven-day tour and
in the Philippines increased by 37,000. The added their beautiful Malay and Indian clas-
Hong Kong community more than doubled sical dances to the shows. The tour helped to
during the Plan. The Pakistani community raise the total of new believers in the south
tripled. And in Taiwan, the increase was of Thailand to 1,900 (between June and
more than seven hundred per cent. November).
The power of the performing arts in
stimulating large-scale enrolment was dem- People of All Backgrounds
onstrated in Hong Kong and Thailand. One The Cause of God has room for all. It
of the tours of the Wildfire Theatre Group, would, indeed, not be the Cause of God if
composed of youth from Australia and New it did not take in and welcome everyone-
Zealand, generated unprecedented media poor and rich, educated and ignorant, the
coverage for the Faith in Hong Kong, in unknown, and the prominent-God surely
both Chinese and English-language news- wants them all, as He created them all. 1
papers and on television and radio. As the In accord with this counsel, efforts to
first ente1iainment group ever to enter nine bring the healing Message of Baha 'u' llah to
Vietnamese Refugee Camps and Detention large numbers of people were not limited by
Centres, they won the admiration and praise focus on certain geographic areas or particuof the United Nations High Commission for lar populations. Believers in Asia particularly
Refugees and local Social Service Agencies. expanded their efforts to share the Faith
The National Assembly credited the five tal- with individuals from a wide variety of geoented youth with advancing entry by troops graphic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.
in the territory "through their untiring and
noble efforts".
During Wildfire's tour of southern Thai- 1
From a letter written on behalfofShoghi Effendi,
land in November 1989, more than 8,000 I 0 December 1942.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 307

Presentation of the
Peace Statement to
Mrs. Dissanayake,
the wife of the
Minister ofLands and
Development of
Sri Lanka, on
7June1988.
In the Philippines, the number of locali- Saeed Hindi Teaching Project, carried out in
ties with resident Baha'is rose from 5,500 to lower Punjab in February 1990, resulted in
7,300. This included the opening of38 islands more than five hundred new believers from
located near strong Baha'i communities, Muslim, Hindu, and Ahmadi backgrounds,
some of which accounted for the 38 new and teaching among the Hindus in Sindh
tribal areas opened to the Faith. The people resulted in several thousand souls entering
on ten islands of Myanmar heard of the Faith the Faith.
for the first time. New tribes gaining representation in the
Teaching in Taiwan resulted in all nine Faith in Asia included the Monda and
major tribes being represented in the Faith, Arakan in Bangladesh, the Dhimal and
with Local Assemblies established in six of Sherpa in Nepal, the Phuket Sea Gypsies in
the tribal areas. Assemblies made up entirely Thailand, and thirty-two ethnic groups in
of tribal peoples were formed among the India. In Myanmar, members of the Eikaw,
Tsao, Bunung, and Peinan. Also in Taiwan, Insa, Naga, and Lwalla tribes were introthe number of localities reached rose from duced to the Faith.
130 to 275. This included the opening of
three islands which previously had no Prominent People
Baha'is. In a Tablet to an individual believer, 'Abdu'l-
Increases in localities were also achieved Baha advised:
in Japan, where the goal of having Baha'is You should always seek to guide promin all the country's prefectures was reached inent p eople inasmuch as once such a
for the first time ; in Korea, where the goal of person is regenerated he is likely to bring
300 localities was surpassed by more th an about the quickening of a thousand souls.
200; and in Pakistan, where the number of Thus the spirit of truth would flow forth
localities rose from 270 to more than seven unimpeded into the veins and arteries of a
hundred. The last remaining territorial goals multitude. 2
named by Shoghi Effendi in his Ten Year By Ri4van 1988, the Universal House of
Global Plan were fulfilled during the Six Justice noted "a remarkable display of inter-
Year Plan when Sean Hinton opened Mon- est" in the Baha'i community by prominent
golia in 1988 and Abbas and Rezvanieh
Katirai settled in Sakhalin in 1990. 2
Translated from the Persian, in Prominent People.
The teaching in Pakistan reached people
Compiled by the Research Department of the Univerfrom a variety of religious backgrounds. The sa l House of Justice; 1990.
308 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Jn Thailand, the
Crown Prince receives
the winning art piece
made by a youth
during the country's
National Youth Week
in I 989. The gift is
being offered by a
youth representative
of the Spiritual
Assembly, which had
been invited to make
the presentation to
the Prince.

In Nepal, the Minister
of Tourism, Ram Hari
Joshy (left) , awards a
prize to one of the
winners of the Baha'i
youth song contest.
The occasion was a
Naw-Riiz party held in
Kathmandu which was
attended by more than
80 people, including
20 non-Bahiz 'is.

Jn Bangladesh,
Prime Minister Begum
Khadela Zia presents
Counsellor Jabbar
Eidelkhani (left), with
the " Young Scientist
Award I 990" during
a ceremony in Dhaka
on 5 July 1991.
Th e award was in
recognition of
Mr. Eidelkhani 's work
on computers in the
Bengali language.
INTERNAT ION AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 309
personalities, and by Ridvan 1992, it was The Spiritual Assembly of Hong Kong
able to share the news that "the drive of the reported that significant progress was made
ramified proclamation campaign has pro- in developing relationships with prominent
duced a public resonance about the Faith, people in that country. Meetings were
which can be said to be known to the most arranged and the Peace Message presented
significant public institutions and prominent to 80 religious leaders, consuls general, edupersons on eaiih". cators, business leaders, and press agencies.
In Asia, the Mother Temple of the Indian In 1991, the Anniversary of the Birth of
Sub-continent, dedicated in New Delhi in Baha'u' llah was celebrated in Hong Kong
December 19 86, undoubtedly provided the witl1 a banquet attended by 82 people, includgreatest number of opportunities for promi- ing the Consuls General of Israel, Panama
nent people to come in contact with the Faith and Chile, representatives of the Xin Hua
(for details, see aiiicle on Indian Temple). News Agency, and the Director of Environ-
However, persistent effo1is by the believers mental Protection for Hong Kong. The
in a variety of Asian countries to bring statement Baha 'u 'llah and the Peace State-
Baha'u'llah's Teachings to the attention of ment were presented as gifts.
people of capacity were also rewarded. Members of the Baha'i conununity of
As occurred on other continents, many Thailand consulted with hundreds of people
government authorities were introduced to of capacity during the Plan, including rethe Faith through Th e Promise of World presentatives of the Economic and Social
Peace. In addition to being distributed to Conunission for Asia and the Pacific, the UN
ministers , ambassadors, and local officials, High Commission for Refugees, the National
this Statement was presented to the Presi- Women's Council, city mayors, college prodent of Bangladesh in December 1991; the fessors, and labor union representatives.
Governor of Macau in April 1989; and the The Constitution Drafting Conunittee of
President of Singapore. In Korea, the State- Thailand became aware of Baha'i views
ment was given to 2,000 notables throughout when the Spiritual Assembly submitted
the Plan. selected Baha'i Writings to that body for its
The presentation to the President of consideration in writing the new national
Bangladesh took place when a group of constitution.
Baha'is was invited to the annual general Prominent Baha' is visiting Taiwan were
meeting of the Society for the Rule of Law introduced to the Ministers of Foreign
at which the President and the Finance Min- Affairs, the Interior, and Conununication;
ister were the prominent guests. At the end the Director of the Government Information
of the meeting the two officials also received Office; the Deputy Director of the Council
Call to the Nations and The Baha'i Faith: of Agriculture; and the mayors of six cities.
An Introduction. Contacts were established between Baha' is
Baha'is invited in 1987 to attend birthday and lawyers, judges, and teachers . Opportucelebrations for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit nities for interacting with professionals
of Thailand had the great honour of present- increased after the Baha' i Office of the
ing the Peace Statement into the hands of Environment for Taiwan was established in
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on 11 1989.
August at the Chitrlada Palace. Over 3,000 Between 1988 and 1990, the Hand of
people were present, representing a whole the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Rul_1iyyih
range of business, cultural, social, and other Khanum, accompanied by Mrs. Violette
organizations. Copies of the Statement were Na~avani , visited mainland China four
later presented to the King and Queen and times. She met with numerous prominent
the Prime Minister, tluáough their secretaries. people, particularly in Beijing and Dalian,
310 THE BAHA'I WORLD

showing slides of her trip to the Amazon organizations working to solve problems
entitled the "Green Light Expedition" to which the Baha'i Writings address.
various distinguished guests, and addressed The National Assembly of tire Philippines
students and staff at Nankai University in submitted two proposals to the Constitu-
Tianjin, where both Martha Root and Agnes tional Commission in August 1986 for
Alexander had spoken during their visits to possible inclusion in the new constitution.
China. Her four visits included a one-month The proposals concerned the provision of
trip, in summer 1988, to Guangzhou (Canton), free education and the principle of inculcat-
Urumqi, Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Guilin, ing a consciousness of tire essential unity of
as well as a one-week trip to Tibet in 1990. the human race as the only viable standard
In the fall of 1989 she made a five-week for social and economic justice. In Taiwan,
trip to Taiwan, during which she "circumam- the Ministry of the Interior organized a spebulated" that island, travelling over 2,000 cial seminar called "Resolving Social Ills
kilometres and visiting some of the mass- through the Teachings of the Baha'i Faith".
teaching areas, as well as its major cities; In Singapore, after a White Paper on the
during this visit she presented a special copy Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill was
of the Peace Statement in Chinese to the published in 1990, the Government asked for
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Taiwan, was feedback from the public, and the Spiritual
received by the Minister of the Interior and Assembly submitted a statement. The Asthe Secretary-General of the National House sembly presented another statement on the
of Representatives, and had interviews with core values the nation should be embracing
several major newspapers. after the government requested opinions on
While in the Far East she also attended a this subject.
large formal banquet organized by the Spir- Respect for Baha' i contributions was
itual Assembly of Hong Kong in honour of demonstrated in Macau when the Basic Law
the passage, by the Legislative Council, of Consultative Committee invited the Spiritual
"the Baha'i Ordinance" Act, and visited Assembly to send three representatives to
Ulaan-Baatar in Mongolia for one week, in its first meeting with the Basic Law Drafting
1989. Committee from China in 1990. After pro-
In addition to presenting Baha'i views viding written documents on the history and
through meetings with prominent people and status of the Faith, the Assembly was asked
presentations of the Peace Statement, the to submit its views to the Committee in a
believers made contact with individuals and formal paper.

SEMINAR O N
Auxiliary Board
ELIGION IN THE ARMC member V. Thamil
Chelvi speaking about
individual transforma-
Of THE S OR tion during an interfaith seminar on "The
Role of Religion in the
Harmonious Blending
ofthe Soul Force" held
at Coimbato re, India,
on 12 Januaiy 1991.
INT ERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I A C TIV ITIES 3 11
Good relationships were also established Training courses for teachers enabled many
with religious leaders in Asia. In October of the schools to expand their activities
1987 the Baha ' is of India co-sponsored a beyond mere functional literacy and numerseminar called "Religion in the 21st Cen- acy to include a range of primary classes .
tury" with the World Conference on Religion Fourteen tutorial schools operated under
for Peace. During the 1991 gathering of the the auspices of the Rabbani School Rural
Asian Conference on Religion and Peace in Development Project in Madhya Pradesh,
Nepal, Baha' is participated in workshops, India. The Proj ect served twenty villages in
read prayers at the interfaith service, and pre- the area of Gwalior. The schools taught the
pared a statement on the Faith for publication government curriculum plus moral education,
in the conference magazine. A representa- personal health, and hygiene, each administive of the Baha'i International Conununity tered by the local community it served.
was the only non-Buddhist speaker invited The Baha'is encouraged a number of
to address a public meeting in conjunction educational initiatives at refugee camps in
with the Asian Buddhist Conference for Thailand. In 1986 it was reported that a
Peace in Mongolia in 1990. school at the Viehiamese "Site Two" camp
had opened and was serving three hundred
Social and Economic Development students in eight classes . Courses were
Asia stands out among the continents for its taught in English and Chinese. In July 1986
progress in the area of social and econ0111ic a second school to teach English was opened
development, with more than 530 proj ects with 90 students. Other schools existed at
operating during the Plan. Tutorial schools, Khao 1 Dang and Khao 1 Dang Am1ex.
academic schools, literacy projects, and Teachers at each of the schools contributed
health care proj ects accounted for the major- their services voluntarily. In 1989 the school
ity of the undertakings. at Ban Vinai refugee camp was reported to
The Philippines operated a very successful have 150 students.
programme of tutorial schools, each involv- Academic schools- formally established
ing one or more teachers conducting classes institutions which had or were seeking official
in reading and writing, character training, accreditation from government authoritiesand other elementa1y subj ects under the aus- also operated, employing fu ll-time staff,
pices of a Baba 'i administrative institution. using rented or specially built faci lities, and
In 1992 it was repo1ied that twenty such offering traditional academic subjects. With
schoo ls in the Philippines were serving more over 1,300 students, India 's Tadong Baha'i
than five hundred students, over half of School was the largest fu ll academic school
whom were girls. operated by institutions of the Faith during
The National Baha'i Development Institute the Plan. The school offered classes from
in Bangladesh, which assumed responsibility nursery school through grade 10, having
for coordinating development programmes earned the reputation as one of the best
in the country in 1987, oversaw nineteen schools in Sikkim.
tutorial schools serving approximately tluáee The New Era High School in Panchgani,
hundred students. In 1991 the New Garden India, continued to successfully háanslate the
School, operating from the National Baba 'i ideals of Baha'i education into notable
Cenháe, reported an enrolment of 56 stu- ach ievements. Having statied operation in
dents . 1945, New Era is one of the longest-estab-
The National Assembly of India oversaw lished Baha'i schools in the world. By the
the largest system of tutorial schools in the close of the Plan, it was offering schooling
Baha'i world, with nearly two hundred pro- for over 550 boarders and 130 day students
grammes and more than 10,500 students. from kindergarten through grade 12.
312 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

The Hand of the
Cause of God
Amatu 'l-Baha
Rilhiyyih Khanum
visiting with students
fi"om the School of
Nations in Macau on
4 May 1989.

The Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi
(left) , presents the "Indira Gandhi Friends of
Trees Award- 1986 " to the Rabbani School.

Above: Pupils during one
of their classes at the
Tadong School in Ranipul,
Sikkim, in I 99 I.

Left: Participants in the
Baha 'i Children's Institute
held in Lantt Matang,
Malaysia, from 7 to
I 3 December I 987.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 313
In 1986 half of the grade 12 students at In 1991 the National Spiritual Assembly
New Era passed their examinations with dis- outlined the first phase of the National
tinction. In 1989 the grade I 0 results helped Baha'i Literacy Mission, which was develplace the school in the "merit" level among oped in consultation with the Indian Task
the schools in India. The School's academic Force for International Literacy Year. The
programme was recognized by London Uni- programme was proposed to take place in
versity as able to conduct GCE "O" and "A" seven Hindi-speaking states, and to later
level examinations, and the school was rec- expand to include Marathi-speaking states.
ognized by the Central Board of Secondary Classes would be conducted by volunteers
Education in New Delhi. The Junior College chosen by their State Baha'i Council in conwas also recognized by the Maharashtra sultation with their Local Assembly and the
Board of Education. During 1990 the science Auxiliary Board members.
stream of the Junior College was begun, and The Department of Social and Economic
a one-year kindergarten was re-established. Development oflndia assumed responsibility
The Santitham School in Thailand, which for coordinating the training and an-anging
the Baha' is began operating in 1971, em- for the production and distribution of literbarked on a large-scale programme of capital acy materials. The proposal emphasized the
development over the period 1982- 1992. In importance of involving the State Baha'i
1991 it was reported that the school had Councils, the Local Spiritual Assemblies,
50 students enrolled in the nursery school, and the Auxiliary Board members and their
242 in the kindergarten, thirteen in the assistants in monitoring the programme.
newly opened first primary grade class, and The first training session was held in
35 in the commercial section. Delhi in March 1991. The last two days
Baha'i principles were also incorporated were devoted to the preparation of literacy
into the curriculum of the privately-operated materials in Hindi, which were soon field
School of the Nations in Macau, which tested and made available to all Hindibegan operating in 1988. Offering a bilin- speaking areas of the country. In November
gual programme in English and Chinese, the 1991 literacy materials began being develschool was serving 270 students represent- oped in the Marathi language. Both the
ing thirty-four nationalities by the end of the Hindi and Marathi materials offered a philo-
Plan. sophical background, teachers' notes, and
Baha'i efforts to promote literacy, both practical lesson plans.
through assisting with established pro- By 1992 it was reported that literacy
grammes and developing new ones, received classes, using the materials developed
added stimulus when the Universal House of th.rough the programme, had commenced in
Justice sent a letter to all National Spiritual Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
Assemblies in July 1989 emphasizing the At the same time, literacy classes were also
critical importance of giving people access to being sponsored regularly by the New Era
the Holy Word. The House of Justice urged Development Institute, the Rabbani School,
the believers to support the United Nations the Baha'i Vocational Training Institute for
International Literacy Year 1990 and to con- Rural Women , and a number of local comtinue to seek opp01tunities to make progress munities.
in this area . National Baha'i literacy pro- In Bangladesh, courses in literacy and
grammes evolved during the Plan, with the vocational training were offered by the
development of appropriate literacy materi- Baha'i Hostel to teenage boys from tribal
als being given greater priority. Nowhere villages. The students were also deepened in
was this process more noticeable than in the Faith so that they could assist with teach-
India. ing, deepening, consolidation of Spiritual
3 14 THE BA HA' I WORLD

Assemblies, and teaching children's classes. surprised at how much they could teach their
All the gradu ates from the first year's course children through games and discussion. The
achieved full literacy, and were expected to women themselves seemed also to fe el more
return to the villages to assist with teaching aware of their own potential. They began
in the tutorial schools. to come forward to participate, offer ideas,
The third major type of development organize, and most significant of all, to lead.
proj ect undertaken in Asia, besides schools In this aspect the project was a definite sucand literacy proj ects, involved health educa- cess in training more women local managers
tion and medical services. and developing the status of women.
A Health Awareness Project was launched The project also stimulated other develin 1989 by the National Baha' i Women's opment activities in the area. Conmmnity
Conunittee of Malaysia, in response to members became aware of their need to do
requests from women from different areas more for themselves and thus to take on
of the country. The obj ective of the five-year other development projects such as the pavprogramme was to assist women to be more ing of a di1t track, literacy classes, and
self-reliant by providing education in health educational activities for children.
and child development. A variety of medical services was offered
The progranune was implemented in in Bangladesh, one of the most extensive
three mral areas of the country at Bukit being medical camps to serve the needs of
Tunggal Estate, Bintasan in Sabah, and people who could not otherwise afford
Kampong Bugudiyan in Sarawak. The initial health care. These were organized under the
response was enthusiastic and other villagers auspices of the National Baha' i Developalso participated. The medical officers began ment C 01mnitt~e , and many were held in
regularl y visiting the villagers to check on memory of Hands of the Cause of God and
conm1on problems, and the villagers them- the mattyrs of Iran. The progranm1e began
selves, with the assistance of selected in mid 1986, offering treatment to over
volunteers, learned about hygiene. 2,400 people in its first year. During 1987
The willingness ofBaha'is to reach these and 1988 more than 1,000 people were
remote conmmnities brought much admiration treated ammally, and in a single month,
and positive publicity for the progranune, May 199 1, more than 1,000 people received
and the conunittee was invited to extend the ass istance at Khulna and in cyclone-ravaged
proj ect. This second phase involved ten areas of the country. A further 475 people
low-income areas throughout Malaysia with received treatment at six camps held during
seven different etlmic groups , and was September 199 1.
successfull y completed in 1990. Education The Glory Clinic, which began operations
in health and chil d development was in Febrnary 1985 , continued to provide free
offered, and mothers were helped to create or low-cost medical services to the people
an improved learning environment for the ofRajshahi , Bangladesh. By 1992, the clinic
children and to develop resource centres for was serving about 2,000 people annually.
their communities. Another health care service project
The in1pact of the project was ev ident in conunenced in Bangladesh in June 1990 to
the improved cleanliness of the conmmnities provide primary hea lth care to people in vilinvolved and in the increasing number of lages near the site of the future Masluáiqu ' 1-
health-related questions posed. Very often Adhk<ir. The programme included medical
in the more remote and conservative areas, check-ups and the provision of medicines
women would ask questions related to for minor ailments. One doctor visited the
myths, fa llacies, and superstitions about site every two weeks, and complicated cases
health . Women in the ten communities were were referred to the nearest hospital.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF C URRENT BAI-IA'i ACTIVITIES 315
In July 1991 , a health project started as Quetta, and Rawalpindi. As a result, thouan outreach programme of the New Garden sands of people received medical care.
School in Bangladesh. The purpose of the In August 1986, it was proposed that a
project was to provide basic health educa- health education programme be started for
tion on personal and environmental hygiene the Mangyan people in the Philippines . The
to children attending the school and to their Baha'i community focused on improving the
mothers. health of the children in Mansalay through
Baha'i communities throughout India immunization, and by helping the existing
also offered medical treatment to isolated health service centre. It also sought to propopulations or communities without access vide health education to the mothers of the
to formal health care services. The extensive immunized children.
health programmes offered by the Rabbani The project strategies included: training
Community Development Project included tutorial school teachers in basic health
sponsorship of medical camps, distribution education, conducting education campaigns,
of Vitamin A and iron tablets, participation bringing the drugs from Meháopolitan Manila
in immunization programmes, and education to Mansalay, establishing cenháes for immuon topics such as the importance of pure nization, and making home visits. The
drinking water and of keeping the village project was supported by the Department of
environment clean. Hygiene, disease trans- Health which provided some basic medimittal, infant care, nutrition for pregnant cines and vaccines and, in 1988, a fo1U1al
women and nursing mothers, control of
malaria, use of oral rehydration techniques,
and an understanding of different types of
fever were also addressed. Many of the
activities conducted were in collaboration
with regional medical departments.
The New Era Development Institute in
Maharashtra, India, sponsored a primary
health care education programme which
focussed on prevention. The programme's
three elements were: a) training courses for
voluntary community health workers, b) inservice training in which the community
health workers returned each month for a
one-day programme, and c) health education
programmes in which films were shown
and discussion groups conducted in the
communities.
For many years before the Plan, volunteer
doctors in India staffed medical camps
which successfully provided háeatment to a
large number of people. During 1990 and
1991 it was reported that approximately ten
medical camps were being conducted every
year. In neighbouring Pakistan also, more
than twenty medical camps were held annu- Dr. Sa eed Takizadeh during a three-day
ally between 1988 and 1992, organized by medical clinic sponsored by the National
the Local Spiritual Assemblies of Karachi, Assembly of the Philippines in 1987.
3 16 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Baha 'is and a govenunent agency unit on rural conmmnities. Students were trained,
malaria control. encouraged, and assisted to establish service
In Laos, 45 Baha'i village health volun- cenháes in their home communities. As with
teers were trained in 1991. The programme the community development programme,
emphasized communication skills and educa- the basis of this programme was the application techniques designed to encompass local tion of high moral and ethical concepts in
health customs and conditions and seven a practical way oriented towards human
elements of primary health care: health dignity, self-reliance, and service to the
education, promotion of good nutrition, ma- community.
ternal and child health care, immunization, India 's Rabbani School also oversaw
basic san itation , treatment of common an extensive conmmnity development prodiseases and injuries, and prevention and gramme. The school fatm offered agricultural
control of locally endemic diseases. training to the students, and enabled the
A training session was also conducted school to attain self-sufficiency in food proat a university for 25 government health duction. Farmers from surrounding villages
leaders, which resulted in Baha'is receiving were welcome to attend háaining courses
official letters of recognition fro m the held on the school property, assisting them
government. to achieve higher productivity.
Nearly all Baba ' i development projects The school initiated extens ive waste land
involved some form of education, but a reclamation activities which provided a
few focused intensely on educating local valuable model for local communities. This
people to direct the course of their own com- aspect of the Rabbani programme was conmunity development. In India, the New Era ducted in co llaboration with the Government
Development Institute (NEDI) conducted a Department of Waste Land Reclamation ,
programme to train community development with the ultimate result that all available
facilitators. This one-year course was land became usable, and productivity was
designed to train the students to encourage substantially improved.
and advise rural communities in planning Other community development activities
and implementing their own social and eco- conducted at the school included village
nomic development activities. health education, adult literacy classes, the
The programme began in 1989, serving founding and support of fourteen village
fifteen to twenty volunteers each year. Both schools, the promotion of the use of approspiritual and practical components were priate technology in villages (including the
included in the programme, and during the promotion of smokeless, energy efficient
three trimesters the following subj ects were cooking stoves), and vocational training
covered: the spiritual and ethica l basis for both for students and for unemployed vill age
development, communication and commu- youths.
nity, women in development, afforestation, One innovative project in the area of rural
adult education, community health, adminis- development in India, conducted in April
tration and management, rural teclmology, 1988, used the medium of drama to motivate
agriculture, children's education, and public tribal villagers in self-development. The
speaking. The students also spent signifi cant proj ect was organised by the Jhabua loca l
amounts of time in host villages. centre of the Baha'i Vocational Institute for
At the same time, NEDI's rural technol- Rural Women, Indore, and sponsored by
ogy training progranm1e worked to provide CAPART (Ministry of Rural Development
vocational skills and knowledge to rural Gove1m11ent oflndia).
youth and thus enable them to earn an The proj ect operated in five villages in
income while providing serv ices needed in the Tirnbua distr ict. Five organizers from
INTERNATJONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 317
each of these villages were chosen and to collaborate with others in projects of
trained in the need for mral development at social and economic development?"
a vi llage level, deepening their own under- By Ric;lvan 1992, the Universal House of
standing of the problems, needs, and demands Justice cited advances in the consolidation
of village life and how to take initiative to of the Baha' i administrative system as one
resolve them. Then these women created of the major indicators of progress in the
plays using local costumes and folk music Baha'i community.
to highlight issues relating to health, child One sign of institutional flexibility in
care, hygiene, water sanitation, forest devel- Asia was the establishment in both India and
opment, education, self employment, family Malaysia of State Baha'i Councils under the
planning, and many other in1portant devel- National Assembly, due to the special condiopment issues. tions which applied in both countries. India
established its State Councils at the begin-
Maturation of Institutions ning of the Plan while Malaysia ' s first
The Universal House of Justice, in its letter Council was elected in October 1991.
of Ric;lvan 1987 to the Baha' is of the world, Increased communication and cooperation
stated that when the Six Year Plan began, among Assemblies of various regions also
the administrative institutions of the Faith signified greater administrative maturity.
were already beginning to show signs of in- Joint regional meetings of the Spiritual
creasing maturity- enough, in fact, to Assemblies of Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia,
prepare them for the task of fo1mulating Singapore, and Taiwan were established in
their own objectives. In its Ric;lvan 1989 1987 and continued throughout the Plan.
message, the House of Justice asked, "Have Joint meetings and institutes were held
we not witnessed the increasing strength of between the Spiritual Assemblies of Thailand
National and Local Spiritual Assemblies in and Laos. On the local level, ammal intertheir ability to conceive and execute plans, Assembly conferences were conducted in
in their capacity to deal with governmental Pakistan, in addition to regional conferences
authorities and social organizations, to re- of Local Spiritual Assemblies and members
spond to public calls upon their services and of appointed institutions.

The Local Baha'i Centre at Ban Vieng Kham The local Baha 'i Centre of Mandalay,
Tai, Laos, was dedicated 2 May 1986. Myanmar, was dedicated 4 January 1991 .
318 TH E BA HA' I WORLD

fn Tokyo, Japan , Baha 'is participated in a World Religious Book Exhibition, which was held
from 19 to 2 3 July 1990. Baha 'i books in Japanese, English, and German were displayed.
Th e official attendance number fo r the exhibition was 153,467 persons.

fn Beijing, China, Baha 'is participated in th e third International Book Fair, which was held
from I to 7 September 1990. Bahil 'i books in Portuguese, English and German were displayed. Fair mganizers estimated that there were about 70, 000 visitors during the week.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I A CTIV!TlES 319
As Local Assemblies became stronger among the 1,500 public libraries throughout
and more self-sufficient, they took on greater the state.
responsibilities. In Singapore, incorporated In the state of Karnataka, India, Baha' is
Local Assemblies began handling their own placed literature in four major libraries : the
annual administrative work associated with Legislative Library, used by members of the
maintaining incorporation, and several As- State's Legislative Assembly and Legislasemblies took on responsibilities which had tive Council; the Secretariat Libra1y, for the
previously been canied out at the national use of government officials working in the
level, such as organizing Holy Day cele- Secretariat building; the State Library, which
brations, maniages, and funerals. Thailand is open to the general public; and the City
reported that the number of actively func- Central Library, which serves the people of
tioning Local Spiritual Assemblies tripled, Bangalore City. Most of the books were in
and four developed to the extent that they the local Kannada language.
created their own plans, became financially A set of twenty-four books was also preself-sufficient, and supported activities of sented to Karnataka 's State Librarian, who
the surrounding communities. The National was so impressed with the volumes that a
Spiritual Assembly of Nepal wrote, "No request was made for another two sets of the
doubt the greatest progress during the Six same books to be distributed to the State
Year Plan has been registered in the area of Libra1y, the Library's copyright section and
the maturation of local communities." the Parliament Library of New Delhi.
Singapore Baha'is reported that the hlrn-
Distribution of Literature over of Baha ' i books in public bookstores
The sacred task of bringing all humanity into indicated a demand for this literature. Comcontact with the Writings ofBaha'u ' llah was mercial outlets in Malaysia and Thailand
pursued in Asia largely through participation were also selling Baha'i books.
in book fairs and contributions to public and To make the Sacred Writings more readily
university libraries, and through the estab- available to believers, regional libraries, booklishment of book depots and lending shops, or book depots were established in
libraries. Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, and
Baha'i publishers attended three annual Taiwan. In India, 110 book depots were set
International Book Fairs in Beijing, China. up in 17 states, and 865 lending libraries
In India, the Baha' is participated in some were created.
38 book fairs and held nearly two hundred The Baha'i Publishing Trust of Hong Kong
book exhibitions during the Six Year Plan. was established in April 1992.
In Hong Kong, thousands of people visited
the Baha'i booth at the International Book Women
Fair held in August 1991; more than 10,000 On a continent where women have traditioncopies of pamphlets and other free literature ally not been permitted to be full participants
were distributed, and a substantial number in all fields , and have not received encourof books were sold. agement to think independently or to openly
Baha ' i books were donated to universities speak their minds, great efforts were made
in Korea, Nepal, and Macau, and in Laos the to help women overcome baniers to investi-
Ministry of Culture granted pe1mission for gating the Baha'i Faith and to address the
Baha' i literahire to be placed in the Lao needs of women in their conmmnities.
PDR National Library. In one Indian state A dramatic departure from traditional
the Baha' is received a request from the women's roles occurred when 62 women in
Director of Public Libraries for three thou- India attended a deepening conference given
sand copies of Baha' i books to be distributed by the State Baha' i Council ofUttar Pradesh
320 THE BAHA'I WORLD

at the Malhousi Baha 'i Centre in November There was a great spirit of camaraderie
1987. They came from thirteen villages, present among all the women."
transported to and from their homes by jeep. Women's conferences were also held in
Some were attending such a conference for Bangladesh, Japan, and Korea. More than
the first time, and their enthusiasm was nota- 200 women participated in a national womble. In repo1iing on the event, the director of en's conference held in Myanmar in May
Baha'i Tutorial Schools for Uttar Pradesh, 1988. In Malaysia, three women made a four-
Mr. P.C. Agnihohi said, " ... Very often you day journey to attend a women's conference
ask about miracles in the Baha'i Faith. This held in the village of Kg. Belimbing Besi in
gathering itself was a miracle, where ladies February 1989, which atháacted fifty-five
had come outside of their homes to discuss other participants from six communities.
the evils of society and to give their views." In addition to working toward making the
He called the event "a unique occasion for Baha ' i community fully reflect the principle
enlightening the women of this area", sug- of equality, Baha'is made efforts to promote
gesting that a women's winter school in the equality in the wider community.
region could help to "activate the other half In Singapore, the Baha'i Women' s Comof India's strength, the ladies, who have mittee worked with the Singapore Council of
been imprisoned within four walls for. .. so Women's Organizations, an umbrella body
many centuries". of thirty-four affiliated women's groups.
Large numbers of women were reported Two Baha'is served on the Executive Board
to be taking up responsibilities in the Faith for a total of four years. The Baha'i Women's
in Rajasthan, India, according to a report Committee also organized a "Women for
from Counsellor Zena Sorabjee in March Peace" conference in 1988 which had fifty
1991 , who saw this activity as one sign of participants.
the emergence of the Faith in this state. The On International Women ' s Day in 1988,
community encouraged this pa1iicipation by Mrs. Shirin Fozdar of Singapore was given a
having a bulletin for women printed in the plaque of appreciation for her work support-
Hindi language. ing equality and women's rights . More than
The first Training Institute for Baba 'i one hundred people attended the celebration
women in Uttar Pradesh atháacted 29 pa1iici- organized by the Singapore Council of
pants from thirteen villages. The event, held Women. Mrs. Fozdar was described as an
in May 1991, took place at the Narayan Rao ardent champion of women's rights, an
Vakil Institute in Malhousi. "Women were influential leader, an idealist, and a wellable to participate practically in every lesson known social worker. She founded the Sinthat was conducted," it was reported, "and gapore Council of Women, through which
they asked many questions, giving an idea she worked to bring discrimination and malof the social conditions prevalent in their treatrnent of women to the attention of the
villages, how they could be improved, and public and campaigned against the practice
what the women could do for the bettern1ent of polygamy. Her activities included leading
of their own lives and those of their families. delegations to international conferences, lec-
"The principle of justice was emphasised. turing by invitation in various cow1tries, and
Some of the women had not gone anywhere sta1iing schools for rural children in both
outside their own village.... The evenings Thailand and India.
were spent in singing and folk dancing .... It In Malaysia on 25 August 1988, National
was an exháemely loving and united atrno- Women ' s Day and the Silver Jubilee of the
sphere .... No-one thought twice about Baha ' i National Council of Women's Organizations
women from different backgrounds meeting were celebrated, with the Baha ' is playing
together and enjoying each other's company. a prominent role. The Malaysian Baha'i
INTERNATIONAL SURV EY OF C URRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 321
Women ' s Committee was an affiliate of the residential training courses, and staff mem-
NCWO and one of its most active support- bers from the Institute travelled frequently to
ers. The occasion was attended by Her villages to stimulate interest in the pro-
Majesty, the Queen of Malaysia, Sultanas of gramme, to support those women who had
different states, the wives of governors, graduated from the Institute, and to consoliprominent women leaders, and 1,000 guests. date the gains which the women had
The Baha'i Women's Conunittee was in- achieved. At the end of the Plan, the Institute
volved in the organization of the celebration began seeking funds for a three year training
and was entrusted with the production of programme designed to train two hundred
souvenir progranunes for each function . A young women as community workers in
Baha'i was one of three women selected rural communities around Indore.
to represent the women of Malaysia m a The activity of the women of the villages
pledge-taking ceremony. in the Bastar tribal area clearly indicates the
International Women's Day 1989 was type of fundamental changes which the
commemorated by the Baha'is of Bangkok, Institute endeavoured to promote. Among
Thailand, with a two-hour progranune in a the prevailing social customs which they
popular shopping mall. Hundreds of people challenged were child marriages, the dowry
heard readings from the Baha'i Writings con- system, wearing of the veil, and the use of
cerning women. Many pamphlets on peace drugs and alcohol.
and women were distributed, and staff at the
mall invited the Baha'is to propose future Strengthening Families
activities which would promote peace. A truly Bahit ' i home is a true fortress
The State Minister for Religious Affairs upon which the Cause can rely while
of Bangladesh was among the dignitaries plarming its campaigns. 3
who attended the conference "Equality of The need to continue the work of creating
Men and Women-a Prerequisite for World families based on equality between women
Peace" held in Dhaka in September 1991. In and men and respect for the rights and
addition, the president and general secretary responsibilities of all family members led to
of the Bangladesh Women Writers' Associ- a focus on this topic during conferences and
ation and journalists from several national special seminars.
newspapers attended the talks. Ammal semi- Five regional Baha ' i family conferences
nars promoting equality and special courses were organized in Bangladesh and ten marfor vocational training of women and girls riage seminars held in Malaysia. The subject
were also sponsored in Bangladesh. of marriage and family life was also
Just after the Plan began, the Madhya included in all national and regional confer-
Pradesh Council of Science and Technology, ences of both countries and in winter schools
Government of India, Bhopal, requested the and training institutes held in the former.
Baha ' i Vocational Institute for Rural Women All the State Council/State Teaching
in Indore to conduct a workshop on the Committees of India introduced the topic of
socio-economic development of tribal women marriage and family life at least once a year
in Madhya Pradesh and appropriate technol- during summer schools and conferences.
ogy. Many representatives from government Twenty-five family conferences were held
agencies attended. This was the fust work- in ten states and special material for guiding
shop sponsored by a government agency at a parents was produced.
Baha'i Institute.
The work of the Baha'i Vocational Institute
for Rural Women in India continued during 3
From a letter written on behalf or Shoghi Effendi,
the Plan. The Institute offered a variety of 6 November 1932.
322 THE BAHA'I WORLD

A Mangyan Baha 'i
family on its way to a
teaching conference
held in Mansalay,
Oriental Mindoro,
Philippines, in 1986.

Workshops on family life were conducted The Environment
in Singapore and Thailand, and one national Baha'u'llah taught that nature reflects the
and two local family conferences were held names and attributes of God and is the
in Korea. Also in Thailand, a Baha'i doctor expression of God's Will in the contingent
wrote and published a book called Bahci 'i world, and a number of Baha'i communities
Family Life and produced two cassette tapes in Asia acted on this understanding by
which were broadcast on the radio. contributing to the work of environmental
In the Philippines, the Baha 'i Mothers ' protection agencies and initiating projects of
Deepening Project of the Baha ' i National their own. In a number of countries, Baha 'is
Teaching Committee provided guidance on became known as supporters of environmenthe care, education and training of children; tal education and protection.
on maintaining a Baha'i atmosphere in the After the National Spiritual Assembly of
home; and on cultivating rapport with hus- Taiwan established the Office of the Envibands and extended-family members. The ronment in Taiwan in 1989, the Council of
intensive project began in February 1988 Agriculture of the Executive Yuan (Senate)
with the holding of twenty-one Mothers' agreed to co-sponsor a series of teacher
Deepening Classes in different parts of the training workshops on environmental educacountry. tion. During a twelve-week period in 1990,
In Pakistan, at least ninety women the Baha'i community conducted 36 workattended classes on health, hygiene, and shops on environmental education for more
feeding of infants which were held as part than 750 kindergarten and elementary school
of free medical camps run by Baha' is in the teachers. Following this success, a second
summer of 1986. series of twenty-seven workshops was held
The Spiritual Assembly of Singapore in 1991. The Baha' i Environmental Protecreported that one of its community' s tion Education Programme was the first of
strengths was its relatively large number of its kind of co-sponsorship between the
strong Baha'i families. An increase in the National Assembly and a major Taiwanese
number of identifiable Baha'i families was governmental agency.
also reported by the Spiritual Assembly of An article on the Office of the Environ-
Sri Lanka, which credited special confer- ment, published in Taiwan's largest evening
ences, deepening materials, and individual newspaper, resulted in the Baha'is receiving
visits to families. over two hundred requests for participation
INTERNATION AL SURVEY OF C URRENT BA HA'i AC TIVITI ES 323
in a correspondence course they had devel- seminars, exhibits, displays, and contests
oped on the environment. The Council of about the environment. Baha'is in Malaysia
Agriculture also asked the Office to assist it and in Singapore spoke to Rotary Clubs
in formulating its plan for protecting and about uniting efforts to confront environbuilding up Taiwan's ecological resources. mental problems.
The Office of the Environment in Taiwan In 1986 the Rabbani School in India was
also produced a radio series on the environ- awarded the "Indira Gandhi Friends of the
ment, called "Only One World", which was Trees A ward" for its service in the field of
funded by the Ministry of Education. The reforestation. An extensive effort had been
fifteen-minute programmes began broad- launched in 1985 which included the plantcasting to 2,400 elementary schools across ing of trees and the development and
the country in March 1992. maintenance of plant nurseries, both at the
An exhibition involving more than sixty school and in smTounding villages.
pieces of artwork related to the environment Recognition of Baha'i initiatives led to
was organized by the Baha'i Women 's Com- invitations to participate in various projects
mittee of Singapore in 1990. The "Aris for related to the environment. Singapore's
Nature" display caused the Baha'i commu- Baha' i community was invited by the Minisnity to be recognized by the Ministry of the try of the Environment to gather signatures
Environment and the Singapore Council of for the Earth Pledge to be presented at the
Women 's Organizations as a major propo- Earth Summit in 1992. Representatives of
nent of environmental protection. the World Wide Fund for Nature in Hong
Baha 'is in Singapore also carried out the Kong invited a Baha'i to visit a nature
"Grow With Nature Banner Proj ect" in 1991 , reserve and a conservation studies centre.
organizing pupils from thirty-five schools to The Friends of the Earih in Hong Kong
send eighty banners on environmental themes invited Baha 'is to participate in an event
which were then displayed along a river. called "Ecology in the Light of Religion"
In Thailand, the Baha'i community which then resulted in another invitation to
worked with various agencies to organize speak on the issue.

Balui 'i children
support Singapore's
Green and Clean Week
in November 1991 by
displaying banners
about the environment they had
designed and put up
along the river.
324 TH E BAHA'i WORLD

Know ye ofa certainty
that in whatever
meeting ye may enter,
in the apex of that
meeting the Holy
Spirit shall be waving
and the heavenly confirmations of the
Blessed Pe1fection
shall encompass all.
-'A bdu 'l-Baha
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 325

D. AUSTRALASIA

DURING the Six Year Plan, there were a of ocean. While this presents unique chalnumber of highly significant developments lenges to the development of the Faith, it
in Australasia, which reflected the growing also offers opportunities the like of which
maturity of the various national Baha'i com- may occur nowhere else in the world. In
munities in that vast region of the planet, many small countries of Australasia, the
and the increased receptivity of its peoples Baha'i community has become a substantial
to the Message ofBaha'u'llah. and visible proportion of the total popula-
One of the most heartening features was tion, and the character of its community life
the emergence into the forefront of Baha'i is readily perceived by all; thus its unity and
activity of the indigenous believers in the harmony, the diversity of its composition, its
Pacific Islands. The services rendered by the commitment to the process of change, its
valiant pioneers are unforgettable, and are respect for indigenous culture, and its openyielding their fruit in the full involvement ness to new ideas are evident, and are
of the islanders in the teaching and adminis- attractive to seekers.
trative work of the Cause. This welcome These circumstances have also made it
development provides a striking example of possible for the Faith to be proclaimed to the
the practice of the oneness of mankind, and highest levels of government and to people
offers the promise of the even more prodi- of influence in the society, with the result
gious achievements of the peoples of the that the Baha'is have won the friendship and
Pacific Islands in the construction of the respect of heads of state and of government
World Order of Baha'u'llah in the future . in a number of nations, and Baha' i concepts
Associated with this development has been and perspectives have been offered to the
the great participation of the indigenous solution of the issues arising as these nations
Baha'is of such countries as Australia, New seek to find their place in a fast-changing
Zealand and Hawaii in all aspects of Baha'i and interdependent world.
community life. In the light of these considerations, the
Amidst culh1res which have traditionally future for the Baha'i Faith and its communot accorded to women the freedom to par- nity in Australasia must be regarded as
ticipate as equal to men in the activities of extiáemely bright It must surely build on the
society, the Baha' i community in Austiáala- impressive strength it has now acquired, and
sia has attracted favourable attention for the proceed to victories of a magnitude which
involvement of women in its affairs at all will astonish both admirers and adherents,
levels, including service in its international and will propel it forward to the attainment
and adrninistiáative institutions. Educational of its high destiny.
programmes, training institutes and conferences have aimed to encourage and prepare Indigenous Peoples
Baha' i women and girls to fulfil their Great as are the services rendered by pioordained role as full participants in commu- neers, and unforgettable as are the deeds
nity life, and to encourage men and boys to they accomplish, "they cannot take the
give their total support to such vital endeav- places of the indigenous element which
ours. must constitute the bed-rock of the Com-
The Australasian region is composed munity, carry on its own affairs, build its
largely of island states, which have rela- own institutions, support its own funds,
tively small populations and which are publish its own literature, etc. A mother
separated from each other by vast expanses gives bi1ih to a child, but the child then
326 THE BAHA'i WORLD

A group of traditional
dancers, Bahti 'is from
Kimama Village in the
Western Province of
Papua New Guinea,
involved in a teaching
project in 1989.

has to grow for itself. The older it gets, of the trip from his home to the Convention
the more responsible it is for its own in Melbourne to devise a 6,500 kilometre
acts. 1 route, visiting Baha'is and teaching along
As teachers of the Cause reached a more the way. When he met with the believers in
sophisticated understanding of how to share northeast Australia in June 1988, it marked
the Revelation of Baha'u'llah in its purest the first meeting between Aboriginal Baha'is
form without adding their own cultural from the far-flung northwest and northeast
biases to the Message, methods of teaching regions.
indigenous peoples evolved and greater On the south coast of New South Wales,
numbers responded. Native peoples took the a tribal elder of the Yuin people enrolled
initiative to teach their kin, and added their in the Faith in 1989. Well-known throughout
unique perspectives to the consultative pro- the country, Mr. Gubboo Ted Thomas was
cess through greater participation in the a keynote speaker at the "Earthwalk Conferadministrative order. ence" in April 1989, a major gathering at
The Aborigines of Australia enrolled in Ayers Rock which was attended by indigethe Faith in large numbers during the Six nous people from North America, Africa,
Year Plan, mainly in the relatively isolated New Zealand, and parts of Australia.
region of the northwest. Several prominent Baha' is expanded their knowledge of
Aborigines embraced the Cause, and the Aboriginal culture and provided opportunirespect and attention they commanded in ties for public education during several
their cornrnunities induced greater numbers peace-related expositions they sponsored. At
to listen to the Message. In July 1986, Jack one peace festival co-sponsored by Baha 'is
Malardy, tribal leader of the Kanadjarrie in Caboolture, Queensland, in October 1986,
people, and his wife, Lilly, became the first an Aboriginal pavilion displayed artifacts
Aboriginal believers in the region of Bidy- from a museum, story-tellers recounted traadanga, Western Ausháalia. In the spring of ditional legends, craftsmen demonsháated
1988, when Mr. Malardy was 90 years old, their skills, and video presentations educated
he was elected as a delegate to the National viewers about Aboriginal culture. When
Convention of Australia. He took advantage Baha'is held an exposition in conjunction
with a local annual festival in Herberton
From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to
the N ational Spiritual Assemblies of Brazil , Peru ,
Shire, north Queensland, the same month,
Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, 3 Jul y 1957, in the Jittabul Aboriginal tribe of Ravenshoe
The Importance of Teaching the Masses , p. 12. strongly supported them.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRE NT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 327

Baha 'is from all
around Samoa
converged on their
National Centre in
Apia in July 1991
for a National
Teaching Conference.
Many of the friends
danced, p roviding
an opportunity f or
the children to see
and learn cultural
traditions.

Following the "Tablelands Peace Expo" in the audiences said they were delighted
in May 1986, which was attended by 4,500 that they, and especially their children, could
people, the Office of the Premier of New catch a glimpse of the beauty of their cul-
South Wales, Special Advisor on Community tural heritage".
Relations, wrote a letter to the organizing In a report about the activity taking place
committee, saying that "yours is so far one among the Aborigines of northwest Australia
of the most successful peace initiatives in during the Plan, one observer commented on
the whole of the Commonwealth of Australia. the intangible aspects of the changes occur-
You can also proudly take the title that you ring. "It is of qualities like gentleness and of
have involved more Aboriginal people than emotional and spiritual bonds between peoany other peace initiative in any State or ple, that a revolution is being forged in the
Territory." northwest. It is no media event. The profile
One of the first teaching trips initiated stays low, but the roots of fa ith, without
and undertaken by Aboriginal believers which no civilization can long endure, go
occurred in July 1991 when two Baha'is deeper into the soil."
from Queensland travelled to Kowanyama The Baha' is of New Zealand named
in the remote "Gulf Country'', where they Maori teaching a priority for the Six Year
enrolled six more Aborigines. When added Plan. The growing commitment of Maori
to the existing community, this provided Baha'is to teaching contributed noticeably to
enough believers to form the Local Spiritual an increase in enrolments. More and more,
Assembly there. Baha'i activities incorporated elements of
Also in 1991 , Aboriginal men, women, Maori culture.
youth , and chi ldren from eight areas in Early in the Plan, a delegation of Baha' is
northern Queensland, the Northern Territory, led by Maori Elder Ephraim Te Paa preand Western Australia, fanned a group sented copies of The Promise of World
called The Storytellers as a means of sharing Peace to the first Maori Governor-General
Baha' u'llah's Teachings with other Aborigi- of New Zealand, the Most Rev. Sir Paul
nes. The shows included traditional dances, Reeves. Copies of the statement in both the
singing, playing of the traditional wind Maori and English languages were presented
instrument, the didgeridoo, and a play about after an exchange of Maori greetings, and at
the connection between traditional laws and the end of the visit, the Governor-General
laws suited to new times. A report on several bade farewell with a traditional Maori
of their first performances stated: "Aborigines embrace .
328 THE BAHA'i WORLD

In 1987, New Zealand's National Con- and teachings of the Faith in conjunction
vention was held on a marae-a traditional with study of Maori culture. Seventeen
Maori meeting place-for the first time in believers attended the first course at the
the thirty-one years since the establishment Kearoa Marae.
of the National Assembly. A call to unity in In 1988, a Maori carving became a highly
the Maori language was sent from the significant symbol of the power which
gathering to the Baha'i World Centre, the Baha'u'llah's Revelation possesses to unite
message stating that the momentous deci- and yet still preserve diverse cultures. The
sion to hold the Convention on a marae had carving, a long spear-like Maori weapon
tapped the spiritual reservoir of the indige- converted into a digging tool, was given as a
nous culture. gift from New Zealand's Baha'i community
Another first occurred when a marae was to the Bahe\. 'is oflndia to mark the first amlichosen as the venue for a major National versary of the opening of the Baha'i House
Teaching Conference in October 1987. Coun- of Worship in that country. It was unveiled
sellor Lisiate Maka of Tonga was given a during a moving ceremony in Whangarei, at
customary welcome with full Maori protocol, the workshop of its creator, Master Carver
to which he responded in his mother tongue. of the Tai Tokerau people, Mr. Wallace
The National Assembly called the gathering Heteraka. The participation of some of the
a "hallmark conference" symbolizing a tran- country's prominent Maori leaders and local
sition the New Zealand community was dignitaries contributed to the stirring blend
passing through. "There was a strong shar- of tradition and change. From Whangarei,
ing of cultures and a welding together of the carving was taken to the Baha' i World
groups in an atmosphere of joy and empa- Centre and then to the Indian Temple.
thy'', the Assembly reported. The participation of Maori believers in
The National Spiritual Assembly of New Baha'i community life steadily increased.
Zealand acted to deepen understanding of The first Maori family pioneered during the
the relationship between Maori culture and Plan, and in early April 1992, a large per-
Baha'u'llah's Revelation by establishing a centage of the Maori Baha'is attended a
Whare Wananga (School of Learning) for national hui (gathering) at Tanuwhara Marae
Maori Baha'is in June 1987. The Whare to discuss initiatives of the Maori friends
Wananga took the form of intensive courses and to consult on teaching and deepening.
held on maraes at least twice a year in differ- An Auxiliary Board member reporting on
ent parts of the country to study the history the event said, "Nearly every believer stood

Wallace Heteraka
(centre), a Maori
Baha'i from N ew
Zealand, converted
a long sp ear-like
Maori weapon into a
digging tool as a gift
from New Zealand's
Bahci 'i community to
the Baha 'is of India ;
1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIV ITI ES 329
and spoke from the heart without feeling traditions and to draw on their particular
intimidated. It was wonderful to see friends strengths as teachers. The name of the ongowho had never spoken before at any hui I ing project was suggested by indigenous
have attended, speak quite freely ." Counsellor Betra Majmeto.
The Baha'i population of the Mariana In June 1991 , about fifty Baba 'is repre-
Islands, which grew from approximately senting Australia, Fiji, the Hawaiian Islands,
250 to 1,400 during the Plan, was reported to Kiribati, the Mariana Islands, the Marshall
have become noticeably more representative Islands, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, and
of the ethnic groups on the islands. On Tuvalu met in Samoa to prepare for the cam-
Guam, a grassroots institute devoted to paign. A representative of the International
teaching and deepening among Microne- Teaching Centre, all members of the Board
sians met with unprecedented success during of Counsellors for the region, members of
the final year of the Plan. More than 90 new National Spiritual Assemblies in Australabelievers, mostly youth, became very active sia, Auxiliary Board members, and the
in the teaching work. On Saipan, substantial Knight ofBaha'u'llah for Samoa, Mrs. Lilian
enrolments took place among the Carolin- Ala'i, were present. "We marvel at the
ians and Trukese, largely as a result of power of the Holy Spirit which has instantly
gatherings at the National Centre where created a Pacific family in an intimate atmo-
Trukese believers shared the Faith and cele- sphere of joy, empathy and genuine love,"
brated their cultural traditions with their participants reported. "The Pacific Ocean
relatives. will be set ablaze, turning the 'water hemi-
In Tuvalu, all the teaching in the outer sphere ' into an ocean of light that will
islands during the Plan was carried out by illuminate the earth with Baha'u ' llah 's
local believers. Revelation."
Near the end of the Six Year Plan, the This preparatory meeting motivated a
initiative demonstrated by Australasia's group of four Samoan women, headed by
indigenous peoples rose to an entirely new Her Highness Tosi Malietoa, to visit the
level with the inauguration of the Ocean of Cook Islands for one week. It marked one
Light teaching campaign. Inspired by the of the first times a group of women from
Trail of Light project in the Americas, this Samoa had travelled overseas to teach the
campaign in the Pacific sought to support Faith. The women visited the President of
the efforts of indigenous Baha 'is to express the House of Ariki and Pa Ariki, and the
the Faith within the context of their own Queen's Representative and his wife. They

In response to the call
for travelling teachers
to arise during the
Ocean of light project
four Baha 'i women
ji'Oln Samoa travelled
to the Cook Islands in
September 1991. A
welcoming fri end fi'om
the Cook Islands is
second fiwn right.
330 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Mr. Peter Kaltoli
(centre) , the first
local believer in
Vanuatu, shown
with members of the
Continental Board of
Couns ellors Bruce
Saunders (right) and
Sirus Naraqi; 199 l.

were given a Polynesian-sty!~ official wel- very quiet and stood at the back, but when it
come by one of the local Queens, and they was his tum to speak, it was as though a
travelled to the island of Mangaia, which light bulb had been turned on inside him. He
never before had been visited by royalty. seemed to radiate from his love for
During this visit to the Cook Islands, Tosi Bah::i 'u' llah.
Malietoa was interviewed by radio, televi- A traditional Maori welcome began a
sion, and newspaper reporters. To each of meeting held in New Zealand in January
these she explained that the main purpose of 1992 to examine the role of the Maori and
her journey was to promote peace and unity Pacific Island believers in the Ocean of Light
among mankind. campaign. Organized by the National Spiri-
The Baha'is of Efate Rural, Vanuatu, tual Assembly of New Zealand, the gathering
exemplified the initiative being taken by was attended by 600 people, including Counindigenous believers when they organized a sellor member of the International Teaching
teaching project to celebrate the Anniversary Centre Joy Stevenson, the Australasian Counof the Birth of Bah::i'u'llah in 1991. Two sellors, and Auxiliary Board members. Talks
groups of about twelve Bah::i'is each walked were interspersed with singing and dancing
from the picnic site where the community by Maori, Tongan, and Samoan friends, and
was commemorating the Holy Day to neigh- participants reported that "awareness of spebouring groups of houses to share the Faith. cial forces set in motion by the Ocean of
"Today is a Baha'i Holy Day," one of the Light campaign was heightened".
friends would begin, and after a brief expla- Just before the close of the Six Year Plan,
nation of the Faith, the teacher would say, the spirit of the Ocean of Light project
"In honour of the occasion we would like to touched the community of Vanuatu in a siggive you a gift". Then the listeners would be nificant way. The events of March 1992
presented with copies of The Promise of dramatically demonstrated how hearts were
World Peace in either Bislama or English, as opened when Pacific Island Bah::i'is prethe recipient preferred. sented the Faith to their peers in a traditional
Baha'i men, women, youth, and children manner.
all participated in this activity, and all of the As part of the campaign, Counsellor
adults and youth took turns giving the talks. Afemata Moli Chang of Samoa, a traditional
If a male spoke, then a female presented the High Chief, re-enacted the landing of his
Peace Message, and vice versa. There was ancestors at Port Resolution, this time bringone youth who, according to the report, was ing the Message of Bah::i'u'llah. Samoans
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 331
had brought Christianfty to Vanuatu in the Cause their own and arising to serve in their
1800s. own unique ways crowned the achievements
The people on the island of Tanna had of Australasian communities during the Six
been eagerly awaiting a special message, Year Plan.
believing that 1992 would be significant for
them. They happily greeted Mr. Chang, who Activities Among the Chinese
wore his traditional dress as a High Chief of The friends of Australasia also reached out
Samoa. to the Chinese population in their midst. The
One of Tanna's most respected chiefs, Baha'is of Hawaii reported that their efforts
Chief Fangota, honoured Mr. Chang by to share the Faith with the Chinese popula- .
presenting him with a kava root, a highly tion of the islands resulted in much greater
valued cultural symbol. He said, "I give you diversity at Baha'i-sponsored events. "By
the key of my life'', a statement which, the end of the Six Year Plan it was not
according to custom, means that he and his uncommon to witness public events at the
people will follow the teachings given to Baha'i National Centre filled to capacity
them. with Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, African-
Another chief told of a dream he had of Americans, Tongans, Hawaiians, Caucasians,
a person coming to his village bearing aloft Fijians, Persians ... ".
a bright light. This happened a few days The National Spiritual Assembly of the
before Mr. Chang arrived on Tanna. He later Hawaiian Islands presented more than 100
had a dream of two horses racing towards Chinese community leaders with the Peace
him. He put out his arms and was able to Message during the first year of the Plan and
stop one of them. On Tanna, horses repre- regularly distributed fifty copies of the
sent courage and power: the fact that he Chinese edition of One Country. When the
could stop a horse confirmed to him that the International Society for Chinese Philosophy
light that he saw in the first dream had the brought 200 scholars together in July 1989
power and that he must now join the Faith. in Hilo, a Baha'i presented a paper on the
By the time of National Conventions at evolution of Chinese and Western philoso-
Ri~van 1992, several countries had been phies toward a universal philosophy for
touched, inspired, and challenged by the world peace and unity. The Baha'is were
Ocean of Light and mentioned its influence granted permission to have a book and pamin their convention messages. This shining phlet display during the conference, and
example of indigenous peoples making the conference officials requested sufficient

Counsellor member of
the International
Teaching Centre
Donald Rogers
(back row fourth jiáom
right) visiting Bahri 'is
in Perth, Western
Australia, in 1990.
332 TI-IE BAHA'I WORLD

copies of the Peace Statement to give to each Student Association at Waikato University.
participant upon registration. Most of the Chinese people had never been
The Local Spiritual Assembly of South in a Maori meeting hall before so their pri-
Hilo established an annual Gordon Tong mary goal was to learn more about Maori
A ward, named after a believer of Chinese culture and to teach people about Chinese
descent from Hawaii who was killed while culture. Additionally, there was extensive
serving the Cause. That Assembly also spon- discussion of the Baha'i Faith and its
sored welcoming parties for Chinese students principles.
entering the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Weekly firesides, Sunday afternoon talks,
In 1992, interaction between the National and English classes held at the Cabramatta
Assembly of Hawaii and the Worldwide Farm- Centre in New South Wales, Australia,
ers Association resulted in co-sponsorship of attracted many Asian visitors to the warm
a China Peace and Friendship Tour. Parti- atmosphere, with regular announcements of
cipants constituted the first large group of activities made on the radio. Baha'i study
Baha'is to visit China under co-sponsorship courses presented in Chinese were held sevofa Baha 'i community. eral times at the Yerrinbool Baha' i School.
In Australia, several cultural evenings pro- Articles and advertisements about the
vided forums for Chinese artists and speakers Faith appeared in the Chinese Herald, Austo share their traditions with Baha'is and the tralia's Chinese weekly newspaper with a
general public and to learn about Australian circulation of 9 ,000 in all the major cities of
culture. Distinguished Chinese scientists, the country.
physicians, academics, and students attended
such an event organized by the Baha'is of Peace Activities
Sydney in April 1987. The evening, titled Foilowing the release of The Promise of World
"Dragon Night", included music, demonstra- Peace in October 1985, Baha' is around
tions of classical painting, and screenings of the world increased their involvement with
cultural films. organizations and events promoting peace,
In 1988, a multicultural evening in Aus- sharing the message of the Universal House
tralia attracted more than 500 people, 300 of of Justice as widely as possible. Thus when
whom were Asian guests from China, India, the Six Year Plan began, in the middle of the
Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, International Year of Peace (IYP), Baha'i
Vietnam, and Thailand. Highlights of the activity in this area was in full swing. A
evening included an address by the Deputy- number of significant and well-attended
Chairman of the Ethnic Affairs Commission events took place in Australasia.
for New South Wales, musical presenta- Numerous peace expositions, festivals ,
tions, demonstrations of classical Chinese and fairs met with stunning success in Auspainting and cultural dances, and an expla- tralia . More than 4,000 people attended a
nation of the geographic significance of "Festival of Peace" organized by the Local
Australia with translations in Mandarin. Spiritual Assembly of Fremantle, Western
In New Zealand, an unusual cross-cul- Australia, in September 1986. The two-day
tural event allowed Chinese and Maori event included forty stalls, twenty-two
people to learn about each other's customs. workshops, live entertainment, a programme
More than 100 Chinese people met with for children, an art exhibit, and a film festi-
Baha'is in a traditional Maori gathering val. In August 1988, a second peace festival
organized by the Local Spiritual Assembly took place in Wes tern Australia, this time
of Hamilton in consultation with the commemorating the 25th anniversary of
Waikato Chinese Association, the Chinese Martin Luther King, Jr. 's famous "I have a
Heritage Society, and the International dream" speech, delivered in Washington,
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 333
D.C. All the exhibitors, entertainers, and "Peace Messenger", one of only 300 organispeakers who participated in "Celebration of zations worldwide to be so named.
a Dream" were presented with copies of the Significant peace-related activities took
Peace Statement. A report on the event, place all around the Pacific. The Balla 'is
which was attended by 4,500 people, said: of Fiji made major contributions to Peace
"The unity and devotion of the Wes tern Week in November 1988, held to mark the
Australia Baha'i community ... has demon- 20th anniversary of the National Council
strated in undeniable terms the power of the of Women in Fiji. The Baha'i National
Baha'i message and this has been clearly Women's Committee organized a devotional
recog- nised in the comments from non- programme, which was highly praised, and
Baha 'is praising the spirit and organization the believers participated in a peace march,
of the Festival and noting the diversity of carrying a banner which displayed a quotathe Baha'i community." tion from the Writings of Baha'u'llah. An
Also in Australia, a Peace Garden was article submitted by the Baha'i National
dedicated in Toowoomba in 1987. The gar- Council of Women on the contributions of
den is circular to symbolize the gathering of women to peace was published in the Fiji
the races, nations, classes, and religions, and Times, and a group of Baha'i youth perhas nine pathways leading to the centre. formed a musical drama before an audience
The Balla' is were recognized for their of 900 people.
efforts by the Australian Government. In In Papua New Guinea, 1,000 people
1986, the Foreign Affairs Department of the attended a highly successful peace festival
International Year of Peace Secretariat asked held in Lae in July and August 1986. The
the Baha 'i community ofTasmania to deliver festival was opened by the Vice-Chancellor
peace kits to all the schools in the State. of the University of Technology and attended
Direct praise of the efforts made by Baha'is by the Premier of the Province. Panellists
came from Mrs. Stella Cornelius, Director of representing many professions and several
the International Year of Peace for the religions led seven seminars on peace. An
Government. She wrote: "The Baha'i partic- opening concert was attended by 700 people.
ipation in the International Year of Peace A peace exposition initiated by the
has been inspirational. I know this to be true National Assembly of Papua New Guinea
both nationally and internationally. Baha'i garnered the enthusiastic support of Port
expos itions in 1986 have brought together Moresby Baha'is and prominent community
dozens of seemingly diverse themes, and members. Held at the end of August 1986,
thousands of seemingly diverse people .... the exposition attracted 2,000 visitors. A
All over Australia, I have noticed with joy- high point of the event was a peace forum
ous acknowledgement, how members of the attended by 250 university students, profes-
Baha'i Faith have made themselves part of sors, and government officials. Counsellor
other IYP programmes. With impeccable Tinai Hancock presented a Baha'i perspecobjectivity they have brought reconciliation tive, and eight other distinguished speakersto factions in the cause of peace-building. including the Governor-General of the country
The history of the year must include how -delivered talks.
much we owe to the Baha'is .... To all the In the latter months of 1986, several more
participants I say: 'Your work for IYP will major peace-related activities took place
go far beyond the confines of this year. It is in Papua New Guinea. On 2 September,
a blessing for all times. '" the Baha'is of Port Moresby presented The
In 1987, the United Nations Secretary- Promise of World Peace to the Central
General designated the National Spiritual Provincial General Assembly and the Gov-
Assembly of the Baha' is of Australia as a ernment of the Central Province. The
334 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In the Marshall
Islands, President
Amata Kabua (second
from left), and First
Lady Ernaline Kabua
(secondfiáom right),
join Bah<i 'is during
dinner to commemorate the International
Year of Peace;
24 October 1980.

The Baha'i float
entered in the
parade held in Apia,
Western Samoa on
3 June 1987 to
celebrate the 25th
Anniversary of the
Independence of
Western Samoa. The
Baha'i float won
third place in the
competition.

Bah<i 'i youth with the
float they created to
help celebrate the 10th
anniversary of the
independence of the
Solomon Islands.
About 20,000 spectators saw it in a parade
held in July 1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 335
Deputy Premier requested the presentation American-stopped to speak in schools,
after he had received the Peace Statement in before community organizations, and on
a private presentation the day before. radio and television, always emphasizing the
On 24 October, the Baha'is ofLae hosted oneness of mankind. The ship's captain was
seventy people, including leaders of the quoted in the Samoa News of 7 August as
Government, the University of Technology, saying, "Once this is universally recognized,
and the community, at a peace luncheon to humanity will then be able to develop a sysobserve United Nations Day. At the same tem that is fair for everyone".
time, the Baha'is of Goroka began a threeday celebration of the International Year of Prominent People
Peace which included the dedication of a Courtesy calls paid to government officials,
Peace Park and an inter-faith prayer meeting public events organized to commemorate
in the new park. special days, and awards banquets honouring
In Hawaii, a Baha' i float with a world outstanding community service provided some
peace theme won the first place Mayor's of the opportunities for prominent people in
Award, non-commercial category, in the Australasia to become better acquainted
annual Aloha Week parade in 1986. Multi- with the Faith.
coloured flowers displayed the earth with The Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook
two doves, and floral flags of many nations Islands received the Peace Statement in
encircled the float. Parade observers and October 1990 during a courtesy call paid by
television audiences equalled approximately Mrs. Violette Haake. It was reported that
half a million people. he was most appreciative and stated that he
To celebrate World Peace Day in Hawaii was very happy with the Baha' is of the Cook
in 1986, the Baha'is took part in a Candle- Islands and their loyalty to the Government.
light Peace Walk and released more than When Counsellor Haake returned to the
11,000 copies of The Promise of World islands in April 1991 , she met with the
Peace through publication as a local news- Prime Minister, the Queen's Representative,
paper insert. On the same day in Honolulu, and a number of other prominent people.
the Local Assembly achieved publication of An Aux iliary Board member wrote in a
the Peace Statement in the combined Sunday report about Mrs. Haake's visit that a noticeedition of the Advertiser Star-Bulletin with able change had occurred in the attitudes of
an approximate circulation of 300,000. leaders toward the Baha'i Faith. "Every dig-
Other peace-related events sponsored by nitary visited by the Counsellor was aware
Baha' is included: a Peace Symposium held of the Baha'i teachings and knew some of
on Guam which exposed the community "to the Baha'is," Auxiliary Board member
the public as never before"; an inter-religious Teata Makirere wrote. On the Twelfth Day
observance of the 40th anniversary of the of Ri<;lvan, the Queen's Representative, his
UN Declaration of Human Rights at which wife and an attendant, the Speaker of the
the Governor of Guam gave the primary Parliament, the Minister of Health and his
address; and a national peace conference in wife, the Ombudsman, and the former Prime
the Marshall Islands, co-sponsored with the Minister, Sir Thomas Davis, attended a Unity
Peace Corps, called "What is the meaning of Feast. The Speaker of the Parliament comworld peace to me?" mented during the evening that "I can feel
As these events were occurring, a group from your prayers, readings, and the talk by
of eight young Baha'is was sailing the the Counsellor that your thinking and my
Pacific in the Iron Butterfly to promote own thinking are the same".
world peace. The youth-two Tongans, four Toward the end of the Six Year Plan, Sir
New Zealanders, one Iranian, and one Thomas Davis, who had visited the Baha'i
336 THE BAHA'i WORLD

World Centre and consulted with the Uni- Amata Kabua-were welcomed to that State
versal House of Justice in August 1986 (see with flowers or fruit baskets sent on behalf
pp. 152-153), referred to "the new world of the Hawaiian Baha'i conununity.
order perceived by Baha'u'llah" in a paper Earlier in the Plan, in September 1986, a
written as his contribution to the Pacific delegation of seven members of the National
Islands States and World Peace Project. Spiritual Assembly of Samoa met with the
In August 1990, all thirty-one members Prime Minister of Western Samoa, His
of the Constitutional Convention of the Fed- Excellency Afioga Vaai Kolone. The delegaerated States of Micronesia were presented tion presented the Peace Message and called
with copies of The Promise of World Peace attention to the persecution of the Baha'is
by members of the National Assembly of the in Iran, spoke of the principle of loyalty to
Eastern Caroline Islands. The presentation government, and assured the Prime Minister
was made during a brief recess in a conven- of the Assembly's willingness to sponsor a
tion session, called by the President who special service in the House of Worship in
announced the purpose of the pause. Three honour of the 25th anniversary of Western
Baha'is came forward bearing copies of Samoa's independence, inviting representathe Peace Statement, each gift-wrapped, tives of all religions and strata of society to
personally addressed to a delegate, and participate.
accompanied by a letter from the National In the Western Caroline Islands, the Pres-
Assembly. The Constitutional Convention is ident of the Republic of Palau, seven
held every ten years to review and make members of his cabinet, and the Attorneyamendments to the country 's constitution, General all received copies of the Peace
with the delegates representing the highest Message in 1991. The National Spiritual
ranks of elected officials of the nation-state Assembly of New Caledonia and the Loyalty
governors, senators, and congressmen. Islands met with one of the Melanesian High
Welcome gifts were presented by the Chiefs from the South Province of New
National Spiritual Assembly of the Eastern Caledonia after he had received the Peace
Caroline Islands to members of the South Message. In French Polynesia, tribunal
Pacific Forum during its meeting in Ponape presidents, mayors, military personnel, and
in 1991. Dignitaries visiting Hawaii-includ- members of the Senate received The Promise
ing United States President George Bush, of World Peace during a 42-day intensive
former presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy campaign conducted by a team of local
Carter, and Marshall Islands President believers in November and December 1991.

Photo of the National
Spiritual Assembly of
the Baha 'is of the
Eastern Caroline
Islands taken in 1987.
That Assembly presented copies of the
Peace Message to
participants in the
i.l South Pacific Forum
in 1990.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 337
The Baha'i Faith became quite well- university professors, doctors, lawyers, media
known among prominent people in Hawaii, people, United Nations personnel, ethnic
as evidenced by the invitations the Baha'i council leaders, and consul-generals from
community received to be represented at overseas legations attended. The programme
important gatherings. In December 1988, featured musical performances, the reading
the Director of the Baha'i Office of External of a passage from Baha'u'llah 's Writings,
Affairs was among the 200 delegates and and a ten-minute talk. All guests were given
observers invited to consult on Hawaii 's a copy of The Promise of World Peace and a
future role in the Pacific at the "Governor's red rose as they left.
Congress on Hawaii's International Role", The Baha'is of the Hawaiian Islands celeconvened by Governor John Waihee. brated Naw-Ruz 1990 with an International
Baha'is were appointed to the Governor's Literacy Year Banquet which included the
Commission on the Status of Women, the presence of fifty special guests. The Gover-
Governor's Task Force on AIDS, and the nor of the State of Hawaii, a State Senator, a
Permanent Commission for the Commemo- State Representative, the managing director
ration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week. of a television station, and the head of the
Two members of the National Assembly University of Hawaii Institute for Peace were
were the only representatives of a religion among those attending.
among sixty-two environmental groups to be A special dinner in honour oflnternational
invited to participate in the Governor' s state- Year of Peace was hosted by the National
wide Earth Day planning session. Assembly of the Marshall Islands in 1986.
The Governor of Hawaii invited the President Amata Kabua, cabinet members,
director of the United States Commission on and other high officials were present. A sim-
Civil Rights in Hawaii and the head of the ilar occasion for local and traditional leaders
state's Affirmative Action programme to was held on the island of Milli.
attend a presentation by the Baha'is of the President Kabua visited the Baha'i World
statement, The Vision of Race Unity. Centre during his trip to Israel in June 1990
In Tonga, 200 copies of Complete Obe- (see also p. 129 and p. 153). In January 1992,
dience to Government were published and the National Assembly of the Marshall
distributed to government leaders to famil- Islands worked with the Continental Board
iarize them with the Baha'i teachings on this of Counsellors for Australasia to host a
subject. The National Assembly of Tuvalu reception for the President, members of the
reported that Baha'is were well represented cabinet, foreign ambassadors, and the Presiin non-governmental agencies and at gov- dent of the Chamber of Commerce.
ernment functions during the Plan. When the Baha'is of Australia held a spe-
Baha'is created opportunities to meet cial service at the House of Worship in 1986
community leaders by organizing public cel- to commemorate United Nations Day and
ebrations of Naw-Ruz and by sponsoring celebrate the International Year of Peace,
special gatherings to commemorate events the Governor-General made an official visit
related to the teachings of the Faith. and read one of the selections for the pro-
One celebration ofNaw-Ruz in Auckland, gramme. It appears to mark the first time a
New Zealand, in 1991 became an occasion Head of State participated in a service at a
for sharing the Faith with community lead- Baha'i House of Worship.
ers. The Local Spiritual Assembly invited Through the Human Rights and Minoriabout 140 guests to join 100 Baha'is for a ties Portfolio of the Office of External
special dinner at one of the city's leading Affairs in Hawaii, the National Assembly
hotels. Many of Auckland's city councillors, hosted at the National Centre numerous digdistrict court judges, high school principals, nitaries concerned with racial unity. Among
338 THE BAHA'i WORLD

those visiting the Centre were the founder Women
of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), the In a letter to all National Spiritual Assemblies
president of the Hawaiian chapter of the dated 23 January 1985, encouraging the
NAACP (National Association for the Ad- Baha' is to plan for the International Year of
vancement of Colored People), and the Peace, 1986, the Universal House of Justice
publishers of the Afro-Hawaii News. wrote: "Calling upon local and national
In Hawaii, numerous prominent people Baha'i communities to sponsor a wide range
were introduced to the Faith when they of activities which will engage the attention
attended awards banquets sponsored by the of people from all walks of life to various
Baha 'is. The Agnes Baldwin Alexander Award topics relevant to peace, such as: the role of
for Service to Humanity was bestowed bi- women .. ." This challenge was taken up by
annually, honouring individuals such as a the Baha'is of Australasia.
chairman of several organizations in Hono- Throughout the International Year of
lulu devoted to self-help housing projects, Peace, the Baha'is of Hawaii organized conand the head of the University of Hawaii ferences on "The Role of Women in Peace".
Institute for Peace. Presentation of the During the following two years, "Especially
Award in December 1986 was carried out in for Women" conferences were held on each
conjunction with the presentation of a spe- of the major islands. A Pacific women's
cial International Year of Peace Award to conference called "Empowering Women to
United States Senator Spark Matsunaga. Achieve" was co-sponsored by the National
Baha' is also worked to create links with Spiritual Assembly of Hawaii, the Local
fellow professionals and religious leaders. In Spiritual Assembly of South Hilo, the Hilo
New Zealand, a series of symposia called College Club and the University of Hawaii
the Auckland Forum included speakers from at Hilo in the final year of the Plan. More
a variety of backgrounds. In Australia, the than seventy people representing seventeen
Baha'i Business and Professional Associa- countries participated in activities designed
tion held regular functions with speakers to help women develop leadership skills.
on business-related topics. The Baha'is of The Baha'is of Papua New Guinea orga-
Hawaii sent representatives to professional nized a number of women's conferences and
gatherings such as the State Conference on weekend institutes, and sessions on equality
Global Education in 1988- 1989, the Pacific were incorporated into youth conferences.
Rim Lawyers Conference, and the Pacific One national conference, co-sponsored by
Educational Conference. A Baha'i also par- the Baha' i community and the Morobe
ticipated in the Asia Pacific Dialog. Women's Association in July 1989, received
At a special "Prayers for Peace" gathering significant attention from the media when
in Hawaii in 1991 honouring visiting Pope several prominent people attended. Among
Shenouda III, head of the Coptic Christian the participants were the President of the
Church, Baha'i prayers were chanted and the National Council of Women, the President
Peace Message was presented to the Pope. of the Morobe Women's Association, the
Also in Hawaii, Bishop Joseph Ferrario Regional Member for Morobe Province in
received the pamphlet "What is the Baha'i the National Parliament, and the wife of the
Faith?" (see pp. 242-244 for the full text of Prime Minister.
the pamphlet) and then requested 250 copies To meet one of the goals of the Six Year
to be distributed among his church's leaders. Plan, the National Assembly organized a
More than 200 professionals attended a talk regional women's conference which was
by a Baha'i at a seminar held during the held at Moreguina Station, Cape Rodney, in
International Conference of the Council of September 1991. Attended by over 200 peo-
Churches in Canberra, Australia. ple from four provinces, the conference gave
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 339
many participants their first opportunity to A series of women's conferences was
stand up and address a large gathering. A also organized in the Solomon Islands by the
highlight of the event was the performance National Women's Committee, and women's
of a drama portraying the life of Tahirih conferences took place every few months at
which was written and produced by the Port the beginning of the Plan in Tonga. Baha'i
Moresby Baha'i Women's Literacy Group. consultation was the topic of one conference
Reports from a number of conferences in for sixty women in Tonga, held in October
Papua New Guinea mentioned that contrary 1986; the topic was new to the women of
to traditional custom, the men took care of Ma' ufanga, who responded with enthusiasm.
the cooking, washing, water-fetching, and One particularly successful women's conchild-minding during the gatherings, thereby ference in New Caledonia and the Loyalty
leaving the women free to focus on the dis- Islands highlighted the lives of Tahirih and
cussions. In some remote villages, this was Bahiyyih Khanum as models for present-day
considered a major achievement. Non-Baha'i women.
visitors were impressed by witnessing such Baha'is served as representatives to variexamples of principle in practice. ous women's organizations, sharing their
In New Zealand, more than 100 "hand- viewpoints and contributing to the work
maidens of all ages" met in the heart of the already under way to raise the status of
tribal area of Ngati Tuwharetoa in February women. A major breakthrough for Baha'i
1987, for the first women's hui (traditional women in the Pacific took place when, after
gathering) . Members of the National Spiritual years of involvement between the Baha'i
Assembly, members of the National Teach- International Community and the South
ing Committee, and irnmigrant women from Pacific Commission, the Commission invited
the Pacific Islands sang, prayed, laughed, Baha'i women from around the Pacific, as
and confronted difficult issues together. members of a non-governmental organiza-
Participants in another women's hui, held tion, to attend a Regional Women's Affairs
in May 1991 at the Tutanekai Marae in meeting in Fiji in September 1988. The
Rotorua, reported the following: "We South Pacific Commission is made up of
addressed, with courage, conviction and twenty-seven member nations from the
audacity, the diverse, frightening, challenging Pacific region, as well as France, the United
and thrilling matters affecting us, our homes, Kingdom, and the United States.
our families, our work, our intellect and our Two members of the Continental Board
souls .... The result is that we leave here with of Counsellors in Australasia and thirtyour vision clear, our purpose unshaken, our six Baha'i women from nineteen Pacific
zeal undiminished, our hopes undinm1ed. countries attended the conference, which was
We know we are destined to achieve great organized to assist Pacific women policythings for our beloved Cause". makers and trainers to review the programmes
Baha'is were among those who helped for women. Recommendations from the
organize the first International Indigenous conference to the South Pacific Commission
Women's Conference, called "Finding Com- reflected a weighty contribution from Baha'i
mon Ground". Held in Australia in July pa1ticipants.
1989, and funded by UNESCO, the confer- The Commission also invited three
ence was attended by more than 1,000 Baha'i women to serve as resource people
women. The gathering began with a two-day on a panel discussion addressing health and
celebration of the arts of indigenous peoples. education, economic planning, and rural
Topics discussed during the conference development, in relation to women.
included women and racism, education, and Following the gathering, the Baha'i pardomestic violence. ticipants met for three days to discuss the
340 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Two members of the
Continental Board
of Counsellors,
representatives of the
Baha 'i International
Community, and
Baha 'i women from
19 Pacific countries
1 attend a meeting
sponsored by the South
Pacific Commission
and held in Fiji in
September I 988.

relationship between the conference and the a music festival, at which a well-known
Six Year Plan, particularly in regard to pro- band performed songs about peace, women,
motion of equality in the Baba' i community. and a safe and happy home. When four
When the six delegates from the Mariana judges presided over a competition among
Islands returned home, the Baba 'i Public thirteen groups for best songs and perfor-
Affairs Committee sponsored a post-confer- mances, the winning group was the Baha'i
ence forum at the Hilton Hotel on Guam. Dawnbreakers from New Ireland. Baha'is
The delegates, all featured speakers at the also set up a bookshop for the event and
conference, shared experiences and impres- handed out flyers with songs, prayers, and
sions of the conference, as well as their Baha'i Writings.
recommendations for the next Women's In Port Moresby, two Baha 'is were invited
Affairs Conference. to participate in planning the Women 's Day
Other recognition of Baha'i work on events, and one of them was chosen to be
women's issues came in New Zealand when Mistress of Ceremonies. The Baha'is took
the Baha'i Women's Committee was invited part in all the activities-reading Baha'i
to become affiliated with the National Coun- prayers, serving as judges for several events,
cil of Women. The speaker who proposed presenting a short drama, performing tradithe admission during the Council's annual tional dancing, and singing in a choir. Baba ' i
conference in September 1986 spoke appre- books, posters, and pamphlets were on disciatively of her branch' s good relationship play at a stand. "The word 'Baha'i' seemed
with the Baha'i community. The vote of to be on everybody's lips through the day",
acceptance was unanimous . one participant said.
In Papua New Guinea, Baha'is achieved In 1986, the National Women's Council
representation on the National Council of of Vanuatu asked two Baha'i women to help
Women in 1989, fu lfilling one of their goals set up a non-political, non-denominational
for the Six Year Plan. At the time of this women 's committee for the Port Vila municachievement, the Baha'is were already col- ipal area. The two women were subsequently
laborating with other women's organizations elected President and Vice-President of a
of East New Britain to prepare for celebra- committee of twelve. Eventually, a place was
tions of National Women's Day. reserved for a Baha'i representative. Two
In the town of Rabaul, Papua New Baha'i women also served for several years
Guinea, Women's Day was celebrated with on the National Women's Council.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHki ACTIVITIES 341
Baha'i women of the Solomon Islands As efforts were made by Baha'is all over
contributed to Women's Week in 1988, Australasia to raise awareness of women's
which was sponsored by the Honiara Council potential and seek ways to remove barriers
of Women. Baha'is marched in a parade; a standing in the way of women's progress,
Baha' i prayer was chosen as the first prayer signs emerged of greater participation by
for the official opening following the march; Baha'i women in the areas of teaching and
and the President of the Honiara Council- a the administration of the Cause.
Baha'i and the only female lawyer in the At the 1990 National Convention of Kiri-
Solomon Islands-was chosen to deliver an bati, two indigenous women were elected to
address . the National Spiritual Assembly, for the first
For National Women 's Day in Samoa in time in the history of Kiribati. In 1991, a
1990, the Baha' is created a float in the shape Gilbertese woman was elected as chairman
of a bird completely covered with fresh of the Assembly. In relation to this occurflowers and a sign that read "Equality of rence, Counsellor Ben Ayala said, "When I
Men and Women". The Baha'i women was assigned to work in Kiribati over five
walking in the parade with the float sang, years ago, the women were subdued-they
"With two wings, we will fly ... " kept quiet. Gradually, with the constant
The Baha'i Women's Committee of Fiji encouragement of the Auxiliary Board
was represented at a national "Women in members, they came out of their shells and
Development" conference held in July 1986. began to speak up . At the Convention all
A Baha'i stall displayed pamphlets and women delegates very actively participated
handicrafts. In July 1991 , the Baha' is of in the consultation."
Australia were represented at the "Recogni- In 1989, the Baha' i women of the island
tion for Women in Australia" seminar hosted of Yap in the Western Caroline Islands were
by the House of Representatives Standing reported to be holding regular weekly meetings
Committee on Legal and Constitutional at the Baha'i Centre in Colonia. Invitations
Affairs, Office of the Status of Women and to the public to join these gatherings were
the Department of the Prime Minister and being broadcast over radio repeatedly on
Cabinet. Monday and Tuesday mornings. Eleven
In March 1989, United Nations ' Interna- women from American, Palauan, Ulithian,
tional Women's Day was celebrated in and Yapese backgrounds attended the first
Australia with a special service at the Baha 'i meeting and discussed the role of women in
House of Worship in Sydney. Eminent working for peace in the family, the village,
community leaders were among the readers and the world.
at the service, including the President and The National Spiritual Assembly of the
Vice President of the Women's International Marshall Islands reported that an "increase
League for Peace and Freedom. of women's participation in the teaching
In 1989, the Baha'i women of Guam work is witnessed in all Baha'i communities
formed a Baha 'i Women' s Association- a throughout the Marshalls".
step towards achieving some of their goals for A report from the Continental Board of
the Six Year Plan. The purpose of the Asso- Counsellors in November 1988 relayed news
ciation was defined as "promotion of the role of the active involvement of Papua New
of women in working for peace in the family, Guinea women in the administrative chanthe community, and the world through edu- nels of the Faith, with the proportion of
cation, spiritual enrichment, investigation of women on national and regional committees
the true significance of the equality of men close to fifty per cent. The report also noted
and women, and through appropriate philan- the full support for women's initiatives being
thropic and social service activities". demonstrated by men.
342 THE BAHA'i WORLD

In Tonga, the
Baha'i kindergarten
Kolofo'ou Nuku'alofa
is located in the
National Bahd 'i
Centre and is run
by the National
Children 's Committee.
Only four of the
twenty-one students
of this Englishlanguage school are
Baha 'is; 1990.

Education of Children The project began in August 1991, and by
We prescribe unto all men that which will the end of the Plan, at least seven Baha'i
lead to the exaltation of the Word of God preschools were being operated by local
amongst His servants, and likewise, to the communities, with demand for more conadvancement of the world of being and tinuing to grow. Integral to the programme
the uplift of souls. To this end, the great- was the involvement of mothers.
est means is education of the child. To Progress was made around Australasia
this must each and all hold fast. 2 in the area of developing curricula for chil-
One of the most outstanding achieve- dren's classes. The National Child Education
ments in the area of Baha'i education in Committee in Hawaii created a standard cur-
Australasia came when in 1988 the Depart- riculum for Baha'i education and sent teams
ment of Education in New South Wales, to meet with Local Assemblies and present
Australia, granted permission for Baha'i model classes. In Samoa, a children's curricreligious instruction to take place in state ulum was developed, translated into various
schools. Classes in primary schools in New vernaculars, and distributed to all Local
South Wales grew to such an extent that Assemblies holding classes. Systematic lesparents asked for classes to continue in the son plans were also developed in Fiji.
high schools. Later, the State Department In Papua New Guinea, the Child Educaof Education of Queensland invited a Baha'i tion Committee prepared a curriculum for
representative to be present at meetings of primary classes. A resource centre for child
the Curriculum Development Committee, education material and teacher training operand the State Religious Education Advisory ated in the town of Goroka. In the Marshall
Committee voted to offer membership to the Islands, a manual written in Marshallese was
Baha'i Faith. distributed to all Local Assemblies holding
In Kiribati, a preschool project initiated classes. New materials for children's classes
by a small group oflocal women and coordi- were developed in Australia, including five
n.ated by the National Child Education textbooks and audiotapes of songs and
Committee gained recognition from national stories.
and international organizations, such as the Regular children's classes were held in
University of the South Pacific and UNICEF. virtually all Local Spiritual Assembly areas
in New Zealand, the Marshall Islands, and
Baha'u'llah, fro m a Tablet translated from the Per- Tuvalu. Regular activities for junior youth,
s ian, in Bahn 'i Education, p. 3. such as special camps, were organized in
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAI-IA'i ACTIVITIES 343
Australia and Hawaii, and an institute for Several musical performances drew quite
pre-youth to study the Peace Statement was large audiences. "Peace Child'', a musical
established in New Caledonia. drama produced in Hawaii by the National
Spiritual Assembly's International Year of
Performing Arts Peace Committee, had an average of 900
Music, dance, and drama acted as powerful people at each of three performances, in
links between the various cultures of Aus- addition to a special presentation for more
tralasia and the wide range of people waiting than 500 school children. A major television
to hear Baha'u'llah's Message of unity. network also produced a prime-time news
In Samoa in 1987, Baha'is were involved feature on the drama.
extensively in Arts Fiafia, a celebration Also in Hawaii, a musical drama called
honouring both traditional art fo1ms and "On the Road to Montgomery"-written,
modem creative expressions. Baha'is helped produced, and directed by a Baha'i-was
erect and paint displays, performed in the given a major perfo1mance at the War
International Folk Dance Troupe, and dis- Mem01ial Convention Hall for Martin Luther
played original paintings. Interest in artist King Week.
Duffy Sheridan's portrait of 'Abdu' l-Baha About 1,000 people attended a musical
led to a ten-minute television special on the history of New Zealand hosted by the
painter and his art. Baha'is of Lower Hutt in November 1990
In the Marshall Islands, a number of peo- and held in Wellington's Michael Fowler
ple were introduced to the Faith when they
participated in a multicultural variety show
to celebrate Naw-Ruz in 1991. Music and
dance played important roles in conferences
of Ausháalian Aborigines, and they helped
to attract many people from the sunounding
communities.
Several perfonning groups went on tour,
using their talents to spread the teachings.
The Wildfire Theatre Group from Ausháalia
toured every year of the Plan, offering a programme of music, dance, and comedy on
peace themes. Their performances were seen
all over Australia, in Eastern Europe, and in
parts of Asia. Youth for One World formed
in New Zealand and toured throughout the
country and in Eastern Europe, Australia,
and the Cook Islands. The Storytellers
formed and toured among the Aborigines of
Austráalia.
The Rainbow Dancers, a twenty-person
theatre group composed of Aborigines,
Australians, Chinese, Maoris, Persians, and
Tongans received extensive publicity on
television, radio, and in the press for its per- Posing on a playground in Masterton, New
fo1mances around Australia of ethnic songs Zealand, members of Youth for One World,
and dances . New Caledonia 's music group a group which form ed in 1990 to use music
Tcho Era toured New Zealand. to proclaim the Faith.
344 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Centre. Called "New Zealand Panorama", where the International Convention of 1988
the production was an official project for the and several women's conferences during the
celebrations marking the 150th anniversary Plan were reported on television. In the
of New Zealand's founding document. Pro- Eastern Caroline Islands, the text of Th e
ceeds from the show benefited the Child Promise of World Peace was read in English
Cancer Foundation. The Assembly reported six times on Ponape radio.
it was the first time so many non-Baha ' is Baha'i-produced programmes were heard
had gathered in such a prestigious venue and on radio and seen on television. "Practical
heard the principles of the Faith. Peace" was the title of a four-programme
series based on The Promise of World Peace
Mass Media and aired over the National Radio network
Press coverage of Baha'i activities increased of New Zealand. Produced by a Baha ' i for
in a number of Australasian nations. The Radio New Zealand' s Continuing Education
National Assembly of Australia reported Unit, the series was broadcast in September
that media achievements were "remarkable", and October 1986. Also in October 1986, a
with newspaper articles escalating from 45-minute documentary about the making
ninety-five in the second year to 400 in the of the music video "Mona with the Children"
last. More than 1, 100 articles were printed was shown on New Zealand National Teleduring the Plan. Radio programmes in Aus- v1s10n.
tralia increased from seven to a final count In the Western Caroline Islands, after preof 100. At one point the Australian Broad- vious unsuccessful attempts to have Baha' i
casting Commission requested a half hour videos shown on television, permission was
interview with a member of the National granted in August 1988 to show "Mona with
Assembly to discuss basic information about the Children". Subsequently, four additional
the Faith. The number of television pro- Baha' i films were televised. The Baha'i
grammes rose from four in the first year to media staff in Yap reported: "It has been genthirty during the final year. In July 1987, a erally observed that the airing of these videos
seven-minute story on the Faith was broad- has created a ...respect for and acceptance of
cast in prime time. the Baha 'i Faith and the Baha' is in Yap".
To facilitate use of radio, the National In the Cook Islands, a thirty-minute
Assembly of Australia prepared an introduc- musical fireside which aired in September
tory Baha' i radio manual and distributed it 1990 began a series of four locally produced
to all Local Spiritual Assemblies and groups Baha'i television programmes broadcast on
with public stations in their areas. A data- Cook Islands Television. Other educational and
base was also created listing all public informative programmes followed. Weekly
stations accessible to Bah:i'is, and a large radio programmes were aired for several
number of scripts and sample cassettes were months in 1989 in Ponape, Eastern Caroline
dispatched to institutions and individuals. Islands. In the Solomon Islands , the National
In Samoa, the involvement of Baha'is in Assembly was offered a fifteen-minute proany conference was published in local gramme on Radio Solomon beginning in
papers. Radio Vanuatu featured news items August 1988. It marked the first time
and interviews about the Faith on a number Baha' is were given time on this station,
of occasions. Local communities in Hawaii which reached 5,000 villages throughout the
were provided with public inforn1ation kits islands.
on special events and Holy Days to use Radio Baha' i Hawaii, a weekly one-hour
when contacting the media. talk show on the Faith, began in 1990. This
Baha ' i news was also of increasing inter- led to an invitation for the Bah:i'is to join
est to the media of Papua New Guinea, the Olelo Project, a programme to train
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 345
community organizations in the use of tele- which provided opportunities for new visivision. Baha' i programmes were featured at tors to enjoy the beauty and peace of the
least four times a year on statewide televi- Temple and for Baha' is to meet people from
sion, and a thirty-minute Baha'i programme different community organizations working
on public access cable television was shown toward similar aims.
every Sunday morning. The Governor-General of Australia, Sir
Excerpts from the Writings appeared in Ninian Stephen, and Lady Stephen, attended
the sole local newspaper of New Caledonia a service held in October 1986 in celebration
almost weekly during the whole Plan. For of the International Year of Peace. These
two years, the National Spiritual Assembly special guests were escorted into the House
of the Mariana Islands placed selected Writ- of Worship by the Hand of the Cause of God
ings in the region's major newspaper, Pacific Collis Featherstone. At least 300 of the 850
Daily News. Toward the end of the Plan, a attending were guests of the Faith, including
Local Assembly in Samoa sponsored daily political and community leaders, media
radio programmes which included prayers representatives, and a high-ranking Tibetan
and readings in the mornings and at midnight. Buddhist monk. A programme for 200 chil-
Hawaii's Office of External Affairs officer dren was simultaneously held in a large tent
was invited to write a monthly column on on the Temple grounds. Afterwards, 1,000
"Unity in Diversity" for Aji-o-Hawaii News , people were served lunch on the lawns.
in which he regularly quoted from the Baha'i The main service included the perfor-
Writings. mance of a choir which deeply moved the
guests. Following the service, a member of
Houses of Worship Parliament wrote: "I felt that only in heaven
The world of existence may be likened to would I enjoy such peace and beauty."
this temple and place of worship. For just Several special services spoke to the
as the external world is a place where the Asian population of Australia. In October
people of all races and colors, varying 1987, approximately 170 people, forty-five
faiths, denominations and conditions come of whom were of Chinese origin, attended a
together-just as they are submerged in service with readings in various Chinese diathe same sea of divine favours-so like- lects, Vietnamese, Khmer, and English. On
wise, all may meet under the dome of the the Chinese New Year in February 1989,
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and adore the one more than 350 attended a service conducted
God in the same spirit of truth; for the in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and English.
ages of darkness have passed away, and In June of that year, prayers for China and
the century of light has come. 3 world peace were offered at a service
The Baha'i Houses of Worship in Australia attended by 250 people.
and Samoa continued to serve as meeting- Other special days commemorated by
places where members of the diverse human services in Australia ' s House of Worship
family could worship together in peace. In included World Environment Day and
addition to regular weekly services, a variety United Nations International Women's Day
of special services were devoted to various Eminent cornnmnity leaders were among the
themes, such as the environment, children, 400 people who attended services for Interand peace. national Women 's Day in March 1989.
The House ofWorship in Sydney, Australia, W arid Environment Day was observed
was the site of numerous special services in June 1991 with a completely filled auditorium.
'Abdu ' I-Baha, The Promulgation a/Universal Peace, National Refugee Week, 18-24 June
pp. 65- 66. 1989, sponsored by the Refugee Council of
346 THE BAHA'I WORLD

A special prayer service held at the Baha'i House of Worship in Samoa
during the summer school in January 1987.

A day -long gathering for Baha 'i families and their friends held at the
Baha 'i House of Worship in Sydney, Australia, in 1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF C URRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 347

Australia and by Austcare, was marked with attended a special service held to mark the
a service attended by representatives of the culmination of a year of activities in support
Department of Immigration, Local Govern- of International Year of Peace. Among the
ment and Ethnic Affairs; the National 400 people present were the Prime Minister
Refugee Council; Austcare; UNICEF; and and his wife, the Speaker of the House,
the Australian Council of Churches. members of the Parliament, and members of
Annual events at the Australian House of the diplomatic corps representing many races
Worship included United Nations services and religions. Readers for the service
attended by a range of prominent people, included United Nations officials; staff from
and celebrations of United Nations Children's government offices, the University of the
Day. For the latter event, invitations were South Pacific, and the Peace Corps; and
sent to local schools and organizations and individuals from Japan, Tonga, and New
advertisements were placed in local news- Zealand. A programme on peace took place at
papers. At the celebration in 1992, twenty- the ancillary building following the service.
five children read during the programme. His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II was
Children also played major roles in ser- also present for a service in May 1987 comvices at the House of Worship in Samoa. memorating the 25th anniversary of the
Universal Children's Day was celebrated in independence of the state of Western Samoa.
October 1987 with the participation of Scouts, More than 400 people heard a beautiful
Cubs, Rangers, Guides, Brownies, and Path- choir and listened to readings given by a
finders. Altogether, 122 children and youth variety of government officials. After the
were present, and twenty-two readings were service, the ancillary building was filled
presented by children ranging from a four- with guests who witnessed the presentation
year-old Baha'i to a teenage Scout. The cel- of a gift to His Highness: a large portrait of
ebration of this day in 1989 included 200 the Malietoa rendered in oils by a Baha'i
participants and focused on "The Rights of artist, Duffy Sheridan.
the Child". The ancillary building was deco- Samoan Independence Day was comrated with the artistic creations of ninety memorated annually with a special service
Baha'i children who had gathered for a con- in the Temple.
ference just prior to the service. In 1990, following a parade to mark the
When a National Youth Conference called 50th anniversary of the service of His High-
"Youth for Peace" took place in Apia in ness Malietoa Tanumafili II to the people of
October 1986, a special service for youth Wes tern Samoa, guests filled the House of
was held at the Temple. Worship to commemorate the event.
The Temple was honoured several times The Government of Western Samoa
with the presence of Samoan royalty. In issued four new postage stamps of religious
October 1986, His Highness Malietoa buildings in December 1989, one of which
Tanumafili II and members of his family featured the Baha'i House of Worship.
348 THE BAHA'I WORLD

...the breaths of the Holy
Spirit [should} be diffused
to all parts of. .. Europe, that
the call of the Kingdom of
God may exhilarate and
rejoice all the ears, the
divine principles bestow
a new life, the different
parties may become one
party, the divergent ideas
may disappear and revolve
around one unique center ..
- 'Abdu 'l-Baha
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 349

E. EUROPE

THE drama of God's unfolding Plan played Europe ananged meetings to consult on
itself out with special poignancy in Europe common goals and to plan joint teaching
where, for the first time in many decades, projects. Such gatherings were coordinated
the Faith was allowed to be openly spread among the communities of Finland, Norway,
in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. and Sweden; the Republic of Ireland and
Although Baha'is had continued to live the United Kingdom; and Austria, Denmark,
behind the Iron Curtain during the long France, Germany, the Netherlands, áand
period of prohibitions against religion, and Switzerland. In April 1988, seventy believindividuals had been able to quietly lay the ers from twenty-five localities in Belgium,
foundations for acceptance of the Faith in France, and the United Kingdom met to
these regions over many years, it was not consult on ways the countries could collabountil the period of the Six Year Plan that pio- rate more closely in their Baha'i work.
neers and travelling teachers gained the Representatives of European National Teachfreedom to openly teach about Baha'u'llah. ing Committees met in Paris in January 1990
One by one, the countries of Eastern Europe to consult on the final phase of the Six Year
and the former Soviet Union lowered the Plan.
baniers that had separated them from the Collaboration and unity among Counsel-
West, and Baha'is responded to this oppor- lors, a National Spiritual Assembly, Auxiliary
tunity. Board members, and teaching committees
Such a challenge stimulated activity in bore sweet fruit in Portici, Italy, where a
Western Europe. Europeans were foremost long-term project led to more than a 100
among the teachers who answered the call to enrolments in the first year. The initiative
share the Faith with their formerly isolated began in 1989 and quickly galvanized the
neighbours, and the excitement created by community, as enrolments stimulated greater
responding to this urgent need could not enthusiasm for teaching. Counsellors, Auxilhelp but affect the ongoing work in the iary Board members, and the National
West. Particular strides forward were made Teaching Committee organized systematic
in the areas of teaching minorities, gaining deepening and consolidation, immediately
legal recognition of the Faith, and advancing involving new believers in the consultative
Baha 'i scholarship. process and the teaching work.
Yet even close cooperation among the
Teaching institutions of the Faith would not have led
Sharing the Message of Baha'u'llah in to teaching success without the commitment
Europe during the Six Year Plan was charac- of individuals to arise and play their roles. In
terized by increasing collaboration among reporting on the successes of reaching goals
the institutions of the Faith and by renewed of the Six Year Plan, numerous National
individual dedication to winning goals, both Spiritual Assemblies in Europe noted an
of which prepared the believers in Western increased commitment to individual teach-
Europe for the unprecedented challenge of ing, and a trend toward setting and working
responding to the opening of Eastern Europe. toward personal teaching goals . As the
(For a more detailed account of the history National Spiritual Assembly of Iceland, for
of the Faith in Eastern Europe and its example, reported: " ... the friends are stronger
progress up to 1992, see the article on the Baha 'is, more knowledgeable Baha' is, more
Two Year Subsidiary Plan, pp. 196-225.) dedicated Baha'is, and more vigorous, more
From the beginning of the Six Year Plan, eager Baha 'i teachers than at any previous
National Spiritual Assemblies in Western time".
350 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Some 800 Baha 'is
attend the Great
Eastern Conference
held in Dieburg,
Germany, in March
1987-shortly before
the opening of countries of the former
Eastern Bloc.

In March 1987, two significant confer- the Message of Baha'u'llah. The Spiritual
ences bore witness to the important roles Assemblies of Austria, Finland, Germany,
played by both institutions and individuals Italy, and Sweden were each given key
in spreading the Cause. Both conferences responsibilities for directing the teaching
were organized as forums for consultation work in these newly-opened countries.
on the situation in Eastern Europe. The first When the Berlin Wall crumbled in 1989,
gathering, held in Langenhain, Germany, the Baha'is of Germany responded with
comprised representatives of the Continental speed and imagination, distributing thou-
Board of Counsellors in Europe, the Euro- sands of copies of The Promise of World
pean Continental Pioneer Committee, and Peace and sending almost twenty pioneers
the National Spiritual Assemblies involved into East Germany. The National Assembly
in the work in the East. It helped bring about of Germany also organized large-scale
a common understanding of the situation in teaching projects in Bulgaria beginning in
Eastern Europe, of the wide differences 1990.
among the various countries, and of the need When the twenty-three-year ban on
for the closest collaboration among the religion in Albania was lifted in 1990,
Assemblies and Committees involved. The Baha'is from Austria, Italy, and Germany
second conference, held in Dieburg, began making regular teaching trips to this
Germany, and called the "Great Eastern country. Starting in 1991, Italy virtually
Conference", was directed to the mass of blanketed Albania with travelling teachers in
believers in Germany and Austria. It an organized campaign. In October 1991,
included prayers, talks, consultation, and Italy arranged the first National Teaching
music, impressing the 800 participants with Conference in Albania.
the urgency of the teaching work and its Baha'i teachers from Germany, Ireland,
importance in relationship to the develop- and the United Kingdom were among those
ment of the Faith in the world as a whole. who developed the Faith in Poland. Partici-
Both conferences were important enough to pants in Poland' s first summer school in
be attended by a representative of the 1990 worked together on a service project
Universal House of Justice. which they reported knit together pioneers,
Because of such cooperation and commit- native believers, and travelling Baha'is from
ment, when the baniers separating Western the various Western European countries.
and Eastern Europe began to come down, The first pioneers to Central Asia,
the Baha'is were ready to reach out with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania came from
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'[ ACTIVITIES 351

Western Europe. Among the individuals When it became possible to perform in Eastwho contributed to the growth of the Faith in ern Europe, the group undertook a threethe former Soviet Union were members of month tour of this vast region, delighting
the Promise of World Peace Tour wh ich audiences and stim ulating teaching which
travelled to the area in December 1989 led to many declarations.
under the auspices of Youth Ambassadors Also contributing to the progress of
International in the United States and the teaching in Eastern Europe were the musical
Foundation for Social Innovation in Moscow. groups Light in the Darkness from Italy, the
The idea for the tour was born when four- Dawnbreakers from Austria, Turning Point
teen Soviet youth were hosted by Baha' is at from Ireland, and Dulcamara from Spain.
a summer camp in Hawaii in 1988. In
December 1989, a group of sixty-two Baha' is Youth
led by Annette Donner spent five days in Before the countries of Eastern Europe began
Moscow and four days in Kazan, becoming opening their doors in 1989, and Western
responsible for the birth of the Baha'i European Baha'i yo uth flooded these areas
community in the latter city. The Peace bearing the precious gift of Baha'u'llah's
Statement was distributed during home Message, education had been taking place
visits by youth and presentations to various and systems of communication had been
institutions such as a university and a hospi- established to prepare th is Army of Light. In
tal. Millions of Soviet citizens heard of the fact, the energy, dedication, organization,
Faith during television and radio interviews and cooperation demonstrated by the youth
with members of the Tour. of Europe throughout the Six Year Plan
Numerous other Americans and Canadians made possible the historic formation of the
helped spread the Faith in the former Soviet European Baha'i Youth Counci l in August
Union during dozens of teaching trips orga- 1989, which in turn stimulated youth activnized by individuals as soon as this ity to rise to an entirely new level. (For a full
opportunity presented itself. account of the events leading to the forma-
Cross-border cooperation among European tion of the Counci l and the activities
nations continued with an Eastern European initiated by that body, seep. 432.)
Teaching Conference held in Hofl1eim , As early as July 1986, 150 youth from
Germany, in March 1990. The event was fifteen countries, meeting at the Landegg Conattended by 950 Baha'is from at least twenty- ference Centre in Switzerland for a youth
five countries, including Czechoslovakia, East school, resolved to share plans, projects,
Germany, Hungary, Romania, the Soviet and reports of successes as they launched a
Union, and Yugos lavia. Baha'i Youth Movement in Europe. They
One of the greatest teaching tools in were insp ired and edified by the presence of
Europe proved to be music, as exemplifi ed the Hand of the Cause of God 'A li-Akbar
by the dramatic impact of the singi ng group, Furutan and 'At<i'iyyih Furutan.
El Yiento Canta (see also p. 444). Formed A European Baha' i Youth Movement
while its members were serving at the Information Centre was established in the
Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, the group Netherlands to serve as a channel for regular
performed traditional Latin American music communication. A newsletter called Baha'i
and taught the Faith following concerts. Youth Movement-Europe began publica-
Toward the beginning of the Plan, El Yiento tion in August 1986.
Canta dazzled large audiences in Austria, Just three months later, in October,
Belgium , Cyprus, France, Gerniany, Greece, representatives of the National Youth Com-
Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, mittees of Europe met in Strasbourg, France,
Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. to "forge lasting links of understanding that
352 THE BAHA'I WORLD

will bind the Baha'i youth of Europe for In October 1987, Irish youth and their
years to come" and to make practical plans Baha'i friends from four other countries
of action for the next six years. The twenty- walked sixty-four miles, from Cork to
eight youth from eleven nations who were Limerick, on a March for World Peace. Sevgathered requested the Continental Board of eral hundred copies of the Peace Statement
Counsellors in Europe to consider creating a were dish"ibuted along the route, including
body that would provide direction and coor- one each to the Lord Mayor of Cork and the
dination to European youth activities. Mayor of Limerick. Pa1iicipants said the
Representatives of the National Youth example of recent martyrs in iran and
Committees of nineteen European countries the unifying effect of the cross-section of
took part in the first European Youth Semi- humanity the group represented eclipsed
nar, held at the Landegg Conference Centre the physical strain of the long walk. The
in Switzerland in May 1987. Three members National Assembly commented that the
of the Continental Board of Counsellors in march signalled a change in the youth of
Europe participated, as did members of nine Ireland, who showed themselves to be ready
Na ti on al Spiritual Assemblies. and eager to carry the healing Message of
Following one international youth confer- Bahci'u'Ilah to a waiting world.
ence in August 1987, nine mini-buses filled Exhilarated by the success of a national
with dedicated youth left Manchester, youth school held in the Canary Islands in
England, for service and teaching projects April 1988, fourteen young Baha'is offered
throughout the United Kingdom. The con- their services for projects in four towns. Subference had been attended by 1,3 00 youth stantial financial contributions were offered
from forty-two countráies, and included nearly to support a travelling theatre group to teach
fifty challenging workshops led by experts the Faith in the towns of Fuerteventura, one
on topics related to careers, the contempo- of three inhabited islands lying off the coast
rary world, the arts, and correlation of the of Morocco. The next month Baha'i youth
teachings with current thought. Significant were given permission to paint a large wall
features of the event included the eager mural in front of a university campus which
participation of many ethnic minorities of led to a number of inquiries and a repeat of
the Manchester area, an art exhibit, a Baha'i the mural in two other cities. The mural
film festival, and the debut performance of a depicted representatives of different races
Baha'i choir which was a Six Year Plan goal and the words, "The earth is but one counhy
for the youth. and mankind its citizens".

Mural painted by
Bahit 'i youth on the
wall of a university
campus in la Laguna,
Tenerife, in the Canary
Islands in 1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 353
Nineteen Baha'i youth from eight coun- Also in the summer of 1988, the youth of
tries were among the 700 participants at the Norway experienced great success using a
44th World Esperanto Youth Congress held variety of teaching methods. In late June and
in Zagreb, Yugoslavia, in July 1988. It early July, a series of service projects carried
marked the first time an official delegation out by twenty Norwegian youth and two
of Baha'i youth was invited by 'the World Swedish guests attracted much attention from
Esperanto Youth Organization to attend the local people and tourists, and resulted in a
Congress as observers. Baba' is presented newspaper article. Activities included painttwo lectures (one on consultation and the ing the exterior of a museum, cleaning a
other on the Faith, accompanied by a slide beach, entertaining with music at five instiprogramme) ; participated in an International tutions, and co-organizing, with a local group
Evening; comprised half the audience of an called SOS Racism, an international feast.
inter-religious meeting during the Congress; In July and August, a four-week intensive
and were the subject of an article in the Con- proclamation and teaching effort in the area
gress newspaper. chosen to be the focal point of teaching in
International gatherings continued: in Norway received extensive media coverage.
August 1988, the first Iberian Youth Confer- The project began with a peace march led by
ence was held in Lisbon, Portugal, with more a horse-drawn decorated wagon carrying
than 120 participants from nine European youth who distributed invitations for firecounháies. The same month, a European sides and visited social institutions to
Baha ' i Youth School was held at De Poo1t entertain with music. The march led to the
Conference Centre in the Netherlands, with site of a sununer school which attracted 230
participants coming from twenty-four coun- Baha'is and guests from twelve counháies.
tries. A distinct feature of the school was the Following the school, youth spent two
support demonstrated by the national institu- weeks teaching. First they used a questiontions, the Counsellors, and the Auxiliary naire to interview peop le about peace and
Boards. All nine members of the National held multicultural events in the evenings,
Assembly of the Netherlands attended, as did one of which drew sixty non-Baha'is. Then
Assembly members from Belgium, Canada, youth spent a week studying the enviromnent
Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the and cleaning a main river in the city of
United Kingdom. A special sub-committee Trondheim.
set up teaching projects during and after the A new nation-wide enthusiasm for teachconference. ing in Sweden was generated by the Eskil

Th e Hand of the
Cause of God
Dr. Ugo Giaclwy
(third jimn left)
celebrates his
90th birthday
during the summ er
school held in
Filipstad, Sweden,
in July I 986.
'
.. -
0 ! ••••••••••••
:.----~~
354 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

More than 500 balloons being released
from San Marino 's
main square during
the European Bahiz 'i
Youth Conference
held in San Marino
in July 1989.

Ljungberg Project, based in Uppsala and The spirit and participation of the youth
initiated in January 1989. A team of six was still strong by the summer of 1989. Five
youth greatly assisted the project by moving major regional "Peace Moves" conferences,
to Uppsala, some to work full time on the held days apa1i, drew large crowds and
activities. Newspaper articles on two major further galvanized the youth. The first of the
events-a World Religion Day celebration gatherings, which took place at De Poort,
and a cultural evening-were among at least attracted participants from fifteen countries.
ten items to be printed about the Faith in the After intensely studying the writings of
first two months of the campaign. Almost all Shoghi Effendi during the seven-day conferhigh schools and junior high schools in the ence, the youth committed themselves to
area welcomed visits by the Baha'is, and honour their brethren in the Cradle of the
weekly meetings in a rented centre attracted Faith by proclaiming and teaching the Faith
a steady flow of interested people. on an unprecedented scale.
The youth of the Netherlands reached out Significant public recognition was granted
to their teachers in March 1989. All 319 the approximately 600 youth from twenty
teachers at the Technical University in Delft countries who gathered for the regional conreceived a copy of the Peace Statement and ference in San Marino at the same time. The
a letter from the Delft Baha'i Student Circle conference was held under the patronage of
containing a plea for the coming together of the Ministry of Education and Culture of San
science and religion as a necessary prerequi- Marino, with the collaboration of the State
site for world peace. The project was reported Tourist Bureau. It was officially inaugurated
in the Delftse Post. by the Minister of Education and Culture in
Also in March 1989, 300 Baha' i youth the presence of the Minister of Transport and
profoundly impressed the eminent scholar Communications, Tourism and Sports, who
Professor Ervin Laszlo when they attended also gave a speech. Other guests included
his series of lectures on evolution presented the Ambassador of Italy in the Republic of
in Viserbella, Italy. Professor Laszlo was San Marino, government authorities, jourreported to have remarked on the maturity of nalists, and television reporters . The opening
the Baha'i youth and the pertinent questions ceremony was broadcast on San Marino
posed during a debate on the Laszlo theory. state television.
A guest of Professor Laszlo, Professor Mazulli A delegation composed of one represenof Bologna University, also expressed his tative for each country taking part in the
amazement at the capacity of the youth. conference, accompanied by the Minister of
356 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Participants in the
National Baha 'i Youth
Conference held in
Sete, France, in 1989.

In the summer of 1991 , the European auspices of the European Youth Centre of the
Baha' i Youth Council organized regional Council of Europe. In 1992, the European
conferences in Estonia, France, Ge1many, Baha' i Youth Counci~ appointed a Repreand Romania, and launched sixteen major sentation Committee responsible for further
teaching projects. During the course of the developing relations with European youth
year, teaching projects organized by the organizations and other agencies on its
Council in collaboration with national insti- behalf.
tutions were carried out in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Signs of cooperation between National
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Youth Committees and their non-Baha ' i
Turkey. peers included the following: the National
In January 1992, the first European youth Youth Committee of Ireland became an
conference on Baha'i activities in universities associate member of the country's National
was held in Brno, Czechoslovakia. Twenty- Youth Council; the Youth Committee of
four delegates from twelve nations consulted Luxembourg was invited by Luxembourg's
on how to improve efforts in this vital area. National Office of Youth to participate in a
One of the main functions assigned to the Youth Festival; and youth in Norway helped
European Baha ' i Youth Council by the members of the Youth and Environment
Universal House of Justice was to represent, organization and the World Wildlife Fund
on a conti.nental basis, the European Baha' i to clean a river. Baha'i youth in the United
youth with non-Baha'i youth groups and Kingdom were active in the British Youth
other agencies. TI1is was done, while on a Council. A national youth conference held
national level, a number of Youth Commit- in Germany to commemorate the 75th annitees also successfully forged links with other versary of ' Abdu'l-Baha 's visit to that land
youth organizations in their countries . included an inter-religious service attended
In December 1988, the Peace Moves by 280 people.
Committee (the precursor of the European In addition to the workshops and semi-
Baha' i Youth Council) was represented at a nars organized for youth by Auxiliary Board
meeting of the Council of Europe 's European members, National Youth Committees, and
Youth Foundation in Strnsbourg, France. organizers of surnn1er schools, Landegg
Soon after its formation the European Baha' i Academy in Switzerland contributed signifi-
Youth Council participated in the Second cantly to the education of European youth,
Annual Conference on Intolerance held in providing a venue for their meetings and
Strasbourg, in December 1989, under the sponsoring forums that spoke to their
INTER NAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 355
Education and Culture and by a representa- the conference were the emolment of seven
tive of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is new believers, the dispersal of 100 volunof the Republic of San Marino, went to the teers to a dozen cities to carry out projects
Government Building where they were organized by the National Teaching Comgranted an official audience by Their Excel- mittee, and contributions to the Arc Fund.
lencies the Captains Regent (Heads of State) The remaining two Peace Moves conferof the Republic of San Marino. During the ences were held in Sheffield, England, and
course of the audience, a proclamation was Thorshavn, Faroe Islands.
read by the Italian Baha'i representative on These five conferences in 1989 marked a
behalf of the whole group. turning point in the European youth move-
Six articles were published before and ment. Participants reviewed the many teachduring the conference in the most important ing activities undertaken by the youth during
newspaper of San Marino, thus increasing the first half of the Plan, rejoiced over the
significantly the publicity already staited successes achieved, and eagerly anticipated
when 7,700 invitations were sent to heads of the appointment of the first European Baha'i
families residing in the Republic. Also, a Youth Council. After the Youth Council was
number of copies of the Peace Message were formed in August 1989, it acted to further
distributed among the citizens of the Re- stimulate and coordinate the teaching activpublic during a very joyful afternoon which ity, particularly in the newly-opened Eastern
began with the release of over 500 balloons Europe. (See also chapters on the Two Year
from San Marino's main square. Plan and on the European Baha ' i Youth
With high spirits, the conference partici- Council.)
pants joyfully am10unced the initiation of Beginning in January 1990, the Council
an Arc Project Fund for youth in the name began sponsoring annual conferences for
of the beloved Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo representatives of European National Baha' i
Giachery, who had just passed away. " It has Youth Committees to consult on the future
motivated the participants to return to their direction of the continent's youth. In April
home communities as ambassadors of the 1990 the first issue of the European Baha 'i
Cause in order to obtain outstanding goals Youth Newsletter was published.
for the Arc Fund, and to be the spearheads During the summer of 1990, the Youth
of the maturation of the Baha ' i local and Council organized teaching proj ects in five
national communities and to wholeheartedly Central and Eastern European cow1tries. The
invite their peers to join them and become projects constituted the first formal Baha'i
spiritual revolutionaries determined by teach- youth teaching enterprise in the formerly
ing His Cause to break loose from the communist countries of Europe.
manipulation of the old world order", the Youth from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia,
youth wrote. The campaign eventually raised Hungary, Romania, and the former Soviet
close to $200,000. Union were among those attending the 1991
The 700 youth from twenty-six countries conference for members of Youth Commitwho met in Madrid, Spain, for the third tees, held at De Poort. Also attending was a
regional conference constituted the largest representative of the newly-formed Turkish
group of Bah::i' is ever to have gathered in National Baha'i Youth Committee, and just
that country. The reading of a soul-stining two months later that body organized two
message from the youth of Iran and the Regional Youth Seminars reaching more
active presence of youth from North Africa than 100 youth. The participants discussed
posed a challenge to the European youth to the Mission of Baha' u' llah, transformation,
seize their abounding opportunities to teach individual initiative, and the meaning of
the Cause. Among the irmnediate results of having vision.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF C URRENT BAH A' i AC TIVITIES 357
particular needs. Among the offerings were By 1987, a Baha 'i not of Romani descent,
forums for young adult Baha'i professionals Eliane A. Hopson, had been given the honour
on topics such as "Reaching People of Capac- of representing the Romani Union, a nonity" and "Alternative Futures : the Baha'i governmental organization, at the United
Model in Perspective". Annual symposia Nations. That year a Baha ' i delegation parprovided opportunities for youth to explore ticipated in the First World Romani Congress
critical social issues in consultation with in Spain, where the leader of the Romani
experienced adults . Union mentioned the Baha' is favourably.
The representative to the United Nations
Minorities reported that the Romani leadership was out-
Minmities in Europe- including ethnic groups spoken in its praise of the activities of the
traditionally excluded from power- received Baha'is in the interests of the Romani people.
special attention from the Baha 'is. The She observed that the Romani Union leaders
groups which responded with the greatest "hope to channel their ancestral resiliency
enthusiasm to the Faith were the Gypsies 1 toward the social evolution needed at this
and the Sami 2 people. time for their survival in a new civilization'',
At the beginning of the Plan, Spain had and some of them look toward the Faith "for
two small groups of Romani believers in two spiritual guidance and confirn1ation of their
towns . By the end of the Plan, Romani and own hope for unity and progress".
other Gypsy Baha'is resided in at least twenty- Good relations between the Baha'is and
three localities, and accounted for the mem- the Romani Union were established early
bership of five Local Spiritual Assemblies. in the history of the organization when its
Several national consultative meetings were founder, Dr. Jan Cibula, a Swiss physician
held on the subject of sharing the Faith with of Gypsy origin, accepted the help of a
Gypsies, including an international confer- Baha' i in drafting the group ' s by-laws. The
ence in May 1987. The National Spiritual Baha' i, a member of the Local Spiritual
Assembly sent a compilation on the topic to Assembly of Bern, also helped the Romani
all local communities. Union obtain accreditation with the United
Romani artists in Spain, both Baha'i and Nations, since the group ' s aim is to preserve
non-Baha 'i, pa1iicipated in a Flamenco Fes- the cultural heritage of the Gypsies and to
tival organized by the Spiritual Assembly of unite their various organizations worldwide.
Malaga to mark the end of the International The Austrian Baha ' i community actively
Year of Peace, 1986. Original songs were supported an International Roma Summer
perforn1ed before an audience of 200. The School organized by the Romani Union in
Malaga Assembly reported that it was "the July 1990. Held in Vienna, the school drew
first time that Romani Baha'is have pre- participants from all over Europe. The
sented themselves in public to sing in Baba' is were invited to give talks about the
honour of Baha'u ' llah. We consider this to Faith. Also in Austria, a Roma Club was
be an outstanding event.. .. " fo1med by a Baha'i in Burgenland to assist
Romas in that area.
The term "Gypsies" is sometimes used interchan ge-
Gypsies in Cyprus also showed interest in
ably with the terms " Romani people" or " Roma peo- the Faith, and enrolments occurred among
pl e"; however in some cases the term " Romani" them.
refers to a parti cul ar sub-group of Gypsies. Many members of minority groups
The term Sa mi re fers to indi genous peopl e of a region
responded most enthusiastically to the Baha'i
known as Lapland which compri ses northern Norway,
Sweden, Finland , and the Kola Penin sula of Russ ia. teachings when they were shared by a
It is so metimes used interchangeabl y with the term member of another minority group, some-
" Lapp" . tin1es from across the world. When a
358 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Romani (Gypsy)
Bah<i 'is of Torrevieja,
Spain, celebrate Naw-
Ruz in 198 7.

Mrs. Meherangiz
Muns if! (seated left)
with a Gypsy family
she met during her
trip to Lappeeranta,
Finland, in July 1987.

Participants in a
teaching project held
in Cyprus in 1991.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I A CTIVITIES 359
Peruvian Indian woman and her children set- In Sweden, contact was made with a numtled in Spain, the Gypsy Baha'i community ber of Sarni cultural agencies, and teaching
in her area began steadily growing. The pio- among the Samis generally increased. A
neer family had a special way of transmitting teaching project among the Samis of
the Message from heart to heart and inspiring Finland, Norway, and Sweden took place for
the Gypsies to further share the Message three weeks in April 1990. When the first
with their relatives . Local Spiritual Assembly oflnari, Filtland, was
The Sarn.i people of Lapland enthusiasti- fo1med that year, north of the Arctic Circle,
cally received travelling Native American two of its members were Sarni people.
Baha 'is. When an American Lakota Sioux Other examples of Baha'is reaching out
Indian, a renowned hoop dancer and flute to minority groups include: the enrolment of
player, visited Lapland in 1986 and per- large groups of Turkish workers in Gem1any
fo1med in Sarni villages, his artistry and and in Austria after the Baha'is organized
stories of the Native American peoples language courses, special unity Feasts, and
powerfully affected the Sarni people. opportunities for cultural exchange; the cre-
In 1987, two more Native Americans ation of a Regional Committee for the Basque
travelled and taught the Faith in Lapland for People in Spain; and the emol:ment of indifive weeks, carrying their love and the viduals from Ireland's Travelling People.
American Indian culture to the Sarni people
of Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The teach- Recognition
ers represented the Baha'i community at the During the Six Year Plan, governments,
annual meeting of one of the major Swedish public figures, people in positions of author-
Sarni organizations in Kiruna, above the ity, and religious leaders publicly and legally
Arctic Circle. Then they continued to touch recognized the independence of the Baha'i
hearts during their participation in the annual Faith and the importance of the contribu-
Arctic Baha'i Midsummer Camp in Karesu- tions made by the Baha'i community. These
ando, where one of them conducted a peace achievements signified ever-growing public
pipe ceremony at the riverside. At one of the awareness of the unique nature of the Cause
many firesides and public meetings held in of Baha'u'llah and the relevance of His
Finland, a Sarni youth choir performed, and Teachings to modem life.
Indian dancing was demonstrated. During One of the most significant breakthroughs
the visit of one of the friends to a Lapp cul- occurred in Germany, where the Federal
tural centre in Sweden, a Sarni flag, adopted Constitutional Court, the highest legal
the year before for use by all Sarni people, authority in the country, affirmed the legalwas raised for the first time in history, in ity of Local Spiritual Assembly by-laws. In
honour of the visiting Baha'i. February 1991 , the Court upheld the consti-
Three Native Americans continuing the tutional appeal made by the Local Assembly
tradition of the Trail of Light visited Finnish of Tiibingen after a series of lower courts
and Swedish Lapland in 1988. Their visit challenged the validity of its incorporation.
developed into a mutual sharing of cultures. The lower courts had based their decision on
The highlight was reported to be the day six the grounds that the authority granted to the
village women, five of whom were Sarni, National Spiritual Assembly in the by-laws
came to a handicraft circle, and the conver- of the Local Assembly violated the legal
sation lasted from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., principle requiring all legally incorporated
covering such topics as the role of women in associations to be autonomous. With its
the family and the world today, establishing a decision in favour of the Local Assembly,
nmturing atmosphere in the village, cultural the Federal Court affirmed the right of
minorities and their role, and world peace. the Baha' is to organize as a hierarchically
360 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Counsellor Louis
Henuzet (left)
receiving the "Peace
Messenger Award"
on behalf of the
Baha'i community of
Belgiwnfrom the
director of the
United Nations Information Office in
Brussels: 1987.

structured legal community according to the granted official permission for the National
revealed Law of God. Spiritual Assembly to hold its National Con-
Because the German Court's decision was vention. The National Assembly also obtained
based partially on the constitutional right to a post office box in its name and a telephone
freedom of religious practice, the Court registered in the name of the Baha 'is of
declared its recognition of the Faith as an Turkey. Also during the Plan, the religion
independent religion, stating that "the char- section of the birth certificates of about fifty
acter of the Baha'i Faith as a religion and friends were changed from Islam to Baha' i.
the Baha'i Community as a religious com- These were significant developments in this
munity is evident, in actual everyday life, officially secular but largely Muslim country.
cultural tradition, and in the understanding In Austria, Baha' i credentials became
of the general public as well as of the science accepted as essential documents for refugees
of comparative religion". The Court even by Ministry and Police authorities for the
took the rare step of issuing a statement to issuing of visas. In Sweden, the National
the press explaining its decision. (For the Spiritual Assembly was fully recognized by
full text, see p. 571) the immigration authorities as the proper
The independence of the Baha'i Faith was authority for deciding who is a Baha'i. In the
also affirmed in Belgium. In 1986, the fol- United Kingdom, the chairman of a Local
lowing paragraph appeared in the official Spiritual Assembly was given the authority
government publication, Impots sur !es to validate passport applications. Contribu-
Revenus: "It is accepted that the Baha'i tions to the National Baha'i Fund of Denmark
World Faith is a religion; its aim is to spread were declared tax-deductible in November
the ideal of Baha'i life based on principles 1988, and contributions to the Local Baha'i
of brotherhood, unity of mankind, and peace Fund of Geneva, Switzerland, were granted
among peoples, as proclaimed by Baha' u' llah, the same status that year. In Germany, the
Founder of the Baha'i World Faith, and on Baha'i House of Worship was classified as
the development of Baha'i institutions in the a cultural monument under the Historical
world .... " Monument Preservation Law, and a four-
A number of milestones in the area of page article on the Faith accompanied by
official recognition occurred in Turkey in photographs was included in a public school
1987. For the first time, the Government textbook. It was the first extensive reference
INTERNATIONAL SURV EY OF C URRENT BAHA ' I AC TIVITIES 361
to the Faith to appear in a book officially Sikh, Christian, Zoroastrian, and African
approved for use in German public schools, and American Indian leaders to take a more
according to the knowledge of the National active role in promoting world peace". A year
Assembly. later, the Baha'i community of Prato, Italy,
Baha'i Holy Days were recognized in was recognized for its outstanding activities
several countries and students granted in support of peace with an invitation by the
permission to be absent from school. In Municipality of Prato to collaborate on an
Germany, the Bavarian State Ministry for international meeting on peace. Two Baha'i
Education and Culture sent a circular letter speakers were among the eminent scientists
to educational authorities in January 1987 and physicians from many countries who
explaining a new policy to excuse Baha'i conducted two days of seminars.
students from school on the nine Holy A representative of the Baha' i Interna-
Days. In the Republic oflreland, three inter- tional Community met with the Pope in July
denominational "Project Schools" closed 1991 as part of a delegation from the Interon 12 November in observance of the Anni- national Council of the World Conference
versary of the Birth of Baha' u'llah. In on Religion and Peace. The World Confer-
Switzerland, the cantonal authorities in Bern ence on Religion and Peace represents about
delivered a seven-page decision in favour of ten religions.
the right of Baha'i children to be excused Baha'is in the United Kingdom were
from school on the Holy Days. invited to send a representative to an historic
In addition to being legally recognized, meeting of the Houses of Parliament in July
the increasing status being accorded the 1988. The secretary of the National Spiritual
Faith was demonstrated by the actions of Assembly joined representatives of Buddhist,
public figures and institutions. This included Christian (Franciscan Catholic) , Hindu,
invitations to participate in important inter- Muslim, Jewish, and Sikh groups at a gathfaith gatherings on an equal basis with ering in the House of Commons organized by
representatives of other major religions . the International Consultancy on Religion,
A news story by United Press Interna- Education, and Culture. Called the "All Party
tional on 28 October 1986, reporting on the Conservation Group of both Houses of
Prayer Surnnnt for Peace sponsored by Parliament and the World Wide Fund for
Pope John Paul II in Assisi, Italy, stated that Nature, United Kingdom'', the meeting
"John Paul exhorted the Baha'i, Buddhist, marked the first time speakers of Faiths other
Hindu, Moslem, Jewish, Jainist, Shintoist, than the Anglican Church were allowed to

Jn Koy uslukow,
Sivas, Turkey, a
group of women who
have just become
Baha 'is are meeting to
establish their Local
Spiritual Assembly.
January 1992.
362 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

meet in the House of Commons and present on the endowment land which the believers
their views to both Houses. Each participant had been cultivating. The Ministry said that
submitted a statement giving brief details of the Baba' is were the only recipients of this
what his or her Faith was doing, or propos- kind of gift, as other groups had not handled
ing to do, with regard to conservation, and government help in such a responsible way.
why it was involved in the movement. The
texts of the presentations were reproduced in Baha'i Scholarship
U.K. parliamentary journals circulated to the By establishing and improving programmes
parliaments of Australia, Canada, India, and for the systematic study of the Baha' i Faith,
New Zealand. and sharing the Faith with scholars at
In 1989, the Netherlands' Council of academic gatherings, the Baha'is of Europe
Chmches invited the Baha'is to attend the advanced Baha'i scholarship and enhanced
country's first Churches Day. The series of its reputation in the academic community.
meetings and workshops was attended by The Landegg Conference Centre in
about 16,000 people, including Christians, Wienacht, Switzerland became the home of
Hindus, and Muslims, the majority of whom Landegg Academy in 1988, and began offerhad never heard of the Faith before. ing a series of seminars, conferences, and
On 23 May 1986, representatives of reli- forums for Baha'is interested in serious study
gions other than the Baha'i Faith joined of the Cause and the development of Baha ' i
devotional services for peace in the European scholarship. Annual symposia for youth, on
House of Worship for the first time. Dming such topics as conflict resolution and the
the rest of the Six Year Plan, a number of global environmental crisis, provided opporinter-faith services were held in the Temple. tunities for participants to explore critical
In a calendar distributed throughout the social issues. In September 1990 the historic
Republic of Ireland by major companies in first "International Dialogue on the Transition
1988, the National Centre of the Baha' i to a Global Society", organized by Landegg
Faith was listed first among seven religions, in cooperation with the Vienna Academy for
under the heading "Major Religious Denom- the Study of the Future and the University of
inations". Maryland, brought together eighty leaders of
In Iceland, the trustworthiness of the thought from around the world to present
Bahi'is was recognized when the Ministry papers and discuss the changing world order.
for Forestry gave the Bahi ' is 3,000 saplings In August 1989, Landegg launched the
of three different kinds of trees to be planted "Certificate Programme in Baha' i Studies"

CD
Th e first International Dialogue on
the Transition to a
Global Society held
at Landegg Academy
in Switzerland in
September 1990.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'f ACTIVITIES 363
(see also p. 457.) Designed to foster system- As an extension of the symposium, the
atic Baba' i scholarship as called for by Ministry of Education arranged for two
Shoghi Effendi, the three-year independent smaller symposia to take place at the universtudy course required participants to spend sities of Gjirokaster and Elbasan. The
one month each year at Landegg and to meeting at the University of Gjirokaster was
submit papers throughout the rest of the attended by over 200 professors, educators,
year. The programme began with twenty- and students, and the meeting in Elbasan
eight students from eleven countries. attracted 100 participants. In addition to the
In November 1991 , Landegg Academy's symposium and its satellite meetings, a
efforts to share the fruits of Baha'i scholar- number of other activities were conducted
ship with a wider audience brought the by the Landegg team. These included dis-
Academy into contact with educators in the cussions with faculty members of Tirana
formerly isolated Eastern Europe. Landegg's University working to develop a curriculum
Institute of International Education and on the philosophy of religion; a meeting
Development collaborated with the Albanian with Ministry of Education officials about
Ministry of Education to organize a national pre-school education; and consultations with
symposium in Tirana called "A New Frame- the editors and staff of a textbook publishing
work for Moral Education". Described as house who wanted to discuss ways moral
"successful beyond all expectations", the education could be incorporated in school
symposium was conducted by a team of books.
fourteen Baha ' is from six countries who had In June 1987, the Dutch Baha'i commubeen invited by the organizers from Landegg nity officially opened the doors of De Poort
Academy. More than 300 university profes- ("the gate"), a new conference centre built to
sors, teachers, educational administrators, become "a centre of Baba' i scholarship and
and students from around Albania attended. a beacon for seekers, not only for the areas
A group of fifty participants travelled every in which it is established, but for the Netherday from the city of Durres on a bus put lands and the greater part of northwest
at their disposal by the local authorities. Europe". During the remainder of the Plan,
The main part of the programme consisted this venue was used for a variety of forums,
of presentations by Baha'is: "Living in a seminars, and conferences.
Rapidly Changing Society: Transition to Annual conferences of European chapters
Maturity"; "A New Frame for Moral Educa- of the Association for Baha'i Studies contintion: A Di scussion of Guiding Principles"; ued to be held, including regional gatherings
"Moral Capabilities"; "Spiritual Qualities"; for English-speaking, German-speaking and
"A Pedagogy for Moral Education"; and "The French-speaking Europe. The Association for
Role of Consultation". The plenary sessions Baha'i Studies for French-speaking Europe
were chaired by the Vice-Minister of Educa- established contacts with institutions of
tion. Albanians and members of the Landegg higher education and scholars, and organized
team participated in panel discussions. conferences devoted to themes of general
"D iscussion groups were lively", accord- interest. The proceedings of these meetings
ing to the report. "At the beginning, the were published.
Albanians were timid about participating in A new ABS chapter was formed in Spain,
the discussions, but gradually they began to and its first conference was held in Barcelona
express their own views. By the end, there in September 1988. Thirty of the 150 particiwas no doubt that the majority had accepted pants were not Baha'is, including prominent
the framework presented to them and were people from the academic realm and the
eager to apply it to their own individual world of art. At least four newspapers pubsituations." lished articles about the gathering.
364 THE BAHA'i WORLD

The Association for Baha' i Studies chap- thought, attempting an interdisciplinary apter in Austria established relations with the proach that included moral and social factors.
Vienna Academy for the Study of the Future. Several Baha'is participated in a scientific
Also in Austria, four public lectures were conference organized by the International
held at the University oflnnsbruck. Society for General Systems Research in
A course on the Baha'i Faith was taught Budapest, Hungary, in June 1987 (see also
in the faculty of comparative religions at p. 459). At the request of the Universal House
Belgium's University of Antwerp in 1989. of Justice, Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum
Dr. Suheil Bushrui taught the course while headed the Baha'i delegation which included
serving as a visiting professor in the Depart- Mrs. Violette Na!sb.javani and Dr. Janet
ment of English Literature. Khan from Haifa, and Dr. Ingeborg Franken
Baha'i scholars took part in a number and Dr. Udo Schaefer from Germany. The
of academic conferences. In October 1986, conference, held in a city visited by 'Abdu'l-
Baha'is from several countries attended a Baha and much admired by Him, attracted
"Physis" conference in Florence, Italy, held some of the foremost systems scientists from
under the official sponsorship of the Ministry Eastern Europe and the West. They were
of Culture and the City of Florence with par- drawn from such disciplines as mathematics,
ticipation of the General Evolution Research physics, engineering, economics, manage-
Group, the Club of Rome, and the United ment, and the biological and social sciences.
Nations University. Physis is described as a A featured speaker was the President of the
new science, integrating the living and the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R.
non-living, arising out of recent thinking Dr. Ervin Laszlo, a renowned scientist
among scientists on the nature of man. Con- and member of the Club of Rome, had
nected with the conference, Baha'i scientists encouraged the Baha'is to participate in the
and academics hosted a reception for the Budapest meeting during a visit to the
twelve members of the General Evolution Baha'i World Centre. He also requested that
Research Group, headed by Dr. Ervin Laszlo. a paper on the Baha'i Faith be presented dur-
A member of the New York Office of Public ing the section of the conference arranged by
Information explained to the guests that the his General Evolution Research Group. This
reception had been arranged to make known provided a rare opportunity to respond to an
the Baha'i attitude of the harmony between invitation to make a presentation on aspects
science and religion, and to acknowledge the of the Baha'i teachings at an international
effort by scientists to re-examine scientific scientific conference.

Representatives of
the Local Assembly of
In verness receiving
copies of the commemorative stamp issued
by the Post Office of
the United Kingdom
to honour the famous
potter and Baha'i,
Mr. Bernard Leach.
I 9 November 1987.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 365
Dr. Janet Khan delivered a paper entitled covering the event paid tribute to Forel's
"The Baha'i Community as a Model for greatness as a scientist, thinker, social
Social Change" which described the society- reforn1er, and dedicated servant to humanity.
building processes of the Baha ' i community Another exhibit was displayed in the Centre
and the operation of the Administrative Medical Universitaire in the spring of 1989.
Order, using the language and concepts of A lso in Switzerland, Baha'i scholar Hafez
genera l evolution and systems theories. The Sabet delivered a presentation on his book
paper was very well received and elicited Die Schuld des Norden (The Debt of the
many questions about the Faith, its teach- North) at the prestigious World Economic
ings, its relationship to science, and its Forum in January 1992.
manner of functioning in the world. Four representatives of the Baha'i Faith
Dr. Franken, a physicist, and Dr. Schaefer, participated in an international conference
a public prosecutor, participated in a work- on science and religion in March 1988 called
shop on peace organized by a special interest "One World-Changing Perspectives on
group of the Society. During the discussion Reality". Held at the University of Twente
periods, they were able to describe the in the Netherlands, the conference attracted
elements of the Baha'i peace programme 150 people. During workshops held to supand the activities of the world-wide commu- plement the main presentations, a German
nity in sensitizing humankind to the need for Baha'i physicist, Dr. Ingo Hofmann, presenand the inevitability of peace. ted the concept that progressive revelation is
When the Post Office of the United the spiritual parallel to the role of "time" in
Kingdom issued a commemorative stamp the evolution of modern physics. He also
honouring the famous potter and Baha'i, proposed that the role of "creativity" as the
Bernard Leach, in October 1987, Baba ' is propelling force in physical evo lution finds
made special efforts to inform the academic its parallel in the spiritual and religious
commun ity of the spiritual aspect of development of human nature.
Mr. Leach's work. In Northern Ireland, the At the New University in Lisbon, Portugal,
Baha'i Information Office sponsored two Baha ' is participated in a special week set
lectures by potter and arts academic, V ictor aside in June 1989 to examine the eth-
Priem, himself a Baha'i. One lecture was nology, anthropology and sociology of reliheld at the University of Ulster's Art gions. A large display of Baha'i books,
College, and the other at Queen's University pictures, and posters was arranged as part of
of Belfast. The Arts Council of Northern a book fair related to the religious studies
Ireland undertook major distribution of week. Speakers for the event were also
publicity. presented with the Peace Statement.
In Switzerland, exhibitions were orga- The New University in Lisbon was also
ni zed by the University of Zurich to honour the venue for a Congress on Religious
Professor August Fore!, a famous researcher Studies in which the Baha'is participated
in medicine and natural science and a social in Jan uary 1992. A member of the National
reformer who became one of the first Baha ' is Spiritual Assembly of Portugal delivered a
in that country. One exhibition, held in 1986, lecture on the Faith, a Baha'i book exhibiwas attended by a number of scientists, tion was arranged, and several books were
government representatives, and members of presented to university professors.
Dr. Forel ' s family. Quotations about the In 1990, a French university requested a
Baha'i Faith from Forel's testament were review copy of a Baha'i book to include in
displayed, as were books, including For the a bibliography used by religious scholars in
Good of Mankind-August Fore! and the 80 countries. The Universite des Sciences
Baha'i Faith by Dr. J.P. Vader. The media Humaines de Strasbourg asked the National
366 THE BAHA'i WORLD

A Baha 'i staffing a
book exhibition
which was part of a
Congress on Religious
Studies, held at the
New University in
Lisbon, Portugal, in
January 1992.

Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom Yugoslavia, was the site for an International
for a copy of The Seven Candles of Unity. Book Fair in which Austria's Baha'i Book
The same university previously had re- Distribution Service participated. The fair
quested Unless and Until: a Baha'i Focus was attended by approximately 400,000 peoon the Environment. ple, and in addition to Baha'i books being
Just prior to the end of the Six Year Plan, seen at the Baha'i booth, five Baha' i books
twelve scholarly articles reviewing works of were selected for display at the booth of
Baha' i literature were accepted for pub- a commercial English-language distribution
lication in volume III of the EncyclopMie service "because they were expected to sell
philosophique universelle. The purpose of well in Yugoslavia", the company representhe articles was to inform philosophers, tative said.
theologians, and university students about the Extensive publicity about the Faith was
philosophical implications of Baha'i teach- stimulated in Riga, Latvia, where hundreds of
ings. This significant achievement marked Baha' i books were exhibited at the Latvian
the first time the Baha'i Faith was repre- Central State Library in October 1990. The
sented in terms of philosophy in such a books were in nineteen different languages,
prestigious publication. including Latvian, Lithuanian, Armenian,
and Moldavian. The exhibition led to three
Distribution of Literature broadcasts on national television news of a
The Sacred Writings of the Baha'i Faith were brief interview with a Baha' i; an interview
increasingly made accessible to the public in on a very popular radio programme for
Europe as Baha'is participated in book fairs youth ; and a ten-minute radio interview on a
or exhibitions and signed contracts to make Swedish broadcasting station.
Baha'i literature available in bookstores . The Baha' is of Funchal, on the island of
From the Canary Islands to Yugoslavia, Madeira in Porh1gal, began participating in
from Latvia to Portugal, major book exhibi- an annual local book fair in 1990. After the
tions included Baha'i material. In the Canary second year, the community experienced
Islands, books such as Bahli 'u 'llah and the greater receptivity to the Faith, being inter-
New Era, Thief in the Night, and Religion viewed by three different radio stations, and
for Mankind were found to be the most pop- seeing two local newspapers publish articles
ular at book fairs . In October 1990, Belgrade, on the Faith.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 367

The Bahri 'i Book
Distribution Service of
Austria participated in "
the International Book
Fair held in Belgrade,
Yugoslavia, Ji-om 24 to
31October1990.
About 400,000 people
visited the Fair, of
whom some 2, 000 took
introductory literature
about the Faith .

Twelve Baha'i publishers from four and the New Era and The Promise of World
continents were represented at the first Peace in Greek, and one store also sold The
Geneva International Fair for Books and the Hidden Words and Selections ji-om the Writ-
Press, held in May 1987. The Baha'i stand, ings of 'Abdu '!-Bahri. Baha ' is in the Canary
which was visited by 40,000 people, was Islands increased their distribution of books
dominated by a large colour photograph of to commercial bookstores; at least thirteen
the House of Worship in India. More than a stores carried Baha'i titles. In Sweden, a
hundred titles in eight languages and The contract was signed with a company to dis-
Promise of World Peace in thirty languages tribute Baha'i publications to bookstores. In
were displayed under the headings: Peace, the United Kingdom, trade representatives
Family, Education, Religion, and History. were trained in selling Baha' i books to com-
During the inauguration, the official cortege mercial outlets, which led to increases in
stopped at the Baha'i stand while the president trade accounts and sales. In 1989, Oneworld
of the Fair introduced the Faith to the guests Publications ' edition of Th e Hidden Words
of honour and dignitaries who followed him. was among thirty books selected by a major
Five Baha'i authors signed their books dur- book chain in the United Kingdom, Sherratt
ing two special events, and constant contact & Hughes, to participate in a nationwide
was maintained with dozens of journalists promotion on the theme of comparative relipresent at the Fair. gion. A quotation from The Hidden Words
The long-standing participation of the was used to adorn the banners hung across
German Baha 'i Publishing Trust in the the shop and window displays, and Sherratt
Moscow Book Fair continued during the & Hughes acquired a large quantity of the
Plan, as did involvement of the Baha' i Pub- books to meet the expected demand.
lishing Trust of the United Kingdom in book In the Netherlands, Baha' i literature in
fairs in Budapest, Hungary. The Baha' is of Frisian was accepted for sale by the General
Belgium, Spain and Sweden also displayed Frisian Teaching Commission, the official
Baha'i literature at book fairs in their respec- body responsible for education in the Frisian
tive countries. language and culture. The Flysk en Frij,
More bookstores in Europe began stock- the only weekly publication in the Frisian
ing Baha'i books during the Plan. Several language, also published an extensive article
bookstores in Greece carried Bahri 'u 'llrih outlining the work of the Baha'is' National
368 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Oneworld Publications' edition of
The Hidden Words of
Baha 'u 'llah (right)
was exhibited in the
win.dows of the book
chain Sh erratt &
Hughes, in the United
Kingdom, for three
weeks in July 1989,
among other books on
the theme of comparative religion.

Translation Committee and providing infor- Islands, France, Luxembourg and Spain,
mation about the Faith. among other countries. In Germany, a
When the Iron Curtain separating the East- National Committee for Maniage and Family
ern Bloc from the West came down, Baha'is was established and offered many conferin Western Europe moved quickly to trans- ences on the topic. In the Republic of
late the sacred literature into the needed Ireland, a sub-committee on parenting prolanguages. Selections ofbasic Baha'i literature duced a series of deepening packets which
were printed and distributed in large quanti- were used throughout the country. One year
ties in many Eastern European languages. the Irish summer school was devoted to the
The Baha'i Publishing Trust of Portugal subject of marriage and the following year to
was established during the Plan. family life.
The National Spuitual Assembly oflceland
Strengthening Families gave particular attention to the development
While Baha'is were endeavouring to share of Baha'i families, organizing weekend
with an increasingly despairing public the institutes with Icelandic and visiting experts.
solutions they had found in the Teachings of Summer schools and youth gatherings
Baha'u'llah, they also strove to move closer focussed on the subject, and local communito His ideal in their own lives. In an age of ties sponsored deepenings. The compilation
dissolving families , they worked to strengthen Baha 'i Marriage and Family Life was transthis fundamental unit, recognizing the critical lated into Icelandic.
link between family unity and world peace. Landegg Academy established a Depart-
Seminars, workshops and lectures on ment of Education and Family Life to
family life were held in Austria, the Canary develop projects related to this vital area.
INT E RNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I AC TI V ITI ES 369

Th e Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone, Mrs. Madge Featherstone, and
Counsellor Adib Taherzadeh were among the participants in the Baha'i summer school
held in Iceland in August 1987.

Participants in the opening of the first Baha'i School in Vejle, Denmark; 3 September 1989.
The school has classes eve1y second Sunday for children between the ages of 5 and J 4.
370 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Th e House of the Bab,
in Shiraz, lran- one of the
holiest sites in the Baha 'i
world- was destroyed by
revolutionmy guards in
1979.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACT IVITI ES

3. THE PERSECUTION AND DEFENSE OF THE BAHA'i
COMMUNITY OF IRAN 1986-1992

A. THE BAH.A. 'i QUESTION
Iran's Secret Blueprint for the Destruction of a Religious Community
An Examination of the Persecution of the Baha' is of Iran 1979-1992*

INTRODUCTION minority. In March 1992, Balunan Samandari,
For more than a century, the Baha' is of iran a well-known Baha' i businessman in Tihran,
have continually been persecuted for their was summoned to Ivin Prison and summarily
religious beliefs. With the triumph of the executed.
Islamic revol ution in 1979, the persecution By the end of the period covered by this
of Baha' is intensified as the government volume, the Baha' is of Iran remained in a
embarked on a systematic campaign to erad- precarious state. They were denied the right
icate the Baha' i community of fran. Despite to practice their faith free ly, a right guaranthe fact that Baba 'is are committed to teed under international human rights
non- vio lence , tolerance, and loya lty to instruments, such as the International Bill of
govern ment, they came to be classified as Human Rights, to which Iran was a party.
" unprotected infidels" with no rights under The administrative institutions of their Faith
the constitution. were dismantled in accordance with a gov-
Between 1978 and 1988, nearl y two ernment edict. They lived each day knowing
hundred promin ent Baha ' is were executed that their government sought to block their
by the Iranian government. The majority of development as a communi ty, and that even
them were members of the community's the slightes t infraction could result in the
democratically elected governing councils. deprivation of their livelihood, impri sonment
Hundreds more Baha'is were imprisoned, or worse.
while tens of thousands were deprived of Yet the Baha'i communi ty in Iran posed
jobs, pensions, businesses, and educational no threat to the Iranian authorities. The
opportunities. Baha' is faced these persecu- Baha'i community in Iran was not aligned
tions so lely because of their religious beli efs. with any government, ideology, or opposi -
In the face of intense international tion movement. Indeed, the principles of the
pressure, the most notabl e example of which Baha'i Faith require Baha' is to be obedient
was a series of United Nations resoluti ons to their government and to avoid partisan
against Iran, the Irani an government in the political invo lvement, subversive activity and
late 1980s reduced the rate of executions and all fo rms of violence.
the number of Baha' is held in prison. How- The Baha'is in Iran sought no special
ever, the government did not give up on privileges. They so ught onl y their rights
its goal of destroying the 350,000-member under the Un iversal Declaration of Human
Baha ' i co mmunity, Iran ' s largest religious Rights, including the ri ght to life, the right to
liberty and security of person, the right to
*Adapted from a paper by the United Nat ions Office education and work, and the right to profess
of the Baha' i Intern ati onal Com munity. and practice their reli gion.
372 THE BAHA'i WORLD

HISTORJCAL BACKGROUND universal divine Messenger anticipated in
The status of human rights in the Islamic the scriptures of all the major religions .
Republic of Iran cannot be fully understood The teachings of the Bab, which were
without taking into account the historical embraced by thousands of followers , were
background of persecution against the Baha'i seen by both secular and religious authoricommunity. ties as a threat to their power. Widespread
Persecution of the Baha'i Faith in Iran persecutions followed, and some 20,000 folbegan with its founding there in the mid- lowers, who were known as Babis, paid with
1800s. Baha'is understand that the pattern of their lives. The Bab Himself was executed
oppression experienced in the cradle of their by the government.
Faith is a manifestation of the misunder- Among the followers of the Bab was an
standing and fear that often occur when a Iranian nobleman named Baha'u'llah. In 1863
new religion emerges from the matrix of a He announced that He was the Messenger
well-established orthodoxy. TI1e pattern has the Bab had heralded, founding the Baha'i
been repeated through the ages; indeed, Faith. The central theme of Baha'u'llah's
virtually all of the world's great religions message is that humanity is a single race and
have faced intense persecution at their birth. that the day has come for its unification into
There can be no doubt that the claims of the one global society. "The earth is but one
twin Founders of the Baha'i Faith, especially country and mankind its citizens", He wrote.
when viewed through the lens of traditional Baha'u'llah also taught that there is only
Islam, are as bold as those of any Prophet in one God, and that all of the world 's religions
ancient times. are expressions of a single, unfolding Divine
An initial wave of persecution came in plan, "the changeless Faith of God, eternal
response to the claims of a young Iranian in the past, eternal in the future" . Baha'is
merchant, known as the Bab, who announced understand that God has revealed religious
in Shiraz in May 1844 that He was the bear- truth to humanity progressively, through a
er of a new revelation from God. This new series of Divine Messengers, each of Whom
revelation, He said, fulfilled Islamic prophe- has founded a great religion. The Messengers
cies for the coming of "the Twelfth Imam". have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster,
His primary mission, the Bab said, was to Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Mul;ammad. The
prepare humanity for the advent of "Him latest of these Messengers are the Bab and
Whom God Shall Make Manifest", the Baha'u'llah.

Jn a photograph taken
around 1896, a Baha'i
father and son (at left)
are shown in chains
after being arrested
with fellow Baha 'is.
Both were subsequently executed.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 373
The idea that the Bab and Baha'u'llah are of men and women, and acceptance of the
new Messengers of God was viewed by scientific method, as antithetical to the tradimany Muslims as heresy. In the Qur'an, tions oflslam.
Mul)ammad referred to Himself as the "Seal The persecutions continued intermittently
of the Prophets'', and most Muslim scholars in the twentieth century, coinciding most
interpreted this to mean that He would be the often with some need of the government to
last Messenger of God. shore up its support with certain elements of
Baha 'is, however, believe that the coming the Islamic leadership in Iran.
of the Bab and Baha'u'llah pose no contra- Sometimes outbreaks of violence against
diction with Islam. Baha'is understand, in Baha'is were directed by local or regional
fact, that Mul;ammad did indeed end or authorities. In 1903, for example, some 101
"seal" the prophetic cycle; then, with the Baha'is were killed in the city ofYazd after
advent of the Bab and Baha 'u' llah, a new era the populace was incited by hostile Mullas.
of religious fulfillment was entered. Baha' is At other times the oppression of Baha'is
understand that this is all in accordance with was an official part of the government's
the prophecies of Islam and the world's national policy. For example, during the early
other major religions . years of the Pahlavi Regime (1927 to 1979),
Other aspects of Baba ' i teachings also the government formalized a policy of
aroused opposition among some followers discrimination against the Baha 'is as a conof Islam. In outlining His vision for a new cession to the clergy. Beginning in 1933,
world civilization, Baha'u'llah advocated a Baha'i literature was banned; Baha'i
series of highly progressive social principles. marriages were not recognized; Baha'is in
These principles include: the elimination of public service were demoted or fired; and
all forms of prejudice; equality between the eventually Baha'i schools were closed.
sexes; recognition of the essential oneness of Another round of persecutions was underthe world's great religions ; the elimination taken in 1955, when the government allowed
of extremes of poverty and wealth; universal the nationwide broadcast of a series of ineducation; the harmony of science and reli- cendiary se1mons against the Baha'is by a
gion; a sustainable balance between nature leading Shi'ih preacher in Tihran. A wave of
and technology; and establishment of a world anti-Baha ' i violence swept the country, with
federal system, based on collective security. murders, rapes and robberies reported in
Some Muslims viewed the progressive many areas. Government officials joined in
nature of these teachings, such as the equality the seizure and destruction of the national

Members of the
Shah's army and
Muslim leaders join in
the destruction of the
National Saha 'i
Centre in Tihran,
ii-an, in May i955.
374 THE BA H A' i WORLD

headqua1iers building of the Baha'i commu- When the Republic 's new constitution
nity, and the government announced it had was drawn up in April 1979, the rights of the
ordered the suppression of all activities of Christian, Jewish, and Zoroasháian minori-
"the Baha 'i sect". ties in Iran were specifically mentioned and
It is important to understand that the per- protected. The rights of the Baha'i commusecution of the Baha 'is in Iran was in no way nity, the largest religious minority, however,
related to some underlying issue of ethnicity were not mentioned.
or political involvement. The overwhelming Under Iran's concept of an Islamic govmajority of Iranian Baha'is came from the ernment, this exclusion came to mean that
same Persian and Azerbaijani ethnic stock Baha'is enjoyed no rights of any smi, and
as the rest of the population, and they rep- that they could be attacked and persecuted
resented a cross section of Iran ' s social with impunity. Courts in the Republic
classes. denied Baha'is the right ofredress or protec-
Only their religious beliefs distinguished tion against assault, killings or other f01ms
them from their fellow countrymen- beliefs of persecution- and mled that Iranian
which Baha'is are forbidden from imposing citizens who killed or injured Baha'is were
on others, and which are, paradoxically, not liable for the damages because their
virtually unknown among Muslims in iran. victin1s were "unprotected infidels".
Despite the fact that the Baha'i Faith origi- Without any claim to civil rights, the posinated in Iran, there persisted an almost tion of the Baha'i community within Iranian
universal ignorance of the religion's nature, society deteriorated rapidly. In March 1979,
teachings, and history. The Iranian Baha'i the House of the Bab, the holiest Baha'i
community was consistently denied the use shrine in Iran, was turned over by the govof any means of mass communication, in- ernment to a Muslim cleric known for his
cluding radio, television, newspapers, films, anti-Baha' i activities. Then, in September,
the distribution of literature, and public the House was destroyed by a mob led by
lectures. Mullas and officials of the Department of
Instead, ignorance of the true nature of Religious Affairs .
the Baha'i teachings was cultivated by the In November 1979, an edict from the
eccles iastical authorities into a full-blown Ministry of Education required not only the
and deeply ingrained prejudice. dismissal of all Baha'i teachers, but also
held them responsible for the repayment of
RECENT PERSECUTIONS all salaries they had previously received.
With the establishn1ent of the Islamic Repub- At least seven Baha'is were killed in 1979.
lic in 1979, a new chapter in the persecution Two were executed by the government and
of the Baha'is ofiran was opened. one was hanged in prison. Others were beaten
Even before the Ayatollah Khomeini to death or simply killed in local incidents.
returned from exile to assume power in February that year, an increase in attacks on EX ECUTIONS
Bahe\. 'is presaged the wholesale persecution Buoyed by their growing influence over all
that was to come. In 1978, at least seven aspects of Iranian life, in 1980 the clergy
Bahe\.' is were killed, most as a result of mob moved "to cut off the head" of the "heretiviolence. cal" Baha'i movement by destroying its
While many Iranians hailed the revolu- leadership, believing that the majority of the
tion as the dawn of a long awaited era of Baha'is would then succumb to social
political liberty and national reconshuction, pressures to recant their Faith.
it was clear fro m the start that the Baha' is This policy is reflected in the fact that
would be unjustly reviled for their beliefs. well over half the Baha 'is executed in Iran
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 375
after 1979 were members of national and Others are pagaris. Pagaris must be eliminated."
local governing councils of the Baha'i com- Under Isiarnic law in Iran, "People of the
munity, known as Spiritual Assemblies. Book" included only Muslims, Jews, Christiaris
Among the first aimed at Baha'i leader- and, by special dispensation, Zoroastrians.
ship was the execution on 10 June 1980 of The National Spiritual Assembly of the
Yusuf Sub~ani, a highly regarded member Baha ' is of Iran was reconstituted through
of the 'fihran Baha'i community. This was new elections but was again ravaged by the
followed by the executions of the chairman execution of eight of its members on 27 Deand another member of the Local Spiritual cember 1981. In all at least 48 Baha ' is were
Assembly of Tabriz on 14 July 1980, a killed in Iran during 1981 ; of those, all but
member of the Spiritual Assembly of Rasht two were executed by the government.
on 16 July 1980, and two prominent Baha' i Executions continued apace through 1982,
spokesmen in 'fihran on 30 July and 15 Au- 1983, and 1984. At least 32 Baha'is were exgust 1980. ecuted or killed in 1982, 29 were executed or
On 21 August 1980, all nine members of killed in 1983, and 30 were executed or
the national Baha'i governing council, the killed in 1984. And, again, the targets of
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is these executions were often members of
of Iran, were arrested and disappeared with- Baha'i governing councils. Four members of
out a trace. It seems certain that they were the National Spiritual Assembly, which had
executed. once again been reconstituted through fresh
During 1980 at least 24 Baha ' is were elections, were executed in 1984, although
killed in Iran; 20 were executed by the by then the institution had been disbanded in
government and the rest were stoned, assas- accordance with a government decree, and
sinated, or burned to death. the individuals held no official position in
Despite a growing international outcry, the the Baha' i community. (See pp. 390-396 for
rate of executions continued to grow through a complete list of those who have been killed
1981. By late summer that year, revolution- or executed.)
ary courts were openly sentencing Baha'is One of the most dramatic groups of exeto death on purely religious grounds and cutions came in June 1983, when 10 Iranian
announcing the fact in Iranian media. The Baha'i women, including two teenage girls,
Attorney General, Siyyid Mussavi-Tabrizi, were hanged . The primary charge against
stated: "The Qur' an recognized only the them: teaching Baha ' i children's classes-
People of the Book as religious communities. the equivalent of Sunday School in the West.

The House of the Bab,
a place of pilgrimage
for Bahfi 'is, was
destroyed by
Revolutionary
Guards in 1979 and
later razed by the
Government. Th e
Hous e was located in
Shiraz, !ran.
376 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

The women were subjected to intense death. In these cases, the bodies were buried
physical and mental abuse in an effo11 to by the authorities before the families could
coerce them to recant their Faith-an option view them.
that was almost always pressed upon Baha' i
prisoners. Yet, like most Baha'is who have SOC IAL AND ECONOMIC INTIMIDA T!ON
been arrested in Iran, they refused to deny The authorities also conducted a campaign
their beliefs. Nevertheless, the fact that so of economic, social and cultural intimidation
many Baha'is were given the option of against the Baha' i community of Iran. The
recanting, with the promise of release if they objective, it is clear, was to deprive Baha'is
did so, is among the strongest proofs that the of their rights to education, to a job and to a
persecutions were based on religious beliefs. home of their own-once again with the
intention of forcing them to recant.
IMPRJSONMENT AN D TORTURE Beginning in the 1930s, the Baha'is of
Since 1979, nearly 1,000 Baha'is have been Iran were forbidden to run their own educaarrested and imprisoned. At one point in tional establishments, therefore forcing them
1986, some 747 Baha'is were being held in to educate their children at state-run schools
prisons throughout Iran. In most cases, they and universities where they often suffered
had no trials. discrimination and persecution. The level of
The torture of Baha 'is in Iranian pris- discrimination and persecution in schools
ons-and particularly of those who had been rose sharply following the Islamic revolution
members of Baha'i governing councils- in 1979. In 1981, an official decree was iswas routine and systematic. Again, accord- sued barring Baha'i students and professors
ing to Baha ' is who survived, the purpose of from admission to or employment at any
the torture almost invariably was to make university in Iran. Universities published
the Baha'is recant their Faith or confess to new prospectuses in 1981 requiring that apsome treasonous activity. plicants belong to one of the four religions
Torture included sustained beating and recognized in the constitution, namely the
flogging, the bastinado (whipping the soles Muslim, Jewish, Christian or Zoroastrian
of the feet), the pulling out of fingernails and religions.
teeth, and the deprivation of food and water Admission to primary and secondary
for days at a time. schools was refused to those who identified
Baha'is were also subjected to psycholog- themselves as Baha'is, and hundreds of
ical torture, including mock executions and students were expelled.
being forced to wimess the torture of family
members and friends. DEPRJVATION OF EMPLOYMENT
Thus an elderly Baha'i woman, who was The Iranian government also sought to ina member ofa local Baha 'i council, was tor- timidate Baha'is by making it impossible for
tured in front of a dozen other Baha'is in an them to earn a living. In 1979 the governeff011 to persuade her and them to deny their ment started dismissing all Baha'i civil
Faith. The woman's jailer took her by her servants without compensation. By July
hair and continually banged her head against 1982, all Baha'i public servants had been
the wall. She was beaten about the head for a dismissed and the pensions of all retired
long time, until her body was covered with Baha'i civil servants had been te1minated.
blood. After two years of imprisonment, she In late 1984, the Attorney General started
was summarily released, with no recourse issuing summonses demanding that all those
against the abuse she had received. Baha'i civil servants who had been dis-
At least thirteen Baha'is who died in pris- missed repay all the salaries they had
on are believed to have been tortured to received during their employment. They
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 377
were threatened with imprisonment if they plunder and destrnction of the livestock and
did not comply. Obviously, repayment of a crops of Baha'i farmers.
lifetime's wages was beyond the means of
most victims. Many were imprisoned as a CONFISCATION OF COMMUNITY ASSETS
result of failure to meet this absurd demand. The Baha'i community in Iran was not al-
The government also systematically lowed to hold community property in its own
sought to drive Baha'is in the private sector name. As a result, all community property
to economic ruin. In the early 1980s, the had to be held in the name of a non-profit
trading licenses of most Baha'i businessmen company created for this purpose. This
were revoked, the assets of businesses rnn body, the Umana Company, was allowed to
by Baha 'is were confiscated, and bank administer such properties without undue
accounts of most Baha'i businessmen were interference until the change of government
frozen. In addition, the authorities intimidat- in 1979.
ed private employers into dismissing many One of the first acts of the new govern-
Baha'i employees. ment was to confiscate the Umana Company
Almost every dismissal notice served on and all its holdings. This meant that in one
a Baha'i employee, whether in the public or stroke all Baha'i community properties were
the private sector, stated that the reason for arbitrarily transferred to the state without
dismissal was membership in the Baha'i Faith compensation. The government also confisand that the person's job would be restored cated the assets of all Baha' i welfare
ifhe or she would recant his or her faith. agencies, which provided services to people
In addition to depriving Baha'is of a live- of all religions on an equal basis.
lihood, the government in the early 1980s Among the government 's next steps were
sought to deprive an-ested Balla' is of many to desecrate and in many cases desháoy
of their possessions, including their homes. Baha' i holy places throughout Iran. As
Through its takeover of the major Baha 'i noted, these properties included the holiest
savings company, Nawnahalan, the govern- Baha'i shrine in Iran, the House of the Bab
ment in one move swept away the life in Shiraz, which was confiscated and then
savings of its 15 ,000 Baha'i shareholders destroyed. The House ofBaha'u'llah in Takur,
and investors. In addition, thousands of where the Founder of the Balla 'i Faith spent
Baha'is, rich and poor alike, had their homes His childhood, met a similar fate: it was
and personal possessions confiscated by the demolished and the site was offered for sale
government, and thousands more had their to the public.
homes desháoyed by arson and looting. In In Tihran and other cities throughout Iran,
rural areas, the authorities encouraged the Balla' i buildings were looted and burned,

Shortly after the
Islamic Revolution,
the National Baha 'i
Centre in Tihran was
confiscated by authorities and turned into a
"Tempormy Islamic
Propaganda Centre "
and an "Open
Muslim University. "
378 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Baha'i cemeteries were bulldozed and Baha'i contraty, the Pahlavi regime consistently pergraves were broken open. In the Tihran area, secuted the Baha'i Faith, and SA YAK was
the Baha'is were forced to bury their dead in one of the main agencies of this persecution.
a baITen stretch of land reserved by the For Baha' is in Iran, the idea of collaborating
authorities for "infidels". Having access to with SA VAK would have been unthinkable.
their own cemeteries is especially important The lran.ian government alleged that cettain
to Baha'is because, as might be ex:pected, SA VAK officials were Baha'is . These alle-
Baha'is were not allowed to bury their dead gations are completely untrue, fabricated to
in Muslim cemeteries. mask the religious nature of the persecutions.
• That Bahii. 'is are heretics or enemies of
" JUSTIFI CATI ONS" OF TH E P ERSECUTION
Islam.
Despite the overwhelming proof that the
Baha' i community in Iran was being perse- Both charges are false . The Baha ' i Faith
cuted solely because of its religious beliefs, is widely recognized as an independent
the Iranian government continued to justify world religion-even by Islamic scholars.
this persecution by charging the Baha'i As long ago as 1924, a Sunni appellate court
conununity with a variety of offences. All in Egypt recognized that the Baha'i Faith
such charges demonstrated an ignorance of was an independent world religion in its
the basic principles and history of the Baha'i judgement that: "The Baha'i Faith is a new
Faith. No evidence was ever brought for- religion entirely independent. ... No Baha' i
ward to support any of these accusations. therefore can be regarded as Muslim or vice
The principal charges advanced by the gov- versa, even as no Buddhist, Brahmin or
errm1ent were: Christian can be regarded as Muslim." Accordingly, no charge of heresy can be made.
• That Baha 'is were supporters of the
Baha'is revere MuJ:iammad and His book,
Pahlavi regime and the late Shah of!ran;
the Qur'an, as they do Jesus, Buddha, and the
that they collaborated with SAVAK, the
founders of the other great religions. Indeed,
secret police; and that the Baha 'i Faith
alone among the followers of the world's
was a political organization opposed to
other major independent religions, only
the Iranian Government.
Baha'is recognize the station of Mul)a111J11ad
Baha 'is are required by the basic princi- as a Prophet of God.
ples of their faith to show loyalty and
• That Bahii. 'is are agents of Zionism.
obedience to the goverIU11ent of the country
in which they live. The Baha'i community in This charge is based solely on the fact
Iran thus did not oppose the Pahlavi regime, that the Baha'i World Centre is in Israel.
just as it did not oppose the government of The Baha' i World Centre was, however,
the Islamic Republic of Iran. Indeed, mem- established on Mt. Carmel in the last
bers of the community obeyed evety law and centuty, long before the State oflsrael came
instmction of the government, including the into existence, in accordance with the
instruction to disband all Baha'i adm.inistra- explicit instructions of Baha'u'llah, Who
tive institutions in Iran. was exiled there from Iran.
Baha 'i principles also require the avoid-
• That Bahii. 'is are involved with prostituance of any form of involvement in partisan
tion, adulte1y and immorality.
politics. Accordingly, Iranian Baha' is were
precluded by membership in their faith from This charge, like the others, is utterly
accepting cabinet posts or similar political without foundation. Baha'is have a strict
positions under the Pahlavi regime. They moral code and attach great importance to
did not collaborate with SA YAK. On the chastity and to the institution of marriage.
INTERNATIONAL SURV EY OF CURRENT BAHA'I AC TIVITI ES 379
111e Baha' i marriage ceremony was not rec- was the continuing investigation into the huognized in Iran and no civil marriage ceremony man rights situation in Iran by Reynaldo
existed. Consequently, Baha ' is were faced Galindo Pohl, a human rights specialist from
with the choice of denying their faith in order El Salvador. He was appointed in 1986 by
to be married according to the rites of one of the Commission on Human Rights as its
the religions recognized in iran, or of marry- Special Representative on Iran. Mr. Galindo
ing in accordance with the rites of their own Pohl produced a series of reports on human
faith. They consistently chose to be married rights in Iran. In the course of his work, he
in accordance with Baha' i law. The govern- visited iran three times.
ment did not recognize these marriages and Although his reports were in many ways
denounced Baha'i wives as prostitutes. consh"ained by the diplomatic language
The other charges of adultery and immo- required within the United Nations system,
rality against Baha'is were based solely on Mr. Galindo Pohl nevertheless over the
the fact that, in accordance with the Baha'i years managed to catalog the whole range
principles of the equality of men and women, of abuses and persecutions which the Baha'i
there is no segregation of the sexes at Baha'i community in iran had experienced.
gatherings. For example, Mr. Galindo Pohl's 1990
report to the General Assembly noted that he
THE INTERNATIONAL RESPONS E had received extensive documentation that
The international community responded to provides "evidence of discrimination, confisthe persecution of the Baha'i community in cation, rejection by universities, suspension
Iran with overwhelming sympathy and con- of pensions, demands for the return of
cern for the Baha'is and condemnation of pensions earned and paid, denial of passport
the Iranian government. The Baha ' i commu- and other irregularities."
nity believes that this outpouring provided a The report added that "it would seem that
sh"ong resh"aining force against the govern- the attitude towards the Baha ' is and their
ment, preventing a pogrom on a much greater situation depends on the temperament and
scale. personal convictions of individual officials.
The United Nations Commission on This keeps the Baha ' is in a perpetual state of
Human Rights passed eleven resolutions uncertainty about their activities."
expressing concern about reports of human Iran's responses to the United Nations
rights violations in Iran. Each resolution were always less than satisfactory. As noted,
made specific mention of the situation of the they produced a wide range of unsubstan-
Baha' i community there. The specific refer- tiated charges against the Baha ' is-from
ence to a religious community was quite accusations of spying to being Zionistsunusual for the Commission, which nmmally aimed at justifying their persecution.
confined itself to expressions of diplomatic In addition to efforts by the United
concern and general references to charges of Nations and its subsidiary bodies and agenhuman rights violations and discrimination. cies, numerous national legislatures, as well
Following the lead of the Commission on as regional bodies, spoke out against Iran's
Human Rights, the United Nations General h"eatment of the Baha' i community over the
Assembly itself approved six resolutions last decade. Expressions of concern for
since 1985 which specifically mentioned the Iran's Baha'is came from the Council of
situation of the Baha' is in Iran and Europe, the European Parliament, the United
expressed concern over reports of human States Congress, and from the legislatures of
rights violations there. Aush"alia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, the Nether-
Among the most salient features of the lands, Norway, and the United Kingdom,
United Nations attention to the Baha'i case among others. Many heads of state and
380 TH E BAHA' i WORLD
government leaders also voiced their dismay and that the govenm1ent remained bent on
over Iran's treatment of the Baha'is. destroying the Baha ' i conlli1unity of Iran as
International and national non-governmen- a viable entity.
ta l organizations also rose to the defence of Among the most egregious and wonisome
Iran's Baha'is. Amnesty International, the signs of Iran 's continued efforts against the
Minority Rights Group, and Middle East Baha'is was the execution in March 1992 of
Watch, among others, close ly monitored the Balm1an Samandari, a Tih.ran businessman.
situation of the Baha'is in Iran and published The killing of Mr. Samandari came as a
extensive reports which confirn1ed the per- shock, both to the worldwide Baha'i conmmsecutions there. nity and those in the international community
The world's mass media, as well, reported who follow human rights issues. After tluáee
extensively on the persecution of Iran 's years during which no Baha' is were executed
Baha'i community. Major articles and edito- by the government, Mr. Samandari, who had
rials which detail, confirm and condenm the run a well-known Tiluáan travel agency, was
persecutions appeared in Le Monde, Th e sunlli1oned to Ivin Prison by authorities on
Times of London, The New York Tim es, The 17 March 1992, ostensibly to receive a doc-
Washington Post, Th e Economist, Th e Times ument from them. The next day, he was
of India, among others. Associated Press, secretly executed.
Reuters, and Agence France Press also car- Mr. Samandari's famil y-and the world
ried numerous dispatches on the persecution at large- learned of the execution two
of Baha' is in Iran and the response of inter- weeks later when Mr. Samandari's widow,
national organizations and agencies. who had visited the prison frequently to
Indeed, in many respects the Baha'i case inquire about her husband, was handed a
became a model for how international human copy of hi s will, dated 18 March, the day of
rights machinery can be used to protect an his execution. Although no death certificate
oppressed minority. International support for was issued, inquiries at the offices of the
the Baha 'is prevented wholesale genocide of Tiluáan general cemetery confirmed that
the communi ty in iran. Mr. Samandari's name had been entered in
its records. Upon requesting that his clothes
TH E SITUATION AT RIQYAN 1992 be returned, fa mily members were told that
Duri ng the late 1980s and early 1990s, there he had been buried in them.
were signs that the govenlli1ent had begun No charge or verdict was announced and
to feel the weight of the international outcry inquiries by fa nlily members produced vague
against its actions and had reconsidered its indications that Mr. Samandari 's execu tion
policies towards the Baha' is. was related to his previous anest over fo ur
In 1987 and 1988, fo r example, most of years earlier when he and fo ur other Baha' is
those Baha' is being held in prison were were arrested for having a prayer meeting in
released and the number of executions his home.
dropped sharply after 1985. At the time of this arrest on 21 October
During this period, Baha' i cllild.ren were 1987, charges were laid against him because
allowed to re-emol in primary and secondaty of his membership in the Baha'i conmrnnity.
schools in most parts of the country. Some He and his fellow prisoners were released on
Baha'is were allowed to obtain new business 18 December 1987, after the title to his
licenses, while restrictions on other forms of home had been turned over to the authorities
econonlic activity appeared to lessen. along with a large sum of money as bail.
Nevertheless, there were indications that During 1992, the arbitrary arrest and dethese improvements were cosmetic at best, tention of Baha ' is in Iran continued, as did
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 381
the economic oppression. Many of the experienced difficulties in circulating Baha' i
10,000 Baha'is who had been dismissed books among themselves and in holding
from government and education positions in classes to instruct their own children in spirthe early 1980s remained unemployed and itual and moral values.
received no unemployment benefits . The re- As individuals, Baha'is remained officialtirement pensions of Baha'is dismissed on ly "unprotected infidels", and their rights
religious grounds had been tern1inated. were often ignored. The non-recognition of
As of the spring of 1992, Baha'is still their religion manifested itself in various
were not officially allowed to open their own ways, including the denial of the right to
businesses, and Baha'i farmers were denied freely express their religious beliefs, a right
admittance into fa1mers' cooperatives which upheld by international law. Baha'is continoften were the only source of credit, seeds, ued to be deprived of inheritance rights, and
pesticide and fertilizer. Baha'i marriages and divorces remained
Baha ' i property rights were not protected. without legal recognition.
Over the years, large numbers of private and Baha' is were not free to travel outside
business properties, including homes and Iran, as it was almost impossible for them to
fa1ms , had been arbitrarily confiscated from obtain passports.
Baha'is. Baha'i cemeteries, holy places, his- The Baha'i community did not have the
toric sites, administrative centers and other right of assembly and the right to elect and
assets, seized mostly in 1979, remained con- maintain its administrative institutions. Befiscated or had been destroyed. Baha'is were cause there is no clergy in the Baha' i Faith,
not permitted to mark the graves of their these institutions constitute the sole source
fellow Baha'is , making it almost impossible of organization and guidance of religious
to identify the graves of loved ones . community life. Without them, the very
Baha'is continued to be denied access to existence of the Baha'is as a viable religious
institutions of higher learning. They also community was endangered.

Destruction at a
Baha'i cemete1y in
Shiraz, 1979.
382 TH E BAHA ' i WORLD

Light fixture on the colonnade of the Shrin e of the Bab.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 383

B. B AHA'fs KILLED IN IRAN BETWEEN Rrpv AN 1986 AND 1992

1986 to explain the matter, he, while confessing to
be a Baha'i, refuted the accusations to the
Mr. Sirru'llah Va~dat-Ni~amf, 4 May 1986, satisfaction of his superiors.
'fihran, Executed Val)dat rendered valuable service to the
Sirru'llah VaJ:idat-Ni~ami was born in 1930 Baha'i community, mostly through memberinto a Baha'i family. His parents gave him a ship on various committees and Spiritual
spiritual education, and his eagerness and Assemblies. Once, the Local Spiritual Assemeffort to pursue his studies in school and bly of Shiraz decided to acquire a house for
under Baha'i teachers made him an exem- a pioneer but faced difficulties from neighplary Baha'i youth. bours. About that time Val)dat was sent to
He used to tell stories about the persecu- Shiraz by the army, and he assisted in the
tions suffered by his parents for being purchase of the property.
Baha'is; he also had bitter memories of his Mr. VaJ:idat applied for retirement from
own harassment during his childhood and service in the army six months after the Revyouth. The annoyances and afflictions con- olution began in Iran, and his application
tinued after the passing of his father. For was approved. However, five months later
example, the family 's one piece of land was his pension was cut off on the grounds that
confiscated and no matter how they tried to he was a Baha'i. About this time he became
recover through legal channels it they could sick and was hospitalized. His illness grew
not get it back because they were Baha'is. worse every day until the doctors gave up
Upon finishing high school, VaJ:idat treatment. In this condition he told his wife
emolled in the Officers' College in '"f ihran to and friends that he did not wish to die
begin his military service. After graduation because of illness: "I beseech the Blessed
he served at various administrative posts in Beauty to help me accomplish the duties He
the army, both in '"fihran and in the prov- has assigned to me, and sacrifice my life in
inces. His honesty and diligent service were the path of exalting His Cause."
appreciated by his associates and superiors VaJ:idat's illness lasted six months, but he
and he reached the station of full Colonel. finally recovered and left the hospital. He
He went out of his way to be helpful to his was, however, pursued by enemies who
subordinates, solving their problems if he wanted him arrested because he was a memcould. ber of the Local Spiritual Assembly of
VaJ:idat was known to be a Baha'i; from '"f ihran. He and his wife had to abandon their
the beginning of his army service he never home and for more than a year they stayed
concealed his faith. Often during his trips to with friends. In one of his letters to his
the provinces, the enemies of the Baha'i daughter he wrote: "You don' t know how
Faith complained against him to the authori- delightful it is to be wandering about in the
ties and asked to have this Baha ' i officer path of the Beloved. Your mother and I
discharged because, they said, he spread the spend each night in a different home I"
Baha'i religion among the officers under Shortly after the Government banned
him. Fortunately, these complaints were the Baha'i institutions in Iran, the National
ignored or, if on occasion Val)dat was called Spiritual Assembly ordered all of the Local
384 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Spiritual Assemblies to dissolve. Mr. VaJ:idat, endured tests and trials four times with comhowever, continued to serve the friends . plete firmness and perseverance.
Often he visited them and, as much as possi- In the early days of VaJ:idat's imprisonble, provided means for their comfort and ment, his wife, Sudabih Val)dat, went to the
consolation. He expressed his feelings , and prison authorities and demanded to be told
what he observed during his visits, in the where her husband was . In response, the
letters he wrote to his relatives: authorities arrested and put her in prison too.
She remained in prison for 45 days, and had
How the old mother prayed in silence at
a chance to meet her husband twice during
the memorial for her young son, and the
that time; each time she was taken blindyoung spouse smilingly consoled us and
folded to the room in which he was kept;
glorified the heroism of her husband!
then the blindfold was removed and the
Messrs. MasiJ:i Farhangi, Alavian and
couple had a few minutes to see each other.
Vafa ' i, seated at the memorial for their
Sirru'llah Val)dat-Ni?ami spent 27 months
lost ones, seemed to be sitting on the
in prison. Finally he was executed by hangthrone of glory and splendor! Friends
ing on 4 May 1986.
kept arriving to visit them but did not
dare to console them! Silence prevailed;
Mr. Fidrus Shabrukh, 9 May 1986,
only the sound of chanting prayers could
Zahidan, Executed
be heard, not moaning and groaning!
Fidrus Shabrukh was born in March 1945 in
They felt honoured because their dear
Zabul, a remote town in the southeast of
ones had courageously given up their
Iran. His parents had pioneered to that homelives and taught us the lesson of sacrifice.
front goal during the Fo1iy-Five-Month Plan
You should pray for us that in preserving
of the National Spiritual Assembly ofiran.
every drop of their pure blood we may
As a young man, Fidrus moved from
not be afraid of any trial, and learn the
Zabul to Zahidan where he pursued his
lesson of love and sacrifice from them so
family business, operating a print shop and
that when our tum comes we may remain
stationery store which served most of the
steadfast.
province of Baluchistan. He manied a Baha' i,
On 13 February 1983, Val)dat went to Elahih Matin, and they had two sons,
visit a Baha'i, Miss Man~ur, who was being Shamin and Shirvin.
closely watched by government agents. Miss In Zahidan, Mr. Shabrukh devoted his life
Man~ur's brother, Ata ' u' llah, was also in the to the service of the Faith and soon became a
house. A few minutes after Val)dat arrived central figure in the Baha ' i community. He
government agents invaded Miss Man ~ ur's was elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly,
home and arrested all three. They asked the serving as its secretary for many years.
names, and were glad to have found Val)dat He was well-known among the people
by chance. Ata'u'llah was released after six of Zahidan as an active Baha' i. When the
months in prison, but Miss Man~ur was con- persecution by the Revolutionary regin1e
demned to ten years imprisonment. was intensified a mob broke into his home
VaJ:idat was placed in solitary confine- and plundered its contents in front of his
ment for some time; the place of his wife and children, then threw them out of
confinement was kept secret and God knows the house. The print shop and stationery
how much torture and torment was inflicted store were confiscated, and Mr. Shabrukh
upon him. Later the place of prison was was arrested. He was among the first group
changed; he was taken out of solitary con- of Baha'i friends who were arrested and
finement and placed in one of the two rooms imprisoned in Zahidan; but that time he was
where f01iy Baha'is were imprisoned. He released on bail after tluáee months.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 385
He was forced to leave Zahidan with his 22 months in prison, he never was allowed
family but refused to leave Iran although to have visitors. He was executed on 10 June
there was no doubt he would be arrested 1986, probably by hanging but none of his
again. He repeatedly said: "How can I family or friends ever saw his body. He was
abandon the front line of our spiritual battle buried in Kharun Abad without his family
and leave my friends and co-workers at the being informed until later.
mercy of the enemy?"
For more than one year he wandered Mr. J.Iabibu 'llah Muhtadi, 27 Aug. 1986,
about destitute and homeless. Finally, in 'fihran, Killed
Tihran, he presented himself to the authori- I:Iabibu'llah Muhtadi, the son of Hassan and
ties and was arrested and put in Ivin prison, Funighiyyih, was born in 1916 in Tihran. In
where he remained for 23 months. Later he 1957 he married Paridukht Farzam, and
was transferred to Zahidan prison, where he together they had two daughters and one
was kept for six months under very severe son. He graduated from law school in
conditions of compulsory labor and the Tihran, and served in the Iranian Air Force.
agony of separation from his dear wife and When he retired from the military he
children. However, to his wife he used to began to work in the construction business .
say: "I love you and the children very much, He was arrested for being a Baha'i on 2 May
but above you and the children there is 1981, and was held in prison for four-and-aanother Being which I love much more!" half years . He was released on 28 October
Fidrus Shabrukh was finally executed by 1985, but after ten months, on 27 August
hanging on Friday 9 May 1986. 1986, he was killed in the streets of Tihran.
The actual cause of death was háauma due to
Mr. Farid Bihmardi, 10 Jun. 1986, head injuries.
'fihran, Executed
Farid Bihmardi, son oflsfandyar and Tal ' at, Mr. Babak 'falibi, 2 Sep. 1986, Karaj,
was born in Tiberias, Palestine, in 1939. His Beaten
family moved to Iran, where he graduated Babak Talibi was born in 1969, in Kan, a
from high school. He worked in the National village near Tihran. He was a student when
Bank in Yazd, but later, because he knew his father was arrested after incitement by
English and was interested in music, he the clergy, and later his father died. To help
started his own business importing musical support his family, Babak gave up school
instruments. and found a job.
After the Revolution in iran, Mr. Bihmardi Babak moved to Shiraz where he worked
had to close his business. He then became and studied at the same tin1e. In September
very active in Baha'i activities, dedicating 1986, while visiting his family in Tihran, he
himself to serving the friends and the com- went for a bicycle ride. When he did not
munity and spending all of his time helping return, his family searched for him and 24
others. He was appointed to different com- hours later found his body in a garden . He
mittees and served as an Auxiliary Board had been beaten to death. The authorities
member, then was elected to the National refused to take any action against the
Spiritual Assembly. murderers because Babak was a Baha'i.
As a member of the National Assembly
he was under constant pressure and lived in Mr. iraj Mihdinizhad, 3 Sep.1986, Bandarmany different places until he was arrested ' Abbas, Mobbed
in a street in Tihran. He was imprisoned in fraj Mihdinizhad, a prominent Baha'i in
Ivin Prison, was tortured, and spent nine Bandar-' Abbas, was stabbed to death by a
months in solitary confinement. During his small group of people on 4 September 1986.
386 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

He was 49 years old. Sixteen knife wounds Mr. Surush Jabbliri, 3 Mar. 1987,
were seen on his body. Tihran, Executed
Mr. Mihdinizhad, like thousands oflranian Surush Jabbari was born into a Baha'i fam-
Baha' is, had been dismissed from his job as ily in 1942, in the village of Saysan, near
a civil servant because of his faith and so, Tabriz. His father was Jibra'il Jabbiri and
out of necessity, had become a street vendor. his mother was A~li Shahbiziyan. When he
Following the murder, his son and son-in- was four years old his family pioneered to
law were detained for questioning by the the town ofMiyanih. There, his father had to
police for 48 hours. Later, the murderers accompany him to school to protect him
were arrested. They belonged to a family from assault by his fellow-students because
that had been angered when one member of the family's belief in Baha'u'llah.
had studied the Baha'i Faith and accepted it. At 16 years of age, Surush went to Tihran
Mr. Mihdinizhad had been targeted because to finish high school, and after graduating
he was a prominent and active Baha'i. got a job as a draftsman in a construction
The police assembled a file of evidence company. He continued working for the
on the crime and sent it to the Attorney- firm, becoming director of the drafting
General. However, the Attorney-General section. At the same time, he was very active
was apparently notified in advance that the in the Baha'i community, serving on the
matter involved the murder of a Baha' i. As National Youth Committee and in other
a result, before the file reached his desk he administrative capacities.
left his office, instructing his subordinate to Surush
-
married Mahnaz -Khusrawani in
refuse to accept the file on the pretext that 1976, and the couple had three children. At
the Attorney-General had gone on leave. In the beginning of the Islamic Revolution he
the meantime, the police who had initially was discharged from his job for being a
prepared the file suddenly changed their Baha' i, and was out of work for three years.
approach to the case. When the file was Finally in 1983 he found a job with a private
returned to them, the police indicated that company.
no action would be taken and even advised On 15 September 1984, Revolutionary
Mr.Mihdinizhad 's famil y to drop the matter. Guards climbed the walls to his house at
midnight and arrested him. For a long time
1987 his family was not allowed to visit him in the
prison in Gawhardasht, Karaj. Later he was
Mr. A~mad Kavih, 26 Jan. 1987, I~fahan, transferred to Ivin Prison in Tihran, where
Executed he was executed along with Abu'l-Qasim
Al:imad Kavih was born in a village near Shayiq on 3 March 1987.
Lanjan, I~fahan, in 1935. He graduated from
high school and worked for banks, several Mr. Abu'I-Qasim Shayiq, 3 Mar. 1987,
companies, and a newspaper. He married, Tihran, Executed
and he and his wife had five children. Abu'l-Qasim Shayiq was born in 1940, and
Mr. Kavih was not born into a Baha'i studied history at university. He worked for
family; he accepted the Faith on his own, and the government for a number of years, but
was a very active Baha ' i teacher. After the was dismissed after the Revolution because
Revolution, he was forced to leave his home he was a Baha'i.
and his house was looted. He moved from Mr. Shayiq was imprisoned on 13 Februplace to place for several years, but finally ary 1984, and held without trial. In early
he was arrested in Tihran in November 1987 the authorities promised his family that
1984. He suffered imprisonment until he was he and the other Baha'is in the prison would
executed on 26 January 1987. be released, but a few days later, on 3 March
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 387
1987, Abu'l-Qasim Shayiq and Surush Nadiri from the descendants of Va~1id, and
Jabbari were both executed, and their deaths his mother was Qudsi Malakutiyan, the
were kept secret until after they were buried. granddaughter of Akhlind Mulla 'Abdu '1-
Ghaniy Ardikani. During a period in Iran
Mr. Ardishir Akhtari, 28 Sept. 1987, when there was great opposition to the Faith,
Tihriin, Executed the Local Spiritual Assembly ofYazd asked
Ardishir Akhtari was born in September his family to be the custodians of the exten-
1937 in Tabriz, but his family moved to sive facilities of the local Baha'i Centre, so
Tihran while he was still a baby. When he from a very young age Amir helped with its
was about 15 years old he lost his father and upkeep and related endeavours.
had to leave school to work for a living. He Amir-I:Iusayn was a talented student, both
was employed in a factory while continuing in school and in Baha'i classes. He studied
his studies and eventually received his mas- in Tihran and later in Beirut, then worked
ter' s degree in accounting. for the government as an engineer with the
In 1965, Mr. Akhtari manied Vajihih Ministty of Health.
~arif-Zadih and the couple had two children. In 1969 he married Pari Gulzari, and at
He still kept up his Baha' i administrative the same time started to sh1dy accounting.
work, however, and became well known He excelled in this field, and later was hired
for his diligence . He was also known for as a teacher in the accounting college. Next
his lack of pretension, and for his straight- he took a position as Budget Specialist in the
forwardness . He would not do things he Ministry of Culture and Fine Atis. He was a
thought were incorrect in order to please respected senior staff member of the Minisothers, nor say things that he did not intend try when the Revolution broke out but he
to do. Also, he had a reputation for never was fired because he was a Baha'i.
doing anything for personal gain that would Mr. Nadiri was known for being a knowlhurt or cause discomfort for someone else. edgeable teacher, as well as for being an
Mr. Akhtari had a good job in the active member of the Baha'i Faith. In 1982
National Insurance Company, as the head of he was elected to the National Spiritual
the Aviation Department, but was fired after Assembly, and served under ve1y difficult
the Revolution for being a Baha ' i. He was circumstances. He was arrested on 11 Sepintelligent and hard working, with a pure tember 1984 with several others who had
and kindly heart who served his family, been members of the last National Spiritual
community, and country all his life. Assembly. He suffered torture and imprison-
He served on different local and national ment until 28 September 1987, when he was
Baha'i committees and as a member of the executed in the Ivin Prison in "fihran.
Local Spiritual Assembly of Tih.ran. He was
a member of the last National Spiritual Mr. fraj Afshin, 26 Nov. 1987, Tihnin,
Assembly when it was dissolved in September Executed
1983. He was anested in early September fraj Afshin was born in 1933 in Ardistan,
1984 in Tihran. He spent three years and and was persecuted there as a child because
fifteen days in prison, then was executed on his family was Baha'i. He attended the
28 September 1987. Military Academy in "fihran, where he was
a distinguished student much admired by his
Mr. Amir-I.Iusayn Nadiri, 28 Sept. 1987, fellow students and appreciated by the author-
Tihnin, Executed ities. After graduation he served in the Iranian
Amir-I:Iusayn Nadiri was born in Yazd in Army, being promoted to the rank of Colonel.
1934, into a very distinguished Baha'i fam- Mr. Afshin was a faithful and intelligent
ily. His father was Janab-i-Siyyid Ma~mud officer, a talented painter and musician, and
388 THE BAHA'I WORLD

a dedicated member of the Baha' i commu- He was a dedicated, loyal and trustworthy
nity. He was arrested on 29 January 1986 employee and also was very active in the
in Tihran, suffered imprisonment for nine Baha'i community. He was very friendly
months, and was executed on 26 November and kind, sincere and patient. He lived a
1987. very simple life, but his whole being was
faith in Baha 'u' ll ah.
1988 Mr. Pasha'i pioneered to Simnan and
other difficult areas and suffered a great
Mr. Mihrdad Maq~udi, 6 Feb. 1988, deal. At the beginning of the Revolution his
Urumiyyih, Killed house was set on fire and he was imprisoned
Mihrdad Maq~udi , son of Fac:Ilu 'llah and for about a month in Sangsar. He lost his
Tahirih, was born into a Baha'i family in job for being a Baha'i.
Miyan-Duab on 11 June 1964. He was a He was elected to the Local Spiritual
high school student when the persecution Assembly of Simnan, and in 1983 he was
of Baha ' is started in Miyan-Duab, so his arrested again with other Baha'is from that
family sent him to Urumiyyih to continue city. He was kept in Sirnnan's prison for
his education where he ga ined distinction in seven months, five-and-a-half of these spent
his work and studies. in solitary confinement, and then was trans-
During one of his school religion classes, fered to the Ivin prison in Tihran.
his teacher started to denigrate the Baha' i The Baha 'is had a very hard time in Ivin
Faith so Mih1dad arose to defend it, thereby prison and were transfered to a prison in
making himself the target of ridicule by the Karaj. One year later, Mr. Pasha ' i and other
teacher and students. When he arrived home Baha' is were returned to Ivin. Although
he received a note from the Revolutionary he suffered from poor health, he served
Guard demanding that he go to their center everybody- especially the aged and sick
for questioning. Shortly thereafter, on 1 Jan- prisoners. His other love was study of the
uary 1986, he was arrested in the house of Baha' i Writings.
his uncle. Mr. Pasha' i was imprisoned for almost
He was put in the political section of the five years, during at least one year of which
prison in Urumiyyih, then was taken to the he was forbidden to have visitors. He was
prison in Tabriz. He was martyred on 6 Feb- martyred in prison during the autuinn of
ruary 1988, and his body was prepared for 1988. The news was received on 3 Decemburial by the guard in the presence of his ber 1988.
family. The guard burned Mihrdad 's clothes.
His family pursued the case through the 1989
Justice Department, and on 10 April 1988
they were informed that the charges against
him had been dropped under verdict No.31 - Mr. Gulvirdi Qandiyan, 7 Sept. 1989,
35/67. Quruq/Gurgan, Killed
Gulvirdi Qandiyan was born in Sangsar in
Mr. Bihnam Pasha'i, Autumn 1988, 1912, the son of Al:imad and Mahbanu. He
'fihran, Executed was educated in the old system and was a
Bihnam Pasha ' i was born in Tihran in 1940, dairy farmer all of hi s life. He married
the son of Mokhtar from Ardibil, one of .Qiya ' iyyih fqani yan and they had eight
the Adhirbayjan Revolutionaries who later ch ildren.
became a devoted Baha' i. When he gradu- Mr. Qandiyan accepted the Baha ' i Faith
ated from high school, Bihnam worked for when he was 23 years old, for which he was
the government in the Ministry of Health. constantly reproached by his brothers and
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVIT IES 389
other family members. In addition to this between 1945 and 1954. He graduated from
persecution from his family, Mr. Qandiyan college and completed the first two years of
became subject to public persecution from university in the United States of America.
1958 when, in response to the Ten Year Plan, In 1969 he obtained a degree in economics
he pioneered to Quruq, near Gurgan, and and management from the American College
helped to establish the first Local Spiritual in Ankara, Turkey.
Assembly of that village. He was always con- He spent most of his professio nal life
fronted with problems regarding his work (from 1962 to 1965 and from 1969 to 1977)
and the education of his children, but he with the Samandari Travel Agency in Tihran.
never complained and persevered at his post. In 1991 , he was engaged as the accountant of
After the Islamic Revolution in Iran, a modest elementary health centre in Tihran.
when all the Baha'is were faced with diffi- Later he joined the trading department of a
culties , Mr. Qandiyan's daughters begged textile company in the same city.
him to leave his pioneering post, but he On 21 October 1987, Mr. Samandari and
objected, stating that the worst that could four other Baha'is were arrested for meeting
happen would be for him to be killed, which in his home. At that time the charges leveled
he would accept gladly. against him stemmed from his membership
During the evening of7 September 1989, in the Baha'i community. He and his fellow
a group of strangers came into his home, tied prisoners were released on 18 December
up his wife with a piece of rope, then 1987, after the title to Mr. Samandari's
strangled Mr. Qandiyan while he was asleep home had been turned over to the authorities
in his own bed. along with a large sum of money as bail.
On 17 March 1992, Mr. Samandari was
1992 summoned by the authorities, ostensibly to
receive a document from them. When he did
Mr. Bahman Samandari, 18 March 1992, not return home his wife went to look for
Tihran, Executed him. Two weeks later the authorities finally
Bahman Samandari was born on 8 No- handed her his last will and testament,
vember 1939 in Karaj, near Tihran. He was a dated 18 March 1992. He is survived by his
descendant of two distinguished Baha'i fa m- wife, Roza, their son ' Azizu ' llah, and their
ilies who had been closely associated with daughter, Nida. No reason for his execution
the history of the Faith from its earliest days. has been given by the judicial or prison
Mr. Samandari received his primary and authorities, nor have they disclosed the locamost of his secondary education in Tihran tion of his grave.

BAHA'fs KILLED IN IRAN
(1978-20 APRIL 1992)

ALL praise be to God Who, from every drop of blood shed by His chosen ones,
hath brought forth a vast creation whose number none but Himself can reckon. He
hath raised them to be the embodiments of His love and the manifestations of His
tender affection. It is they who are the hands of His Cause amongst men. It is they
who have rendered aid unto God in every age and have arisen to promote that
which He hath purposed in such wise that the majesty of the kings and their dreadful might have failed to affright them, nor have they been hindered from following
the path of tmth by the clash of aims and the furious clamour of battalions . They
have raised their triumphal cry amidst all that dwell in the heavens and on the
earth, summoning everyone unto the Lord of all mankind, He Who is the Ruler of
this world and of the next, the God of the throne on high and of the earth below.

He is God - Blessed and Exalted is He

ALL praise unto the Almighty the Sanctified-glorified be His power-Who
hath ordained that the tyranny of the unjust and the violence of the oppressors
should become the means whereby the tme lovers draw nigh unto the glorious
habitation of the Best Beloved and the sincere among His servants attain the Paradise of communion with Him Who is the Desire of all men, and that sufferings and
háibulations should serve as the inshument whereby His Word of conunand is
spread abroad and the standards of His praise are unfurled in all regions .

How great is His transcendent power, how inunensely exalted His allembracing Will, inasmuch as He produceth light from fire and joy from smrnw.

They that are sunk in heedlessness fondly imagine that massacre and cmcifixion cause the fire of the Word of God to be extinguished, and regard martyrdom as
a devastating injury. They are utterly oblivious of the háuth that through such
afflictions the Cause of God is exalted, its fame is blazoned far and wide, and the
martyrs themselves are enabled to attain the boundless retreats of nearness unto
God. Immeasurably exalted is the Lord of Wisdom who doeth that which He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold
hardships for the sake of My Name. -Baha'u'llah

Note: This list, based on information received at the Baha'i World Centre subsequent to the publication of The Baha'i World, vol. XVIII (1979-1983) and The
Baha'i World, vol. XIX (1983-1986), corrects and supersedes that which
appeared on pages 291-293 of the first volume, and 229- 234 of the second.
The gathering of biographical and other information about the martyrs, and their
photographs, is an ongoing process of vital interest to the Baha' i World Centre.
Although many of the martyrs served at various times as members of Baha'i
institutions, an effort has been made to identify the kind of services they were
performing at the time of arrest and execution, as indicated by the following key:

denotes member of the Continental Board of Counsellors, an appointed
leadership position which oversees the Auxiliary Board members.
denotes member of the Auxiliary Board, an appointed leadership position
within the Baha'i administrative framework.
** denotes member of the National Spiritual Assembly, an elected leadership
position at the national level.
* denotes member of the Local Spiritual Assembly, an elected leadership
position at the local level.

No. Name/Role Date Place where martyrdom
occurred

1978
1. Mr. Ahmad Isma'fli 1978 Ahram, Bushihr
2. Mr. Qiya'u'llah I:J:aqiqat 13 Aug.1978 Jahrum, Fars
3. Mrs. 'A vac;I -Gul Fahandizh 14 Dec.1978 Shiraz, Fars
4. Mr. $ifatu'llah Fahandizh 14 Dec.1978 Shiraz, Fars

1979
5. Mr. Khusraw Afnani I Jan.1979 Miyan-Duab, A<lhirbayjan
6. Mr. Parviz Afnani I Jan.1979 Miyan-Duab, Adhirbayjan
7. Mr. Ibrahim Ma'navi early 1979 l:Ii~ar, Khurasan
8. Mr. I:Iaji-Mui:Janmiad 'Aziz[ 9 Jan. 1979 Khurmuj , Bushihr
9. Mr. ' Ali-Akbar Khursandi * 12 Apr.1979 Tihran, Tihran
10. Mr. Shir-Mulfamrnad Dast Pish 9 May 1979 Buyr-Alfmad, I~fahan
I I. Mr. Bahar Vujdanf 27 Sep.1979 Mahabad, Adhirbayjan
12. Mr. ' Ali Sattarzadih 24 Oct.1979 Bukan, Adhirbayjan

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold
hardships for the sake of My Name. -BaM'u'llah

No . Name/Role Date Place where martyrdom
occurred

13. Mr. I:Iusayn Shakurf 5 Nov.1979 Ushnaviyyih, Adhirbayjan
14. Mr. 'A?amatu ' llah Fahandizh 27 Nov. 1979 Shiraz, Fars

1980
15. Mr. I:Iabibu ' llah Panahi 4 Feb.1980 Urumiyyih, Adhirbayjan
16. Mr. Ghulam - I~usay n A '?ami 6 May 1980 Tihran, Tihran
17. Mr. 'Ali-Akbar Mu ' ini 6 May 1980 Tihran, Tihran
18. Mr. Badi'u ' llah Yazdani 6 May 1980 Tihran, Tihran
19. Mr. Parviz Bayani 11May1980 Piranshahr
20. Mr. Mir-Asadu ' llah Mukhtarf 18 May 1980 Andrun, Khurasan
21. Mr. I:Iasan Isma' il zadih Jun.1980 Sanandaj, Kurdistan
22. Mr. Yusuf SubDani 10 Jun.1980 Tihran, Tihran
23. Mr. Yadu'llah Astani * 14Jul.1980 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan
24. Dr. Faramarz Samandari * 14Jul.1980 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan
25. Mr. MuDammad Akbari 16Jul.1980 Rasht, Mazindaran
26. Mr. Yadu'llah Mahbubiyan 30 Jul.1980 Tihran, Tihran
27. Mr. DhabiDu ' llah Mu ' mini 15Aug. 1980 Tihran, Tihran
28. Mr. Nuru'llah Akhtar-Khavari • 8 Sep.1980 Yazd, Yazd
29. Mr. ' Azizu ' llah DhabiDiyan • 8 Sep.1980 Yazd, Yazd
30. Mr. Firaydun Faridani • 8 Sep.1980 Yazd, Yazd
31. Mr. Mahmud l:lasanzadih 8 Sep.1980 Yazd, Yazd
32. Mr. 'Abd u' l-Vahh ab Ka?imi-Manshadi 8 Sep.1980 Yazd, Yazd
33. Mr. Jalal Mustaqim * 8 Sep.1980 Yazd, Yazd
34. Mr. 'Ali Mu\ahhari * 8 Sep.1980 Yazd, Yazd
35 . Mr. Rii;!a Firuz i 9 Nov. 1980 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan
36. Mr. MuDammad-I:Iusayn Ma'~umi 23 Nov.1980 Nuk, Bitjand
37. Mrs. Shikkar-Nisa' Ma'~umi 23 Nov.1980 Nuk, Birjand
38. Mr. Bihruz Sana'i 17 Dec.1980 Tihran, Tihran

1981
39. Dr. Man(1chihr I:Iakim ** 12 Jan.1981 Tihran, Tihran
40. Mr. Mihdi Anvari 17 Mar.1981 Shiraz, Fars
41. Mr. Hidayatu'llah Dihqani 17Mar. 198 l Shiraz, Fars
42. Mrs. Nuraniyyih Yarsha\ir Apr. 198 1 Tihran, Tihran
43. Mr. Sattar Khushkhu 30 Apr.1981 Shiraz, Fars
- --

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold
hardships for the sake of My Name. -Baha'u'llah

No. Name/Role Date Place where martyrdom
occurred

44. Mr. ll:isanu' llah Mihdi-Zadih 30 Apr.198 1 Shiraz, Fars
45. Mr. Yadu ' llah VaJ:idat • 30 Apr.1981 Shiraz, Fars
46. Mr. MuJ:iammad (S uh rab) l;labibi * 14 Jun.1 981 Hamadan, Hamadan
47. Mr. MuJ:iammad-Baqir (Suhayl) Habibi * 14Jun.1 981 Hamadan, Hamadan
48. Mr. l;lusayn Khand il * 14 Jun.1981 Hamadan, Hamadan
49. Mr. Tarazu' ll ah Khuzayn * 14 Jun.1 98 1 Hamadan, Hamadan
50. Mr. I:Iusayn Mutlaq * 14 Jun.1 981 Hamadan, Hamadan
5 I. Dr. Firuz Na' imi * 14Jun.198 1 Hamadan, Hamadan
52. Dr. Na~ ir Vafa' f * 14Jun .198 1 Hamadan, Hamadan
53. Mr. Buzurg ' A laviyan * 23Jun.1 98 1 Tihran, Tihran
54. Mr. Hashim
-
Farnush
-
•* 23 Jun.1 98 I Tihran, Tihran
55. Mr. Farhang Mavaddat * 23Jun.1981 Tihran, Tihran
56. Dr. MasiJ:i Farhangi .. 24 Jun.1981 Tihran, Tihran
57. Mr. Badi' u' llah Farid 24Jun.1981 Tihran, Tihran
58. Mr. Yad u' llah Pustchi 24Jun.1981 Tihran, Tihran
59. Mr. Varqa Tibyaniyan (Tibyani) 24Jun. 1981 Tihran, Ti hran
GO. Mr. Kamalu'd-Din Bakhtavar 26 Jul.1 98 1 Mas hhad, Khurasan
GI. Mr. Ni'matu ' llah Katibpur-Shahidi 26 Jul.1 98 1 Mash had, Khurasan
62. Mr. ' Abdu' l- 'Ali Asadyari * 29J ul.1 98 1 Tabriz, Adhi rbayjan
63. Mr. l~usayn Asadu ' llah-Zadih * 29Jul.1 98 1 Tabriz, Ad hirbayjan
64. Mr. Mi hdi Bahiri * 29 Jul.1981 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan
65. Dr. Masrur Dakhili * 29 Jul.1981 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan
66. Dr. Parviz Firuzi * 29Jul.1981 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan
67. Mr. Manuchihr Khadi'i * 29 Jul.1 981 Tabriz, Adh irbayjan
68. Mr. Allah-Virdi Mi!b_aqi 29 Jul.1 981 Tabriz, A.dh irbayjan
69. Mr. I:Iabibu' ll ah Tal;qiqi * 29 Jul.1 98 1 Tabriz, Adh irbayjan
70. Mr. Isma' il Zi htab * 29 Jul.1981 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan
71. Mr. Husayn Rastigar-Namdar 5 Aug. I 98 I Tihran, Tihran
72. Mr. ~Iabfbu ' ll ah ' Azizi * 29 Aug.198 1 Tihran, Tihran
73. Mr. Bahman 'A.tiff ll Sep.1981 Daryu n, I ~fa h an
74. Mr. ' lzzat ' A.tiff I I Sep.1 98 1 Daryun, I~fahan
75 . Mr. Al:imad Ri9vanf I l Sep.198 1 Daryt'.111, r ~fahan
76 . Mr. ' A\a ' u' llah Rawhanf l I Sep.198 I Daryun, I~fahan
77. Mr. Gushtasb Thabit-Rasikh JI Sep.198 1 Daryun, I ~fa h an
78. Mr. Yadu' llah Sipihr-Arfa' 230ct.1981 Tihran, Tihran

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold
hardships for the sake of My Name. -Baha'u'llah

No. Name/Role Date Place where martydom
occurred

79 . Mr. Mihdi Amin Amin ** 27 Dec. 1981 Tihran, Tihran
80. Mr. Jalal 'Azizi ** 27 Dec.1981 Tihran , Tihran
81. Dr. ' Izzatu' llah Furuhi •** 27 Dec.1981 Tihran, Tihran
82. Mrs. Zhinus Ni' mat Mal:imudi •** 27 Dec. 1981 Tihran, Tihran
83. Dr. Mal:imC1d Majdhub ** 27 Dec.1981 Tihran, Tihran
84. Mr. Qudratu'll ah Rawbani ** 27 Dec.1981 Tihran , Tihran
85. Dr. Sirus Rawshani ** 27 Dec.1981 Tihran, Tihran
86. Mr. Kamran Samimi ** 27 Dec.1981 Tihran, Tihran

1982
87. Mrs. Shi va Mal)mudf Asadu' llah-Zad ih * 4 Jan.1982 Tihran , Tihran
88. Mr. Iskandar 'Azfzf * 4 Jan.1982 Tihran , Tihran
89. Mrs. Shidrukh Amir-Ki ya (Baqa) 4 Jan.1982 Tihran, Tihran
90. Mr. Fatl:iu ' ll ah Firdawsf * 4 Jan.1 982 Tihran, Tihran
9 l. Mr. Khusraw Muhandisi * 4Jan.1982 Tiluáan, Tihran
92. Mr. Kurush Tala'i * 4 Jan.19 82 Tihran, Tihran
93 . Mr. 'AW u' llah Yavari * 4 Jan.1982 Tihran , Tihran
94. Mr. Ibrahim Khayrkhah 22 Feb.19 82 Babul-Sar, Mazindaran
95. Mr. I~Iusayn Vahdat-i-~Iaqq 28 Feb.1982 Tihran, Tihran
96. Mr. 'Askar Muhammad! 2 Apr. 1982 Rahimkhan, A.dh irbayjan
97 . Mr. ll:isanu ' llah Khayyami 12 Apr.1982 UrC1miyyih, A.d hirbayjan
98 . Mr. 'Azfzu' llah Gu lshanf 29 Apr. 1982 Mashhad,Khurasan
99. Mrs. lshraqiyyi h Faruhar * 8 May 1982 Karadj, Tihran
100. Mr. Mal:imud Faruhar * 8 May 1982 Karadj , Tihran
101. Mr. Badi' u'l lah ~I aqpaykar * 8 May 1982 Karadj, Tihran
102. Mr. A.gah u' llah Tfzfahm IO May 1982 Urumfyyih, Adhirbayjan
103. Miss Jalalfyyih Mushta' il-Usku'i 10 May 1982 Uru mfyy ih, A.d hirbayjan
104. Mrs. fran Rahfmpur (Kh urma'f) 12May 1982 Di zfUI, Khuzistan
105. Mr. Na~ru' ll ah Ami ni * 16 May 1982 Kh anfabad, Tihran
106. Mr. Sa'du ' llah Babazadih * 16 May 1982 Kh anfabad, Tihran
107. Mr. ' AW u' ll ah I:Iaqqanf I Jun 1982 Tihran , Tihran
108. Mr. Mul:iammad 'Abbasi* 9 Jul.1 982 Qazvfn , Tihran
109. Mr. Jadidu ' llah Ashraf * 9 Jul.1982 Qazvfn , Tihran
110. Mr. Manuchihr Farzan ih-Mu ' ayyad * 9Jul.1 982 Qazvfn , Tihran
I I l. Mr. Mul:iammad Man~urf * 9 Jul.1 982 Qazvf n, Tihran

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold
hardships for the sake of My Name. -Baha'u'llah

No. Name/Role Date Place where martyrdom
occurred

112. Mr. Manuchihr Vafa'i 9Jul.1982 Tihran, Tihran
113. Mr. 'Abbas-'Alf $adiqipur 15 Ju l. 1982 Shiraz, Fars
114. Mr. 'Alf Na'imiyan 11 Aug.1982 Urumiyyih, Adhirbayjan
115. Mr. I:Iabibu ' llah Awji 16 Nov.1982 Shiraz, Fars
116. Dr. Dhiya' u'llah Al!rari * 21 Nov.1982 Shiraz, Fars
117. Mr. J:Iusayn Nayyiri - l~fahani 29 Nov. 1982 J~fahan, I~fahan
118. Mrs. Guldanih 'Alipur 24 Dec .1982 Sari, Mazindaran

1983
119. Mr. Hidayatu'llah Siyavushi * 1 Jan. 1983 Shiraz, Fars
120. Mr. Yadu'llah Mahmudnizhad * • 12 Mar.1983 Shiraz, Fars
121. Mr. Rahmatu'llah Vafa'i * 12Mar. 1983 Marvdasht, Fars
122. Mrs. Tuba Za' irpur 12 Mar.1983 Shiraz, Fars
123. Mr. 'Ac;ladu'llah ('Aziz) Zaydi I Apr.1983 Miyan-Duab, Adhirbayjan
124. Mr. Jalal J:Iakiman I May 1983 Tihran, Tihran
125. Mr. Suhayl $afa'i I May 1983 Tihran, Tihran
126. Dr. Bahram Afnan * 16 Jun .1983 Shiraz, Fars
127. Mr. 'Abdu ' l-J:Iusayn Azadi * 16Jun.1983 Akbarabad, Fars
128. Mr. Kurush J:Iaqqbin * 16Jun.1983 Marvdasht, Fars
129. Mr. ' Inayatu ' llah I~raqi 16 Jun.19 83 Shiraz, Fars
130 Mr. Jamshid Siyavushi * 16Jun.1983 Shiraz, Fars
131. Mr. Bahram Yalda'i 16 Jun.1983 Shiraz, Fars
132. Miss Shahin (Shirin) Dalvand 18Jun.1983 Shiraz, Fars
133 Mrs. ' lzzat Janami lshraqi 18Jun.1983 Shiraz, Fars
134. Miss Ru'ya Ishraqi 18 Jun.1983 Shiraz, Fars
135. Miss Muna Ma~mudni zhad 18 Jun.1983 Shiraz, Fars
136. Miss Zarrin Muqimi-Abyanih 18 Jun.19 83 Shiraz, Fars
137. Miss Mahshid Nirumand 18 Jun.1983 Shiraz, Fars
138. Miss Simin $abiri 18Jun . 1983 Shiraz, Fars
139. Mrs. Tahirih Arjumandi Siyavushi 18Jun .1983 Shiraz, Fars
140. Miss Akhtar Thabit 18Jun .1983 Shiraz, Fars
14 1. Mrs. Nusrat Ghufrani Yalda' i * 18Jun. 1983 Shiraz, Fars
142. Mr. A~mad - ' Alf Thabit-Sarvistani 30 Jun.1983 Shiraz, Fars
143 . Mr. Mul!ammad l ~raqi • 31 Aug. 1983 Tihran, Ti hran
144. Mr. Akba r I:Iaq iqi 2 1 Sep. 1983 K huy, A<l hirbayjan

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold
hardships for the sake of My Nam e. -Baha'u ' llah

No. Na me/Role Date Place where martyrdom
occurred

145 . Mr. Suhayl Hushmand 29 Sept.1983 Shiraz, Fars
146. Mr. Bahman Dihqani 19Nov.1983 Muhammadfyyih, l ~fah an
147. Mr. 'Abdu' l-Majfd Mutahhar 15 Dec.1983 J~fah an , I~fahan

1984
148. Mr. Ral}matu ' ll ah I:{akfman 11 Jan.1984 Kirman, Kirman
149. Mr. N u ~ratu ' ll a h Qfya' f 3 Mar. 1984 Baft, Kinnan
150. Mr. Mul}sin Rac;!avi 4 Mar.1984 Ti hran, Tihran
151. Mr. Ghu lam-I:Iusayn ~Iasa n z ad ih- Shakfr i 10 Mar.1984 Tihran, Tihran
152. Mr. Kamran Lu\fi 9 Apr. 1984 Tihran , Tihran
153. Mr. Ral}im Ral}fmfyan 9 Apr. 1984 Tihran, Tihran
154. Mr. Yadu ' ll ah $abirfyan 9 Apr. 1984 Ti hran , Tihran
155. Mr. Asadu' ll ah Kami l-Muqaddam 2 May 1984 Tihran, Tihran
156. Mr. Maq~ud ' Alizad ih 5 May 1984 Tabriz, Ad hirbayjan
157. Mr. Jal al Payravi • 5Mayl984 Tabriz, Ad hirbayjan
15 8. Mr. Jahangir Hidayati ** 15 May 1984 Tihran, Tihran
159. Mr. 'A li-Mul}ammad Zamani 15 May 1984 Tihran, Tihran
160. Mr. Nu~ratu' ll ah Val}dat 17 Jun . 1984 Mashh ad, Khurasan
16 1. Mr. Il}sanu ' llah Kathfrf 27 Jun.1984 Tihran , Tihran
162. Dr. Manuchihr Rul}f 16Aug. 1984 Bujnurd, Khurasan
163. Mr. Arninu ' llah Qurbanpur 25 Aug. 1984 near Tihran
164. Mr. Rustam Varjavandi 15Sept.1984 Ti hran , Tihran
165. Mr. Shapur (Hus hang) Markazf 23 Sept.1984 Tihran, Tihran
166 . Mr. Ffruz Purdil 30 Oct.1984 Mashhad, Khurasan
167. Mr. Al}mad Bashiri ** I Nov. 1984 Tihran, Ti hran
168. Mr. Yu ni s Naw ru zi-lranzad * I Nov. 1984 Karadj , Tih ran
169. Mr. ' Alirida Niyakan 11 Nov. 1984 Tabriz, Ad hirbayjan
170. Mr. Qiya'u ' llah Mani' i-Usku ' i 13 Nov. 1984 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan
17 1. Dr. Farhad A~daqf ** 19 Nov. 1984 Tihran , Ti hran
172. Mr. Ffn'.1z Athari * 9 Dec.19 84 Karadj , Tihran
173. Mr. Ghul am-I:Iusayn Farhand * 9 Dec.1984 Karadj , Tihran
174. Mr. 'Inayatu ' ll ah I:Iaqfqf * 9 Dec.1984 Karadj, Ti hran
175 . Mr. Jamal Kashani * 9 Dec.1984 Karadj , Tihran
176. Mr. Jamshfd Pur-Ustadkar * 9 Dec. 1984 Karadj , Tihran
177. Dr. Rt'.tl)u ' llah Ta' lfm * 9 Dec.1984 Kirrnanshah

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold
hardships for the sake of My Name. -Baha'u'llah

No. Name/Role Date Place where martyrdom
occurred

1985
178. Mr. Ruhu ' llah I:Ia~uri• * 21 Jan.1985 Yazd, Yazd
179. Mr. Ruhu'llah Bahrarnshahi * 25 Feb.1985 Yazd, Yazd
180. Mr. Nu~ratu ' llah Subhani 5 Mar.1985 Tihran, Tihran
18 1. Mr. 'Abbas idilkhani I Aug.1985 Tihran, Tihran
182. Mr. RaJ:imatu'llah Vujdani * 31 Aug.1985 Bandar- ' Abbas
183. Mr. Nuru'd-Din Ta' ifi 12 Oct.1985 Pahlavfdizh, Mazindaran
184. Mr. 'Azfzu'llah A~arf 19 Nov.1985 Tabriz, Adhirbayjan

1986
185. Mr. Payrnan SubJ:ianf 17 Apr.1986 Saravan
186. Mr. Sirru'llah VaJ:idat-Nizarnf 4 May 1986 Tihran, Tihran
187. Mr. Fidrus Shabrukh 9 May 1986 Zahidan
188. Mr. Farid Bihrnardi** IO Jun 1986 Tihran, Tihran
189 Mr. I:Iabibu'llah Muhtadi 27 Aug.1986 Tihran, Tihran
190. Mr. Babak Talibf 2 Sep.1986 Karadj, Ti hran
191. Mr. iraj Mihdfnizhad 4 Sep.1986 Bandar- ' Abbas
1987
192. Mr. AJ:imad Kavi h 26 Jan.1987 I~fahan , I~ fahan
193. Mr. Surush Jabbari 3 Mar.1987 Tihran, Tihran
194. Mr. Abu'l-Qasirn Shayiq 3 Mar.1987 Tihran, Tihran
195. Mr. Ardishfr Akhtari ** 28 Sept.1987 Tihran, Tihran
196. Mr. Arnfr-I:Iusayn Nad irf ** 28 Sept.1987 Ti hran, Tihran
197. Mr. fraj Afshin 26 Nov.1987 Tihran, Tihran

1988
198. Mr. Mihrdad Maq~udf 6 Feb.1988 Ururnfyyih, Adhirbayjan
199. Mr. Bihnam Pasha'f* Autumn 1988 Tihran, Tihran

1989
200. Mr. Gulvirdf Qandfyan 7 Sep.1989 Quruq, Mazindaran

1992
201. Mr. Bahrnan Sarnandarf 18 Mar.1992 Tihran , Tihran

Blessed is he who hath laid down his life in My path and hath borne manifold
hardships for the sake of My Name. -Baha'u'llah

BAHA 'is WHO DISAPPEARED WITHOUT
TRACE IN IRAN AND ARE PRESUMED DEAD
(1979-20 APRlL 1992)

denotes member of the Aux iIiary Board
** denotes member of the National Spiritual Assembly

No. Na me Where Disappeared Date Disappeared

1979
I. Mr. Mu~ammad Muvahhid Tihran 24 May 1979
2. Dr. 'Alfmurad Davudi Tihran 11 November 1979

1980
3. Mr. Ruhi Rawshani Tihran 3 January 1980
4. Mr. 'Abdu'l-I:Iusayn Taslimi ** Tihran 21 August 1980
5. Mr. Hushang Mahmudi ** Tihran 21 August 1980
6. Mr. Ibrahim Ra~mani ** Tihran 21 August 1980
7. Dr. I:Iusayn Naji** Tihran 21 August 1980
8. Mr. Manuhir Qa' im Maqami ** Tihran 21 August 1980
9. Mr. 'Atfl' u' llah Muqarrabi ** Tihran 21 August 1980
IO. Mr. YusifQadimi ** Tihran 21 August 1980
1I. Mrs. Bahiyyih Nadiri ** Tihran 21 August 1980
12. Dr. Kambiz $adiqzadih ** Tihran 21 August 1980
13. Dr. Yusif 'Abbasiyan • Tihran 21 August 1980
14. Dr. I:Iishmatu ' llah Rawhani • Tihran 21 August 1980
Sirru '!Lah Va~dat-Niz;ami Farid Bihmardi
Fidrus Shabrukh

Babak '[alibi fraj Mihdinizhtid A~madKavih

Abu 'l-Qasim Shayiq
Surush Jabbtiri Ardishir Akhtar[
Amir-Husayn Nadiri Bihnam Pasha'£
Mihrdad Maq~udi

Gulvirdi Qandiyan Bahman Samandari
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIV ITI ES 401

E. RESPONSE OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO THE PERSECUTION OF THE BARA 'fs
1980- 20 APRIL 1992

Since 1980, human rights organs of the of Iran and to continue his efforts to ensure
United Nations have been expressing con- the Baha'is full enjoyment of their human
cern about the tragic situation of the Baha' i rights and fundamental freedoms.
religious minority in Iran. This demonstra- Grave concern for the Baha'i minority
tion of international concern has played a was expressed by members of the Human
critical role in moderating the actions of the Rights Committee at its 16th session, when
Iranian authorities and providing a measure the Committee discussed with representatives
of security to the Baha'i community. of the Iranian Government the preliminary
In 1985 the General Assembly had the report submitted by the Government of the
issue on its agenda for the first time. It Islamic Republic of Iran in accordance with
adopted a resolution which expressed deep its reporting obligations under the Internaconcern about the human rights situation in tional Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Iran and decided to continue its examination Resolution 1982/25 of the Sub-Commisof the situation, "including the situation of sion on Prevention of Discrimination and
minority groups such as the Baha' is ... " . Protection of Minorities recalls its earlier
A summary history of this issue at the resolutions on the plight of the Baha 'is and
United Nations is outlined below: expresses its continuing concern at human
rights violations in Iran.
1980
Resolution 10 (XXXIII) of the Sub-Commis- 1983
sion on Prevention of Discrimination and Resolution 1983/34 of the Commission on
Protection of Minorities expresses profound Human Rights expresses its profound conconcern for the Baha'is both individually cern at the religious persecution of the
and collectively, and invites the Government Baha' is and requests the Secretary-General
of Iran to protect their fundamental human to continue his direct contacts with the
rights and freedoms . Government of Iran on the human rights
situation in that country, "including the
1981 situation of the Baha'is".
Resolution 8 (:XXXIV) of the Sub-Commis- Resolution 1983/14 of the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and sion on Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of Minorities draws attention of Protection of Minorities expresses its grave
the Commission on Human Rights to the per- concern at the continuing religious persecuilous situation facing the Baha'is and requests tion of the Baha' is and suggests that the
the Secretary-General to report on their plight Commission on Human Rights appoint a
to the next session of the Commission. Special Rapporteur to study the human rights
situation in Iran.
1982
Resolution 1982/27 of the Commission on 1984
Human Rights notes the Secretary-General's Resolution 1984/54 of the Commission on
report on the Baha ' is and requests him to Human Rights expresses its concern for the
establish direct contacts with the Govenunent Baha ' i minority and requests its Chailn1an to
402 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

appoint a Special Representative to establish report, and expresses the hope that the initial
contacts with the Government of iran and to contacts of the Government of Iran with the
make a thorough study of the human rights Special Representative will develop into a
ofiran. positive cooperation.
Decision 1984/138 of the Economic and Resolution 40/ 141 of the General Assembly
Social Council endorses the Commission's
Expresses its deep concern over the spedecision to appoint a Spec ial Representative.
cific and detailed allegations of violations
Resolution 1984/ 14 of the Sub-Commisof human rights in the Islamic Republic
sion on Prevention of Discrimination and
of Iran to which the Special Representa-
Protection of Minorities expresses alarm at
tive refers in his interim report, and in
the continuing gross violations of human
particular, those related to the right to life,
rights in Iran, including the religious persesuch as summary and arbitrary executions;
cution of the Baha'is, and welcomes the
the right to freedom from torture or cruel,
Commi ssion 's deci sion to appoint a Special
inhuman or degrading treatment or pun-
Representative.
ishment; the right to liberty and security
of person and to freedom from arbitrary
1985
arrest or detention; the right to a fair trial ;
Preliminary Report of the Spec ial Representhe right to freedom of thought, conscience
tative to the Commission on Human Rights
and religion and to freedom of expresexpresses great concern at the number and
sion; and the right of religious minorities
gravity of alleged violations of human rights
to profess and practice their own religion
in Iran, including denial of the right to free-
(operative paragraph 2):
dom of thought, conscience and religion.
Resolution 1985/39 of the Commission on Decides to continue its examination of the
Human Rights endorses the general observa- situation of human rights in the Islamic
tions of its Special Representative, expresses Republic of Iran, including the situation
its deep concern at the number and gravity of of minority groups such as the Baha' is,
alleged violations of human rights to which during its forty-first session in order to
his preliminary report bears witness, extends examine this situation anew in the light of
his mandate, and requests him " ... to present additional elements provided by the
an interim report to the General Assembly at Commission of Human Rights and the
its fortieth session on the human rights situa- Economic and Social Council (operative
tion in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including paragraph 8).
the situation of minority groups such as the
Baha'is ... ". 1986
Decision 1985/148 of the Economic and Resolution 1985/41 of the Commission on
Socia l Council endorses the Comm ission's Human Rights "expresses its deep concern
decision. over the specific and detailed allegations of
Resolution 1985117 of the Sub-Commis- grave human rights vio lations in the Islamic
sion on Prevention of Discrimination and Republic of Iran to which the Special Repre-
Protection of Minorities welcomes the sentative refers in his report"; endorses
Commission's decision, expresses its alarm his conclusion that "specific and detailed
at the continuing reports of gross violations allegations concerning grave human rights
of human rights and fundamental freedoms violations" in Iran cannot be dism issed;
in Iran, "in particular at the evidence of per- decides to extend the mandate of the Comsecution of the Baha' i religious minority .. .", mission 's Special Representative and requests
endorses the general observations of the him to present an interim report on the situa-
Special Representative in his preliminary tion, "including the situation of minority
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 403
groups such as the Baha'is" to the General 1987
Assembly at its forty-first session and a final Resolution E/CN.4/RES/ 1987/55 (11.3.1987)
report to the Commission at its forty-third of the Commission on Human Rights recallsession in 1987. ing its resolution 1986/41, extends the
Decision 1986/ 137 of the Economic and mandate of the Special Representative for
Social Council approves the Commission's one year; requests him to present an interim
decision to extend the Special Representa- report on the human rights situation includtive's mandate and its request to the Special ing the situation of minority groups, such as
Representative to submit reports to the forty- the Baha'is; regrets "that the Government
first session of the General Assembly and of the Islamic Republic of iran has so far
the forty-third session of the Commission. provided no comment or information to the
It was announced on 14 July 1986 that, in Special Representative and has not allowed
response to this request, the Chairman of the him to visit the country"; again expresses
Commission had appointed Mr. Reynaldo "its deep concern over the numerous and
Galindo Pohl to serve as the Special Repre- detailed allegations of grave and extensive
sentative of the Commission. hun1an rights violations to which the Special
Resolution 41 /159 of the General Assembly Representative refers in his report (E/CN.4/
1987 /23) and in particular, those related to
Expresses its deep concern over the spe- the right to life, the right to freedom from
cific and detailed allegations of violations torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatof human rights in the Islamic Republic ment or punishment, the right to liberty and
of Iran and in particular over those related security of person and to freedom from arbito the right to life, such as summary and trary arrest or detention, the right to a fair
arbitrary executions, the right to freedom trial, the right to freedom of thought; confrom tmture or cruel, inhuman or degrad- science and religion and to freedom of
ing treatment or punishment, the right expression, and the right of religious minorito liberty and security of person and to ties to profess and practice their own
freedom from arbitrary arrest or deten- religion"; requests "the Special Representation, the right to a fair trial, the right tive to present an interim report to the
to freedom of thought, conscience and General Assembly, at its forty-second sesreligion and to freedom of expression and sion on human rights in the Islamic Republic
the right of religious minorities to profess of Iran, including the situation of minority
and practice their own religion; groups such as the Baha'is ...".
Requests the Commission on Human Decision 19871150 ofECOSOC approves
Rights to study carefully the final report the Commission's decision to extend the
of the Special Representative, as well as Special Representative's mandate.
other information pertaining to the situa- Resolution E/CN.4/Sub.2/RES/ 1987112
tion of human rights in the Islamic ( 1.9 .1987) of the Sub-Commission on Pre-
Republic of Iran, and to consider further vention of Discrimination and Protection of
steps for securing effective respect for Minorities refers to "various resolutions and
human rights and fundamental freedoms documents published by other international
for all in that country; bodies and organizations including resolutions ratified by the European Parliament
Decides to continue its examination of and Council of Europe ... all of which have
the situation of human rights in the expressed great concern over the violations
Islamic Republic of Iran including the sit- of human rights and violation of the most
uation of minority groups such as the basic rights of the ethnic and religious minor-
Baha 'is, during its forty-second session .... ities ... "; learns "with renewed concern that
404 THE BAHA'I WORLD

the number of those allegedly executed by their political and religious convictions";
the ruling Government, including Baha'is and expresses "its deep concern at allegations
others, now exceeds 70,000 ... "; expresses that maltreatment and torture, both physical
"strong concern over the grave violations of and psychological, are common practice in
human rights and basic freedom such as ... the Iranian prisons during interrogation and
"right to freedom of belief and religion .. ."; before and after the final verdict, and at the
urges "determined protest by the Commission existence of extremely summary and inforto the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning mal proceedings, unawareness on the part of
continuing disrespect for the Charter of the the prisoners of specific accusations, lack of
United Nations in relation to human rights"; legal counsel and other irregularities with
and "requests the Secretary-General to respect to fair trial" ; endorses "the concluinform the General Assembly, the Commis- sion of the Special Representative that acts
sion on Human Rights and its Special continue to occur in the Islamic Republic of
Representative of the information obtained Iran that are inconsistent with the provisions
from the Sub-Commission on the grave vio- of international instruments..."; decides "to
lation of human rights and the most basic keep under consideration the situation of
freedoms in the Islamic Republic of Iran". human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran,
Resolution 42/136 (7.12.1987) of the including the situation of minority groups
General Assembly takes note of the Com- such as the Baha'is, during its forty-third
mission's resolution 1987/55 requesting the session ... ".
Special Representative "to submit an interim
report to the General Assembly at its forty- 1988
second session on the situation of human Resolution E/CN.4/RES/1988/69 (10.3.1988)
rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, includ- of the Commission on Human Rights recalls
ing the situation of minority groups such as its decision to request the Special Representhe Baha'is ... "; again expresses "its deep tative to present an interim report to the
concern about the numerous and detailed General Assembly on the human rights
allegations of grave human rights violations situation including the situation of minority
in the Islamic Republic of Iran to which the groups, such as the Baha'is; expresses
Special Representative had referred in his "again its deep concern about the numerous
report, namely, those related to the right to detailed allegations of grave human rights
life, the right to freedom from torture or violations ... in particular those related to the
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or right to life ...the right to freedom of thought,
punishment, the right to liberty and security conscience and religion and to freedom of
of person, and to freedom from arbitrary expression .. ."; requests "the Special Reprearrest or detention, the right to a fair trial, the sentative to present an interin1 report to the
right to freedom of thought, conscience and General Assembly at its forty-third session
religion and to freedom of expression, and on the human rights situation, including the
the right of religious minorities to profess situation of minority groups, such as the
and practice their own religion"; expresses Baha' is, and a final report to the Con1illis-
" its grave concern, in particular, that sion at its forty-fifth session".
although the Special Representative indicates Decision 1988/137 ofECOSOC approves
that the number of alleged violations of the the Commission's decision to extend the
right to life has diminished over the past two Special Representative's mandate. This deciyears, according to information made avail- sion refers also to Commission resolution
able to him, some one hundred persons were 1984/54.
alleged to have been executed in the period Resolution 43/137 (8.12.1988) of the General
October 1986- September 1987 because of Assembly takes note of the Commission's
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 405
resolution 1988/69 requesting the Special 1989
Representative "to submit an interim report Resolution E/CN.4/RES/1989/66 (7.3.1989)
to the General Assembly at its forty-third of the Commission on Human Rights recallsession on the situation of human rights in ing " ... the situation of minority groups, such
the Islamic Republic of iran, including the as the Baha'is ... "; notes "that the situation of
situation of minority groups such as the the Baha'is in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Baha'is ... "; no,tes "the recent contacts continues to be uncertain"; expresses once
between the Special Representative and the more "its deep concern over the numerous
Government of the Islamic Republic of iran, and detailed allegations of grave and extenwhich it is hoped will lead to a state of full sive human rights violations to which the
co-operation between the Special Represen- Special Representative has referred in his
tative and that Government, including a visit reports, namely, those related to the right to
to the Islamic Republic ofiran, so that he can life, the right to freedom from torture or
fulfil his mandate"; notes "that the Baha'is in cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to be punishment, the right to liberty and security
subjected to various forn1S of harassment and of person, the right to a fair trial and to freediscrimination, although there are indications dom of thought, conscience, religion and
that the intensity of the campaign of perse- expression"; requests "the Special Reprecution against the Balla 'is has diminished sentative to present an interim report to the
somewhat in recent months, and that a num- General Assembly at its forty-fourth session
ber of them have been released from prison"; on human rights situation in Iran, including
expresses once more "its deep concern about the situation of minority groups, such as the
the numerous and detailed allegations of Baha'is and a final report to the forty-sixth
grave human rights violations in the Islamic session of the Conunission".
Republic of Iran to which the Special Repre- Resolution E/CN.4/Sub.2/RES/1989/10
sentative had referred in his report, namely, (31.8.1989) of the Sub-Commission on Prethose related to the right to life, the right to vention of Discrimination and Protection of
freedom from torture or cmel, inhuman or Minorities takes note "of numerous reports
degrading treatment or punishment, the right by United Nations special rapporteurs and
to liberty and security of person, the right to a by NGOs, ... "; concerned "also at reports
fair trial and the right to freedom of thought, of denial of rights of minorities to enjoy
conscience and religion"; expresses "its deep their own culture, to profess and practice
concern also at the existence of extremely their own beliefs"; is "further concerned at
summary, informal and irregular proceed- reports about persecution and detention of
ings, failure to inform defendants of specific members of the Baha'i community in the
accusations against them, lack of legal coun- Islamic Republic of Iran".
cil, absence of an appropriate instance for Resolution 44/163 (15.12.1989) of the
appeal and other inegularities that contra- General Assembly takes note "with apprevene international standards on fair trial"; ciation of the interim report of the Special
endorses "the conclusion of the Special Representative of the Commission on Human
Representative that acts continue to occur in Rights"; takes note "of the view of the Spethe Islamic Republic of Iran that are incon- cial Representative that, in order to achieve
sistent with the provisions of international full co-operation between the Government
instruments ... "; decides "to keep under of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Speconsideration the situation of human rights cial Representative, there is a need to
in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the proceed to another stage in the discharge of
situation of minority groups such as the his mandate"; welcomes "the invitation by
Baha' is, during its forty-fourth session .. .". the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Special
406 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Representative for him to visit that country"; the Special Representative on the situation
decides "to continue its examination .... during of the BaM'is in the Islamic Republic of
its forty-fifth session". Iran"; calls upon "the Islamic Republic of
Iran to intensify its efforts to investigate and
1990 rectify the human rights issues raised by the
Resolution E/CN.4/RES/1990/79 (7.3.1990) Special Representative, in particular as
of the Commission on Human Rights notes regards the administration of justice and due
"the findings of the Special Representative process oflaw in order to comply with interon the situation of the Baha'is in the Islamic national instruments on human rights,
Republic of Iran"; expresses "its concern that including the International Covenant on
testimony gathered by the Special Represen- Civil and Political Rights to which the
tative reiterated complaints about unlawful Islamic Republic of Iran is a party, and to
executions, torture, substitute prisoners, ensure that all individuals within its territory
imprisonment beyond the period specified in and subject to its jurisdiction, including
the sentence, spontaneous decisions by low- religious groups, enjoy the rights recognized
ranking officials and the absence of council in these instruments"; notes "that the cofor defence as well as restrictions on the operation of the Islamic Republic of Iran
right to assemble ... "; requests "the Special with the Special Representative has
Representative to submit an interim report improved and has included replies by the
to the General Assembly at its forty-fifth Government to allegations that have been
session on the human rights situation in the transmitted to it, and urges the Government
Islamic Republic ofiran, including the situa- to reply in detail to all allegations referred
tion of minority groups, such as the Baha' is, to by the Special Representative in his
and a final report to the Commission at its reports".
fo1iy-seventh session".
Decision 1990/243 ofECOSOC approves 1991
the Commission's decision to extend the Resolution E/CN.4/RES/1991/82 (7.3.1991)
Special Representative 's mandate. of the Commission on Human Rights noting
Resolution E/CN.4/Sub.2/RES/1990/9 (30. further "the findings of the Special Repre-
8.1990) of the Sub-Commission on Preven- sentative on the situation of the Baha'is in
tion of Discrimination and Protection of the Islamic Republic of Iran"; welcomes
Mino1ities notes "that the situation of the "the full cooperation extended by the Gov-
Baha'is in the Islamic Republic of Iran ernment of the Islamic Republic of Iran
continues to be uncertain"; expresses "its to the Special Representative, which has
deep concern about the grave vio lations of reached its highest level, as well as the
human rights namely those related to the intention of the Government to continue its
right to life, the right to freedom from tor- full cooperation with the Special Representure and from cruel, inhuman and degrading tative"; requests "the Special Representative
treatment or punishment, the right to liberty to maintain his contact and cooperation with
and security of person, the right to a fair the Government...and to report on further
trial, and the right to freedom of thought, progress with regard to the recommendations
conscience, religion and expression .. ."; contained in his report, on the basis of his
decides "to consider the situation of human mandate pursuant to Commission on Human
rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Rights resolution 1984/54 of 14 March
including the situation of minority groups 1984"; also requests the Special Representasuch as the Baha'i, at its forty-third session". tive "to submit a report to be considered by
Resolution 45/173 (18.12.1990) of the the Commission which will consider the
General Assembly noting "the findings of report with the view to its discontinuing the
INT ERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 407
mandate if there is further progress achieved (E/CN.411992/34) and the observations conregarding his recommendations". tained therein"; expresses "its deep concern
Decision 1991/261 ofECOSOC approves at the continuing reports of violations of
the Commission's request to the Special human rights in the Islamic Republic of
Representative to maintain his contacts and Iran"; expresses "its concern more specificooperation with the Government of the cally at the main weaknesses, according to
Islamic Republic of Iran and to report on the Special Representative, of the human
further progress. rights situation in the Islamic Republic of
Resolution E/CN .4/Sub.2/RES/1991 /9 Iran, namely, the lack of guarantees of due
(23 .8 .1991) of the Sub-Commission on Pre- process of law, discriminatory treatment of
vention of Discrimination and Protection of certain groups of citizens for reason of their
Minorities notes "that the situation of the religious beliefs, notably the Baha'is ... ";
Baha 'i community in the Islamic Republic welcomes "the fact that the Government of
of Iran continues to be a matter of great the Islamic Republic ofiran has permitted the
concern"; expresses "its deep concern at the Special Representative to visit the counhy
escalating grave violations of human rights and has continued to reply to allegations of
in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in particular human rights violations transmitted to it by
of the right to life, the right to freedom the Special Representative"; calls upon the
from torture and from cruel, inhuman and Government "to ensure that all individuals
degrading treatment or punishment, the right within its tenitory and subject to its jurisdicto liberty and security of person, the right to tion, including religious groups, enjoy the
a fair trial and the right to freedom of rights recognized in the international inshuthought, conscience, religion and expression, ments"; decides "to extend the mandate of
and calls upon the Commission on Human the Special Representative requesting him to
Rights at its forty-eighth session, to extend submit an interim report to the General
the mandate of the Special Representative Assembly at its forty-seventh session";
and the monitoring of the situation of human decides "to continue its consideration of the
rights" ; decides "to consider the situation of situation of human rights and fundamental
human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, freedoms in the Islamic Republic of Iran, as
including the situation of minority groups a matter of priority, at its forty-ninth session".
such as the Baha'i community, at its forty- Decision 1992/239 ofECOSOC approves
fourth session". the Commission's decision to extend the
Special Representative's mandate and its
1992 request to the Special Representative to sub-
Resolution E/CN.4/RES/1992/67 (4.3.1992) mit an interim report to the forty-seventh
of the Commission on Human Rights takes session of the General Assembly and a final
note "with appreciation of the report of the report to the forty-ninth session of the
Special Representative of the Commission Commission.
408 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Participants in a Wom en's Institute held at the Regional Bah!i 'i Centre of LatriKunda,
Gambia, in 1987.

International Council of Women delegates ji-om Korea and India listen to a speaker during
a reception held to honour Laura Dreyfus-Barney, a Baha 'i and a member of the !CW.
The event took place on 6 July I 988 at the UNICEF House in Washington, D. C. , as part of
the celebrations of the one hundredth anniversmy of the International Council of Women.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES

4. WOMEN'S ACTIVITIES

Jn every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by the Manifestations of
His wondrous Essence, recreated all things ... 1

THE Revelation of Baha'u'Jlah has given outcomes have never attained a state of
us a new vision of what it means to be completion and perfection. "4
human; a whole new set of standards with The key to raising the status of womenwhich to view ourselves as men and women, indeed the key to raising all people up to
and new ways of seeing the relationships "the greatness which might be theirs "5-is
between what 'Abdu'l-Baha called the "two education. "Woman's lack of progress and
wings of one bird"2 of humanity. "Jn this proficiency has been due to her need of
Day," Baha'u ' llah Wrote, "the Hand of equal education and opportunity. Had she
divine grace hath removed all distinctions. been allowed this equality, there is no doubt
The servants of God and His handmaidens she would be the counterpart of man in abilare regarded on the same plane. " 3 ity and capacity. The happiness of mankind
This is the first time in religious history will be realized when women and men cothat a Manifestation of God has enunciated ordinate and advance equally, for each is
this principle, and from the Writings it is clear the complement and helpmeet of the other. "6
that before a Baha'i World Commonwealth During the Six Year Plan, Baha'i commucan be brought into being a fundamental nities sponsored or supported a wide range of
change in the status of women needs to take educational activities as a way of promoting
place. 'Abdu' l-Baha stated: " ... it is well the equality of men and women, and helping
established in histo1y that where woman to bring about the needed "organic change in
has not participated in human affairs, the the structure of present-day society .... " 7

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

The most basic laws and ordinances of the engage in some occupation-some art, trade
Baha'i Faith underscore the need people or the like, which requires job training.
have for an education. For example: Baha'is These laws and ordinances apply to all
are asked to read from the Sacred Scriptures Baha'is, male and female .
each day, which requires literacy skills; are In many parts of the world, for a variety
enjoined to seek truth independently, which of reasons, people have not received the
requires thought processes free from super- education that would make it possible for
stition and imitation; and are instructed to them to comply w ith these laws. To help,

1 4
Baha ' u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of 'Abdu ' l-B aha, Th e Promulgation of Universal Peace
Balza 'u 'I/ah (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, (Wi lmette: Baha'i Publish ing Trust, 1982), p. 134.
1976), p. 62. 5
Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu '/-Bahri in
'Abd u' I-Baha. Selections from the Writings of Paris in /9//-1912 (London : Baha'i Publishing
'Abdu '/-Balza (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1978), Tru st, 1979), p. 133 .
p. 302. 6 Promulgation , p. 182.
Bah a 'u '!!ah, extract from a previously untran slated 7
Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahri 'u 'I/ah
Tablet; cited in Women , compiled by the Research (Wilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 1974), p. 43.
Department of the Universal House of Justice,
January 1986. p. 2.
410 TH E BA HA ' i WORLD

In Sarh, Chad, the
"Roses Noires "
women 's group met
regularly to learn
prayers, discuss family problems, receive
lessons in hygiene,
and learn sewing and
embroidery skills.
• Photo taken on
8 June 1988.

Baha' is have worked to found tutorial and anyone. The National Spiritual Assembly of
other schools, launch rural development India established more than two hundred
programmes, organize job training faciliti es, tutorial schools during the Plan, many of
establish educational radio stations, operate which were attended by girls and women.
agricultural and medical proj ects, and other The New Era Development Institute,
development projects. Most of these endeav- based in Maharashtra, implemented the
ours have been designed for the whole Government of India 's Ministry of Human
community. However, because women have Resources adult education programme. The
been oppressed in so many societies for so effort introduced centres in sixty-one local
long, some projects have been specifically communities and ran a series of evening
designed to help women gain confidence in classes that were largely attended by
their abilities and develop skills. women . The subjects discussed included
In Zambia, where only twenty per cent adult literacy and children's education,
of girls receive basic education, a Baha'i health care, hygiene, animal husbandry and
residential secondary school for girls named tree planting. Instructors were from the comafter the Hand of the Cause of God Musa munities themselves.
Banani began development under the aus- The Rabbani School Rural Development
pices of the William Mmutle Masehla Project, located near Gwalior in Madhya
Institute. This school was planned to offer a Pradesh, centres on the Rabbani School and
curriculum that would combine agricultural more than twenty villages in the immediate
training with the University of Cambridge vicinity. Development of the school included
Exams Syndicate curriculum which would programmes for formal and non-formal
provide students with the International Gen- education, agriculture, animal husbandry
eral Certificate of Secondary Education and health. Development of villages includes
(I GCSE) at the end of grade twelve. the formation of women's groups, and coop-
Promoting literacy among women was eration in such ventures as land reclamation,
the focus of Baha'i activities in Cameroon, nursery development, poultry farming,
Cote d'Ivoire, France, Gabon, Guinea- agriculture and veterinary services. Many
Bissau, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, all women also attend sewing classes, which
of which reported either special literacy include a component of functional literacy.
classes being held for women, or noted that The combination of literacy classes and
women were making up a significant per- training in income-producing skills is the
centage of those attending classes open for cornerstone of the programmes run by the
INT ERNA TIO NAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 411
Baha'i Vocational Institute for Rural Baha'i Institute. In Nigeria, Baha' i women
Women. Started in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, promoted the use of soya bean products to
in 1983, the project soon included two sub- provide protein for families that could not
centres, one in Manipur and one in Jhabua. afford to include animal milk, eggs or meat
In November 1986, a third course was in their daily diets.
started in Kalyanpura. In addition to adult In Haiti , more than four hundred and fifty
literacy, vocational skills including weaving, mothers were trained in the areas of family
sewing, knitting and embroidery have been welfare, education and health care. Materials
taught. The initiative won national recogni- used in this programme included those detion for the level of excellence it has veloped by the Ruhi Institute of Colombia,
sustained in its work. and the National Spiritual Assembly of
Sixty women attended courses in sewing, Kenya.
cooking, child care and English held in In Tuvalu, the Baha'i women's Nutrition
Franceville, Gabon, during the Six Year and Home Gardening Programme operated
Plan. In Ciskei, the Baha' is of Ngqumeya continually during the Six Year Plan to help
began a candle-making operation as an families improve their health and standard of
income-generating project for women. This living. It consisted of a vegetable garden
effort was run as a cooperative enterprise, competition among Baha'i households in
with part of the proceeds from each sale Funafuti in which each family grew nine
being returned to the group to purchase more vegetables. In Tonga, women started a vegewax. Following the early success of the table, fowl and pig farm on Tongatapu in
initiative the women were invited by a gov- 1989, and in Malaysia women were the
ernment official to demonstrate their skills prime workers in the small vegetable plots
to other villages. In Sarh, Chad, the "Roses operated by the Baha'i community of
Noires" women's group met regularly to Pengkalan Hulu, Perak.
learn prayers, discuss family problems, In 1989, a Health Awareness Project was
receive lessons in hygiene, and to learn sew- undertaken by the National Women's
ing and embroidery. The group functioned Committee of Malaysia. The objective was
under the direction of the Local Spiritual to provide health and child development
Assembly of Sarh. education for the mothers and families in the
Women often took part in-and benefited selected low income areas, and to expose the
from- Baha' i development efforts focused mothers to the benefits of health and child
on health and nutrition. For example, in development practices. The first phase of the
Burkina Faso women made up about fifty Project was to reduce the incidence of
per cent of the volunteers trained to serve scabies, lice and worm infection among the
their village communities as part of the families, to attract women to the centres, and
Hygiene and Nutrition Education Project. to establish good and lasting relationships.
Started in 1984, the Project continued The undertaking not only achieved all its
throughout the Six Year Plan to give basic objectives, but led to further development
training in nutrition, sanitation and hygiene, initiatives including dental care and literacy
as well first- aid training and access to a classes.
"pharmacy box" containing a number of The very innovative project entitled
basic medications in each village. "Traditional Media as a Change Agent",
In Zambia, Primary Health Care training which worked at the vi llage level , has been
programmes for women were initiated in described in the article on Baha'i social and
1988: one-week courses were conducted in economic projects (seep. 179). The National
communities, while two-week courses were Spiritual Assemblies of Bolivia, Cameroon,
carried out at the William Mmutle Masehla and Malaysia cooperated in this activity which
412 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Richard and Mona
Grieser, standing in
the back row centre,
with participants in the
"Traditional Media as
a Change Agent"
project co-sponsored
by the Baha'i International Community
and the United Nations
Development Fund
for Women. Sarawak,
;'*i Malaysia; 1992.
--~- ...........
was funded through the Baha'i International with all part1c1pating villages responding
Community by the United Nations Develop- positively to the challenge.
ment Fund for Women (UNIFEM). The two- A women's conference on radio programyear enterprise commenced in October 1991. ming was held at the Guaymi Cultural
Baha'i communities in Brazil and Nigeria Centre in Panama from 31 August to 2 Sepalso joined the project. tember 1990, with the goal of consulting
The initiative sought to improve the about broadcasting on Radio Baha'i Panama
status of rural women by using traditional in relation to topics of special interest to
media of music, dance and drama to stimu- women, such as the equality of men and
late village-wide discussion of women's women and the education of children. About
roles. Men were included in the consultation, 150 people attended, with men working in
and were asked to help identify factors the kitchen and taking care of the young
which inhibited women from taking part in children so that the women could attend the
decision-making and other activities which sessions. The status of women was the
would allow them to contribute positively to subject of discussions aired on other Baha'i
the growth of their families and their commu- radio stations as well, in Peru, Bolivia,
nities. Early results were very encouraging, Ecuador, Chile, the United States, and Liberia.

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS AND PUBLICATIONS
The Baha'i Writings discuss three types of they help deepen our understanding of the
education : "material education", which Baha'i dispensation.
teaches people how to improve their physi- Throughout the Six Year Plan, Baha'i
cal well-being; "human education", which conferences, seminars and workshops for
is concerned with knowledge of commerce, women took place worldwide. Whether held
the sciences and arts; and "spiritual or under the open skies of a village or in a
moral education", which addresses values. 1 metropolitan auditorium, women discussed
If social and economic development pro- issues pertinent to their roles as mothers, as
jects are among the types of "material" and peacemakers, and as vital members of society.
"human" education, conferences could be In 1988, international Baha'i women's
included as types of "spiritual" education as conferences were organized in North and
South America, and in the Caribbean. The
'Abdu'l-Bah a, Some Answered Questions (Wilmette: event which took place in Dallas, Texas,
Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1981 , p. 8. from 8 to 12 August was attended by more
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACT IVITrES 413
Left: In Luxembourg, the
Baha'i Women's Union
organized a conference
with concert held on
7 October 1988 and attended
by about 130 people.

Below: In Mexico, Rosalinda
Espinoza de Frazelle is talking about "Women and
Peace" during a Baha'i
women 's conference held
in 1987.

Above: In Bangladesh,
Mrs. Shirin Boman
addresses a Bahri 'i
women 's conference
held in Dhaka in 1986.

Right: In Kenya, one of
the friends makes a point
during the National Baha'i
Wom en's Conference held
in the Nakuru Baha'i
Centre in February 1989.
414 THE BAHA'I WORLD

than one thousand women from sixty-five 11 September 1988, was that fifty percent of
countries and all fifty states of the United the participants were not Baha'is. The
States of America. Called "Global Peace, sessions attracted representatives from
from Vision to Reality'', the gathering was twelve countries and were given extensive
sponsored by the National Spiritual Assem- news coverage.
bly of the Baha'is of the United States. The The following year, Uruguay hosted an
professionally organized programme includ- International Women's Conference that was
ed a daily schedule of workshops, talks, and described as "charged with enthusiasm".
working sessions on ways women could en- Conducted from 6 to 8 October 1989 in
hance their role in the global peace-making Montevideo, the occasion was co-sponsored
process. The meeting was widely publicized by the National Spiritual Assembly and the
as reporters responded to its unusually Ministry of Education and Culture. Approxidiverse multiracial, multireligious quality mately three hundred people from twelve
which tangibly demonstrated the possibility countries took part, and messages of support
of a peaceful global community. were received from various Government
One hundred and thirty women from seven authorities, Baha'i institutions, and women's
nations of the Americas were welcomed to associations from other countries. The gaththe International Women's Conference in ering was reported widely by the mass
Paraguay which opened on 15 July 1988. communications media.
The gathering received full coverage for The first initiative to form a European
several days on both of the country's tele- Baha'i Women's Movement took place at De
vision channels and in all three national Poort Conference Centre in the Netherlands
newspapers. Representatives of the United from 6 to 8 May 1988. Ten countries were
Nations helped to organize the programme, represented by twenty-eight individuals,
and the Minister of Education and Religion many of whom were members of National
sent a message of welcome. Mrs. Isabel Baha'i Women's Committees. Consultations
Pavon de Calderon, a member of the Conti- were on ways the European Baha'i communental Board of Counsellors, commented nities could better understand the role of
that the conference was "writing the history women .
of women in Latin America". As one result of these efforts, the Conti-
A strong feature of the Caribbean nental Board of Counsellors in Europe
Women's Conference, held on the island of sponsored seven international women's con-
Antigua, in the Leeward Islands, from 9 to ferences in 1990. The first took place in

-- -
n poeferevcia ID(efi]aciopaf Ba/ji'i cfe fa}/(lje1 á i
Y EL MOMENTO f!A LLEGADO lgualdad.Desarrol!oyP,,, &Iul.~, I

Uruguay hosted an
International Baha'i
Women's Conference
co-sponsored by the
National Spiritual
Assembly and the
, Ministry of Education
and Culture and held
in Montevideo from
6 to 8 October 1989.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 415

A Pacific Bah<i 'i
Women's Conference
was held in Hilo,
Hawaii.from 30 May
to 7 June 1991, with
seventy-six women
from seventeen islands
and countries bordering the Pacific basin
taking part.

Iskenderun, Turkey, from 18 to 20 May, and Germany, on 6 and 7 October 1990, and the
its theme was "The Role of Women in the one for French-speaking women was held at
Faith". Participants came from many parts of the Baha' i Centre in Luxembourg from 26 to
Turkey and from other European countries, 28 October. Their theme was "The Role of
and the spirit reportedly was outstanding. Women in the Transformation of Society".
The second European women's confer- Approximately one hundred Baha' is from
ence was held in Fuscaldo Marina, Italy, seven countries assembled for the meeting.
from 8 to 10 June. The programme was The last in the series of European womexcellent, the National Spiritual Assembly en 's conferences was conducted in Dublin,
reported, and gave rise to participation in Ireland, from 2 to 4 November 1990. It
two ongoing teaching projects. One group of was called "She Will Shine Resplendently",
women went to Portici, Italy, to take part in and was attended by three hundred and fifty
intensive teaching activities there, while the Baha'is. "Heartened by the response from
other group travelled to Spain to join the men, whose huge presence contributed
teaching work among the Gypsies. "Both greatly to the spirit of unity, to the practical
projects were carried out with great enthusi- outcome of the conference, and to encourasm'', the National Spiritual Assembly stated. agement of the women participants, a true
Furthermore, the conference "incited the feeling of 'new beginnings' was created for
desire in the Baha' i families to participate in many. "
teaching activities not only as individuals A Pacific Women's Conference was held
but as Baha' i fami lies". on the campus of the University of Hawaii at
The Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'l- Hilo. It took place from 30 May to 6 June
Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum attended the Euro- 1991 with seventy-six Baha' i women from
pean Baha' i women's conferences held in seventeen islands and countries bordering
Madrid, Spain, from 30 August to 3 Septem- the Pacific basin taking part. The theme was
ber, with more than four hundred Baha' is "Empowering Women to Achieve", and the
from twenty countries attending, and in programme focused on: education for peace;
Bastia, Corsica, from 7 to 9 September, with permaculture; social and economic developabout five hundred participants from fifteen ment programmes; health and nutrition; and,
countries. Publicity for the Faith was use of the media to support teaching
unprecedented in both countries. projects.
The European conference for German- In Africa, forty-four ethnic groups were
speaking women took place at Langenhain, represented among the two hundred people
416 THE BAHA'i WORLD

who assembled for the International Baha'i Role of Women in an Advancing Civilization".
Women's Conference held from 31 October This consisted of presentations of invited
to 4 November 1991 in Nigeria. Five mem- papers by Baha' i and non-Baha ' i experts
bers of the Continental Board of Counsellors focusing on such areas of concern as women
and six members of the Auxiliary Board were and power, women in the legal profession,
among the guests. At the end of the meeting and women, development and peace.
the participants resolved "to arise and meet The first Association for Baha'i Studies
the unique opportunities open to them; to conference in Papua New Guinea, conducted
take responsibility for the development of in September 1988 at the University Baha'i
themselves, their families and the world". Club in Port Moresby, included a paper by
The President of the Republic of the a Papua New Guinean on "Equality of Men
Seychelles Islands, Mr. Albert Rene, and Women: Traditional and Modern Con-
"extended the warmest possible welcome" cepts". The Association's second conference,
to representatives of the Baha'is who had held at the University of Papua New Guinea
travelled to his country to attend the Region- in May 1989, heard presentations on "The
al Baha'i Conference for Women on the Effect of the Baba' i Faith on the Position of
college campus of Port Lanau in Mahe from Women in the Mountain Brown Area of
31 December 1991 to 5 January 1992. More Papua New Guinea'', and "Women and
than one-hundred and thirty believers from Peace: An Anthropological Perspective".
Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius, and the Extracts from the Baha'i Sacred Writings
Seychelles listened to talks and participated on the subject of women, compiled by the
in workshops on themes including the role Research Department of the Universal House
of women in the family, women and the edu- of Justice and released in English in January
cation of children, the role of women in the 1986, provided much of the basis for study of
Baha' i community, and women and peace. the issue during the Six Year Plan. Editions
Conferences featuring the principle of of the compilation received at the Baha'i
equality of men and women were sponsored World Centre Library during the period had
by two chapters of the Association for Baha'i been translated into Chinese, Dutch, Finnish,
Studies during the Six Year Plan. In the French, Gern1an, Italian, Japanese, Norwe-
United States, the North American chapter gian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.
hosted nearly eight hundred people during its Newsletters by and for Baha' i women
meeting held from 15 to 17 September 1989 were another source of inspiration. A sample
in Irvine, California. The theme of the gath- of the newsletters produced include Euro
ering was "Full Partnership: An International Bulletin (in English) from the National Com-
Conference on the Equality of Women and mittee for Fostering the Equality of the Sexes,
Men". Seminars covered a range of interests Republic of Ireland; From the Hearts of the
including consultation and conflict resolu- Handmaidens (in English) from the Women 's
tion, the arts, health, agriculture, science and Consultative Group, Lynnwood, Washington,
technology, and intercultural issues. There U.S.A.; Bahai Josei Janaru (in Japanese)
was an even attendance of men and women from the National Women's Committee of
at the Conference, with the sentiment being Japan; Baha 'i Women (in Hindi) from the
widely held that equality is not a women's Baha' i Women's Committee of Lucknow,
issue, but a human issue. Uttar Pradesh, India; Mujeres de la Nueva
In Australia, the Association for Baha'i Era (in Spanish) from the National Baha' i
Studies' eighth conference took place in Women's Committee of Bolivia; and, Sauti
Adelaide from 24 to 27 March 1989. A ya Mama (in Swahili) from the Baha'i
special one-day symposium featured "The Women's Committee for Upper Zaire.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 417

Jn the United States,
Louise Profeit-Leblanc
giving a presentation
during the 14th Annual
Conferenceforthe
Association for Baha'i
Studies held in Irvine
California,
15 to 17 September,
1989.

EFFORTS TO PROMOTE EQUALITY IN THE WIDER COMMUNITY
The Teachings of Baha'u'llah are for all of Women's Day celebrations for the Kaduna
humanity, and His principles have become State Ministry of Health in 1988, "Educate
part of the spirit of the age. In isolation, Women, Build a Nation", would be published
however, any one of His Teachings can as a booklet and distributed through the local
become distorted and so the Faith 's clear governments in Kaduna State.
perspective on the roles of women was often Baha'is participated in activities marking
welcomed at public forums, and Baha'is' National and International Women 's Days in
experience in advocating equality was of- Cameroon, Uganda, Guyana, and Ireland. In
fered as an example to many governmental Thailand, the Baha' is of Bangkok celebrated
bodies. The Baha'i International Community International Women's Day 1989 with a
participated fully in the work of the United two-hour programme in a popular shopping
Nations to promote the advancement of mall. Hundreds of people heard readings
women (See also article on p. 522.) In addi- from the Baha'i Writings concerning women,
tion to working directly with United Nations' and many pamphlets on peace and women
agencies, Baha'i communities worldwide were distributed.
supported UN initiatives. In 1989, in the town of Rabaul, Papua
The United Nations ' International Wom- New Guinea, National Women ' s Day was
en's Day was celebrated in Australia with celebrated with a music festival during which
a special service at the Baha'i House of a Baha' i band, the Dawnbreakers, performed
Worship in Sydney in March 1989. Eminent songs about peace, women, and a safe and
community leaders were among the readers happy home . Baha' is also set up a bookshop
at the service, including the President and for the event and handed out flyers with
Vice President of the Women' s International songs, prayers, and Baha' i Writings. In Port
League for Peace and Freedom. In Nigeria, Moresby, two Baha' is were invited to particthe E'.'ecutive Secretary of the Baha'i ipate in planning the Women 's Day events,
Women's Development Board was told that and one of them was chosen to be Mistress of
the paper she presented at the International Ceremonies. The Baha'is took part in all the
418 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In the Solomon Islands
Baha'i women and
children present
their custom dancing
during the Women's
Week celebrations held
in September 1988.

activities-reading Baha' i prayers, serving the House of Representatives Standing Comas judges for several events, presenting a mittee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs,
short drama, performing traditional dancing, Office of the Status of Women and the Deand singing in a choir. partment of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Baha'i women of the Solomon Islands The State Minister for Religious Affairs
contributed to Women's Week in 1988 by of Bangladesh was among the dignitaries
marching in a parade sponsored by the welcomed to the conference "Equality of
Honiara Council of Women. A Baha'i Men and Women-a Prerequisite for World
prayer was chosen as the first prayer for the Peace" in Dhaka in September 1991. The
official opening following the march, and president and general secretary of the Bangthe President of the Honiara Council-a ladesh Women Writers' Association and
Baha'i and the only female lawyer in the journalists from several national newspapers
Solomon Islands-was chosen to deliver an were present as well. In Bermuda, during
address. For National Women's Day in a public forum on "Women and Peace"
Samoa in 1990, the Baha' is created a float in which took place in February 1987, a Baha'i
the shape of a bird completely covered with chaired a panel composed of the nation's
fresh flowers and a sign that read "Equality most prominent women including the
of Men and Women". The Baha'i women Minister for Health and Social Services.
walking in the parade with the float sang, A Women's International Luncheon was
"With two wings, we will fly ... ". held on 9 November 1991 at the National
Baha'is were among those who helped Baha'i Centre in Nairobi, Kenya. This was
organize the first International Indigenous followed by a panel of speakers who ex-
Women's Conference, called "Finding Com- plored the topic "Gender and Development".
mon Ground". Held in Australia in July 1989, Twenty-three prominent non-Baha'i women
and funded by UNESCO, the gathering was plus twenty-five Baha'i women attended the
attended by more than one thousand women. events, which received extensive medi a
The event began with a two-day celebration coverage. The Baha'i Women's Committee
of the arts of indigenous peoples. Topics of Fiji was represented at a national "Women
discussed during the conference included in Development" conference in July 1986; a
women and racism, education, and domestic Baha'i stall displayed pamphlets and handiviolence. The Baha'is of Australia were also crafts. In Cote d'Ivoire, Baha'is participated
represented at the "Recognition for Women in a discussion of "The Rights of Women
in Australia" seminar hosted in July 1991 by and Social Progress" conducted in December
INTERNATIONAL SU RVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 419
1989 under the patronage of the Minister of one of the goals of the country's Six Year
Primary Education and the President of the Plan. The Baha'i Women's Committee of
Federation of African Jurists. New Zealand was invited to become affili-
A representative of Zaire 's Ministry for ated with the National Council of Women in
Women visited the National Baha'i Centre September 1986, and in the same year,
in December 1988 to learn more about the Baha'is were asked by the National Wom-
National Baha'i Women's Committee. The en's Council of Vanuatu to help set up
delegate said she was touched by the talk non-political, non-denominational women's
given by a spokeswoman for the National committee for the Port Vila municipal area.
Committee and impressed by the organiza- This was achieved in Port Vila and two
tion and extent of Baha'i women's activities. Baha'i women were elected President and
In Uganda, a written statement on the Baha'i Vice-President of a committee of twelve.
perspective on women was presented to The Malaysian Baha'i Women's Comreligious leaders during a national seminar mittee was an affiliate and active supporter
organized by the government in July 1989. of the National Council of Women's Organi-
The President of Papua New Guinea's zations, so when the NCWO celebrated its
National Council of Women, the President Silver Jubilee on 25 August 1988, Baha'is
of the Morobe Women's Association, the played an important role. The event was
Regional Member for Morobe Province in attended by more than one thousand guests,
the National Parliament, and the wife of the including Her Majesty, the Queen of Malaysia,
Prime Minister were among the leaders of and other prominent women. Baha'is helped
thought who participated in the national to organize the celebration and produced
conference co-sponsored by the Baha ' i souvenir progranunes for each function. A
community and the Morobe Women's Asso- Baha'i was one of three women selected to
ciation in July 1989. The event received represent the women of Malaysia in a
significant media coverage. pledge-taking ceremony.
The National Baha'i Women's Committee The Baha'i Women's Committee of
in the Republic of Ireland gained affiliation Singapore collaborated with the Singapore
with the Council for the Status of Women in Council of Women's Organizations, the
1988: the Council is a recognized body of the Nigerian Baha' i Women's Development
national Government. In 1989, the Baha'is of Board registered with the National Council
Papua New Guinea achieved representation of Women Societies, and Baha 'is in Hawaii
on the National Council of Women, fulfilling were asked to serve on the Governor's

In Pakistan, a public
meeting held in
memory of'[ahirih
was organized by the
Local Ladies Committee of Karachi. Shown
is the guest speaker,
Mrs. Zahida Hina,
a renowned
journalist and poet.
25 August 1989.
420 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In the Philippines,
President Corazon
Aquino (seated centre)
and the Vice President
of the All Nations
Women's Group,
Martha Taylor-a
Baha 'i-(seated right)
during the induction
ceremony for the
Group's new officers
on 9 May 1990.

Conmussion on the Status of Women. Through in Fiji. The Baha'i National Women's Comthe National Committee on Women in the mittee organized a devotional programme,
United States, the Baha'i Faith is affiliated and the believers participated in a peace
with government and non-governmental or- march, carrying a banner which displayed a
ganizations which are active in the field of quotation from the Writings of Baha'u' llah.
women's issues. An aiiicle submitted by the Baha ' i N ational
In November 1988 , Baha'is made major Council of Women was published in the Fiji
contributions held to mark the twentieth an- Times, and Baha'i youth performed a musical
niversary of the National Council of Women drama before nine hundred people.

CONCLUSION

Through the movement of Our Pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent
Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame, and instilled into every word a fresh
potency. All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration. 1
Baha' u ' llah has brought a new standard for During the Six Year Plan, Baha'is forged
what it means to be human, and has told us ahead by organizing activities to promote the
that education is the key to attain that station. equality of men and women including devel-
This training is a process which will lead to oping projects focussing on the special needs
" ... the last and highest stage in the stupen- of women, sponsoring conferences on the
dous evolution of man 's collective life on this subject, publishing literature and forming
planet." 2 "So marvellous a conception finds Baha ' i women's groups wluch associated with
its earliest manifestations in the efforts con- other organizations pursuing sin1ilar aims.
sciously exerted and the modest beginnings Hence the new age will be an age less
already achieved by the declared adherents masculine and more permeated with the
of the Faith of Baha'u'llah who, conscious feminine ideals, or, to speak more exactly,
of the sublimity of their calling and initiated will be an age in which the masculine
into the e1mobling principles of His Admin- and feminine elements of civilization áwill
istration, are forging ahead .... " 3 be more evenly balanced. 4

1 Glea nings, pp. 92-93. 4
'Abdu'l-Baha, quoted in J.E. Ess lemont,
2 Bahn '11 'l/irh and the New Era (Wilmette: Baha'i
Shoghi Effendi , World Order, p. 163.
3 ibid., pp. 43-44. Publishing Trust, 1976), p. 156.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES

5. YOUTH ACTIVITIES

A. YOUTH YEAR OF SERVICE
"Why would we volunteer to scrub and requirements, interests, and talents. Other
clean things for a year? Because we love countries which developed special Youth
Baha'u'llah!" explained a radiant Baha'i Year of Service programs included Brazil,
who was mid-way through her Youth Year Colombia, Canada, Costa Rica, and Zambia.
of Service. This expression of love through During the Six Year Plan, the Youth Year
action was reflected around the world during of Service concept was spread and develthe Six Year Plan as followers of the Blessed oped throughout Baha' i communities world-
Beauty as yet unburdened by career and wide. In Europe, for example, one of the
family combined their abounding energy and first activities of the newly-formed Europecuriosity with a commitment to serve the an Baha'i Youth Council was to set up a
Faith. database of service positions available on
Youth have always played a shining role the continent and issue a Youth Year of
in God's Plan for this Day. The Bab Himself Service Information Pack to all National
was but twenty-five years old when He de- Spiritual Assemblies and National Youth
clared His stupendous Mission, and Shoghi Committees in the region. The Cote d'Ivoire
Effendi was a student at Oxford when called held a six-week Development Institute to
to rise to the Guardianship. What is new is prepare youth for a year of service, and
the relatively systematized approach to ser- Ecuador reported a training seminar as part
vice. This grew out of a concept proposed in of its YYS program.
a letter from the Universal House of Justice Information about the Youth Year of
to the Baha'i Youth of the World sent on Service was a prime topic during some youth
January 3, 1984: " ... give attention to the idea conferences, including one held in the Nethof volunteering a set period, say, one or two erlands in July 1989, and one in Zimbabwe
years, to some Baha'i service, on the home in August 1991. Articles about it were
front or abroad, in the teaching or develop- published in newsletters distributed to young
ment field .... " Baha'is, such as the Australian Network,
By April 1984, only three months after and Malawi's Baha'i Youth Newsletter.
this clear guidance was received, the Nation- Discussions were held at Baha'i Clubs in
al Baha'i Youth Committee of the United universities from Alaska to Guam, and
States began to recruit and place Youth Year details were distributed through the Contiof Service volunteers. Working with the nental Boards of Counsellors, the Auxiliary
International Pioneering Committee and Boards, and the various assistants.
others, the Youth Committee gathered facts Most of the youth served in their home
about Baha'i projects which youth could countries. In India, for example, many of the
join for one year, and information about nearly 200 tutorial school programs were run
young people who were willing to serve. by local volunteers. Young friends worked in
Over time this processing became quite administrative capacities, guided at Baha' i
sophisticated, including details about "host Temples, drove mobile institutes, helped at
projects" such as the location, skills re- Baha' i radio stations, assisted with Baha'i
quired, housing available and expenses to be medical projects, and provided vital consolicovered, and data about the volunteers such dation teams. In-country service programs
as special needs for medical care, dietary were reported in Alaska, Argentina, Australia,
422 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Participants in the
Ruhi Institute International Training
Course for Tutorial
School Teachers and
for the Preparation of
the Youth Year of
Service. Colombia,
November 1986.

Belgium, Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, the Honduras, Hungary, India, Ireland, Kiribati,
Canary Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Romania,
the Cote d'Ivoire, the Dominican Republic, Russia, Swaziland, and the Ukraine. One
Ecuador, France, Guyana, Honduras, Ireland, frequent recipient of these youth volunteers
Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Panama, was the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa,
Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Thailand, the Israel, where individuals served the Univer-
United Kingdom, the United States, and sal House of Justice as plumbers and legal
Zaire. aides, as engineers and cooks, as desktop
Some young people spent their year of publishers and irrigation specialists, and in
service as full-time teachers of the Faith. many other areas of need.
Youth dominated the teaching work in East- An informal survey of young Baha'is
ern Europe, while the United States reported who gave a year of service during the Six
that youth participated in almost all ongoing Year Plan was carried out through the Contiprojects and comprised most of the full-time nental Boards of Counsellors. Several dozen
teaching teams. In its Ric:lvan message for people responded, including friends who
1992 the Universal House of Justice wrote: had traveled from Canada to serve in
"Youth activities took on a special character Romania, from Malaysia to Mongolia, from
shaped by the idea of a youth year of Australia to Japan, from Zimbabwe to
service. The involvement of the youth in the Zambia, from New Zealand to India, from
Six Year Plan as short-term pioneers, travel- Papua New Guinea to the Holy Land, and
ling teachers and projecteers had a profound from the United Kingdom to Botswana to
effect on the teaching work overall..." serve the Cause. Quotations from some of
Young Baha'is who were willing and their statements show how the Youth Year
able traveled to serve the Faith abroad. of Service enriched their lives and strength-
Many of these friends were from Australia, ened their Faith, as well as providing
Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, and the assistance to the communities which re-
United States, and were assigned to projects ceived them.
in Albania, the Baltic States, Belize, Bolivia, The survey asked for the youth's name,
Botswana, the Canary Islands, Colombia, the address, date of birth, period of service, and
Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, in what capacity he or she served. Then the
Ecuador, the Gambia, Guatemala, Guyana, friend was asked:
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 423
Could you please describe one of the mem- A young man who had gone from Great
orable moments ofyour service? Britain to Africa responded:
One young Ecuadoran woman who served In Botswana we had heard that there
as a member of a teaching team in her home would be a teaching project in South
country wrote: Africa-in Botsobella, a township. It was
The most memorable moment I experi- my first teaching project in South Africa.
enced was the first night I spent in an Three of us went into a school to make a
indigenous village in Imbabura, where the presentation of the Faith. One of the more
team shared the life of the indigenous experienced teachers told me, "Don't
people-their food and their homes. look back. Go straight in and with confi-
Being a city person myself, I had never dence insist on an audience, you will not
experienced the life of these people be refused". This we did, and within
before. For the first time, I felt a true thirty seconds of entering the school we
unity, as Baha'u'llah taught us. were led to the staff room where the
An Ausháalian who had travelled to Fiji to teachers were enjoying their lunch. I proserve reported: ceeded to make my presentation, my first
I had typed a letter that began: "I proclamation of the faith in front of the
would like to offer a twenty-minute public. Four of the teachers declared their
presentation on the theme of world peace belief in Baha'u'llah and many expressed
at your school". I had personally taken interest. This demonstrated to me that if
copies of this letter to seventeen schools we forget our frailties and rely on
when I was suddenly taken ill. I managed Baha'u' llah the doors will open.
to present the peace message and One young woman from Australia who
proclaim the Faith in ten or eleven served for some time at the Baha'i House of
schools, however I could not carry on and Worship in New Delhi, India, described this
spent three days in Labasa Hospital. As I experience:
lay on my bed during that time I did not It was in July during the middle of the
know whether I would live, and hated the day when the temperature soared to 48 C.
fact that the proclamation work had not The dry heat was debilitating, yet
been completed. You can imagine my hundreds of people were atháacted to, and
elation when, on being discharged, I mesmerised by the House of Worship. I
heard the news that one of the members always felt it such a bounty to meet and
of the National Spiritual Assembly had welcome people from all over the world,
completed the proclamation work. drawn to the House of Worship by

Young volunteers
in "The Temple
Brigade" doing
cleaning and maintenance work in and
around the House
of Worship in New
Delhi, India, in 1988.
424 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Some of the youth
serving at the Baha 'i
World Centre in
Haifa, Israel, in
March 1990. The
diversity of these
volunteer workers is a
demonstration of the
unity of mankind
in action.

inquisitive minds, searching souls. Dur- the city and I was given the list of all the
ing this particular day I was welcoming new Baha'is and told that I was now
guests on the front steps of the House of responsible for them. That was my first
Worship and offering information about weekend in Ploesti! What a welcoming
the House of Worship in the fom1 of pam- and what a responsibility!
phlets. A gentleman took a pamphlet from
me and proceeded to climb a few steps, The second question was:
ilien he stopped, turned, and walked back In what way did your participation in the
to me. He asked me "What exactly, is this Youth Year of Service programme change
all about?" I began to answer his question your life?
and very soon I began to realise that the A young Australian who went to Japan to
answer was not in my words. I felt free, I serve for one year explained:
became the vehicle through which his It was an experience which greatly
question could be answered. enhanced my life as an individual and as
A Canadian youth who had travelled to a member of the wonderful international
serve in Romania answered: Baha'i community. The Baha'is of
I had just moved into the city (Ploesti) Utsunomiya were truly exceptional. I had
and was at a weekend teaching project. never encountered so much love, respect
The evening ' s fireside was attended by and diversity among such a small group.
about fifty seekers and the atmosphere Their focus was always "teaching'', either
was very exciting despite the cool through weekly firesides, weekly teach-
October temperature. I was talking to a ing trips to smaller country areas, visiting
travelling teacher during the fireside and and deepening new Baha'is, meeting with
asked him what he would do if everyone dignitaries ... They exemplified for me the
stood up and enrolled in the Fa ith. Before way a Baha'i community should be and I
he could think of an answer, the fireside am so grateful for having been able to
ended wiili an announcement that iliose share a year of my life with them.
people wishing to join the Baha ' i com- A youili from the mainland of the United
munity should come to the front of the States worked in the National Baha'i Office
room. And in unison, ilie whole room of Hawaii, in Honolulu:
jumped up and ran to the front! We were Participating in a Youth Year of Serboth shocked beyond words. About two vice strengthened my Faith in Baha'u'llah
hours later all the travelling teachers left immensely. I was tested to truly claim the
INTERNATIO NAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 425
Baha'i Faith as my own. My perspective Beauty says, regarding sacrifices made in
on Baha' i administration opened up His path: To tinge thy hair with thy blood
because I worked so intimately with the is greater in My sight than the creation of
National Baha'i Center activities. the universe and the light of both worlds.
A woman from Papua New Guinea who
travelled to Haifa to serve at the Baba ' i The third question asked:
World Centre responded with these words of In what way did your service change the
wisdom: lives of those in the communities that you
One [important aspect] of my service served?
was the feeling that the Baha'i World A young Malaysian who served the Faith in
Centre was also mine. Serving as a janitor Mongolia wrote:
gave me a lot of joy, and confirmed Mongolia was a new ly opened country
our teachings that any job done well when I arrived in August 1991-there
is service to Baha'u'Ilah, and if done were only eight adult Baha'is. We taught
with a sp irit of service gives tremendous with our limi ted knowledge of Mongoli an
happiness. and with lots of confirmation from
An Ecuadorian woman, the sister of the Baha' u ' llah, and the number increased
woman quoted above, also served in her to fourte en. The first Local Spiritual
own country and then later served for a year Assembly in Mongoli a, the Assembly of
and a half in Romania: Ulaan-Baatar, was formed.
I think I have changed in the manner in At that point in the development of
which I consider the Faith in my life and the community, the Baha'is in Mongolia
especially in service to the beloved lacked confidence and were even afraid
Cause. It is like a thirst that can't be to have a vision of the glorio us future
quenched. It is to have fo und what I was promised by Baha'u 'llah, lest it would not
searching for all my life. These moments come true. I very much wanted to organize
of diffic ulty when we felt at one with the a project that would unite the community
Beloved were unique, and I wouldn ' t through a common vis ion, and that would
have mi ssed them for anything. We feel be successfu l to give the community
much closer to Him when we are servi ng confidence and courage ... By the grace of
the Faith. Now it is impossible to stop Baha'u' llah, the celebration of His Birththinking about how to serve more and day helped us to achieve it.
more and take advantage of every second The Baha'is became excited by the
of our lives to teach the Faith. idea of a celebration, and created a vision
An Australian who went to help with the of how it should be. Undaunted by their
teaching work in Romania wrote: limitations, each of the members began to
My Year of Service served to re-orient draw on all of their talents and resources
my life towards Baha 'u' llah. I partici- as well as those of their friends . We
pated in the Year of Service for beseeched Baha' u ' llah to assist us, and
Baha' u ' llah and every moment away I were guided- almost taken by our
was reminded of this, whether it was hands-to meet authoriti es, strangers and
waking up in a fo reign city or trying to friends, who willingly helped and
communicate in a foreign language. It is supported our project.
all too easy to lose spiritual foc us in the The result was a Mongolian celebraroutine of everyday life at home, and hav- tion in every sense of the word. It was
ing this "year out" has helped me in held in a public hall complete with stage
becoming completely oriented towards and backdrop, an appropriate devotional
service to th e Cause.. .. The Blessed programme and stage performance of
426 THE BAHA'I WORLD

A Bahd 'i youth from
Vanuatu (standing in
back, second from
right) with students of
the literacy class he
teaches as part of his
Year of Service. They
are by the Bahiz 'i
Centre in Lownahurur,
Middle Bush, Tanna,
""""'-"""'-li!!!.
in February 1992.

songs, traditional dances and instrumental More than anyone else, the Mongolian
folk music. friends-who had been extremely con-
The celebration of the Birth of scious of our lack of strengths in many
Baha'u'llah was held on the evening of areas-agreed that it was our unity of
11November1991 with about eighty peo- v1s1on and singleminded determined
ple attending. Considering that the Local efforts to advance the affairs of the Cause
Spiritual Assembly of Ulaan-Baatar had that made our project so enjoyable and
been formed less than a month previously, fulfilling to work on. Although the Local
this was remarkable. Another aspect that Spiritual Assembly of Ulaan-Baatar had
made this event amazing was the demon- not even managed to meet officially to
stration of the incredible potency of His elect their officers, yet the members came
Covenant as a handful ofBaha'is, placing together to work on this project. They
their full reliance and trust in 'Abdu 'l- were united in their love ofBaha'u'llah.
Baha's promise that "as ye have faith, so One of the young friends who served in
shall your powers and blessings be" Ecuador relates:
managed to bring about this event. As to how the community was
Writing this in retrospect, I will not go affected-truly it was not because of our
into who did what and how. What stands efforts, but because of the mercy of God
out in my memory is the absolutely that the community was able to progress
wonderful happiness I felt while riding both spiritually and then materially
the bus to the celebration. It was a cold through governmental institutions. About
snowy evening, but the freezing tempera- two weeks after more than one hundred
ture could not dampen my joy. I had to people embraced the Faith, the village
look out of the window because I didn't obtained electricity and piped water.
want to appear crazy to my fellow They also changed spiritually, as people
passengers-I could see this smiling face who had been enemies for years became
reflected in the glass. At the same time, I part of one common Faith. They carried
was close to tears but I couldn ' t stop grin- out many activities together, and the most
ning! Any time since then if I'm down, I thrilling part was to hear them praying
focus on that mirrored happy radiant feel- and to see the love of the Blessed Beauty
ing. It never fails to warm my heart and reflected in their faces.
lift my spirit. ... having had a taste of pure Another youth describes how just by
happiness, I know His Covenant is real. moving into a particular area she was an
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 427

Youth Year of Service
volunteers went into -
the Kalahari Desert in
Botswana to hold
deepenings for the
..
Baha 'is who live
there; October J987.

example and inspiration to many and set a three nights and went teaching every
standard of Baha'i values: morning and only ate at night. The youth
My presence as a young woman also learned to be detached from their
"alone" in Asian countries was in itself an families because later four of the youth
inspiration for other young women and an left to do their own year of service.
education for many who still held old And one more story from Romania:
world order values of women. Of course I By serving as a short term pioneer, I
had to struggle to achieve a balance so as was privileged to see the transforming
to set an example without shocking. In power of the Faith in changing the lives,
India quite a few men learned that not all individually and collectively, of the
Wes tern women are "loose" and that not Baha'is of Satu Mare (Romania). Initially
all white people are rich. More than any- I went to the town with a travel teaching
thing I hope that my main influence was team, and was thus able to see several
to make people happy and feel hopeful Romanian friends progress from "seekabout the oneness of humanity. ers" investigating the Faith to deepened
A young believer from Zimbabwe relates Baha'is, actively involved in the affairs of
that by not being corruptible he made people the Faith. In one case, the school teacher
curious about the Faith: of one Romanian youth remarked that
Mostly in Zambia, non-Baha'is called something about her had changed, as she
me a priest. During those days I coordi- seemed much happier than before.
nated the relief food programme ... under Blessed is he who in the prime of his
the Ministry of Health. I was in charge of youth and the heyday of his life will arise to
more than six thousand villagers from serve the Cause of the Lord of the beginning
fifteen villages. How I prevented any and of the end, and adorn his heart with His
chance of corruption only God knows, Love, Baha'u ' llah wrote. 1 The several thoubut it brought all kinds of people to ask sand young Baha'is who participated in the
[about the Baba 'i Faith]. One elderly Youth Year of Service programme during
person later became a Baha'i, after I the Six Year Plan were among those who
talked to him about the principles that I were truly blessed.
live by. I think the friends also learned
how to sacrifice, mostly in teaching and 1
Compilation of Compilations, vol. 2 (Mona Vale,
service ... One time we slept outside for NSW: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 199 1), p. 415.
428 THE BAHA'i WORLD

In Hawaii, American
Baha'i youth cooking
during a two-weeklong summer camp
held on Maui
for Russian youth
in 1988.

In the U.S. Virgin
Islands, a "Sparks for
Peace" team ofBaha'i
youth reinstalling a
fallen fence as a
service project in
St. Johns National
Park; 1989.

In the Dominican
Republic, a young
graduate of the Olinga
Institute courses in
service to the Cause is
now teaching children's classes; 1991.
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 429

In Luxembourg,
Baha'i youth volunteers working to clean
and maintain the Garden of Wiltz; J990.

In Uganda, part of
the youth programme
during the summer
school in Mbale was
to help clean up the
local hospital; 199 J.

In Tonga, a Baha'i
youth group cleans
downtown Nukualofa
in support of World
Health Day; 1990.
430 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In Scotland, youth '
participants in
Operation Mona,
after cleaning up a
section of the River
Clyde in July I 986.

In Singapore,
young Bahci 'is after
helping to clean up a
beach as a community
service project in
I990.

In St. Vincent,
children and youth
participating in a
Bahci '£-sponsored
activity to clean up
Villa Beach;
April I992.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 431

In Panama, Bahti 'i
youth performing
cultural dances as
part of the International Day of Peace
activities in Boca de!
Monte; 1989.

In Nigeria, members
of the Baha'i youth's
football club, called
The Peace Makers,
during the semi-final
match in a local
government soccer
competition in Oghara
in 1987.

In Taiwan, six youth
who enrolled in the
Faith during the
Muhajir Teaching
Project in 1987 are
members of three
ethnic minorities-the
Paiwan, the Ame, and
the Paynan tribes.
432 THE BAHA'f WORLD

B. EUROPEAN BAHA'I YOUTH COUNCIL

The strengthening of European Baha'i youth This generation of Baha'i youth enjoys
identity and the remarkable progress made a unique distinction. You will live your
in European Baha'i youth collaboration lives in a period in which the forces of
ranked among the notable developments of history are moving to a climax when
the Six Year Plan. Whether expressed mankind will see the establishment of the
through increasing numbers of regional and Lesser Peace, and during which the Cause
continental youth conferences and schools, of God will play an increasingly promiprojects involving European youth in teach- nent role in the reconstruction of human
ing and service on the continent and even as society. It is you who will be called upon
far afield as Southern Africa, the intensifica- in the years to come to stand at the helm
tion of communication between National of the Cause in face of conditions and
Youth Committees and their representatives, developments which can, as yet, be
or simply through the growing sense of unity scarcely imagined.... European Baha'i
and purpose among youth from different youth in particular face tremendous and
lands, there was certainly a very different challenging tasks in the immediate
sense of mission about the Baha'i youth in future .... A vibrant band of Baha'i youth
the opening years of the Plan. Furthermore, on the European continent, committed to
the atmosphere was charged by constant the promotion of the Cause of
awareness of the inspirational and exem- Baha'u'llah and the upholding of His
plary steadfastness of the Baha'i youth in laws and principles, determined to work
Iran whose extraordinary sacrifices the in harmony and unity with their fellow
Baha' i youth in every land had been encour- believers of all ages and classes, can
aged to emulate. The activities of the Baha'i revolutionise the progress of the Cause.
youth of Europe were to be further galva-
It is perhaps only at the remove of some
nised through the creation by the Universal
years that the full potency and significance
House of Justice in August 1989 of the
of these words can be appreciated as one
European Baha'i Youth Council. This was
relates these sublime thoughts to the
a historic step, an entirely new and unpreprogress of the Cause of God in Europe
cedented development in the Baha'i adminsince 1986.
istrative system, which inaugurated a new
In the years leading up to the appointment
stage in the evolution of the Baha' i youth
of the European Baha'i Youth Council, there
work in Europe, placing in the hands of the
had been considerable discussion amongst
young European Baha ' is a body charged
the National Youth Committees of Europe
with the duty of stimulating, coordinating
about a Europe-wide body to coordinate and
and assisting their activities throughout the
stimulate youth activities across the conticontinent.
nent. Such thoughts, for example, had been
The Universal House of Justice had
articulated at meetings of National Youth
indeed anticipated such developments some
Committee representatives at the major
time before, and in its message of 4 July
youth conferences of the Seven Year Plan,
1983 addressed to the participants of the
namely Fies ch (1980), Chigwell ( 1981 ),
European Youth Conference in Innsbruck
Innsbruck (1983) and Antwerp (1985), but
captured this vision in these profound
the consensus of opinion was that such a
words:
step would be not only premature, but
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 433
administratively problematic. Until this point share the fruits of these discussions with
any European collaboration had been con- their respective National Youth Committees
fined to initiatives involving youth from and to seek approval for the appointment of
neighbouring countries. three youth to develop the "Movement"
At the youth school held at the Landegg within their respective national communities
Academy, 18- 24 July 1986, and energised and to liaise with the Information Centre.
by the participation of the Hand of the Cause The Universal House of Justice hailed
of God, 'Ali-Akbar Funitan and two European these developments. In a telex dated 29 July
Counsellors, participants spontaneously began 1986 it wrote:
consulting on the emergence of a new vision REJOICE GREATLY SUCCESSFUL H!GHL Y
of Baha' i youth activity, particularly the role SIGN!FICANT YOUTH SC HOOL LANDEGG
which a "European Baha'i Youth Move- PRESENCE HAND CAUSE ALI-AKBAR FURUTAN ,
ment" could play. These informal gatherings LA UNC HIN G EU ROP EAN BAH A'I YO UTH
were attended by members of a number of MOVEMENT. WELCOME PRACTICAL STEPS
National Youth Committees and other TAKEN COORDI NATE SERVICES YO UTH
young and enthusiastic Baha' is, prominent THROUGHOUT EUROPE.. URGE PARTI CI-
amongst whom were participants in the PANTS PERSEVERE PRAISEWORTHY AIMS BE
Varqa Project. 1 Inspired by the potential for ASS URED ASS ISTANC E BLESSED BEA UTY
a "vibrant band of Baha'i youth" to revolu- OPEN DOORS WIN HEARTS.
tionise the progress of the Cause of God, and
mindful of the tremendous challenges The results of the Landegg gathering
confronting them in taking the Faith to the quickly became manifest. The efforts of the
spiritually starved Eastern half of their con- youth found expression in personal and
tinent, the youth resolved to take a number group teaching successes, increased use and
of steps both in the immediate future and in distribution of The Promise of World Peace
the longer term. These included a more and the joy of association and collaborative
systematic and cooperative approach to acts activity among the youth from different
of spiritual devotion, enhancing of the countries. News about this Movement rapquality of the personal Baha'i life, travel idly spread among the youth as they
teaching initiatives, and the distribution of communicated their feelings and vision with
Th e Promise of World Peace. enthusiasm and vigour.
To keep participants infonned of develop- The future development of the "European
ments, a "European Baha'i Youth Movement Baha' i Youth Movement" was subsequently
Information Centre" was established in the incorporated into the agenda of a special
Netherlands. Its first newsletter appeared in meeting of European National Youth Com-
August 1986. Each participant in the consul- mittee representatives in Strasbourg, France,
tative process at Landegg was encouraged to 10- 12 October 1986. Jointly conceived in
March 1986 by the British and French
The Varqa Proj ect was a Europe-wid e initi ati ve National Youth Committees, this gathering
in volvin g Ba ha 'i youth in a campa ign of prayer and
paid special attention to what practical steps
personal teaching dedicated to the memory of a
youn g west European youth pi oneerin g in Romania. could be taken to unite the Baha ' i youth of
Participants kept each other regularly informed of Europe and recognised in the call for a Eurotheir news and successes, and the Landegg Youth pean Baha'i Youth Movement a natural
School was the joyous occas ion of their first reun ion response to the growing feeling of European
since the European Youth Conference in Antwerp in
Baha' i youth solidarity that was emerging
Jul y 1985. The experi ences and spirit of these youth
thus prepared the background for discuss ions around throughout the continent. Furthermore, the
the question of a "European Baha ' i Youth Move- twenty-eight youth representing eleven
ment" to natura ll y take place. countries endorsed the recently-established
434 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Information Centre as a channel for fluent venture of its kind. It was to be followed by
and regular communication between coun- similar efforts, the "Star" projects of 1988,
tries and, in recognition of the dramatic new 1989 and 1990. In total, these projects drew
opportunities and challenges facing the some fifty young European Baha'is from
Baha'i youth of Europe, requested the more than half a dozen countries to the
Continental Board of Counsellors to con- Southern African region for four successive
sider the creation of a body that would summers of teaching and service.
provide direction and co-ordination to youth Born out of intense collaboration between
activities on a European level. a handful of youth in Europe and the
Plans also were formulated to regularly Spiritual Assembly of Botswana, "Botswana
send European Baha'i youth to serve in the 1987" was a significant success. Through it
teaching and development field in the Third a channel for service in the Third World had
World. The National Youth Committee of the been opened for the Baha' i youth of Europe,
United Kingdom was asked to co-ordinate and a humble and initial step taken by the
this project on behalf of the National Youth European youth to make Europe "a fountain-
Committees of Europe. head of pioneers, travelling teachers and
The Europe-wide discourse, initiated with financial assistance to the Baha'i communisuch vigour at Landegg and developed sub- ties of the Third World".2 The Botswana
sequently at the Strasbourg gathering, was Project exemplified what the Universal
further enhanced at the First European House of Justice later referred to as "the
Youth Seminar, held at Landegg Academy, increasing collaboration and growing unity
22- 24 May 1987. The meeting was called at among all the Baha'i youth on the continent
the request of the Continental Board of of Europe". 3 A special fund, the "Eurobots
Counsellors, who in carefully organizing the Fund", administered initially by the National
programme of this important gathering and Youth Committee of Norway, was also set
watching over its proceedings ensured that up to meet the needs of equipping the Baha'i
the historic process which had begun some community of Botswana with a new
months earlier continued on its course. motorised vehicle suitable for use in teach-
Consultations between representatives of ing and consolidation in the desert, and
nineteen National Youth Committees, three which would also be placed at the disposal
Counsellors, Auxiliary Board members and of future European youth projecteers. All
representatives of National Assemblies, National Youth Committees in Europe were
focused on important aspects of youth col- invited to participate in this campaign.
laboration, including the devising of specific For those who participated in this landplans and projects to channel the services of mark enterprise, it was an unforgettable
the European youth. Particular emphasis was experience, one which was to have a lasting
placed on encouraging youth involvement in and galvanic effect. In commending the
the arts. Prayer, audacity, and movement youth participants in this project, the Spiriwere identified as key elements in translating tual Assembly of Botswana later wrote: "We
the vision of a "vibrant band" into tangible invite you all to come back to Botswana,
reality. Unanimous support was voiced for to experience again the supreme joy of
the continuation of the important work of the
European Baha' i Youth Movement Infmma- From the Uni versal House of .Justice to the
tion Centre and for its transfer to Norway. participants of the European Youth Conference in
Innsbruck, 4 July 1983.
The First Joint European Baha ' i Youth 3 From a letter written on behalf of the Universal
Third World Teaching Project, the "Botswana House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assemb ly
1987" project, was arguably the first formal of the Baha' is of the United Kingdom,
joint European Baha'i youth teaching 29 October 1987.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CUR RENT BAHA'i ACTIVIT IES 435
demonstrating the oneness of the family of a vision for the Baha'i youth of Europe. As a
man from Iceland to the Kalahari, while ful- result, "Peace Moves", a decade-long camfilling your divine purpose to unite souls paign of galvanising the youth of Europe,
with their God." Baha'is and others alike, around the themes
The experience of the Youth Conference enunciated in The Promise of World Peace,
in Manchester, United Kingdom, 5-9 August came into being. Its principal aim is to
1987, spuned the Continental Board of empower Baha'i youth to initiate and refine
Counsellors on with their effort to organize their interaction with their peers around the
an international youth conference in Spain in spirit and content of Baha'u'llah's peace
the summer of 1989, an event that could programme, destined to usher in, before the
capture the vision of Baha'u'llah for peace close of the century, the Lesser Peace.
and unity and share it with a large and The significant increase in the scope of
diverse group of non-Baha'i youth, including responsibilities of the Committee necessirepresentatives of youth organisations and tated its evolution into a body charged with
groups from all over Europe. Planning began the work of coordinating much of the contiwell in advance, and by June 1988 separate nental youth activities. This was particularly
programme and logistics committees were so during the period from June 1988 until
operating out of the United Kingdom and the first meeting of the European Baha'i
Spain respectively. Youth Council in November 1989. In this
The original plan eventually had to be sense the Peace Moves Committee was the
cancelled owing to logistical consider- precursor of the Council itself.
ations, but while various alternatives were Representatives of National Youth Combeing considered, the need for forming a mittees present at the European Youth
"European Association of Baha'i National School, De Poort, the Netherlands, 23- 29 July
Youth Committees" was increasingly recog- 1988, focused much of their informal connised. The "Association" was essentially a sultations on the question of European Baha'i
generic title which the youth could use in youth collaboration, particularly among the
their approaches to non-Baha'i organisations National Youth Committees. A number of
to lend more credibility to their stature as the options for the emergence of a Europe-wide
representatives of the Baha'i youth of coordinating body were considered and pre-
Europe. sented to the Universal House of Justice. In
Central to these important developments a letter dated 11 August 1988 the Supreme
were the contributions of the Board of Coun- Body stated its full agreement as to the ripesellors and the "Peace Moves" Committee, ness of the time "for the strengthening of
the body originally requested to plan the continent-wide ties among the Baha 'i youth
programme of the international youth of Europe". It stated that the International
conference for the summer of 1989. This Teaching Centre had been requested to
Committee was appointed by the National ask the Continental Board of Counsellors to
Spiritual Assembly of the United Kingdom consider the matter and to recommend a
on the recommendation of the Counsellors . working structure which would "provide
Appointed to membership of the Peace effective links and enable the youth to serve
Moves Committee were Dona Adamson, the Cause together unitedly with a continen-
Sean Hinton, Kishan Manocha, Ric:Ivan tal vision of the work."
Moqbel, Vafa Ram, Adam Robarts, Kitt However, the vision of the House of
Sandvik and Robe1i Weinberg. Officially a Justice went beyond the confines of Europe.
conunittee of the National Assembly, it served The letter stated: "Europe, with its many
in an advisory capacity to the Counsellors, national Baha'i communities contained
consulting extensively on the development of within a reasonably small area, can in this
436 THE BAHA'I WORLD

CONFER~
- EUROP: .
BAHA'I DE JU' The tlurd Peace
MADRID 20-2: Moves '89 Regional
European Youth
Conference, held in
Madrid, Spain, from
20-23 July 1989.
More than seven
hundred Bahci 'is
from twenty-six
countries attended.

way pioneer a very challenging development BAHA'I YOUTH FOR ADVANCEMENT CAUSE
in international Baha'i collaboration." This BAHA'U'LLAH THAT CONTINENT. YOUTH
set in motion the process of defining the GATHERED IN SHEFFIELD, INCLUDING H!GHL Y
nature of the emerging institution that would SIGNIF ICANT REPRESENT AT!VES EASTERN
fulfil this role. In December 1988 the Peace EUROPE AND CHINA, HAVE DEMONSTRATED ..
Moves Committee tabled detailed proposals HOW GREAT WILL BE TH EIR INFLUENCE ON
outlining the structure and function of such a THE ENTIRE BAI-IA' ! COMMUNITY AS THEY
body, which were later submitted by the SPREAD OUT TO THEIR HOMES AND PIONEER
Counsellors through the International Teach- POSTS.
ing Centre to the Universal House of Justice
To aid National Youth Committees to
for consideration.
develop a common vision of the future of
Although the vision of "Peace Moves"
Baha'i youth activities in Europe in the
was only gradually introduced to the youth,
context of the newly appointed Peace Moves
for example at a meeting of representatives
Committee and to prepare for the launch of
of selected National Youth Committees in
the "Peace Moves" initiative, a meeting of
Lyon, France, 1- 2 October 1988, the decade
National Youth Committee representatives
was to be officially opened in the summer of
was convened in Luxembourg, 24- 26 Feb-
1989 when Baha' i youth and their peers
ruary 1989. The consultations were shaped
wou ld gather at a series of five regional
and guided by a momentous message from
conferences to celebrate its launch. Nearly
the Universal House of Justice conveyed
2,000 youth participated in these conferthrough the International Teaching Centre,
ences held at De Poort (Netherlands), San
in which the Supreme Body expressed its
Marino, Madrid (Spain), Torshavn (the
preference for the establishment of a Euro-
Faroe Islands) and Sheffield (United Kingpean Baha'i Youth Council, which would be
dom) during the period July- August 1989.4
The conferences ended on a high note of 4 The Sheffield conference was addressed by
expectation, releasing and channelling tre- M. Andre-Jacques Dodin, Director of the European
mendous energies. Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe,
The House of Justice commented: Strasbourg, France. Representatives of the Peace
Moves Co mmittee had met with M. Dodin in
THRJLUNG MESSAGES FROM SERIES OF December 1988 to bri ef him about plans to hold an
CON FERENCES THRO UGHOUT EUROPE EVOKE international youth conference in Spa in and to
HIGHEST HOPES EXTRAORDINARY POTENCY appri se him of the "Peace Moves" effort.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 437

The members of the
first European Bahri 'i
Youth Council after
their first meeting in
London, England, in
November 1989.

appointed by and be responsible to the new body: co-ordination of the activities
House of Justice. Significantly, the House of of European Baha'i youth which bridge
Justice stressed the need "for the vision of national boundaries, and therefore also of the
the Council to embrace the whole of Europe international involvement of the National
(emphasis added), from the Atlantic to the Baha'i Youth Conunittees of Europe; repre-
Urals, and not just the countries of the Euro- sentation, on a continental basis, of the
pean Community." It was only when the European Baha 'i youth with non-B aha 'i
Iron Curtain was breached a few months youth groups and other agencies; collaboralater that the full significance of the words of tion in youth matters with the Continental
the House of Justice became apparent. Board of Counsellors and the National Spiri-
On 20 October 1989, the Universal House tual Assemblies in Europe.
of Justice announced to all National Spiritual The first full meeting of the European
Assemblies in Europe its historic decision to Baha'i Youth Council took place during the
bring into being a new institution, unique in weekend of 4-6 November 1989 in London,
the history of the Administrative Order: during which time the newly-appointed
ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT FIRST EUROPEAN
members took the opportunity to visit the
BAHA ' I YOUTH COUNCIL WITH FOLLOWING
Resting Place of Shoghi Effendi. At that
MEMBERS: ONN O FRANK VAN BEKKUM, same meeting, the Council met with the
MORTEN BERGSMO, NADI HOFMANN, Peace Moves Committee and there was a
ALESSANDRA LANFRANCONI, JOHN MCGILL, smooth handover of responsibilities and
BAI-IIYYIH TAHZIB, ROBERT WEINBERG .... transfer of the work in progress, after which
HAIL THIS NEW DEVELOPM ENT BAHA'I the Committee, having fulfilled its functions ,
YOUTH WORK, EAGERLY ANTI CIPATE GREAT officially ceased to exist.
EN HANCEM ENT POT ENTIAL FOR PROMOTION The creation of the European Baha' i
FAITH THROUG HO UT CONT!NENT.5 Youth Council coincided with dramatic
social and political changes sweeping
In its 28 August 1989 letter of appoint- through Central and Eastern Europe. These
ment of the Council the House of Justice
changes brought about the collapse of politioutlined the three major functions of this
cal systems that had for so long prevented
Members of the Council were drawn from six
millions of people from receiving the light
countries, and included one of the members of the of Baha ' u' llah. Fresh opportunities for
Peace Moves Committee. serving the Faith abounded. The events of
438 THE BAl-IA!i WORLD

the day had further broadened the horizons close of the project strong foundations were
of the youth of Europe who could now see laid for the establishment of the first Spiri-
Europe as an undivided whole, a continent tual Assemblies in the project cities of
burgeoning with the promise of unprece- Bratislava and Brno, which came into being
dented teaching victories. in January 1991.
Against this background of profound In addition to these summer projects, the
change this new agency of the Faith began to highly successful George Adam Benke
take up its duties of stimulating and co- project, named after the first European
ordinating the activities of the Baha'i youth Baha'i martyr, took place in Bulgaria
of a new Europe. The most outstanding between October 1990 and January 1991.
feature of the period 1989-1990 was the way Among the fruits of the project were the
in which the youth rose to the challenge of establishment of the Spiritual Assembly of
taking the Faith to the countries of the Plovdiv, the first Local Spiritual Assembly
former Eastern Bloc. During the summer of formed in Bulgaria since World War II, the
1990 the European Baha'i Youth Council opening of over half a dozen localities to
organized teaching projects in five Central the Faith, and national television coverage.
and Eastern European countries which were Project participants also made a pilgrimage
all dedicated to outstanding women from the to Edirne, Turkey, where they had the opporearly years of Baha' i history, and each asso- tunity to visit the House ofBaha'u ' llah.
ciated with a specific theme. These projects Capitalising on the success of these
set a number of highly significant, historic projects, the European Baha'i Youth Council
precedents . They served as the first formal set in motion a long-term strategy for these
Baha'i youth teaching enterprise in the newly-opened countries to ensure that adeformer communist countries of Europe; the quate and regular follow-up and assistance
first continental youth activity to be sponsored was given to these new, thriving centres of
by the newly-established Youth Council; Baha'i activity.
and the first time that the Baha'i youth of The mobilisation of youth throughout the
Europe had arisen in such large numbers and continent continued through 1991 in prepawith such resolution and vigour to serve ration for the Holy Year with a clear focus
together in a challenging joint endeavour in on teaching. In response to the Council's
Europe. Indeed, as a result of the participation call, significant victories were won, many
of so many young European Baha ' is in these Baha'i communities were invigorated by the
projects, continent-wide youth collaboration visits of the youth, contacts were established
had scaled new heights. with prominent people and organisations,
Teaching projects were held in Czecho- and many souls brought into the Faith.
slovakia (the Martha Root Project), Hungary Among the activities were the four regional
(the Renee Szanto Project), Poland (the youth conferences held during the summer
Lydia Zamenhof Project), Romania (the of 1991 with the theme "Baha'u'llah-The
Tahirih Project), and Yugoslavia (tlie Louisa King of Glory," in Kabli (Estonia), Strasbourg
Mathew Project). Particularly noteworthy (France), Berlin (Germany) and Neptune
was the project in Czechoslovakia, sub- (Romania). The 150 participants from seven
titled, "Peace through Participation", in Republics of the former Soviet Union and
which over 160 Baha'is from twenty-seven nine other countries attending the conferdifferent countries took part. The Faith ence in Kabli, Estonia, commented in their
enjoyed extensive media coverage and was message to the Universal House of Justice
particularly well received by public officials, that "this gathering has played a unique role
academics, and representatives of non-gov- in the forging of strong bonds of friendship
ernmental and political organisations. At the and understanding between the youth from
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 439

Bahri 'is gathered in
Neptune, Romania,
in July I 991, for one
of the four regional
youth conferences
held that summer by
the European Bahri 'i
Youth Council.

East and West." The Estonia conference was stimulate and motivate the teaching work of
also significant in that it was only the second the youth. The Council identified Peace
Baha'i youth conference to be held in the Moves as one of its four major focuses of
then-Soviet Union. Particularly noteworthy activity for the summer of 1990. In the
also was the conference in Neptune which autumn of 1990 it issued a comprehensive
attracted 250 participants from twenty coun- statement outlining the features of Peace
tries around the world. Over 600 souls Moves. It read, in part, as follows: "Peace
embraced the Cause during the course of this Moves is a Baha'i contribution to the estabconference and during teaching activities lishment of a lasting world peace. Peace
before and after it. Moves is a means of enabling the Baha'i
The European Baha'i Youth Council, in youth to initiate and improve interaction
collaboration with national institutions and with their peers in Europe. Peace Moves is
committees, also organized a number of the generation of activities inspired by, and
other teaching projects in different parts of realising, the contents of the Peace Statethe continent during the course of 1991, ment of the Universal House of Justice."
including Bulgaria (George Adam Benke The statement helped to clarify for the
Projects II and III), Cyprus (Winds of Hope Baha'i youth of Europe the relationship of
Project), Greece (Anis Project), Hungary, Peace Moves to the teaching work. Since its
Italy, Poland (Lydia Zamenhof Projects II launch several European youth communities
and III), Spain and Turkey. enthusiastically had taken up the concept of
One of the first tasks given to the Euro- Peace Moves as a focus for their teaching
pean Baha 'i Youth Council by the Universal work. Indeed, much of the outstanding
House of Justice was a smooth transfer energy and enthusiasm generated by the
of functions between the Peace Moves 1989 Peace Moves events were channelled
Committee and the Council. The Supreme into the vital teaching work carried out in the
Body had described the five regional Peace newly-opened countries of Central and East-
Moves conferences held during the summer ern Europe. An international Peace Moves
of 1989 as "outstandingly successful". Early project, "Winds of Hope'', which included a
on in its first year the Council carefully three-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land, was
considered the development of the Peace held during August 1991 in Cyprus. The
Moves campaign and recognised its poten- Peace Moves campaign continued to be
tial as one of many possible means to developed throughout the remaining years of
440 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Participants in the
George Adam Benke
Project in Bulgaria
attending the National
Teaching Conference
held in Plovdiv from
25 to 27 October 1991.

the Six Year Plan in those countries in which raising of one hundred thousand dollars for
it was felt to be relevant to their needs and the Dr. Ugo Giachery Arc Fund Project is a
interests. remarkable achievement and a fine example
One of the outstanding developments of to the entire Baha'i community."
the Peace Moves events of the sununer of One of the most important duties facing
1989 was the launch of the Dr. Ugo Giachery the newly-appointed Youth Council was the
Arc Fund Project established in memory of establislunent of effective relationships with
the valiant Hand of the Cause of God who the European National Baha'i Youth Compassed away that summer during a visit to mittees. In order to facilitate communication
Samoa. The aim was to encourage the Baha'i with National Youth Committees and
youth of Europe to make a substantial contri- communities in Europe and to share with
bution towards the building of the Arc on them its vision for the development of youth
Mount Ca1mel, a venture which the Univer- work throughout the continent, the European
sal House of Justice had announced to the Baha'i Youth Council called annual meet-
Baha'i world in August 1987. The manage- ings of Youth Conunittee representatives. At
ment of this project was taken on by the the first of these Amrnal Conferences at De
European Baha'i Youth Council upon its Poort, the Netherlands, from 26-28 January
appointment, and at the First Annual Confer- 1990, representatives from 22 National
ence ofNational Youth Committees in 1990, Youth Committees in Europe consulted with
the representatives present unanimously the Council and representatives of the Eurorequested that a target of one million dollars pean Board of Counsellors on a common
be set. strategy for the continent for the 1990s. At
The project officially ended at Ri<;lvan the Second Annual Conference, 15-17 Feb-
1992. At the time of the Third Annual Con- ruary 1991 , 26 representatives from both
ference of Youth Committee representatives Western and Eastern Europe met and
in February 1992 a total of US $187,000 had consulted under the inspiring guidance of a
been raised. In commenting on the signifi- representative of the Board of Counsellors.
cance of this collaborative venture by the The presence of Eastern European represen-
Baha' i youth of Europe shortly after the tatives was highly appreciated by the other
Second Annual Conference of youth repre- participants, and a sháong, unified bond was
sentatives in 1991 , the Universal House of created between East and West. The Third
Justice stated through its Secretariat: "The Annual Conference was held in Wiesbaden,
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVIT IES 441

Germany, 1-2 February 1992, when twenty- secretariat would be "a great reinforcement
two representatives from all over Europe- to the services which the Council is already
gathered to consult primarily on the chal- rendering with such distinction". As of
lenges and the opportunities presented by the 1 February 1991 a full-time Secretariat, fully
Holy Year. equipped with modem telecommunications
At its third meeting held 16-19 February facilities, was established in Sweden with
1990 in Berlin, the European Baha ' i Youth one member of the Council employed in a
Council felt it timely and important to visit salaried position. The European Baha'i Youth
the European countries in order to further Newsletter, based on news and information
strengthen collaboration between the Council gathered at the Secretariat, was first issued
and the respective National Youth Commit- on 6 April 1990. National Youth Committees. This objective was to serve a number of tees either reproduced the entire newsletter
purposes: to deepen the Council's relation- and sent it promptly to their youth, or chose
ship with the National Youth Committees to include items of information in their own
and their National Spiritual Assemblies; to youth bulletins and magazines or national
establish personal contact with the Baha'i Baha'ijoumals.
youth in the community and thereby to One of the three main functions assigned
obtain a more accurate picture of the situa- to the European Baha'i Youth Council by
tion in each country; to encourage co- the Universal House of Justice is that of
operation between the National Youth Com- representation, on a continental basis, of
mittees on a regional level; to share news, the European Baha'i youth with non-Baha'i
ideas, plans and needs with the National youth groups and other agencies. The first
Youth Committees and the youth of Europe; tentative steps in this arena of work had been
to assist the National Youth Committees, taken by the Peace Moves Committee with
especially the newly-appointed ones, in their its representation to the Council of Europe ' s
functioning where necessary and to encour- European Youth Foundation in Strasbourg,
age all youth to raise their standard of the France, in December 1988. Soon after
English language in order to better study and its formation the European Baha'i Youth
understand the writings of Shoghi Effendi. Council participated in the Second Annual
Since its formation, members of the Euro- Conference on Intolerance held in Strasbourg,
pean Baha'i Youth Council have been able France, 10- 15 December 1989, a conference
to visit all National Youth Committees on at organized under the auspices of the Euroleast one occasion and to consult with most pean Youth Centre of the Council of Europe,
National Spiritual Assemblies. Further, the at which a number of important contacts
Council intensified its working relationship were made.
with the Continental Board of Counsellors In November and December 1991, reprethrough regular consultations. sentatives of the Youth Council met with
The work of the European Baha 'i Youth two representatives of the United Nations
Council during its fast full year was success- offices of the Baha'i International Commufully carried out from a temporary Secretariat nity in Geneva and other individual Baha'is
based initially at the United Nations Office in Europe to discuss the legal status of the
of the Baha'i International Community in Council. Subsequently the European Baha' i
Geneva, Switzerland, and subsequently in Youth Council appointed a Representation
the Netherlands. The Universal House of Committee and a Legal Task Force. The
Justice had originally indicated that the former was given the responsibility of
European Baha 'i Youth Council would need further developing relations with European
a full-tin1e Secretariat and on 6 January 1991 youth organisations and other agencies on
wrote that the establishment of a permanent behalf of the Council and the organisation of
442 THE BAHA'I WORLD

a high-level representation conference with in universities, patiicularly the development
the theme "Overcoming Racism in Europe" of Baha' i student societies in universities
scheduled for April 1993 . The Legal Task where such possibilities exist. To this end,
Force, a group of three European Baha'i an Ad-hoc Committee on Student Societies
lawyers, began its work of drafting the legal was appointed in 1991 to undertake the
status of the European Baha'i Council and necessary research into European Baha'i
seeking its official recognition by such bod- student activity on its behalf. As a result an
ies as the Council of Europe, the European information pack containing valuable mate-
Coordination Bureau of International Youth rial on the imp01iance of Baha'i university
Organisations, and the Youth Forum of the societies, practical suggestions on setting up
European Communities. In March 1992 the such societies, sample constitutions, discus-
European Baha'i Youth Council submitted sion papers, ideas for activities, etc. was
an application for financial assistance to the produced and sent to all National Spiritual
European Youth Foundation, a most signifi- Assemblies and Youth Committees in Europe.
cant step, taken after formal contacts had The Committee also organized a conference
been established as a result of meetings of on Baha' i activities at universities in Europe
some Council representatives with officials held in Brno, Czechoslovakia, from 2 to
in Strasbourg. 5 January 1992. Twenty-four delegates rep-
Other matters given special consideration resenting eleven countries consulted on the
by the European Baha' i Youth Council were development of Baha'i activities at universithose of the Youth Year of Service and Jun- ties, the need for increasing collaboration
ior Youth. The Council made the promotion between Baha'i students throughout Europe.
of the concept of the Youth Year of Service The Council began its planning for the
one of its highest priorities, encouraging all Holy Year, 1992-1993, well in advance. Its
National Spiritual Assemblies and National strategy for the Year was sent to all National
Baha'i Youth Committees in Europe to Spiritual Assemblies and National Baha'i
emphasise this important area of service Youth Committees of Europe in December
among the youth in their communities. To 1991. In the preface to this document the
assist with this process the Council set up a Council stated:
database of available service positions in Every step we take in this Holy Year
Europe and issued a Youth Year of Service should be a step towards service. It is a
Information Pack to all National Spiritual time when the Baha'i youth of Europe
Assemblies and Youth Committees. The must make extraordinary sacrifices and
Youth Counci l also devoted special attention rise to the call of the Universal House of
in its own consultations and in those with Justice. This strategy is offered to the
National Spiritual Assemblies and Youth Baha'i youth of Europe by the European
Committees, to the needs of Junior Youth, Baha'i Youth Council as a means to
especially their full integration into all channel our energies, realise our potential
aspects of Baha ' i conununity life, particu- and raise us to new heights of service. It
larly youth activities. Countries with a is a strategy calling for great sacrifice,
significant percentage of Junior Youth were spiritual discipline and personal transforasked to organize specific projects for this mation. It is a strategy which calls for
age group . Both the concept of the Youth vis ion, courage and ce1iitude. It is a strat-
Year of Service and Junior Youth figured egy made up of plans and activities which
prominently in the Council's strategy for the the Baha ' i youth of Europe can humbly
Holy Year. offer to BaM'u'llah in this, His Holy
The European Baha ' i Youth Council also Year, as a sign of our love, our devotion
placed special emphasis on Baha ' i activities and our desire to serve Him.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURREN T BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 443

El Viento Canta,
form ed at the Baha 'i
World Centre by youth
who served there ji-om
Mexico, Peru, the
United States, and the
United Kingdom.
This photograph was
taken in 1988, before
the group began its
European tour.

The plans of the Youth Council for the time ranging from three months to one year.
Holy Year included specific year of service By the opening of the Holy Year at Ri<;lvan
projects; history tours to visit the House 1992 this unique project had caught the
ofBaha'u'llah in Turkey; a European prayer imagination of the friends far and wide. The
campaign; a "silent" conference to provide a strategy was later to win the admiration of
unique opportunity for meditation and reflec- the International Teaching Centre, which
tion; a high-level representation conference in a letter dated 19 April 1992 to the Contiwith other youth organisations; and specific nental Board of Counsellors for Europe
junior youth activities. The Council's plans wrote: "The breadth, directness and intended
for national youth committees included ways intensity of the effort envisioned by the Holy
of orienting the youth towards a greater Year Board is such that we can but admire
understanding of Baha'u'llah and His Mis- this new generation of Baha'i planners."
sion; conducting proclamation events with By the end of the Six Year Plan, the
the use of mass media; holding national con- pattern and nature of European Baha'i youth
ferences , projects and deepening weekends; activity had undergone a significant qualitadissemination of the statement on Baha'u'llah, tive change, holding out hope and promise
and organising events aimed at fostering for the future. The degree of collaborative
greater conelation of the Teachings with work among the youth made the wholeness
cmTent issues. of Europe a living reality. They responded
To execute its Holy Year strategy most magnificently to the challenges resulting
effectively, the European Baha'i Youth from the collapse of social and political
Council appointed a Holy Year Board, a systems in the Eastern half of the continent,
committee of seven European youth, to co- valiantly arising as resourceful pioneers,
ordinate and monitor the Council' s interna- energetic travelling teachers and dynamic
tional activities for the Holy Year. It held its administrators in the establishment of the
first meeting in November 1991. Foremost Faith of Baha'u ' llah in virgin lands. In this,
among the international activities for the their lofty endeavour, they were inspired and
Holy Year was the Year of Service Project, guided by the nascent European Baha'i
comprising fourteen specially designated Youth Council, a unique instrument created
teaching routes throughout Europe to which by the Universal House of Justice for this
young believers could devote periods of very purpose.
444 THE BAHA'I WORLD

C. SPECIAL YOUTH PROJECTS

A significant feature of the Six Year Plan was the use of the arts to share the Message of
Baha 'u 'llah. Many projects involving the arts were carried out by youth, who combined
drama, music and dance to teach the Faith. Three special projects have been featured here
because of the international scope of their services.

El Viento Canta share their Faith with people in Western
On 21 March 1987, the music group now Europe, writing to National Assemblies in
known as El Viento Canta first performed Europe and receiving positive responses for
during a talent show at the Baha'i World sponsorship from thirteen. New members
Centre. The ensemble was composed of were added to the group: Miguel Cortes from
youth who had volunteered to serve at the Peru (Rolando and Cesar's brother), and
Centre and had a love of Latin American Lisa Smith-Cortes from the United States
music . The members were: Cesar Cortes (Cesar's wife).
(Peru), Claudia Cortes (Mexico), Rolando In June 1988, El Viento Canta began its
Cortes (Peru), David Hadden (United States), tour in Cyprus, then proceeded on to Greece,
Roxana Hadden (Peru), and Conrad Lambert Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium,
(England). The audience 's response to the France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Scotland,
music was so positive that the friends con- Wales, and England. Each concert 's format
tinued to perform for various gatherings in varied slightly to accommodate the location,
Haifa. The group formalized its name for a but generally the performance lasted between
presentation at the Jacob 's Ladder Folk Fes- one and one-and-a-half hours and consisted
tival in northern Israel in September 1987. of songs from Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Spain,
As a result of the performance at the Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico and Ecuador.
Jacob's Ladder Folk Festival, the musicians The songs were sung in Spanish and Quewere asked to give a full-length concert at chua, the native language of the Indians in
the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. This con- the Andes. In between the songs , members
cert was also successful, and the friends introduced themselves as Baha'is and talked
began to realize the teaching potential of about Baha'u' llah and the principles He
their music. They began planning a trip to brought. Invariably, a few people would stay

Members of El Viento
Canta with children
on the grounds of the
Bahri 'i House of Worship in Kampala,
Uganda, during their
tour of Afiáica in 1989.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 445
after the concert and participate in the were held to encourage local believers to
impromptu firesides held in hotel rooms or perform their own native songs and dances,
onstage. At one concert in Spain, hundreds and El Viento Canta was to be an illustration
of copies of the Peace Statement were dis- of how this might be possible. All of the festributed to an audience of 3,000! The group tivals were inspiring and beautiful, and the
performed approximately forty-eight con- friends had an opportunity to visit the House
certs in three months. of Worship in Kampala, Uganda, for a spiri-
During the 1988 International Convention tual renewal. One of the most beautiful
in Haifa, several Continental Counsellors stories of the group's experience in Africa
from Africa had heard the group perform occurred in Uganda. On the last evening of
and asked if it would consider travelling to the band's stay, they were to play at a spethat continent for three music festivals to be cial camp for handicapped children. They
held in 1989. After El Viento Canta's final played in a room filled with about 200 chilconceit in England in August of 1988 dren and lit only by a single dim lightbulb.
(which happened to be held at the Africa At one point, a performer was to dance with
Centre in London), the members dispersed a member of the audience. When she invited
to several countries to work and study until one happy-looking child, she didn't realize
their trip to Africa. that the boy had no legs. The child pro-
As the friends waited, sweeping changes ceeded to dance with great agility on his
were taking place in Eastern Europe and hands! Later, a deaf little girl told the group
many opportunities for teaching the Faith how much she enjoyed the music, and a
opened up there. The International Teaching young blind man asked very earnest ques-
Centre asked El Viento Canta if it could tions about Bahci' u'llah.
extend its African trip to include Eastern El Viento Canta returned to Europe at
Europe, the Soviet Union, Mongolia, and the end of December and travelled through
China! Of course the members agreed and Croatia and Slovenia in Yugoslavia, Hungary,
set out with anticipation to meet in Liechten- Poland, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine, Siberia,
stein (the home of Miguel's new wife, Mongolia, China, Macau, and Hong Kong.
Bernadette) in November 1989. Travelling in the dead of winter with sixteen
During December 1989, the group trav- people, instruments and luggage and a comelled through Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, and plete sound system, one could surmise that
Liberia. The music festivals planned there the group 's purpose was not tourism. In fact,

M embers of El Viento
Canta in Ulaan-
Baatar, Mongolia, with
Knight of Baha 'u '!Lah
Sean Hinton (back left)
and some of the first
Mongolian Bahci 'is;
1990.
446 TH E BAHA ' i WORLD

the members wandered through these coun- They took the train from Ulan-Ude to
tries to spread the divine fragrances of the Irkutsk, on Lake Baikal, where they would
Cause of God. They knew that wherever catch a plane to the capital of Mongolia,
they went people would be attracted to the Ulaan-Baatar. They got to Irkutsk early in
joyful, upbeat music, and would stay after the morning and took taxis to the airport.
the concerts to hear more of the Message that When they arrived, Cesar suddenly shouted,
was presented on stage. They didn't know "Ya Bah:i'u'l-Abh:i!" in a panic-stricken
how many sacrifices, delights, tears, and voice. Everyone turned to him and asked
adventures they would share along the way. what had happened, and he said, "I left my
One of their biggest adventures took bag on the train!" This travel pouch conplace on the train between Poland and their tained his passport and visas and US$2,300
first stop in the Soviet Union, Estonia. The of the group's money. He had put it under
group missed one train and had to catch his pillow on the train so that it would be safe.
tluáee to make up for lost time. The band Immediately the group ' s Russian translahad experienced several robberies in Poland, tor took him to a taxi so that they could try
and the train was no exception. The weary to catch the train. Meanwhile, two hours
travellers probably could have given up right remained before boarding time. The Amerithen and there, but Lynda Godwin, the coor- can guide, Bill Mahoney, told the friends
dinator for the Soviet trip, suddenly pulled to get some breakfast and see what would
out a letter from the House of Justice and happen. Claudia and Lisa decided to stay
began to read from it. It was the letter with the luggage. As they were waiting,
informing the Baha'i world of the vast rather dejectedly, for their chance to eat,
changes in Eastern Europe, the Soviet they suddenly heard a very British voice say,
Union, and Mongolia which called for a new "My, you have a lot of luggage, don't you?"
Two Year Teaching Plan for those countries. Shocked to hear English, they looked up
The performers immediately felt exhila- and saw a young man with bright blue eyes.
rated and inspired by those words. They "Who are you?" Lisa asked. "Sean," he said.
forgot about their hardship, became cheerful "Sean Hinton? Allah'u 'Abh:i! We ' re El
and loving once again, and felt so happy that Viento Canta!" He, just as shocked, said,
they were a part of these changes and could "What are you doing here?" They told him
teach in these countries. Even though they that they were about to fly into Mongolia,
encountered more difficulty before they got and he told them he was on the same flight.
to Estonia (Conrad had left his passport in They immediately took him up to the other
Warsaw and had to go back for it), they had members, who were also stunned to see him.
been given new strength and energy to He apparently had decided to come back to
continue their efforts for the Faith. Mongolia for further studies for one month.
After El Viento Canta finished its Soviet He knew El Viento Canta was scheduled to
tour in Siberia, it was time to travel to be there, in Mongolia, but he had no idea
Mongolia. However, the group had no plans how or when it was to arrive.
for Mongolia. No concerts had been set up, Finally everyone was to board the plane
and no contacts had been made. The Interna- and Cesar still hadn ' t come back. Bill told
tional Teaching Centre had asked the friends the friends he would wait for Cesar and do
to go there and do what they could. Every- what they could to get him to Mongolia. But
one wished that Sean Hinton, a pioneer to no one really believed that he could find the
Mongolia, would be able to meet them there group in Ulaan-Baatar.
but they knew he was back in England. They The band arrived in Ulaan-Baatar and
just decided to make the best of it, and if half of the members got taxis to one of
nothing happened, to go on to Beijing. the two hotels; the other half stayed at the
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 447
airport until another taxi was available. El Viento Canta could not have travelled
When the second group arrived at the hotel, to any of these remarkable places without
who should they bring with them but Cesar! the love, kindness, diligence and support of
Cesar and the Russian translator had countless Baha'is and their wonderful comrushed to the train station to find that the munities. In every city or town, the Baha'is
train had already left for the next town. They could always be picked out of the crowds
called ahead to the next town, described the by their cheerful smiles and open faces. It
bag to the train police, and got back in the is a testament to the power of Baha ' u 'llah' s
taxi. When they arrived at the next station Covenant that the Baha'i communities in all
after a harrowing taxi ride, they found the these lands exhibited such excellent hospibag and all of its contents perfectly safe in tality and were able to arrange concerts and
the police station. After verifying that every- venues so well.
thing was in order, they raced back to Irkutsk
to find that the airplane had left fifteen The Wildfire Theatre Group
minutes earlier. The next passenger plane In January 1988, a group of twenty-eight
was not scheduled to leave for another week. Baha'i youth toured Australia to share the
Bill asked Cesar if he minded riding in Teachings of Baha'u'llah through a proa cargo plane. Cesar said, "I'll take it!" and gramme of music, dance, and comedy entitled
flew to the Ulaan-Baatar airport, where half "It's Not the End of the World". Calling
the group was still going through customs! themselves the Wildfire Project, the youth
Sean Hinton already had contacts in Ulaan- met with an extraordinary response among
Baatar and went on to arrange four concerts the approximately three thousand people who
and a visit to the Mongolian steppes. Such saw the show. During the rest of the Six
wonders served to greatly confirm the dedi- Year Plan, Wildfire embarked on a number
cation of the young performers. of similar performing tours. The member-
China was a very different experience for ship of the group and the content of the
the group. The members could not teach shows changed, but Wildfire remained dedithe Faith openly there, and many of their cated to spreading Baha'u'llah ' s message of
concerts had been cancelled. However, in peace through the arts.
one area, Guiyang, they were able to give In November 1989, the Wildfire Theatre
small concerts and visit a lovely area in the Group completed its first international teachmountains where the Miao minority live. ing tour. Composed of five youth, the troupe
The friends visited on April 21 and were travelled to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan,
able to explain to their hosts that that was and Thailand. Monty Engs (New Zealand),
a very special day, the "King of Festivals" Simon Hinton (Australia), Glen Martin
for Baha' is. The Miao shared their dances , (Australia), Mary Sinclair (United States),
food, and beautiful costumes with El Viento and Kirsten Zemke (New Zealand) spent
Canta, which was astonished at the similar- ten months performing in schools, universiity between the Miao people and the native ties, shopping centres, refugee camps, public
people of South America. parks and other venues. During this tour,
The group returned to the western style Wildfire shared the Baha'i Faith with approxof living when it flew to Macau and then imately 120,000 people.
later visited Hong Kong. After having been The Baha'i community of Hong Kong
among lovely, spiritual-minded people in reported being deeply touched by the dedi-
China, Mongolia, the Soviet Union, Eastern cation and enthusiasm of the members of
Europe, and Africa, the group was pleas- Wildfire, whose performances in nine Vietantly surprised to find the same kind of pure namese Refugee Camps and Detention
hearts in such modern surroundings. Centres brought the joyous news of the
448 THE BAl-IA'i WORLD

Revelation of Baha'u'llah to hundreds of resulting in the enrollment as Baha'is of two
people. As the first entertainment group ever daughters of the chief of the Beinan tribe,
to enter some of the camps in Hong Kong, and a six-day tour of the South of Thailand,
Wildfire was credited with helping ease with perforn1ances in schools and colleges
mounting tension among the inhabitants, which resulted in the enrollment of eight
thereby winning for the Faith the admiration hundred and fifteen new believers.
and praise of the United Nations High Com- The group was particularly blessed to
mission for Refugees and local social service spend tin1e in the presence of the Hand of
agencies with whom they cooperated. the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Rul.iiyyih
Wildfire's performances in Hong Kong Khanun1, who was ttáavelling through Asia
generated unprecedented media coverage for at the time and attended several of Wildfire's
the Faith in both Chinese and English news- performances. Her loving spirit and kindness
papers, on television and on radio. greatly inspired the youth in their efforts.
An audience of several hundred gathered Wildfire's tour of Asia not only led many
to watch the group's first official perfor- souls to embrace the Faith but motivated
mance in Macau, which formed part of the the Baha ' i youth of that region. The youth
community's celebration of Naw-R11z. Hun- of Melaka, Malaysia, who assisted with
dreds more watched and listened from the preparations for Wildfire's performances in
towering apartment blocks around the park. Sonbgkhla, Thailand, were so energized by
The friends' second perfonnance in Macau the group's example that they formed their
took place in the Leal Senado Square, in the own musical group called Wildfire II.
centre of the city, before an audience of In 1991, Wildfire re-formed with a new
2,000. Spectators gathered long before the group of perfoimers to tour South Queensland,
begim1ing of the show, having heard about Australia. "The Do-it-Yourself Peace Show"
it in one of the six newspaper articles pub- was seen by approximately 2, 100 people in
lished about the group. The one-hour show, nine cities, and an additional 2,500 s~w the
which was repeated twice, included song friends perform promotional segments. The
introductions in Cantonese and short talks show's premise is that at the first rehearsal
throughout about the principles of the Faith. for a new peace show, the director doesn't
A Baha'i information table was visited by anive and the members must overcome their
more than four hundred people who accepted feelings of inadequacy to discuss the issues
literature on the Faith, and at the end of the involved with peace and suggest songs and
evening eight people asked to enrol in the dances to illusttáate those points. Eventually
community. they reach a unified approach and create a
As a result of its performances in Macau, show outlining the major baniers to peace
the group was invited by the University and ways to overcome them. Each perforof East Asia's music society to be guest mance ended with a brief explanation that
performers at its annual singing competition. the principles ofBaha'u'llah had formed the
Wildfire performed at the beginning of the basis for the presentation. The1n the floor
programme to a very appreciative audience was opened for questions.
of seven hundred in the cultural centre of Venues for the show ranged from the
the university. Later in the programme, National Baha ' i Conference in Toowoomba
Wildfire 's artistic director, Simon Hinton, where one thousand people crowded the
accepted on behalf of the friends an engraved hall, to a small Aboriginal settlement full of
silver plate presented by the society. children who shared their own dance moves
Other highlights of the Asia trip were a after the performance, to a prison in
seventeen-city tour of Taiwan, which included Brisbane where enthusiastic shouts of agreea performance for a group of tribal aborigines ment followed a song about racial prejudice.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIV ITI ES 449

Members of the
Wildfire Youth
Th eatre Group
during one of their
pe1formances in
New South Wales,
Australia, in
Februmy 1989.

A five-city tour of Western Australia fol- The group gave a concert in Po1tici which
lowed in early 1992, involving fifteen youth was attended by about one hundred people.
who performed, conducted workshops with Afterwards , many in the audience went to
their peers, and gave radio and newspaper the Baha'i Centre and later emolled in the
interviews. Faith. This was the beginning of " mass
As the Six Year Plan ended, plans were entry" into the Faith in Portici, with two to
being made to continue Wildfire 's teaching three people joining the Faith every day at
activifies into the future. firs t, and then up to ten people a day. The
musicians stayed after the concert to help
Light in the Darkness with deepenings , firesides , public meetings,
This group was made up of about twelve and then performed at the sunm1er school.
musicians, most of whom were students Fifteen days later they performed in Paola,
living in Italy. They represented various giving several concerts and helping with the
nationalities, and came together after fi nding teaching work.
themselves infomrnlly singing and perform- In December 1989, Light in the Darkness
ing together at several Baha ' i conferences . It performed at the Italian Baha ' i Winter
was suggested that they form a more School, and in April 1990 they met to plan
organized ensembl e for the purpose of a sunm1er tour under the guidance of the
teaching the Baha ' i Faith. An initial meeting National Teaching Conm1ittee. During June,
was held in December 1988 in centra l Italy, July and August 1990 the friends háavelled
and Olinga Mazlum acted as a director to to Campobasso, Italy, and Ljubljana and
help organize regular practices. Zagreb in Yugoslavia where many activities
The first performance by Light in the involving their performances had been orga-
Darkness was during the Easter 1989 Italian nized by the European Baha' i Youth Council.
Youth Conference, then in July 1989 they Next, the group went to Portici, Sicily and
sang two so n~ during the "Peace Moves" Sardinia in Italy, and performed at the Medi-
European Youth Conference held in San tenanean Baha'i Conference held in Corsica.
Marino. These efforts were enthusiastically During the winter of 1990/91, the Euroreceived, and encouraged the friends to pean Baha' i Youth Council and the National
travel together to Portici, near Napl es, to Teaching Conm1ittee of Ausháia organized
j oin in the spec ial teaching project taking two concerts each in Ljubljana and Zagreb ,
place there under the auspices of the Conti- Yugoslavia. Light in the Darkness pernental Board of Coun sellors. formed in each of these, and then in April
450 THE BAHA'I WORLD

1991 they performed during the Italian In August 1991 the friends went back to
National Youth Conference. Portici, Italy, to give a concert in support of
In the summer of 1991 , the group went on the teaching project there. After the perfora tour of Poland, performing in Warsaw, mance some members stayed in Italy to help
Gdansk, Wroclaw and Krakow. From Poland with the teaching work, and some returned
they travelled to Romania, where they par- to Romania to participate in the extraorditicipated in the historic first European nary activities taking place in Eastern Europe.
Baha' i Youth Conference held in Neptune Towards the end of the Six Year Plan, the
(near Constanza) . After the Conference they group concentrated on expanding its reperperformed in other localities in the area, toire by writing original music inspired by
with very positive response . Between songs Baha'i themes. Its goal was to produce a
they would invite people to find out more cassette tape to raise the funds needed to
about the Baha'i Faith, and during one of undertake an extended tour to proclaim the
their concerts some eighty people enrolled. Faith during the Holy Year in 1992.

Light in the Darkness
p e1forming during the
European Baha'i
Youth Conference held
in Neptune, Romania,
in July 1991.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 451

Musical entertainment
being presented during a youth conference
held in Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania; November/
December 1991.

Participants in
Austria's National
Youth Conference
held in Spital am
Pyhrn in 1992.

Th e Prime Minister
- of Guyana, His Excellency Hamilton
Greene, addressing
the Caribbean Baha'i
Youth Conference held
in Georgetown from
11to14August1989.
452 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Friends attending a
youth institute in
Port Moresby, Papua
New Guinea, on 3 and
4 December 1988.

Participants in a
quiz held during the
National Youth
Conference in Lahore,
Pakistan,fi'om 15to17
September 1988.

A gro up photograph
taken during the
international Youth
Conference held near
Harare, Zimbabwe,
from 15 to 22 August
1990.
IN TERN ATIO NA L SURVEY OF CURRE NT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 453

6. BAHA'i SCHOLARSHIP

A. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BAHA'i CHAIRS AT UNIVERSITIES

The Baha'i Chair for World Peace, race, we are happy to offer it as a model
University of Maryland, United States for study."
On 12 February 1990, the Universal House Fully cognizant ofBaha ' u'llah's praise
of Justice wrote to the Baha' is of the world: of knowledge as ' wings to man's life ' and
of the importance which He assigns to
With feelings of thankfulness and joy we
its acquisition; of 'Abdu ' l-Baha's advice
announce an achievement of immense
that we should ' seek to impart the Mesimportance to the accelerating progress of
sage to influential persons and become a
the Cause of Baha'u'llah. The University
cause of guidance to the learned and
of Maryland and the National Spiritual
distinguished '; and of Shoghi Effendi's
Assemb ly of the Baha'is of the United
call for a 'resolute attempt' to reinforce
States recently signed a memorandum of
measures 'for the establishment of closer
understanding, establishing ' The Baha'i
contact with the leaders of public thought,
Chair for World Peace' at that University's
with colleges and universities', we hail
Center for International Development and
this seminal development both as a mark
Conflict Management. The stated purpose
of the Faith ' s emergence from obscurity
of the Chair is ' to conduct and publish reand as the harbinger of that day when
search, design courses and conduct semihosts of scholars will devote their energies
nars in the field of Baha' i studies and
to the exploration, exposition and defence
world peace within an interdisciplinary
of the dynamic principles animating the
context; to initiate public forums for dis-
" World Order of Baha'u' llah, thereby fulcussing the issues proposed in the Statefilling the need identified by the beloved
ment of the Universal House of Justice
Guardian for ' well-read and well-educated
entitled 'The Promise of World Peace';
people, capab le of correlating our teachand to establish academic linkages with
ings to the current thoughts of the leaders
and provide technical assistance to Baha'i
of society ' . On that day, we shall witness
institutions in the fields of peace educaan expansion and consolidation of the comtion and international development.
munity as has not yet been experienced.
This first initiative by a well-founded,
significant institution of higher learning The official signing of the memorandum
to formulate such a serious program of took place on 26 January 1990 in the pres-
Baha' i stud ies is a direct response to the ence of Dean Murray Polakoff of the
Peace Statement, as is borne out by a let- University of Maryland, School of Social
ter addressed to us by the Director of the and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Abdel R.
Center for International Development and Omran, Acting Director of the Center for
Conflict Management in which he said: International Development and Conflict
' With this letter I am answering on behalf Management (CIDCM), Dr. Suheil Bushrui,
of CIDCM and the University of Mary- Director of the Baha' i Chair for World
land your call: "If the Baha'i experience Peace, and eight members of the National
can contribute in whatever measure to re- Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the
inforcing hope in the unity of the human United States.
454 THE BAHA'I WORLD

At a luncheon hosted by the National Spiritual Assembly oflndia, Ramnik Shah.
Assembly and the Center for International Upon being notified of the signing, the
Development and Conflict Management, House of Justice sent the following cable to
attended by some one hundred Baha' is and the National Assembly oflndia:
their guests, Dean Polakoff explained the CONG RA TULA TIONS ESTABLISHMENT CHAIR
vital need for the spiritual perspective that FOR BAHA'I STUDIES AT UNIVERSITY INDORE.
the Baha'i Chair will provide in the study of THUS A NEW STEP IS TAKEN AIM ED AT
world peace and conflict resolution. ENHANCING PRESTIG E FAITH AND RAIS ING
Dr. William F. Gibson, Chairman of the CALL GOD IN ACADEM IC CIRCLES. EXTEND
Board of Directors for the National Associa- OUR APPRECIATION TO THOSE WI-IO LABOURED
tion for the Advancement of Colored People IN INDORE AND ELSEWHERE FOR SUCCESS
(NAACP), gave a stirring keynote address THIS OUTSTANDING PROJECT.
relating racism and ethnic conflicts to the
themes outlined in the Peace Statement. In pursuance of the agreement, permis-
Dr. Firuz Kazernzadeh followed with a sion had been sought by the University from
thought-provoking address on behalf of the the Higher Education Department of the
National Spiritual Assembly concerning the Government of Madhya Pradesh for the
purpose of the Chair. Professor Bushrui establishment of the Chair. This permission
closed the proceedings with a tribute to Pro- was obtained on 22 January 1991.
fessor Edward Azar, Director of CIDCM, The Chair was established to promote
who first proposed the idea of the Chair. research and scholarship in Baha'i studies;
At the time of the reception, nine roses to design and conduct courses, seminars and
were delivered to an ailing Dr. Azar, who studies in the field of Baha'i studies and
was deeply grateful for them as a symbol for related subjects within an interdisciplinary
the establishment of the Baha'i Chair. context and publish results and reports of
such activities; and to promote inter-univer-
The Chair for Baha'i Studies, University sity linkage through seminars, exchange,
of Indore, India lectures, and so forth, with a view to promot-
In its Ric;Jvan message of 1990, the Universal ing inter-faith harn1ony, national as well as
House of Justice wrote: international integration and world peace .
The University advertised all over India
Just as the community has extended its
for candidates to fill the post of Professor of
ramifications internally, it has also ex-
Baha'i Studies. The selection committee met
panded its relations, influence and appeal
on 12 April 1991 and unanimously selected
externally in a variety of ways, some as-
Dr. Vishnudatta Nagar, then Professor
tonishing in their breadth and potential. A
Emeritus at Baba Saheb Ambedkar National
few examples will suffice: ... the National
Institute of Social Sciences, for the new
Spiritual Assembly of India announced
post. This recommendation was ratified by
that an agreement had been reached to
the Executive Council, and Dr. Nagar joined
establish a Chair for Baha'i Studies at the
the University of Indore as Professor of
University oflndore.
Baha'i Studies on 16 May 1991.
The memorandum of understanding for He pursued the goals of the Chair in tluáee
the establishment of the Chair for Baha'i main ways: by starting formal courses and
Studies at the University of Indore (later academic activities; undertaking research studrenamed Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya) had ies and registering candidates for research
been signed on 9 April 1990 by the Vice- work leading to the degree of Ph.D. in Baha'i
Chancellor of the University, Professor M.S. Studies; and arranging group discussions and
Sodha, and the secretaiy of the National lectures among teachers on campus.
INTERNATION AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA 'I ACTIVITIES 455

In January 1992,
two lectures were
arranged by the Chair
for Bahci 'i Studies at
the University of
Indore, India.
Shown fi'om left, Dr.
Vishnudatta Nagar,
Dr. Falairiva Taafaki,
Mr. Ramnik Shah,
Mr. Sherif Rushdy,
Dr. T.K. Vajdi, and
Dr. Shirin Mahalati.

In July 1991, Dr. Nagar attended and topics of the proposed dissertations were:
participated in the World Order Studies "The Contribution of Religion in the
Course at Landegg Academy in Switzerland, Evolution of a Just Society", "The Role of
where he delivered three lectures. Through Religion in the Economic Transformation of
his efforis, the University of Indore agreed Society", "Nature of the Human Soul-A
to start a compulsory course in World Order Thematic Study of the Sacred Scriptures of
Studies and an optional course in Religion Hindu and Baha' i Religions", and "Religion
and Society at the Master of Philosophy and the Environment".
level. Students seeking the Master of Philos- Apart from individual and group discusophy degree would immediately be enrolled sions held with teachers, two lectures were
into the course upon pass ing their post- ananged by the Chair on 27 January 1992.
graduate examination. Dr. Falairiva Taafaki, a development con-
At the end of the Six Year Plan, the sultant from the United States, spoke on
courses were being finalised in consultation "The Way Out of the Dead End: Ecologiwith Dr. Iraj Ayman of Landegg Academy cally Sustainable Development", and Mr.
in preparation for being approved by the Sherif Rushdy spoke on "The Role of Scivarious academic bodies of the University. ence and Technology in the Transformation
A Statement of Intent was signed in October of Global Society". These two speakers also
1991 establishing "cooperative relations" be- delivered lectures at the University's School
tween Landegg Academy and the University of Advanced Liberal Studies and spoke on
of Indore. "The Role of Teachers and Youth in the
In November 1991 , two research assis- Transformation of Society". The lectures at
tants joined the Chair, their appointment both locations were well-attended and reprovided for in the agreement with the ceived wide coverage in the local newspapers.
University. Before the end of the Six Year The Chair's library was staried as the
Plan, two research candidates had been reg- National Spiritual Assembly of India sent
istered for the degree of Ph.D. and two other about seven hundred Baha'i books, in
applicants were being processed. The main various installments . Some of these were
purpose of the research work was to identify contributed by Baha ' i communities outside
the most challenging problems facing the India. The books were registered and cataworld and to explain how specific Baha'i logued according to the accepted principles
principles address these problems. The of library science.

/
456 THE BAHA'i WORLD

B. B AHA' f COURSES IN UNIVERSITIES
During the Six Year Plan, a number of and topics covered included Moral Foundacourses on the Baha' i Faith were approved tions of a New World Order, Environment:
for university credit, while other university Global Directions in Education, and Racial
courses on comparative religion included Dimensions of a New Social Order. The
sections on the Teachings of Baha ' u ' llah. description in the course catalogue read:
These developments signalled the growing
The phrase a "new world order", coined
recognition in the academic community of
by the Baha' i Faith in the 1800s, articuthe importance of Baha'i studies to scholars
lates a vis ion of a new, unified world
of all backgrounds.
order, and its premises serve as a point of
In 1988, the curriculum for third-year
departure for this series of inforn1al lecsh1dents at the University of Swaziland
hires and discuss ions on the world as it
began to include the history, teachings, and
might be.
administrative order of the Baha ' i Faith. In
1991 , university officials asked Baha' is to Courses to study the Faith were also
write a new curriculum on specific Baha ' i established in Brazil at the Federal Universubjects in relation to African customs and sity of Santa Catarina and in Sierra Leone at
traditional religions. Makeni Teachers ' College.
A tluáee-credit course on the history of the The Faith was included in quite a number
Baha ' i Faith began in the fall of 1988 at the of existing university courses, usually in the
University of Hawaii, Hilo campus . Its two field of comparative religion, but also in
main texts were The Baha 'i Faith: the departments of education and economics.
Emerging Global Religion and Th e Babi and The head of Cluáistian Religious Educa-
Baha 'i Religions, 1844- 1944: Some West- tion at Shanzu Teacher Training College
ern Accounts. in Mombasa, Kenya, invited speakers from
Two courses on the Baha' i Faith and peace the Baha ' i conununity to address more than
were conducted by one of the Baha' is of 400 first-year students in Febrnary 1987.
Burkina Faso at Ouagadougou University' s The Baha'i Faith was added to the syllabus
Higher School of Law. In 1989 the univer- of the College ' s religious education section
sity granted permission for the National as a new topic of sh1dy.
Assembly to give courses on the theme "The In 1989, the Department of Religious
Progranune ofBaha'u'llah for Peace". Studies of Makerere University in Kampala,
Full credit was earned by students at Uganda, implemented two new courses:
Brown University in Rhode Island, U.S .A. , Religion, Peace, and Justice, and Religion
who formed a Group Independent Study and Contemporary Social and Economic
Project on the Baha'i Faith in the spring of Development. The first included extensive
1987. A detailed syllabus fo r the semester- study of the Baha'i writings related to peace
long course-which covered the history, and justice, and the second looked at apprinciples , and administration of the Faith- proaches to development taken by Christianity,
was approved by university officials. Islam, and the Baha'i Faith. In 1991 , a new
The Faculty of Part-time and Continuing faculty member joined the same university
Education at the University of Western and incorporated Baha ' i content into his
Ontario in Canada offered a course in the courses on Religion and Social and Ecospring of 1992 exploring the " new world nomic Development, and Research Methods.
order" . The subject was suggested by the In Ma lawi , the head of the Department of
Association for Baha 'i Studies Campus Club Religious Studies at the U niversity of Zomba
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES 457
requested information about the Baba 'i Students at Gweru Teacher Training Col-
Faith. When it was delivered, the Baha'is lege in Zimbabwe and at the Ecumenical
found that the Department Head was already Institute of Theological Sciences in Brazil
using Baha 'u 'llah and the New Era in his (which offers undergraduate studies in theolclasses. ogy for high school teachers of religion)
Lectures on the Baha'i Faith were given learned about the Baha'i Faith in their
as part of comparative religion courses at courses. Baha'is in New Caledonia were
Bermuda College, University of the South invited to present the Baha' i point of view
Pacific in Fiji, Chancellor University in on economics to students of that subject at
Malawi, and the University of Zimbabwe. the University in Noumea.

C. LANDEGG ACADEMY AND INSTITUTE OF lNTERNA TIONAL EDUCATION
AND DEVELOPMENT
The Landegg Conference Centre, located in foster those moral and spiritual qualities
Wienacht, Switzerland, and established in and related practical skills that are need-
1983 , continued to host youth conferences, ed at this critical transitional phase in the
seminars, and schools, as well as courses for collective life of mankind.
both Baha'is and non-Baha ' is, during the
The Academy's specific objectives are:
Six Year Plan.
to implement an holistic approach to educa-
In 1989, a new Baha'i international learntion, integrating the spiritual, intellectual
ing institution, known as Landegg Academy,
and physical development of individuals; to
was born. It was established by the Landegg
demonstrate and propagate the oneness of
International Baha'i Foundation of the National
mankind; to nurture bonds of friendship
Spiritual Assembly of Switzerland as a twin
among participants from diverse ethnic and
institution of the Landegg Conference Cencultural backgrounds; to cultivate respect
tre . The Institute of International Education
for all peoples and all cultures; to promote
and Development was also established as
the harmony of science and religion; to
an affiliate with the Academy to provide
instil through community activity the ideal
services to institutions, agencies, and comof service to mankind; and to develop, offer,
munities worldwide, both Baha' i and nonand promote academic programmes for the
Baha ' i.
study of the Baha' i Faith.
The mission statement adopted to guide
One of the outstanding courses offered
the activities of the Academy reads:
by the Academy is the three-year Certificate
Landegg Academy is an international Programme in World Order Studies. The
learning centre dedicated to providing Programme is designed to foster systematic
a stimulating environment in which Baha'i scholarship, as called for by Shoghi
students of all ages, and from all ethnic Effendi in a letter written on his behalf to an
and national backgrounds, can explore individual believer, dated 21October1943:
the nature of the human being, the The Cause needs more Baha' i scholars,
dynamics of community life, and the people who not only are devoted to it and
myriad challenges facing today 's global believe in it and are anxious to tell others
society. Through a variety of on- and off- about it, but also who have a deep grasp
campus activities and in collaboration of the Teachings and their significance,
with individuals and institutions with and who can correlate its beliefs with the
similar goals, Landegg Academy is com- current thoughts and problems of the
mitted to developing programmes that people of the world.
458 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Participants in the Certificate Programme Studies. In the Ukraine, assistance was given
meet at Landegg each year during the entire to establish the Ukrainian Institute of Spirimonth of August for the purposes of orienta- tual Foundations of World Civilization. In
tion, preparation of study schedules, and Russia, projects were developed in cooperaexaminations. Independent study is carried tion with the International Foundation for
out during the intervening months. The first the Survival and Development of Humanity
group, which convened in August 1990, con- and the Foundation for Social Innovation.
sisted of 28 students from eleven countries. Landegg contributed to the availability of
In addition to the World Order Studies scholarly materials by publishing the pro-
Programme, a curriculum for junior youth was ceedings of various conferences, as well as
established. Called Education for Peace, it guidebooks and manuals for educational serinvolved sixteen months of independent study. vices. A total of twelve titles were produced
One-week-long residential study courses during the Plan. Recordings of lectures and
were also offered in various languages dur- other proceedings of Landegg programmes
ing the Six Year Plan. Some were held at were made available for sale through a
Landegg and some in other parts of the department of Audio-Visual Services, and
world, organized in cooperation with host an inventory of more than 1,500 titles of
institutions. Examples of courses offered in- Baha' i literature and audio-visual producclude: the Revelation ofBaha'u'llah, the New tions in various languages was maintained.
World Order of Baha'u ' llah, the Covenant, In addition to the Institute for Inter-
Baha' i Education, the Spiritual Dimensions national Education and Development, a
of Health, Assembly Management, Fund number of other bodies were established as
Development and Management, Media Arts, affiliates or deparhnents ofLandegg.
and Assemblies Facing Family Problems. The Youth Centre was charged with plan-
International conferences held at Landegg ning projects related to youth and maintaining
were often co-sponsored by other interna- contact with the European Baha'i Youth
tional organizations. Some were planned as Council. The Centre conducted such annual
periodically recurring events, such as the events as Landegg Youth Symposia (provid-
International Dialogues on Transition to a ing opportunities for youth to explore issues
Global Society, which were held under the such as the environment and conflict resoluauspices of the Director-General of UNESCO tion, in consultation with adults), Forums for
and the Secretary-General of the Council Young Professionals, and youth conferences.
of Europe. The first such gathering, held The Department of Education and Family
in September 1990, brought together eighty Life and its adjunct Documentation Cenháe
leaders of thought from around the world to were in charge of activities related to Baha' i
present papers and contribute to a discussion education, teacher training, and Baha ' i famabout the changing world order. ily life. The Department conducted mobile
During its first four years of operation, courses in various host countries, and the
Landegg Academy and the Institute ofinter- Documentation Centre acted as a clearing
national Education and Development were house for material on Baha'i education .
invited by governn1ental and public agencies The Persian Arts and Letters Society proto conduct education-related projects in sev- moted the Persian language, literature, and
eral countries. In Albania, several national arts, with focus on the contributions of the
symposia on moral education were held, Baha'i Faith and community to this fie ld.
textbooks on the subject were revised, and a The International Society for Agriculture
magazine fo r children was produced, a joint and Rural Development functioned as an
undertaking with the Albanian Minisháy of affiliate body dedicated to services related to
Education and the Institute of Pedagogical development at the grassroots level.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF C URRENT BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES 459

D. GENERAL SYSTEMS RESEARCH CONFERENCE, BUDAPEST 1987
A Baha' i delegation headed by Amatu'l- G.I. Marchuk, President of the Academy
Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum participated in a of Sciences of the Union of Soviet Socialist
scientific conference organized by the Inter- Republics.
national Society for General Systems The purpose of the conference was to
Research (later renamed the International apply "systems thinking" to the problems of
Society for the Systems Sciences) and held constancy and change confronting an increasin Budapest, Hungary, from 1 to 5 June ingly complex world. "Systems thinking" is
1987 . Other members of the delegation were a way of looking at the world in terms of
Mrs. Violette Na~avani and Dr. Janet Khan relationships and integration. It is used to
from the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, and explain processes and events in the physical,
Dr. Ingeborg Franken and Dr. Udo Schaefer social, and cultural worlds. For example, a
from Germany. human body is a system in which all parts
Baha'i participation in the Budapest are related and interdependent and where the
meeting was encouraged and facilitated by health of the part depends on the whole and
Dr. Ervin Laszlo, a well-known scientist and vice versa. Just as an individual is faced with
member of the Club of Rome. Dr. Laszlo the need to continue to evolve and develop
invited the Baha'is to present a paper on while, at the same time, retaining a sense of
the Baha'i Faith in the conference session identity, so too, the world of today is characananged by his General Evolution Research terized and challenged by the operation of
Group, thereby providing a valuable opportu- the forces for constancy and change.
nity to discuss aspects of the Baha'i teachings Dr. Janet Khan delivered a paper entitled
at an international scientific gathering. "The Baha 'i Community as a Model for
The conference, held in a city visited by Social Change''. The presentation examined
'Abdu'l-Baha and much admired by Him, the experience of the Baha'i conununity as
took place at a time when the embryonic an evolving global society. Its organic nature
Hungarian Baha'i community, consisting of and unique system of organization were
a mere handful of devoted followers, was described with special reference to the
required to operate with extreme caution and dynamic intenelations between the processes
wisdom. Against such a background, it of change and constancy operating in its
is interesting that the Universal House of evolution. These processes were illustrated
Justice, in one of its communications, stated by reference to the relationship between the
that "the presence of a Baha'i delega- individual and the community, the flexibility
tion ... constituted an historic step forward in and elasticity of Baha'i administrative functhe relationship of the Baha'i community tioning, the response it has made worldwide
with the academic world and also in its to external threat in the form of the cunent
standing in the communist countries". 1 wave of persecution directed against its
The gathering in Budapest attracted some members in Iran, and the nature of the comof the foremost systems scientists from East- munity's expansion. The paper was well
ern Europe and the West. They were drawn received and elicited many questions about
from such disciplines as mathematics, phys- the Faith, its teachings, its relationship to
ics, engineering, economics, management, science and its manner of functioning in the
and the biological and social sciences. One world. This presentation marked the first
of the featured speakers was Professor occasion, in several decades, in which the
Baha'i teachings had been presented before
Memorandum dated 29 June 1987 to Dr. .Jan et Khan. an audience in a country such as Hungary.
460 THE BAHA'I WORLD

The Hand ofthe Cause of God Arna tu 'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khcinum and Dr. Ervin Laszlo during
a television interview following the International Society for General Systems Research
Conference held in Budapest, Hungary, in June 1987.

Dr. Ingeborg Franken, a physicist, and of mutual interest. One outcome of this
Dr. Udo Schaefer, a public prosecutor, meeting was that, in response to Dr. Laszlo 's
participated in a workshop on peace. During request, materials on aspects of the Baha'i
the discussion periods, they had the opportu- Faith were forwarded to all members of his
nity to describe the elements of the Baha'i Group.
peace programme and the activities of the The members of the Baha'i delegation
world-wide Baha'i community in sensitizing were impressed that a significant number of
humankind to the need for and the inevita- the scientists and academics present at the
bility of peace. Dr. Ingeborg Franken was conference already had some knowledge of
subsequently invited to write a brief article the Faith, often as a result of the disseminaon the role of consultation in promoting tion of the Peace Statement. And, through
peace, for publication in the newsletter of their participation in this meeting the memthe Society's Peace Group. bers reported having many opportunities to
At the conclusion of the conference, the enhance the understanding of their fellow
Baha'i delegation met informally with conferees concerning the uniqueness of the
several members of Dr. Laszlo's General Baha'i approach to the social organization of
Evolution Research Group to discuss subjects humankind.
INTERN ATI ONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 461

E. THE ASSOCIATIONS FOR BAHA 'f STUDIES
The Association for Baha' i Studies was Ottawa, Canada, which acts as the internafounded as the Canadian Association for tional coordinating centráe
Studies on the Baha'i Faith in 1975 by the During the Six Year Plan, the primary
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is purpose of the Association for Baha' i
of Canada. It was the result of a diverse Studies was to stimulate, coordinate, and
group of individuals attempting to fulfil a present original research on the Baha'i
Five Year Plan goal "to cultivate opportuni- Faith. It was also engaged in developing
ties for formal presentations, courses and curricula suitable for use at universities that
lectureships on the Baha' i Faith in Canadian recognized the Baha'i Faith as an important
universities and other institutions of higher subject for research and instruction. The
learning". The Association provided a means Association achieved these goals by holding
for approaching intellectuals, making them annual meetings, international conferences,
aware of the Baha'i Faith and acquainting and regional symposia. The Center for
them with the academic resources available Baha'i Studies also produced a quarterly
to facilitate a formal study of it. newsletter, the Bulletin , which kept mem-
The Association increasingly assumed a bers advised of the international activities of
significant role in the intellectual and social the Association.
life of the Baha' i community worldwide. In
1981 , its name was changed to the Associa- Association for Baha'i Studies-Australia
tion for Baha'i Studies- recommended by The Association for Baha'i Studies in
the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada Australia was first established in June 1984,
and approved by the Universal House of with its operating secretariat located in Perth,
Justice- to reflect the evolving nature of the Western Austráalia. During the Six Year
Association's membership and activities . Plan, the Association co-ordinated and stim-
With guidelines set forth by the House of ulated the activities of Baha'i Societies in
Justice, affiliates were established in more universities and other institutions of higher
than twenty countries under the auspices of learning by holding national and regional conthe Center for Baha ' i Studies, located in ferences, and distributing a quarterly newsletter.

Th e 1989 Australian
National Baha 'i
Studies Conference
was held in Adelaide
from March 24 to 27.
Highlights of the
Conference included
a one-day symposium
on the Role of Wom en
in an Advancing
Civilization.
462 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

With a membership of more than two Association for Baha'i Studies-Brazil
hundred people, this Association increased One of the significant activities of the Assothe scope of its studies by forming new ciation for Baha'i Studies in Brazil during
interest groups in such areas as women's the Six Year Plan was the first National
studies, health, agriculture, and science and Peace Symposium in the Nuclear Era, held
technology. These interest groups gave a from 19 to 21 September 1986 in Goiania,
greater structure and focus to Baha'i studies. Goias. This gathering was supported by hun-
The Association's eighth conference was dreds of citizens, industrialists, artists, and
held in Adelaide from 24 to 27 March 1989. top scientists from throughout the country.
For the first time, committees of the National The Symposium was officially inaugu-
Spiritual Assembly-the Social and Economic rated by the wife of the State Governor in
Development Committee and the National the presence of Mr. Hushmand Fatheazam, a
Children's Education Task Force- were member of the Universal House of Justice;
invited to present research papers on their representatives from the Ministry of Culture
areas of interest. The programme also and Education; and municipal authorities.
included a section for the presentation of The Secretary-General of the United Nations;
general papers, meetings for a number of the President of Brazil, Jose Sarney; and
special interest groups, and a one-day various Ministers of the Government sent
symposium entitled 'The Role of Women in messages in honour of the occasion.
an Advancing Civilization". This symposium Approximately 500 people, eighty per
consisted of presentations of invited papers cent of whom were not Baha'is, attended
by Baha'i and non-Baha'i experts focusing three main panel discussions on peace, led
on such topics as Women and Power, by eminent scientists and leaders of thought.
Women in the Legal Profession, and Women, The topics presented were Science for Peace;
Development and Peace. Education for Peace; and Economy and
From 13 to 16 April 1990, the ninth meet- Political Science for Peace. The participants
ing of the national Association for Baha'i also took part in nine workshops, the out-
Studies was held in Perth. More than three come of which was a document entitled
hundred people registered for the confer- Letter of Goiania that conveyed to the United
ence, including several members of the Nations the results of the Symposium with
public who had heard one of the many radio recommendations toward the establishment
announcements broadcast prior to the event. of peace.
Among the highlights of this gathering was On the last day of the Symposium, the
a day-long symposium on "The Environ- cornerstone for a Monument for peace was
ment Humanity 's Common Heritage", which placed. This monument was designed by
included contributions from several Baha'i Siron Franco, a well-known Brazilian artist,
environmental experts. Papers were submit- and bears the quotation from Baha 'u'llah
ted on The Environment-Past, Present and that states "The earth is but one country
Future, Environmental Damage: Reshaping and mankind its citizens". The cornerstone,
International Relations, and Agriculture and consisting of a beautiful glass plate, was
the Environment. Several of the speakers dedicated by Professor Venerando de Freitas
were interviewed on various radio and televi- Borges, the first mayor of Goiania. The
sion programmes prior to the conference, monument will be a glass tower seven
and a number of media representatives were meters high, filled with artistica'lly displayed
present at the symposium. A new feature coloured earth to be received from many
was a half-day forum held in Persian. countries of the world.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'f ACTIVITIES 463

The first conference
of the Association
for Bahil 'i Studies in
East, Central and
South Afi'ica held
in Nairobi, Kenya,
fi'om 28 to
30 September 1990.

Association for Baha'i Studies-Central, From 15 to 16 August 1986, the first
South, and East Africa annual Association for Baha'i Studies Con-
The activities of the Association for Baha 'i ference was held. The conference focused
Studies for Central, South, and East Africa on "Peace and the New World Order", with
included its first annual conference, held at the keynote speakers being Dr. Augusto
the National Baha 'i Center in Nairobi, Lopez Claros of the International Monetary
Kenya, from 28 to 30 September 1990. A Fund and Dr. Mansour Sedaghat of the
total of thirty-five members attended, among University of Concepcion.
whom were four Auxiliary Board members. The theme of the second annual confer-
During the gathering, seven speakers ence, held from 26 to 27 September 1987,
presented papers on the following topics: was "New Perspectives in Education'', and
Baha'i Scholarship-the Master 's Style; it featured Counsellor Farzam Arbab and a
What is a Baha'i Scholar?; Applying the forum of Baha'i educators. More than eighty
Teachings to Solve Current Problems; Relat- Baha'is and non-Baha'is from five countries
ing Christianity, Islam, and the Baha'i Faith; attended. During the same year, the Associa-
How to Research the Baha'i Faith; Fostering tion sponsored a series of six regional Bah.a' i
Creative Development; and Understanding: Studies Institutes, wherein members conthe Greatest Gift. ducted classes, workshops, and lectures on
various themes related to the Baha'i Faith.
Association for Baha'i Studies-Chile In 1989, this Association received com-
The Association for Baha'i Studies in Chile mendations from the Universal House of
was established on 19 October 1985 with Justice for its fourth annual conference and
an initial membership of 39 individuals and for the participation of non-Bah.a 'i leaders in
two Local Spiritual Assemblies. By the end its forum. This conference, held in Santiago
of the Six Year Plan, its membership had from 30 September to 1 October, addressed
grown to more than sixty individuals and "Human Development and Society". Apeight institutions. During this time, the proximately eighty people from Chile,
Association organized national and regional Colombia, Hong Kong, and Peru attended,
conferences, and an annual "Essay, Music, including non-Baha'i experts in the field of
and Art Contest"; printed Baha 'i publica- development.
tions; established a library for Baha'i studies; "Human Rights and Social Justice" was
and formed special interest groups. the theme of the fifth annual conference,
464 THE BAHA'I WORLD

which commenced on 25 August 1990 in Association for Baha'i Studies- English-
Santiago. More than fifty people listened to Speaking Europe
presentations on such topics as The Baha'i During the Six Year Plan, the Association
Declaration of Human Rights; The Search for Baha'i Studies in English-Speaking
for a Just Society; and Social Justice and Europe continued to encourage a scholarly
Development. As well, three simultaneous approach to the study of the Baha'i Faith.
workshops were held to discuss The Rights It also promoted and encouraged research
of Children; Social Justice and Community; on the Faith by Baha' is and non-Baha'is in
and Youth and Justice. universities and other institutions of higher
Beginning in 1986, the Association spon- learning.
sored a contest which evolved into an annual This Association was established in
"Essay, Music and Art Contest" to give Ireland in 1984, then was transfered to the
individuals the opportunity to express their United Kingdom in 1989 after consultation
artistic talents within the context of the between the two National Spiritual Assem-
Baha'i Faith. This competition included blies. An Executive Committee was forrried
categories for youth, university students, and to help the Association develop and build
adults. A magazine containing some of the upon the work already done in Ireland.
essays submitted for this contest was Within this period, the Association held
published by the Executive Committee. regional and national conferences; it pro-
The Association also established a Library duced audio-visual materials; and published
for Baha'i Studies in 1986. Located at the an annual journal entitled The Bahri 'i Studies
National Baha'i Center, it was set up to pro- Review. The Association was successful in
vide students and researchers of the Faith encouraging the creation of campus associawith a center of information. Its collection tions at colleges and universities, and had
consisted of more than 300 books and 600 a membership of more than two hundred
periodicals in English, Persian, and Spanish. people in 1991.
The Library's reading room was open to The first annual conference was held in
members and non-members. Birmingham, England, in April 1990 on the
Special interest groups were fanned to theme "Community and Diversity".
study the relationship of the Faith with From 13 to 15 September 1991, a total of
specific fields and to develop a Baha 'i dis- fifty Baha'is met for the second annual concourse that could deal with relevant issues in ference also held in Bim1ingham, England,
society. Groups studied such areas as the which focused on "New Human Values for
environment, commw1ications, human rights a New World Order". A variety of presentaand social justice, health, peace, economic tions were made on subjects such as The
and social development, education and culture, Path to Peace-an Introduction to the Proband women's studies. Throughout the Six lems of Prejudice; Encouraging Sustained
Year Plan, the Association's representatives Participation; and The Writings of Shoghi
took part in forums organized by Baha' i and Effendi. Workshops gave the participants an
non-Baha'i groups. opportunity to further explore these themes.
In 1990, the Association began offering Following Ri~van 1990, a series of
a formal programme of study on the Faith. regional conferences were held throughout
Covering various aspects of the teachings, England, Ireland, and Scotland to permit for
the programme began with courses on a wide range of topics to be examined in
Cluáistianity and the Baha 'i Faith; and Islam infom1al settings. They also allowed for
and the Baha' i Faith. more believers to become involved with the
INTERNATIONAL SURV EY OF CURR ENT BAHA'i ACTIVITI ES 465
Association and its activities, and resulted in The 1986 annual conference, held in the
local media publicity for the Faith. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 22 and
The Association's first conference held in 23 November, focused on "The Place and
Northern Ireland took place on 12 January Contribution of Minorities in Society".
1991 in Londondeny. Talks were given on Approxin1ately one hundred participants from
such topics as The Environment-More than Belgium, Canada, France, Luxembourg, and
Just a Bandwagon; Science and Religion; Switzerland attended, among whom were
and Baha' is and the A1is. two Governn1ent Ministers, one Member of
"The Baha ' i Faith and Other Religions" Parliament, and a President of the Tribunal
was the theme of the Association's first con- which represents the Grand Duchy to the
ference in Scotland, held from 3 to 5 May European Commission on Human Rights.
1991 in Edinburgh. Talks were presented on Also present were Dr. Agnes Ghaznavi and
Judaism and the Baha ' i Faith; Mul.iammad Mr. Louis Henuzet, members of the Contiand the Qur'an: An Overview; Christian and nental Board of Counsellors.
Islamic Objections to the Baha' i Faith; The Association's fourth annual conferand The Christian- Baha'i Dialogue during ence centered on the theme "Religious
' Abdu' l-Baha's visit to Edinburgh. Values and Lay Values: Searching for a Uni-
The Association held a conference in versal Ethic". This conference, which took
Bath, England, on 3 July 1991. The first of place on 31 October and 1November1987,
two papers presented was on The Maid of was organized in collaboration with the
Heaven, the Image of Sophia, and the Logos. Open Faculty of Religions and Lay Affairs
The second paper focused on the topic at the University of Charleroi in Belgium.
Thoughts on the Development of Spirituality, On 29 and 30 October 1988, the annual
which looked at several ways to spirituality Baha'i Studies conference took place at the
such as creation, suffering, education, prayer, University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Parand meditation. ticipants delved into the issue of "Economy
and Society: What are the Perspectives
Association for Baha'i Studies-French- Beyond Today's Crises?". A presentation
Speaking Europe by a non-Baha'i university student on the
Since 1984, the Association for Baha 'i Stud- system of communication in the Baha'i Faith
ies in French-spe~king Europe has organized was a noteworthy feature of the gathering.
ammal conferences on a variety of themes In 1989, more than one hundred and
and cunent issues. eighty people took part in the Association's

Th e Association for
Saha 'i Studies,
French-Speaking
Europe, held its
annual conference in
Luxembourg in
November 1986.
Two Government
Ministers, one Member of Parliament, and
the President of the
Tribunal were among
the participants.
466 THE BAHA'I WORLD

The Association for
Baha 'i Studies,
German-Speaking
Europe, held its fifth
annual conference in
Hof Austria,from
29 September to
1 October 1989.

sixth annual conference held at the Palais four countries examined the theme of peace
des Congres in Paris, France, on 18 and through three papers, several seminars, and
19 November. Speeches emphasized the art sessions. Plans to consolidate and enlarge
theme "Freedom in History and Society" . the Association were also discussed.
The seventh annual conference was held A total of 54 people took part in the Assoin Luxembourg under the auspices of the ciation's fifth annual conference, held from
Ministry of Culture and was inaugurated by 29 September to 1 October 1989 in Hof,
Mr. Jacques Santer, the Prime Minister of Austria. Speakers from Austria, Germany,
the Grand Duchy. Held on 10 and 11 No- Hungary, and Switzerland focused on the
vember 1990, the theme "The Dawning of central theme of the conference-"Economy:
European Unity" offered an opportunity to Old Dogmas, New Thinking"-with preseninvite, for the first time, a sociologist from tations on the paradigm shift in economics,
the former Soviet Union. On the whole, an approach to a new theory of economics
favourable echoes of the conference rever- under the influence of the Baha'i Revelation,
berated in the press. and the modem work environment.
"Environment: a heritage for humanity" Prominent non-Baha'i scholars addressed
was the theme examined at the Association's the Association's sixth annual conference,
annual conference held in Liege, Belgium, held from 12 to 14 October 1990 in Mils,
in 1991. Austria. The gathering's theme-"On the
After each of the conferences, the Associ- Oneness of Reality: the New Convergence
ation for Baha'i Studies in French-speaking of Religion and Science"-resulted in the
Europe published the proceedings of the submission of papers on such topics as relipresentations. The Association also sought gion as the fountainhead of great cultures,
to expand its publishing activities to include the epistemological investigations of belief
translations into French of previously and science, and the mystical dimension of
unpublished articles by Dr. Udo Schaefer. human reality as contained in the Writings
ofBaha'u'llah.
Association for Baha'i Studies-German-
Speaking Europe Association for Baha'i Studies- India
The Association for Baha'i Studies in German- The Association for Baha' i Studies in India
speaking Europe held its second annual was formed in 1983, fol lowing consultation
conference in May 1986 at the Landegg between the National Spiritual Assemblies of
Academy in Switzerland. Representatives of India and Canada. As a result, a Management
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I A CTIVITIES 467
Committee was appointed in New Delhi, Association for Baha'i Studies-Malaysia
whose function was to coordinate study- The Baha'i community of Malaysia estabrelated activities, particularly in initiating lished its nation's Association for Baha'i
and fostering an active pursuit of Baha'i Studies in 1988, thereby fulfilling one of the
scholarship. goals of the country's Six Year Plan. The
One of the first activities of the Associa- Association cultivated opportunities for fortion was to acquire diaries of early believers mal presentation of the Baha'i Faith at
in India to stimulate a study of events and universities and other institutions of higher
individuals connected with the early years of learning. It promoted a greater study of the
the Baha'i Faith in the Indian sub-continent. Faith and its application to the needs of
During the Six Year Plan, three non- humanity by hosting conferences, printing
Baha 'i scholars, on their own initiative, publications, and forming regional associaapproached the Baha'i community for study tions. The first Bulletin for the Association
materials on the Faith for their Ph.D. disser- for Bahti 'i Studies of Malaysia was pubtations. This serves as an example of the lished in April 1989.
growing interest in Baha'i studies stimulated
by the Association. Association for Baha'i Studies-North
America
Association for Baha'i Studies-Japan The Association for Baha'i Studies in North
The first annual conference of the Associa- America continued to function as a cooperation for Baha'i Studies in Japan took place tive effort between the National Assemblies
at the Tokyo Baha'i Center on 21 and 22 De- of Alaska, Canada, and the United States.
cember 1991, with more than fifty believers The Center for Baha'i Studies, located in
attending. Presentations were given on Ottawa, Canada, acted as the coordinating
Learning and the Acquisition of Knowledge centre for the activities of the Association in
by Counsellor Kimiko Schwerin, and A North America and its affiliates worldwide.
Vision of Baha'i Scholarship by Dr. Hossain Adjacent to the University of Ottawa, the
Danesh. The conference was described as "a Center enjoyed access to the university
success in motivating the friends to delve resources, which, combined with the Cendeeper into the Writings to discover the ter's own library, offered the facilities
trnths that will assist in advancing the Cause needed for research on the Baha'i Faith.
in Japan''. During the Six Year Plan, the Association
organized international conferences, annual

/\/ 1'\'1t1.\,11 '{;~
f J tl !d .. o('".~

The Association for
Bahti 'i Studies in
Japan held its first
annual conference in
Tokyo from 2 l to
22December1991.
468 THE BAHA'I WORLD

The Association for
Baha 'i Studies, North
America, held its
thirteenth meeting in
Ottawa, Ontario,
. l ssoc ic11 ion fo r Baba ár St11cties Canada, from 7 to
Assorial ion d'ct 11Cles baiJii'ie-;--
10 October 1988.

meetings, and special seminars. It also spon- Baha' i International Health Agency and the
sored regional conferences throughout North Balla' i Education Institute.
America which provided opportunities for From 22 to 25 October 1987, the Associascholars to exchange ideas and present tion held its twelfth annual conference at
papers. Selected material from these pro- Princeton University in Princeton, New
ceedings was published in The Journal of Jersey, United States of America, on
Baha'i Studies, a quarterly journal, and "Converging Realities: An International
Baha'i Studies, a serial monograph. As stated Conference on Science, the Humanities, and
earlier, the Center for Baha'i Studies pro- Religion." Among those addressing the
duced a quaiierly international newsletter, the event were eminent Baha'i and non-Baha ' i
Bulletin, which kept members advised of the scholars , scientists, and systems theorists.
activities of the Association internationally. Talks were delivered on such topics as The
The eleventh a1mual conference of the Redemption of Science, Poverty and Racism
Association for Baha'i Studies was held in Urban America, Convergence of Body
from 20 to 24 August 1986 in London, and Soul, and A1i and Spiritual Education.
Ontario, Canada. This was the largest con- The Association for Baha'i Studies
ference to date, with approximately two welcomed approximately 800 people to its
thousand adults participating. Focusing on fourteenth annual conference held from 15 to
the theme "Beyond the Quest for Peace: 17 September 1989 in Irvine, California,
Creating a New World Order", this confer- U.S.A. The theme of this gathering was "Full
ence was planned in response to a request Partnership: An International Conference on
by the Universal House of Justice that the Equality of Women and Men". Talks
each national Baha ' i community sponsor were presented on the roles of women and
one major event to mark the United Nations men in bringing about full partnership and
International Year of Peace. Among those on the implications of the equality principle
addressing the gathering were the Hands of on women. Seminars during the conference
the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih covered a wide range of topics including
Khanum and Dr. 'Ali Mul:iammad Varqa, as consultation and conflict resolution, the arts,
well as Mr. 'Ali Na~avani , a member of health, agriculture, and intercultural issues.
the Universal House of Justice. For two days "Models of Racial Unity" was the theme
preceding the main conference, eight other of the fifteenth annual Baha'i Studies
agencies and affiliates of the Association conference, held from 9 to 11 November
held their sessions. Among them were the 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. Plenary
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 469
sessions, professional interest seminars, and campus clubs held activities that compleworkshops presented nearly a century of mented the aims of their institutions. These
North American Baha' i experience in the groups received the Campus Association
field of racial unity. Newsletter.
In preparation for the Holy Year, approxi- One of the most exciting developments of
mately six hundred people spent four days in the Association during the Plan was that on
August 1991 at the University of Victoria in 27 July 1986, the National Spiritual Assembly
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, attend- of Canada cabled:
ing workshops, plenary sessions, and special Joyfully announce federal incorporation
presentations. The themes pursued at this of Association for Baha'i Studies granted
gathering were the Mission of Baha'u'llah, July 22 ....
His Covenant, the World Order, and the
Baha'i community. Sessions were also held Association for Baha'i Studies- Papua
on the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Tablets of the New Guinea
Divine Springtim es, and the Long Obliga- The first Association for Baha' i Studies contory Prayer. David Hofman, former member ference in Papua New Guinea was held in
of the Universal House of Justice, delivered September 1988 at the University Baha'i
the annual Hasan Balyuzi Memorial Lecture Club in Port Moresby and was attended by
on Baha'i History. His address , entitled fifteen people. Among the papers presented
"Baha 'u ' llah: King of Glory", reminded the were Traditional Education in New Hanover,
audience of the vast scope of Baha'u ' llah's The Effect of the Baha' i Faith on Medina
Mission. One of the significant events at this Village, and Equality of Men and Women:
gathering was a memorial service for the late Traditional and Modem Concepts. All speak-
Hand of the Cause of God John Roba11s . ers were Papua New Guineans.
Prepared with the assistance of the National In May 1989, the second annual Associa-
Spiritual Assembly of Canada, the pro- tion for Baha'i Studies conference was held
gramme featured readings and musical at the University of Papua New Guinea.
tributes, as well as a touching recollection of Among the twenty-five Baha'is and
the late Hand by Mrs. Audrey Robarts . non-Baha ' is present was Peter Vuyiya, a
The Association continued to be affiliated Counsellor member of the International
with campus organizations, which provided Teaching Centre. The three papers presented
a valuable source of ideas and research. The at this gathering were on the topics of The

A Seminar on
Intercultural Issues
preceded the
Conference of the
Association f or Bahri 'i
Studies held in Irvine,
California, from 15 to
17 September 1989.
470 THE BAHA'I WORLD

The Association for
Baha'i Studies, Papua
New Guinea, held its
second conference at
the University of
Papua New Guinea in
Port Moresby, in May
1989.

Effect of the Baha' i Faith on the Position of a great number of these posters were placed
Women in the Mountain Brown Area of at the Inter-American University, in the
Papua New Guinea, The Corning of the nearby town of San German.
Baha ' i Faith to Some of the Islands of Fiji, In addition to the weekly meetings for
and Women and Peace: An Anthropological Baha'is and their friends, other gatherings
Perspective. were organized and publicized throughout
the campus. The Association found that
Association for Baha'i Studies-Puerto Rico inviting professors to talk on a particular
The Association for Baha'i Studies in Puerto subject at meetings organized by the Associ-
Rico was established at the Mayaguez ation was very frnitful, for the professors
Campus of the University of Puerto Rico in would thus become acquainted with the
1987, thus helping to fulfil one of the goals tenets of the Faith.
of the nation's Six Year Plan. Throughout Sequences of talks with common themes
this period, the Association held regular were organized by the Association, includweekly meetings and carried out various ing a series on Peace-Economy and Peace,
activities. Technology and Peace, World Politics and
The first endeavour undertaken by the Peace. These gatherings were well publi-
Association was proclaiming the Baha'i cized and well attended. The Association
Faith campus-wide. Posters, pamphlets, and held two series, four years apart, on world
specially prepared lessons on the Faith were religions, at which professors were invited
placed in different locations around the to talk about their religions.
Mayaguez campus. Thousands of one-sheet One of the significant activities of the
lessons on the Faith were taken by the Association in Puerto Rico was the distribustudents. This occurred during a period of tion of the Peace Message to nearly all the
several years. As a consequence of these faculty members of the University in 1987.
activities, five students accepted the Baha'i The Chancellor was very appreciative and
Faith directly through the lessons, and two shortly thereafter invited the Baha'is to
professors and three students enrolled in the make a presentation at an ecumenical meet-
Faith thrnugh personal contacts. In addition, ing that she organized.
7. BAHA'i PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

IN 1980, during the first Baha'i International with the healing Words of Baha'u' llah, but
Conference on Health and Healing, held in also to apply the Baha' i teachings to their
Ottawa, Canada, under the sponsorship of own daily lives more effectively.
the Association for Baha'i Studies, a recom- These interactions resulted in the formendation was made that an association of mation of a number of Baha'i professional
Baha' i health professionals be established. associations . Offering an exciting arena for
This recommendation was accepted by the intellectual reciprocity and the examination
executive committee of the Association for of spiritual concepts, these were a means of
Baha' i Studies, approved in principle by the encouragement and support to fellow associ-
National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, and ates, as well as coordinating and stimulating
encouraged by the Universal House of Justice. research and education in their respective
In 1982, the Universal House of Justice fields. In addition, owing to the prestige that
expanded the concept of Baha' i professional is confened upon groups of career-minded
associations in a letter addressed to all individuals, these became a tool bringing
National Spiritual Assemblies : the Teachings of Baha 'u ' llah to people of
prominence in those professions. Hence, the
Consider convening gatherings, wherever
Faith was taught more systematically and
possible, of Baha ' i professionals to diswith greater efficacy.
cuss the means by which they, as
The trend towards the formation and conindividuals, can reach, and aid the Baha' i
cretion of professional associations prevalent
Community in fostering good relations
during the Six Year Plan exemplifies the
with, persons of prominence in their redevelopment of the Baha'i community. One
spective professions.
hundred years after the Ascension of the
In response to this letter, Baha' i pro- Blessed Beauty, real progress was being
essionals throughout the world convened made from cognition to volition; in uniting
conferences and seminars to discuss not only "religion" and "daily life" in a world which
the means to reach people of prominence advocates their separation.

A. THE BAHA'f INTERNATIONAL HEALTH AGENCY
0 thou loyal servant of God and thou spiritual healer of man! Whensoever thou dost attend
a patient, turn thy face toward the Lord of the heavenly Kingdom, ask the Holy Spirit to
come to thine aid, then heal thou the sickness.
(' Abdu ' l-Baha, Selections fro m the Writings of 'Abd11 'I- Bah a [Haifa : Baha 'i World Centre, 1978], p. 18 1).

The Baha 'i International Health Agency is The Association was created in response
an affiliate of the Baha' i International Com- to a recommendation made at the first Baha ' i
munity and the Association for Baha' i International Conference on Health and
Studies, and functions under the aegis of the Healing, as stated above. Its first formal
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is meeting, held on 10 and 11 April 1982 in
of Canada. Ottawa, Canada, was attended by more than
472 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Mrs. Mona Grieser
(fi-ont), a Bahri 'i
health professional,
visiting the home of a
Bahri 'i Health Education Agent in Sarh,
Chad. Jun e 1988.

fifty Baha'is who were health professionals University of Western Ontario in Canada,
working in Canada, the United States, and was health and peace. The objective was to
Chile. explore the role of health in the service of
This agency was established to co-ordi- humanity, and to study the Baha'i approach
nate and encourage research and education to health services . More than one hundred
among the Baha'is who are health profes- and fifty people participated in workshops
sionals, and others who have knowledge in and presentations on the topics of medical
this area. Its functions consist of: making ethics, food and nutrition, and the link
articles and reviews on health and related between international health and peace. Partopics available for circulation to members, ticipants concluded that health-care workers
interested individuals and institutions; en- must help change attitudes; and that the most
couraging individuals to initiate the formation difficult task is the changing of the hearts of
of local chapters dedicated to promoting men. They detennined that the world needs
health-care projects; collaborating with the the Baha ' i principles as the tool for change;
National Pioneering Committee regarding that there is a great need for cultural underoverseas posts for health-care workers ; plan- standing, for a universal language, and a
ning annual conferences; discussing and deep empathy for other people 's sufferings.
acting upon conespondence from the Univer- The seventh annual conference, held in
sal House of Justice, the National Spiritual Evanston, Illinois, United States of America,
Assembly of Canada, and Agency members; from 26 to 28 August 1988, focused on
and publishing a bulletin at least twice a year. primary health care and the integration of
The proceedings of the annual confer- alternative methods of healing. Approxiences on health and healing fulfil, in part, mately sixty friends attended. The issue
requirements set by the National Spiritual addressed at this event was the challenge of
Assembly, " ... to encourage and facilitate ensuring that the needs of the recipients are
... education .. .in the field of health based on met in any project. It was agreed that this
the teachings of the Baha'i Faith." These problem can be overcome with the utilizagatherings focus upon the current moral and tion of Baha'i principles, with the key being
scientific discussions of the medical com- true consultation. A firm belief in the spirimunity within the context of the Baha'i tual equality of all peoples helps to focus on
teachings. the development of individuals. The role of
The theme of the fifth annual conference, women in the promotion of primary health
held from 20 to 21 August 1986, at the care and the larger implications for world
INTERNATION AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 473

peace were also discussed. Women as first Illness'', challenged the audience to consider
educators have enormous influence on the the effect of the diversity of cultures and
community and will pass their skills and behaviors on shaping different world
information to their children. views on health and its maintenance. The
In 1989, more than seventy people partic- successful development of a universal
ipated in the eighth annual health conference framework for the conceptualization of
in Irvine, California, United States. This health and illness will occur in an atmoconference's theme dealt with women's sphere of respect for the validity of the
issues in health. The concept of the em- contributions of persons from all races and
powerment of women in the delivery of ethnicities, it concluded.
health was discussed, with the suggestion In addition to annual gatherings, the
that empowerment must be based on Association sponsored two conferences
Baha'u'llah's first Hidden Word in which aimed at increasing the Baha' i community's
the qualities of kindness, radiance, and awareness of the AIDS epidemic, and a third
purity are linked to sovereignty. Women conference focusing on the topic of homowere invited to realize the importance of sexuality. The two conferences highlighting
bringing their specific positive strengths into AIDS were held in Montreal, Canada, in
their new fields of responsibility and action, 1989 and at the Green Acre Baha'i School in
and to eliminate the old stereotypes that link Maine, United States, in 1991; and the
femininity with passivity, compliance, and conference on homosexuality was held in
weakness. Other issues presented at the con- 1992 at Green Acre. Participation in these
ference were strategies to attain health for all conferences was by friends from Canada and
by the year 2000, and the ethical challenges the United States with a personal or profesfaced by Baha'i health professionals. sional interest in the subject. The goals of
More than thirty-five participants took these events were to study and consult on the
part in the ninth annual conference on health Baha'i Writings which relate to these issues;
and healing, held in November 1990 in to create a network of Baha'is who will
Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The focus share information and encourage one
of this conference was discrimination in another; and to consult on future activities.
health care. Studies on the effects of active Members of the Baha'i International
patient involvement in their own health care, Health Agency participated in various interand its impact on improved health care out- national health conferences and seminars. As
comes, were reviewed. It was noted that a result, members of the Agency presented
these data complement the Baha'i teachings the principles of the Baha'i Faith to those of
that encourage the individual to seek the highest calibre in the medical field.
medical attention when necessary, but for In May 1986, the World Health Organithe individual to determine for himself what zation invited members of the Baha'i
is competent medical advice. The topic of International Community to its thirty-ninth
"Discrimination and the International Human Health Assembly. Dr. Ethel Martens, a
Immunodeficiencey Virus Epidemic" was Public Health Educator and the Executive
addressed. Statistics were given which out- Secretary of the Baha'i International Health
lined the disproportionate number of urban Agency, was one of the Baha'i delegates
poor, blacks, and hispanics with Acquired who attended this gathering. More than five
Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in hundred people participated, among whom
North America-numbers representative of were a large number of Ministers of Health.
the discrimination already faced by these Dr. Abdul Missagh Ghadirian ['Abdu 'lsocial groups. A third presentation, entitled Mithaq Qadiriyan] an executive member
"Towards a Concrete Understanding of of the Baha'i International Health Agency
474 THE BAHA'I WORLD

and a psychiatrist, represented the Baha'i Belisle, a physician from Montreal, Canada,
International Community at the United and an executive member of the Baha' i
Nations Interregional Conference of Non- International Health Agency, and Mr. Gio-
Govemmental Organizations for Prevention vanni Ballerio from the Baha'i International
of Drug Abuse, held in Stockholm, Sweden, Community Office in Geneva. The primary
from 15 to 19 September 1986. One hundred Baha'i contribution to this consultation was
copies of an article by Dr. Ghadirian, entitled on the theme of the equality of women and
"Prevention of Drug Abuse: A Baha'i Per- men, specifically the importance of empowspective" were distributed among delegates. ering women who are at a high-risk of
In addition, seventy copies of his book In developing HIV-AIDS because of a lack of
Search of Nirvana were given to dignitaries information, a lack of access to information,
and delegates of national and international or because of non-assertive behavior due to,
reputation who participated in the Confer- among other things, a low socio-economic
ence. status. A second contribution by the Baha'i
Due to the Baha' i International Commu- delegation emphasized the need for spiritual
nity's signing of the "working relations" transforn1ation, not only at the individual but
agreiement with the World Health Organiza- also at the institutional level, and referred
tion in March 1989, the Baha ' i International to the Baha'i concept of unity as a basic
Community was officially invited to partici- prerequisite for the solution of most social
pate at the World Health Organization's con- problems. This meeting was successful from
sultation with various international women's the perspective of the Baha' i International
non-governmental agencies on the issues of Health Agency because it facilitated the
AIDS prevention, control, and care, held establishment of personal and professional
from 21 to 22 December, 1989, in Geneva, contacts between the Baha'i participants
Switzerland. The Baha' i International Com- and representatives of diverse women's nonmunity was represented by Dr. Denise governmental organizations.

B. THE ASSOCIATION MEDICALE BAHA'iE

The Association Medicale Baha'ie, under patient-doctor relationships, stress, health
the auspices of the National Assembly of and nutrition, life and death, mother and
France, was registered in 1985 in confor- child relations, environment, and communimity with the requirements of French law cation. Renowned non-Baha'i lecturers
and of the French Medical Council. Mem- participated in many of the sessions and
bership is essentially open to all Baba' i greatly enhanced the professional quality of
medical practitioners and students in legaUy the meetings. In addition, these gatherings
licensed professions concerned with health generated a greater appreciation of the Faith
care. amongst professionals in the medical field.
During the Six Year Plan, the Associa- The Association's members also took
tion 's activities included the study of Baha'i part in commissions for preserving family
principles relevant to health and their diffu- unity, taught dental and general hygiene to
sion to non-Baha'i professionals and to the children at summer schools, and partici-
Baha'i community at large. Study sessions pated in several humanitarian projects m
open to all included topics such as ethics, Chad, Niger, Yugoslavia, and Albania.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'f ACTIVITIES 475

C. THE BAHA'I BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS ASSOCIATION
Your criterion should be to pursue your commercial activities with such fairness and equity
as to be a cause ofguidance to others. The friends of God should, through the instrumentality of their business, lead the people to God's path, and make them so astonished as to
exclaim: "How great is their truthfulness, how high their trustworthiness, and how true is
their good will!"
(Abdu'l-Baha, quoted in Compilation of Compilations, vol. 2 [Mona Yale, NSW: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1991], p. 341).

The Baha'i Business and Economics Associ- of individuals and organizations concerned
ation was formed in 1991 as an affiliate of with the practical aspects of the application
the Association for Baha'i Studies in Canada. of spiritual principles to the business com-
Its members are business people and econo- munity. This directory could be used to
mists who want to bring the spiritual support world-wide networking effortsguidance of Baha'u'llah to the worldwide putting individuals with similar concerns in
business community. In particular, they hope touch with one another, enabling people
to demonstrate the positive impact of the travelling to share the results of their experiapplication of spiritual principles in the work- ence with others, and making interested
place and on the lives of those involved in parties aware of opportunities and needs that
business. the business community may be able to
One Association goal is to have a direct address.
and constructive influence on the business The Association has also provided its
community by supporting grassroots initia- members and associates with a resource
tives of Baha' i business people. Another goal directory of material on socio-economic
is to be instrumental in promoting network- developments that reflect the principles of
ing and advocating the increase of wealth the Baha'i Faith in practice.
within a spiritual framework. The Associa- The development of local Baha'i business
tion strives to increase cooperation and forums throughout the world has been encollaboration as tools for resolving conflicts couraged and supported by this Association,
and disputes within the business community, with the vision that once sufficient numbers
and tries to serve as a forum for reaching of these local forums are functioning within
people of capacity in the field of commerce. a particular country or region, the Associa-
The primary purpose of this Association tion will actively support the formation and
is to provide its members with information. development ofNational and Regional Baha'i
An international directory has been compiled Business and Economic Associations.

D. THE BAHA'I BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
The Baha'i Business and Professional Asso- The Association was formed when interciation in Australia is a non-profit grassroots ested Baha' is gathered in Sydney in March
organization concerned with the promotion 1984 to discuss the business and profesof social and economic development in the sional needs of the community. Two months
community by fostering the fulfillment of later a committee of nine was elected to
human potential in the work environment. It conduct the affairs of the group, and this
has no direct connection with the National committee was re-elected annually at general
Spiritual Assembly and is completely self- meetings. In 1988, a similar organization
funding. developed in Melbourne and the National
476 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Assembly requested that the two groups seminar on ethics, which was recorded.
form a national association with an appro- Tapes of the proceedings were sold through
priate constitution. The first National Board the Baha'i Distribution Service.
of Directors was elected in 1989 and the Public promotion of Baha'i standards was
concept of local chapters of the Association achieved through the participation of nonwas instituted. Baha 'is in seminars hosted by the Associa-
The objectives of the Association were tion. In addition, the Association and the
defined to include: establishing forums for Australian National Spiritual Assembly
communication between members; stimulat- co-sponsored a service at the Baha'i House
ing and improving the dissemination of the of Worship in 1990 entitled "Transformation
Baha'i standards of behavior and ethics to to Globalization." It was designed to attract
career-minded and professional people; members of the business and professional
and advancing the interests of the Baha'i communities and to mark the commence-
Faith by assisting the Universal House of ment of the last decade of this century. More
Justice and National Spiritual Assemblies to than three hundred people attended the
achieve their goals. service, including all nine members of the
During the Six Year Plan, communication National Spiritual Assembly. Official guests
among members was achieved tluáough a included a representative of the Ethnic
quarterly newsletter initiated in 1987, and by Affairs Connnission of New South Wa les.
the hosting of seminars and lunch meetings. The final objective of the Association,
These seminars usually examined the Baha'i advancing the interests of the Baha'i Faith
outlook on pertinent social issues. by assisting wherever possible the Universal
The organization used several approaches House of Justice and National Assemblies in
to promote Baha'i standards of behavior and achieving their goals, was primarily achieved
ethical conduct in the business and profes- by providing the National Assembly of
sional environment. First it ventured to Australia with expert opinions about aspects
educate the Baha' i community on the subject of the Assembly's business dealings, such
of Baha'i ethics. In 1989, at the request of as property purchases, credit unions, and
the National Spiritual Assembly of Australia, comments on National Convention recomthe Association prepared and presented a mendations. The Association was also of
draft paper on "Baha'i Business Ethics", assistance to the National Assemblies of the
which was subsequently printed in the Aus- Pacific region, and continually responded to
tralian Baha'i Bulletin. In conjunction with queries from Baha' i institutions and individuthis paper, the Association organized a public als in relation to economic and social matters .

E . THE EUROPEAN BAHA 'f BUSINESS FORUM

The European Baha'i Business Forum, a the group would evolve into a formal assonetwork of Baha ' is interested in the applica- ciation. This decision was conveyed to the
tion of the Faith's principles to business and Universal House of Justice, which directed
industry, and in reaching people of capacity its Department of the Secretariat to reply:
in the field of commerce, was initiated at The Universal House of Justice was most
a conference held in September 1990 in interested to receive your letter of 1 Oc-
Chamonix, France. The twenty-four Baha'i tober 1990 and to learn of the aims of the
participants from throughout Europe, the proposed European Baha'i Business Forum.
United States and Canada decided to create There are undoubtedly many ways in
an informal association ofBaha'is involved which such an association can be of value
in business and industry, with the hope that to the Cause of God.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 477

The European Baha 'i
Business Forum held
its second annual
conference in Paris,
France Ji-om 30 August
to 1September1991 .

This association, registered in France as also emphasized the role which Baha' is with
a non-profit organization, provides an arena professional and business experience could
for its members and for business people in play in teaching and proclamation work in
general to explore ways of applying Baha'i Central Europe and the former Soviet Union.
ethical and social teachings to their business In response, the Business Forum offered the
activities. This is accomplished through annual abilities and expertise of its members to all
conferences and by calling upon experi- the National Spiritual Assemblies working
enced individuals to make presentations on with the Eastern European Countries.
various topics of interest to the business Toward A New Paradigm of Managecommunity. ment, a paper exploring the shift both in the
In heeding the call issued by the Universal values of business leaders and the practices
House of Justice in its 1990 Ric;!van message, of management towards a standard reflectthat the time had become ripe "to embrace ing the spiritual principles and teachings of
increasing numbers of people of capacity, Baha'u'llah, was presented at the annual
including persons of accomplishment and conference held in 1991. Subsequently, this
prominence in the various fields of human article was translated into French and disendeavour", the Forum sought ways ofreach- tributed to non-Forum members.
ing outstanding managers, leaders of business During the same time, the association
and industry, and economists of Europe. published, in English and French, Group
During its annual conferences, Forum Decision Making and Bahti 'i Consultation,
members examined the kind of support they an article concerned with assisting business
could lend the European Baha' i community organizations to fulfil their goals through the
in proclamation and teaching activities. medium of consultation . .
They also considered how they could assist Tluáough the distribution of a regular
Baha'is operating in the economic field to newsletter and a directory of its members,
better understand, respect, and comply with the FoJ;Um provided a network for the
the principles of the Faith in their own work. exchange of information among the Euro-
At the second annual conference, held from pean Baha' i business community.
30 August to 1 September 1991 in Paris, The Forum was also successful in coun-
Counsellor Patrick O'Mara encouraged the selling and informing young people about
thirty friends present to develop the Forum, career opportunities in relevant fields of
and to go back to their communities and link endeavor, as well as encouraging educaup with other Baha'i business people. He tional and training activities.
478 THE BAHA'I WORLD

F. THE BAHA'i JUSTICE SOCIETY
0 Son of Spirit! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt
see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own
knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbor. Ponder this in thy heart; how
it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness.
Set it then before thine eyes.
(Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words, Arabic no. 2 [Wilmette, Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1982], p.3.)

The Baha'i Justice Society is dedicated to professional ethics and world peace through
the promotion of justice in a manner consis- international law. One of the significant outtent with the principles of the Baha'i Faith. comes of this event was the completion of
Formed in 1986, the Society has members the Society's charter and by-laws.
throughout the United States, and affiliates Also, a scholarship was established by the
in Cameroon, Canada, England, Germany, Board to encourage participation by the eco-
India, Mozambique, New Guinea, New nomically disadvantaged. Initial expenditure
Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, and the from the fund provided financial assistance
Virgin Islands. The members of the Justice for individuals desiring, but financially unable,
Society represent a diverse range of occupa- to attend Baha'i Justice Society functions.
tions including judges, lawyers, teachers, The third annual meeting, at the Bosch
musicians, administrators, and students. In Baha'i School in California, included such
1992, the Society's membership included speakers as Dr. Wilma Ellis, a member of
one hundred and forty people. the Continental Board of Counsellors and the
This agency functions under the guidance Administrator-General of the Baha'i Interof the National Assembly of the Baha'is of national Community, and members of the
the United States. Its objectives are: to con- National Spiritual Assembly. Also addressing
tribute to the improvement of jurisprudence, the more than one hundred participants were
the world's legal systems, and the practice of former California Supreme Court Justice
law; to discover, train, and encourage legal Frank Newman, professor of law at the
and related talents to promote the principles University of California at Berkeley, and
of justice and their application to all aspects Juana Conrad, President of Women for
of human society; to promote an understand- International Peace and Arbitration.
ing of the relationship between the Baba' i More than eighty participants attended
Faith, jurisprudence, the administration of the fourth annual conference of the Baha'i
justice, and the practice of law; to promote Justice Society, held in Atlanta, Georgia,
the communication of the principles of the United States, from 9 to 11 June 1989. The
Faith to justice-related institutions; to advance conference theme was "Economic Justicethe honor and dignity of the profession of Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor".
law; to promote the highest ethical and moral Topics addressed at this event were the role
standards within the profession of law; and of education in economic justice; justice
to promote the rule of law in the world. only through oneness; interdependence, law,
The second annual meeting of the Baha'i and the international economy; and the
Justice Society was held from 27 to 29 March future role of the Baha'i Justice Society. In
1987, in the shadow of the House of conjunction with the conference, a delega-
Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, United States. tion of five Baha'is, headed by Judge James
The conference discussion topics included Nelson, presented a copy of The Promise of
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 479
World Peace to six State and Superior Court In October 1990, five members of the
Judges in the area. Society travelled to Leningrad and Kiev,
Seventeen American states, as well as Russia, to participate in the first Russian
Canada, Israel, Liberia, and the Virgin Baha'i Women's Forums. During this trip
Islands, were represented at the fifth annual approximately twenty-five Russian friends
conference of the Justice Society held in expressed interest in joining the Society.
June 1990 in Illinois, United States. The pre- Presentations were made on the Baha'i
sentations at this conference focused on Justice Society and the use of mediation in
the theme "Advancing Toward a Just World: conflict resolution.
Our Challenge for the 1990s''. Among those "Developing Baha'i Models of Dispute
present at this event was Mr. Hugh Chance, Resolution" was the theme of the annual
a member of the Universal House of Justice. conference and meeting held at the
Mr. Chance, who practiced law prior to Los Angeles Baha'i Center in 1991. This
being elected to the House of Justice, gathering featured a talk on "Preventative
addressed the conference on the challenges Law" by former University of Southern
facing Baha'i lawyers into the twenty-first California law professor Louis Brown. The
century. Judge Dorothy Nelson, member of conference was enhanced by the presence of
the United States Court of Appeals and the Mrs. Jacqueline Delahunt, a member of the
National Spiritual Assembly, spoke on "Jus- Continental Board of Counsellors and a
tice, Peace and Professional Responsibility". native Lakota Sioux, who gave an insight on
The Society presented two workshop ses- dispute resolution in other cultures.
sions focusing on mediation as a technique Also in 1991, the Justice Society cofor resolving disputes at the Association for sponsored the National Conference on
Baha'i Studies Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution in
United States, from 9 to 11November1990. Charlotte, North Carolina, United States.
The workshops, entitled "The Baha'i Justice The title of the conference was "Community
Society: A Catalyst for Racial Unity", in Conflict", and its mission was "to proaddressed the efforts of the Society with mote the use and acceptance of non-violent
regard to racial unity and justice. Approxi- approaches to the resolution of conflict and
mately sixty people took part in each of the to improve conflict resolution theory and
two ninety-minute sessions, which featured practice''. The conference attracted one
a demonstration of mediation in a mock thousand attendees. A full-day workshop on
community dispute. Baha'i consultation was presented.

G. THE BAHA'i ASSOCIATION FOR ARTS
The day will come when the Cause will spread like wildfire when its spirit and teachings will
be presented on the stage or in art and literature as a whole. Art can better awaken such
noble sentiments than cold rationalizing. ...
(Shoghi Effendi , quoted in Compilation of Compilations, vol. I [Mona Vale, NSW: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1991], p. 7.)

The Baha'i Association for Arts (BAFA) of this event was set aside to form the
was forn1ed in August 1986 during a Peace Association.
Festival held at the Landegg Academy in The goal of this Association is to gain a
Switzerland. Friends from eight European greater understanding of the Baha'i view on
countries gathered for workshops and talks the arts, and to provide a means for its memthat centered around the aris . An afternoon bers to encourage and support their fellow
480 THE BAHA'I WORLD

connection to the media of artists' expression, the use of time, and service to the
Cause. The keynote address of this event
centered on the history of the relationship
between the arts and religion, and outlined
the task set by Baha'u'llah for artists in this
most great Day.
Transformation through the love of
Baha'u'llah and meditation on His Writings
was the theme of Art Fornm 1991. Painters,
singers, an architect, a sculptor, a poet,
a film-maker, an Indian classical dancer,
and a story-teller were among those who
demonstrated their talents at this event. They
shared stories about their personal transformation, their techniques, and the influences
of the Baha'i Writings on their work. The
questions of what is art and how the believ-
Art Forum East, held in Bratislava, ers can use their talents to serve Baha'u'llah
Czechoslovakia, in July 1991. were addressed, along with issues of
personal development and service to the
artists. Members receive the BAFA's news- evolving administrative order.
letter four times a year, which includes news In conjunction with Art Forum 1991 , Art
from the Association's board and members. Fornm East was held in Bratislava, Czecho-
The most significant of the activities initi- slovakia from 23 to 28 July. More than sixty
ated by the Association were the conferences people from fifteen counháies participated.
on the arts. Art Fornm 1988, held in De The theme of this gathering was "Crossing
Poort, Netherlands, was the first conference Borders'', and workshops were held on such
of its kind which focused entirely on Baha'i topics as ethics, the ego, inspiration, and
artists and their views. Participants from excellence. A great variety of artistic pre-
Britain, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iran, sentations was displayed and demonstrated
Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, at the conference, including musical perforand the United States took turns showing mances, dance and drama workshops, and
their work, sharing how they came upon mural exhibits. Six visual a1tists displayed
their ideas, and answering questions about their work in a gallery in the center of the
their presentation. In regard to this confer- city. Interviews and news about this event
ence, the Universal House of Justice stated, were carried by two radio stations and two
"Delighted news success first festival BAF A newspapers. As a result of this gathering,
held De Poort. Gratified plans to serve goals a network for the Association for the Arts
plan throughout Europe." was established in the Soviet Union, and
The next Art Fornm, held in De Poort networks in France and Ge1many were
in July 1990, focused on the choices Baha'i strengthened. The Association repmted that
artists face. More than thirty participants, the participants left the Art Fornm East with
representing five countries, attended work- a better sense of the high station that is given
shops which addressed artistic choices in to the arts in the Baha'i Writings.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES

8. USE OF COMPUTERS BY THE BAHA'f COMMUNITY
DURING THE SIX YEAR PLAN

adapted from an article by
BRYN DEA MER AN D STEVEN KOLIN

Introduction the entire human race is able to benefit equi-
When a new Dispensation begins, God tably from the advances now made possible.
endows humanity with the means through As one consequence of this point of view,
which civilization can give effect to the the Baha'i community, from its inception,
teachings of the Revelation, by the Divine has tended to embrace technological devel-
Messenger of God. opments as gifts of God and as entirely
consonant with the spiritual mission of the
Every word that proceedeth out of the
Founder of their Faith. With respect to elecmouth of God is endowed with such
tronic information technology, Shoghi Effendi
potency as can instill new life into every
envisioned the day when:
human frame, if ye be of them that
comprehend this truth. All the wondrous A mechanism of world inter-connection
works ye behold in this world have been will be devised, embracing the whole
manifested through the operation of His planet, freed from national hindrances and
supreme and most exalted Will, His won- restrictions, and functioning with marveldrous and inflexible Purpose ... No sooner lous swiftness and perfect regularity. 2
is this resplendent word uttered, than its
Initially, computer technology was
animating energies, stirring within all
available only to very large organizations
created things, give birth to the means
who could afford and could make use of the
and instruments whereby such arts can be
massive "main-frame" installations which
produced and perfected. All the wondrous
began to appear in the 1950s. By the 1970s,
achievements ye now witness are the
the situation had changed dramatically, so
direct consequences of the Revelation of
that older Baha' i communities such as those
this Name. In the days to come, ye will,
in the United States and Canada could begin
veri ly, behold things of which ye have
to employ computers to maintain membernever heard before. 1
ship records and financial information. As
Baha'is see the revolutionary changes in advances in technology throughout the
the fields of science and technology, during 1980s produced ever smaller and more powthe past century, as expressions of the cre- erful computers and led to dramatic price
ative impulses released by the advent of two reductions, Baha'i communities throughout
successive Manifestations of God, the Bab the world increasingly embraced "personal"
and Baha'u'llah. The full impact of these computers as a means of meeting the needs
immense new resources will be felt only as of their ever-expanding operations.
society responds to the social and spiritual In a meeting in Langenhain, Germany in
principles which lie at the heart of the new 1987, the assembled representatives of the
Revelation and reorganizes its affairs so that European National Spiritual Assemblies were

1 2
Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahri 'u 'I/ah:
Bahri 'u 'I/ah (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, Selected letters (1929-1936) (Wi lmette: Baha'i
1976), pp. 141-142. Publish ing Trust, 1974), p. 203.
482 THE BAHA'f WORLD

warmly encouraged by representatives of the he ttáaced the historic growth of telecommu-
Baha'i International Community's offices to nications and compared it to the growth of
give a high priority to equipping themselves the Faith, finding an almost perfect correlawith advanced information and communica- tion in numeric terms.
tions technology. These efforts were given farther impetus
1988 saw the appearance of V. Mitra at an historic Baha'i telecommunications
Gopaul's book Personal Computers and conference held 17 to 19 December 1983
the Baha'i Community 1 which was widely in San Fernando, California. Forty Baha'is
disseminated among the growing band of from the United States and Canada attended
Baha'is interested in information technol- the meeting and "fo1mulated plans designed
ogy. This practical book demonstrated how to help establish the new Baha'i radio station
computers could be used for a wide range in South Carolina [WLGI] and to research
of activities vital to the goals of local and possible applications of existing computer
national Baha'i communities: record keeping, technology to serve the Faith".4
letter production, financial tracking, statisti- Among the fruits of this conference was
cal analysis, publications, and the like. the proposal to establish "a Baha' i Computer
At about this same time, another major and Telecommunications Association to
development began quietly in the computer monitor developments ... and to serve as a
world-computers began to be programed "clearing-house" for evaluating the potential
to communicate with each other without for application of new technology in service
human intervention. This advancement in to the Cause of Baha'u' llah. One such aptechnology, including the ability to send plication might be setting up a computer
computer messages through telephone lines, network to link Baha' is across the country in
was the birth of electtáonic mail (email) an interactive conferencing system involving
which has begun to have a far-reaching hundreds or even thousands of Baha'is". 5
impact on mankind . The ability of an aver- Shortly after the conference, a Core Commitage person to send a document or message tee was appointed by the National Spiritual
instantly from one computer to another Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States
computer anywhere in the world has opened to guide the operation of the Association. 6
entire new fields of human communication. In 1985, a statement in the Baha'i Com-
Email ttáuly fits Shoghi Effendi's vision of puter and Telecommunications Committee
"world inter-communication .. . freed from Newsletter read: "One of the primary goals
national hindrances and restrictions .... " for the coming year ... is already becoming a
reality. Very shortly all of the Baha'i admin-
Use of Computer-Mediated Communica- istrative offices [in the United States] which
tions by Baha'is have a computer and a telephone will have
In May 1982, Sheryl and Roger Coe formed the capability to link-up to a nationwide
an info1mal organization known as the Baha'i computer network which is being set
Baha'i Computer Users' Association. 2 Then, up on Dialcom." 7
during the seventh Annual Conference for 3 Cassette No. RT-81, Association for Baha'i Studies
the Association for Baha' i Studies held at Annual Conference, 1982, linages International, 1982.
Ottawa, Canada, in September 1982, Steven 4 " San Fernando Host to Hi storic Telecommunications

Caswell gave a presentation on "Telecom- Conference," The American Balza 'i, February 1983,
munications and the Baha'i Faith." 3 In this p. 1.
5 ibid.
1 6 Baha 'i Computer and Telecommunications Associa-
Gopaul, V. Mitra. Personal Computers and the Balza 'i
Commun ity (Los Angeles: Kalimat Press , 1988). tion Newsletter, No . 4, October 1983.
2 Baha'i Computer User's Association Newsletter, 7 Balza 'i Computer and Telecommunications Associa-

[No. I) II May 1982. tion Newsletter, No. 5, July 1985.
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 483

Students at the
Tadong Baha'i
School in Sikkim,
India, learning
to use computers
as part of their
regular curriculum; 1991.

By the mid-1980s the term "Baha'i-net'', WORKSHOP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR
which Steven Caswell had used in his talk in HIGHER NATURE. YOU HAVE JUST CONNECTED
Ottawa in 1982, was being commonly used WITH ...
to describe Baha'i use of computers in vari- ***Tl-IE BAHA ' I BULLETIN BOARD ***" 1
ous forms to communicate with each other.
More formally, Jennifer Tidwell started Mr. Coe's dream of being "able to associthe Bahai-Net mailing list on a computer at ate with a world-wide network of Baha' is
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Baha'i institutions via computer-exsometime during 1987 or 1988. When the changing information, working on problems,
World Centre acquired Internet email access and shrinking the world into a loving neighvia UUCP to the first cornn1ercial Internet borhood"2 was coming a step closer.
service provider (UUnet) in 1989 (register- Mr. Coe went on to describe three other
ing the domain "bwc.org") there already dreams:
were more than one hundred members on
• Having the entire body of the Writings
the Bahai-Net mailing list and the number
of the Baha'i Faith in computer-readwas steadily growing.
able format.
• A computer-to-satellite-to-computer net-
Baha'i Discussion Groups and Bulletin
work that would link us all together so
Boards
we could share information, libraries,
The first computer bulletin board system
programs, database management syscreated by a Baha'i was set up by Frank
tems, etc., no matter how remote we
Haendel of Colorado, USA. In the Baha'i
might be from each other in physical
Computer and Telecommunications Associterms.
ation Newsletter, Roger Coe wrote: "The
• A possibility of"on-line" consultation for
other night I hooked my modem to the telescholarly and other practical research
phone, dialed a number, ... watched my
and investigations-including consultacomputer screen and here is what I saw ..... .
tion on the repair of our computers! 3
WELCOME TO A UN IQUE BULLETIN BOARD
I ibid.
FOR THINKERS, SEEKERS AND EVERYONE 2
Bahfr 'i Computer Users' Association Newsletter,
ELSE WHO CAN REALIZE THAT WE EXIST No. I, I I May 1982.
WITHIN THE MIDST OF AN INCREDIBLE ibid.
484 THE BAHA'I WORLD

By Ri<;ivan 1992, a large body of Writings Conclusion
had been typed into computers at the World By Ri<;lvan 1992-one hundred years after
Centre and elsewhere, but total public access the Ascension of Baha'u'llah-the Baha'i
to many of these was not yet possible. Like- community everywhere had discovered the
wise Mr. Coe's visions of shared libraries, value of the rapid developments in the field
databases, and the possibility of "on-line" of computer-mediated communications and
consultation were not possible during the information-provision that had seemingly
Six Year Plan. burst upon the world. Personal computers
had become a regular feature of Baha'i life:
Computers at the Baha'i World Centre their use was helping communities and
The first computer at the Baha'i World Assemblies raise their level of operations
Centre arrived as a kit brought to the Holy to a higher, more "professional" plane, and
Land by Robert Gregory in 1977. The first produce newsletters, statistical and financial
"official" World Centre computer began reports that were both more comprehensive
operation in 1981. This was a DEC (Digital and easier to understand. Electronic mail
Equipment Corporation) PDP 11 /34 acquired was being rapidly developed and pursued,
to run the first computerized financial and networks of Baha'i discussion groups
accounting system for the Baha'i Interna- were highly active and moving into areas of
tional Fund. At the same time a word specialization.
processing system called Lex was purchased. This use of new technologies expanded
When the Seat of the Universal House of the capacity of Baha 'is, as individuals and
Justice was constructed, it was wired with as communities, to acquire, access, and
computers in mind. When the building was organize knowledge- a capacity fundamenoccupied in 1983, virtually all staff had tally necessary for a society such as that
terminals at their desks linked to a central described in the Baha'i Writings, based on
computer system. Electronic mail first universal participation both in decisionbecame possible at the World Centre in 1984 making and in contributing to the advancewith the purchase of a Vax computer. It was ment of civilization.
known as "Vaxmail" and quickly gained
Unification of the whole of mankind is
acceptance as a way of sending and requestthe hall-mark of the stage which human
ing information without the interruptions
society is now approaching. Unity of
caused by telephone calls.
family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation
In 1985, a company called Goldnet began
have been successively attempted and
operation in Israel, testing with selected
fully established. World unity is the goal
clients for one year before offering its sertowards which a harassed humanity is
vice to the public. The Baha'i World Centre
striving. Nation-building has come to an
asked to join the program. Mailboxes were
end. The anarchy inherent in state soveracquired for the Baha' i International Comeignty is moving towards a climax. A
munity offices in New York and Geneva,
world, growing to maturity, must abanand software developed at the World Centre
don this fetish, recognize the oneness and
was installed to utilize the Dialcom service in
wholeness of human relationships, and
a very cost-effective manner. Email was first
establish once for all the machinery that
used to coordinate the activities of the Baha' i
can best incarnate this fundamental prin-
International Community representatives to
ciple of its !ife. 1
gain passage of a resolution in the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights condemning the persecution ofBaha'is in Iran. 1
Shoghi Effendi. World Order, p. 202.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES

9. RELATIONS BETWEEN NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
AND GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS AND WITH THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL

FOR Baha'u'llah .. . has not only imbued this Divine Pattern as their point of reference
mankind with a new and regenerating in submitting written statements directly
Spirit. He has not merely enunciated cer- explaining the relationship between Baha'utain universal principles, or propounded ' llah 's Teachings and the challenges facing
a particular philosophy, however potent, modem society. A number of national Baha' i
sound and universal these may be. In communities contributed recommendations
addition to these He [has]. .. clearly and to constitutional drafting committees and
specifically laid down a set of Laws, es- other governmental organizations determintablished definite institutions, and provided ing policies for the future . The enthusiastic
for the essentials of a Divine Economy. response shown to these suggestions was
These are destined to be a pattern for future notable. Among the various activities of this
society, a supreme instrument for the es- kind which took place, four examplestablishment of the Most Great Peace, and from Brazil, South Africa, Singapore, and
the one agency for the unification of the the United States-are highlighted in this
world, and the proclamation of the reign of section and their documents are reproduced.
righteousness and justice upon the earth. 1
In the opening years of the fourth epoch of 1
Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahci áu '!!ah
the Formative Age of the Faith, Baha'is used (Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 19.

A. BRAZIL
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

IN April 1987, a delegation of eight the suggestions. Several of the recipients
Baha'is from different parts of Brazil spent sent to the Baha'is the texts of proposed
four days presenting material on the Baha'i amendments which would be of special
perspective on government to the 559 con- interest to them, such as those relating to
gressmen and senators in charge of writing religious liberty and promotion of the cona new constitution. Each legislator received cept of world citizenship.
a folder including The Promise of World Media coverage of the Baha'i contribu-
Peace, general information on the Faith, and tion was unprecedented. At least 19 daily
a document called "The Baha'is and the newspapers from 17 Brazilian states printed
Constitutional Assembly" which included articles; reports on 10 television programmes
20 proposals to be considered for inclusion equalled 2 hours of live broadcasts; and
in the nation's new charter. The proposals 1 hour and 20 minutes of radio time on 7 difrelated to such topics as education, the rights ferent programmes was devoted to the
of indigenous peoples, the rights of women, Baha'is.
and international relations. More than 90 per cent of the articles pro-
More than 100 cables, letters, and tele- posed by the Baha' is were included in the
phone calls were received by the National final draft of the Constitution which was
Spiritual Assembly expressing gratitude for voted on by the legislators.
486 THE BAHA'I WORLD

THE BAHA 'fs AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBL y •

A CONTRJBUTION TOWARD A NEW SOCIETY

I. Introduction
In full awareness of the fact that the drawing up of a Constitution represents an instrument
for the promulgation of a new social pact in which all the shades cif opinion within the country are represented, the Baha'i community of Brazil presents, in this document, the
viewpoint of the Baha 'is as a sincere effort to contribute to the noble endeavor currently
being undertaken by the National Constitutional Assembly.
The Constitution, as the lex maximus of the country, is the Magna Carta where general
legal principles are enshrined. It is the foundation for the nation's entire judicial system. It
must reflect the emerging concern for inspiring life in society; it must mirror the sovereignty
of a state of law whose most valued asset is justice, a justice which, above all else, seeks the
fulfilment of the human being within the social context.
Far from being a magic wand capable of extirpating all the problems of the nation, the
Magna Carta should contain those cardinal principles which, while not demeaning the historical and cultural traditions of the nation, address the legitimate aspirations of the people,
fu1iher economic and social development, favour a just distribution of wealth and, above all,
institute mechanisms to assure the full attainment and exercise of the fundamental rights
inherent to the human being.
It is within this context that, with the convocation of the National Constitutional Assembly recently elected by the people to discuss and vote on the new Constitution, we are
witnessing a unique moment in history replete with challenges generated by the discovery of
the growing interdependence among the nations which was expressed more than a century
ago in the words of the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, 1 Baha'u ' llah, that "The earth is but one
country, and mankind its citizens." 2 This thought reflects in its entirety the new stage of
social organization toward which mankind is definitively headed.
Within this framework, we fee l that the vision of the Constitutional Assembly must,
while seeking to reflect solutions for the current needs of our people at this historical and
social moment, also be a bridge to the future, envisioning the full economic, social and spiritual development of the nation, casting its light, like that of the sun, along the paths that lead
us to a truly glorious future.
-The Baha'i Community of Brazil
* Eng li sh translation of the statement submi tted.
The Baha' i Faith was founde d in Persia (now Iran), by Mirza l:Iusayn-'Ali (1 8 17- 1892), known as Baha'u ' llah
(which means "the G lory of God"), W ho, in 1863, publi cly revealed Hi s d ivin e miss ion as in augurator of a new
era of human civi li zation , the basic principl es and genera l teac hin gs of whi ch He outlined in more than one hundred volumes, written during the 40 years of Hi s minist1y Because of His reli gio us convictions, He was ex il ed
from Iran- initially to Turkey, and subsequently to Palestine, the Ho ly Land, where He passed away, in the city
of' Akka, in 1892.
The Baha'i Faith is today an independent world rel igion , whi ch has fo llowers of all nationa li ties, colors, races,
social classes and professions, in more than 11 6,000 loca liti es and in 340 countries and teITitori es , of which 116
are independent nati ons. Its fundamenta l prin cipl es are the oneness of God, the oneness of reli gion and the oneness of humani ty. Baha' i literature has been translated into 739 languages and dialects.
Through the Baha 'i Intern ational Communi ty, one of the non -governmenta l organ izations accred ited w ith the
Un ited Nations, the Baha'i Faith parti cipates, w ith consul tative status, in ECOSOC (the Economic and Soc ial
Council) and UN ICEF (the Chi ldren's Fund), and officia ll y partici pates in the Environmental Program. It also
coll aborates w ith the Publi c Information Office. A ll these are organs of the United Nations .
Baha'u 'Jl ah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha 'u 'I/ah (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1976), p. 250.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 487
II. Some considerations on cooperation, the consultative process,
justice, education, and civil authority
Below, we have enumerated certain principles which we believe will be especially valuable
at this unique moment in the life of the nation, in which the new Magna Carta of the country
is being drawn up.

COOPERATION
One of the inevitable results of the process of disintegration of the current system of world
interrelationships has been the growing emphasis on competition and self-preservation. Significant sectors of public opinion, both in Brazil and abroad, are facing a crisis of confidence
in the spirit of cooperation with which contemporary societies emerged from the Second
World War. In today's world, the spirit of competition is assuming grave proportions; and,
should it become the predominant characteristic of social behavior, it may completely
undermine the entire collective effo1i toward cooperation and human relationships which
represent legitimate wishes of the people for social peace, justice, and progress.
We understand that the most urgent areas for the exercise of cooperation are the vital
topics related to capital and labor, government and private initiative, etc.

THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION
In the current legislative system, we observe an anachronism which is incapable of responding to the challenges of the future-the political party. The system has undeniable merits,
but the institutions were conceived to meet the needs of a different age. Considering the
existence of political parties as one of the greatest challenges facing the system in its attempt
to direct its efforts toward unity and harmony, with a view to achieving the common welfare
and meeting the needs of social development-a reality which is unlikely to be changedwe believe that the most advisable thing to do would be to direct the energies of the nation
toward the expansion and systematization of what we call the consultative process, or
consultation.
We mention the principle of consultation, particularly, because it is intrinsically linked to
the functioning of our own Faith. Baha'u'llah declared that consultation and compassion
together form the foundation for the stage of the maturity of humanity. Our experience with
His guidance on consultation in the administration of an extraordinarily varied international
community has proven so fruitful that we are compelled to summarize a few of its guiding
principles:
1. All of the parties involved in a decision must have the freedom and opportunity to
participate in the consultative process.
2. There must be a clear distinction between general consultation and the deliberations
of the democratically-elected body which will be responsible for making a decision.
3.Every individual engaged in the consultative process must be encouraged to freely
express the dictates of his own conscience.
4.Any form of partiality is prohibited.
5.All of the participants in the consultative process have a responsibility to exercise
courtesy and moderation.
6. Each individual participant in the consultative process has the moral obligation to
detach himself from his own contribution, which, once made, becomes the conunon
property of the group.
7. Once a decision has been taken, it is a requirement that everyone- those in favor
and those originally opposed- unite whole-heartedly to carry out that decision.
488 THE BAHA'i WORLD

8. Decision-making bodies have an obligation to constantly evaluate their work and,
whenever necessary, to revise it.

JUSTI CE
Justice, Baha 'u 'llah declared in the past century, is "the best beloved of all things" 1 in the
sight of God, and represents a gift granted to man in this age, the era of his maturity.

This being a complex topic, we believe that new moral and spiritual standards are
needed today to solve the intertwined economic and social problems of our planet; and
these rest on one single foundation: the consciousness, on the part of each individual,
of the organic oneness of mankind. We are not just citizens of our own country; we are
also citizens of the whole world. We are a part of an ecosystem; but this ecosystem is
derived from our inner world, which encompasses values and attitudes, which give us
the capacity for understanding, will and the power to uplift the quality of physical and
spiritual life of all the peoples. This conviction on the part of the individual and society
of the essential oneness of the human race is now the only viable standard for economic and social justice. On it will depend the successful resolution of the problems of
environment, property, population, food, health, employment, etc. In summary, this
means considering the welfare of the community as one's own welfare, thinking of
mankind as an individual and the individual as a member of its bodily form, and being
convinced that if pain or illness aflicts any member of its body, this will inevitably
bring suffering to the remainder. 2

We believe that a basic economic concern of the government should be to encourage a
greater level of confidence and cooperation between capital and labor, the twin pillars on
which rest the foundations of the material well being of the counhy

EDUCATION
"Regard man," Baha'u'llah declared, "as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. "3
We may also say that education is the only possession that cannot be taken away from a
person. The potentialities latent in every human being need, therefore, the polishing stone of
education in order to become manifest. This being the case, we wish to emphasize a few
guiding principles for a new approach to education in this day:
1. The schools should stress the concept of the oneness of the human race and emphasize
the importance of translating into reality the mutual interdependence of its members,
leading to the unification of mankind and the establishment of world peace and stability.
2. The students should be imbued with a sense of world consciousness and of loyalty to
the human race, a háanscendent loyalty that does not belittle lesser loyalties, such as
those due to any particular race, creed, nation or ideology. This is a particularly urgent
challenge in our increasingly multi-racial and multi-religious society.
3. The educators, in turn, should instill in their pupils from earliest childhood an awakening of love for mankind, a love capable, in the end, of abolishing all forms of racial,
religious, political, social and intellectual prejudice.

Baha'u'llah, The Hidden Words of Baha'u' ll ah (Wi lmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1975), p. 3.
From a declaration by the Baha'i International Community entitled "One World . .. One People."
Baha' u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahri 'u 'llrih, p. 259.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 489
Within this framework, centered around the concept of world citizenship, the Baha'i
teachings state, "Every child must be instructed in sciences as much as is necessmy. If the
parents are able to provide the expenses of this education, it is all right; othen,vise the community must provide the means for the teaching of that child. " 1

CIVIL AUTHORITY
No one can fail to note the anxiety that the problems created by a disintegrating social order
are causing for a steadily growing number of human beings who feel unable to protect
themselves and their families. All citizens have responsibilities, too. The most important
responsibility in a democratic society is submission to the will of the majority, expressed
through the constitutional provisions that society has created and polished. Governments
have the right to expect civil obedience. No good, but only harm, can result from the deliberate violation of civil law, or deliberate disobedience to the institutions duly constituted by
the civil authority.
From the Baha'i scriptures, we have selected the following texts, which, we believe, well
exemplify the Baha'i thinking on this matter:
"The Law must reign, and not the individual; thus will the world become a place of beauty
and tJ.ue brotherhood will be realized." 2

What mankind needeth in this day is obedience unto them that are in authority, and a
faithful adherence to the cord of wisdom. The instruments which are essential to the
immediate protection, the security and assurance of the human race have been
entrusted to the hands, and lie in the grasp, of the governors of human society. This is
the wish of God and His decree .... 3

The Baha'is reaffirm their total loyalty and obedience to the new Constitution that will
soon be promulgated.

III. The Baha'i Proposal
We present below the text of proposed articles to be considered in the new Constitution of
the country, dealing with the following important átopics:
1. Sovereignty of the law
2. Equality of all before the law
3. Abuse of power
4. Defense of human rights
5. Uplifting socially discriminated groups
6, The right of the individual to self-expression and manifestation of conscience
7. Freedom ofreligion
8. Freedom of marriage
9. Equality of rights and opportunities for men and women
10. Elimination of the extJ.áemes of wealth and poverty
11. Participation of the workers in the profits of the companies
12. Setting of a minimum wage compatible with human dignity
13. Obligatory and free education, directed toward human peace and fraternity
'Abdu'I-Baha, Foundations of World Unity (W ilmette: Baha'i Publi shing Trust, 1979), p. 3 I.
'Abdu 'l-Ba ha, Paris Talks (London : Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1972), p. 132.
Baha'u'llah, exce rpt from a Tablet directed to the Kings of the Earth, in 1863 , cited in The Proclamation of
Bahit'u'llith (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1967), pp. 13- 14.
490 THE BAHA'I WORLD

14. Ethnic, cultural and geographical integrity of the indigenous population
15. International relations in harmony with the concept of world citizenship
16. Peaceful resolution of international conflicts
17. Abstention from participation in the arms race or support of it
18. Obligatory service to the fatherland, of a military or civilian nature
19. Obligatory rendering to the needy populations of services in the area of economic
and social development
20. Asylum for foreigners persecuted with violation of human rights
21. Means of mass conmmnication

BAHA'I PROPOSALS
ART ICLE: The law is sovereign and all submit to it.
ARTICLE: All power emanates from the people, and must be exercised for the benefit of the
people.
Paragraph: It is the responsibility of the state, through the organization of the
branches of government, to assure to all citizens ample conditions
for the development of their phys ical, intellectual and spiritual
potentialities, in a peaceful way and in a spirit of unity.
ARTI CLE: The abuse of power on the part of any authority shall be punished in accordance
with the law.
ARTI CLE: Everyone is equal before the law without distinction of any kind, whether of
sex, race, profession, social class, religion, creed, nationality, culture or political
convictions.
Paragraph: The state is to create instruments to guarantee the upliftment of any
groups which have been discriminated against socially.
Paragraph: Any discriminatory action shall be punished as a serious crime for
which no bail is acceptable.
ARTI CLE: The inalienable right of the individual to self-expression and manifestation of
conscience is assured.
ARTI CLE: Freedom of religious worship includes the right of assembly, expression, or association for religious purposes.
Paragraph: In accordance with the Jaw, religious ministering shall be given to
the arn1ed forces and their auxiliaries , and, in establishments of
collective internment, to interested parties who solicit it directly or
through their legal representatives, respecting the creed of each.
Paragraph: Cemeteries shall have a secular character and shall be administered
by the municipal authority; all religious faiths shall be pern1itted to
practice their rituals in them.
Paragraph : In accordance with the law, religious organizations may maintain
private cemeteries.
ARTI CLE: Freedom of marriage is assured, without any restriction as to the race, nationality
or religion of the spouses. The law establishes the equality of rights and duties
between the couple during the marriage and after its dissolution, should such occur.
Paragraph: Weddings shall be civil, and their celebration free of charge.
Religious weddings, of any denomination, are equivalent to civil ceremonies provided that the act is inscribed in the Public Register upon
request of the celebrant or of any interested party, and that the
requirements and prohibitions of the Jaw are observed.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 491
Paragraph: The religious wedding celebrated without the formalities of the preceding paragraph shall have civil standing ifthe couple's application
is inscribed in the Public Register through prior arrangement before
the proper authority.
ARTICLE: Equality of rights and opportunities between men and women is assured in all
human relationships and in all elective, adminisháative, and decision-making
processes of society.
ARTI CLE: It is the duty of the state to promote the elimination of the extremes of wealth and
poverty, through mechanisms of taxation and distribution of wealth, in accordance with the law.
Paragraph: The participation of the workers in the profits of the companies is
assured.
Paragraph: A minimum wage capable of providing the worker and his family
with dignity in meeting their basic needs for food, shelter, health,
education, transportation, clothing and leisure is assured.
ARTI CLE: Education shall be inspired and conducted under the aegis of the following
principles:
a) The basic objective of education is to release the potentialities existing in each
individual, and at the same time to eradicate prejudices of race, creed, class,
nationality, and sex.
b) Education is obligatory and is the right of everyone.
c) The state must provide free schooling for everyone between 6 and 14 years of age.
d) Public education shall always be free of charge, and private schooling shall be
treated as a concession by the state to private initiative, in accordance with the
law.
e) Religious instruction shall be optional; and, when offered, the inclusion of a
complementary vision of universal religious expression shall be obligatory.
f) Instruction shall promote an education directed toward the ideals of peace and
human fraternity .
ARTI CLE: The ethnic, cultural and geographical integrity of the indigenous population
within the national territory is assured and protected by law.
Paragraph: It is the duty of the state to assure indigenous peoples access to
education as a means of appreciation and preservation of indigenous
culture, customs and háaditions making possible the unfolding of
their potentialities.
Paragraph: The education of the indigenous peoples is also to be offered in their
native language.
ART ICLE: In its international relations, the executive branch shall, ad referendum by the
National Congress,
a) Promote, among all the countries of the international community, the concept
of world citizenship, laying the foundations of a new world order in the economic, social and political fields.
b) Promote and support the unconditional defense of the fundamental rights
inherent to the human person.
c) Defend peace; the employment of force is permitted only in case of external
aggression.
d) Promote the interchange of the technological discoveries of the scientific and
cultural heritage of humanity.
492 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

e) Resolve international conflicts through direct negotiation, arbitration and other
peaceful means, with the mediation of international organizations recognized
by the international community.
ARTICLE: The maintenance of diplomatic, commercial and cultural relations with countries
which, as acknowledged by international organizations, violate the fundamental
rights of the human person, principally by virtue of discrimination by sex, race or
religious creed, and utilize tenorism or torture, is prohibited.
ARTICLE: In the event of war between countries with which Brazil maintains diplomatic
relations, it is up to the Brazilian State to take the initiative to propose a peaceful
solution to the conflict. Should the conflict persist, Brazil shall participate in the
international forces of intervention to assure the re-establishment of peace.
ARTICLE: Brazil shall not involve itself in an arms race of any kind or nature.
Paragraph: It is the responsibility of the federa l government to authorize and
monitor the production and sale of war materiel, for the exclusive
use of the armed forces, in their function of defense of the fatherland,
within the national tenitory.
ARTICLE: All Brazilians are obliged to render service to the fatherland; this service may be
civil or military, in accordance with the law.
ARTICLE: The rendering of services with a view to the economic and social development of
needy populations, by citizens who have recently graduated from programs of
higher education, is obligatory, within the conditions established by the law.
ARTICLE: Brazil shall grant asylum to any foreigner whose fundamental liberties, as defined
in the Constitution, were violated, especially if by reason of his political, religious
or philosophical activities and/or convictions.
ARTICLE: The representatives of the mass media have a fundamental commitment to truth,
and are to express themselves in a free and impartial manner; all manipulation by
public or private interests is forbidden.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 493

B. SOUTH AFRICA:
VIEWS SUBMITTED ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

ON 21 January 199 1, a delegation com- History of the Bahti 'i Faith in South Africa,
posed of three members of the National 1911-1989 were presented.
Spiritual Assembly of South Africa and a Judge Olivier was deeply impressed, indimember of the Local Spiritual Assembly of cating that the Baha'is were the one organi-
Pretoria met with Judge P.M. Olivier at the zation that had so far spoken of moral and
South African Law Commission in Pretoria spiritual foundations for the constitution. He
to present materials explaining the Baha'i requested more Baha'i Writings so that he
perspective on a new constitution for the could add another chapter to his proposal to
country. A covering letter, a statement of the government regarding this aspect of the
principles, a compilation of extracts from the constitution.
Baha'i Writings bearing on the issues facing The following is the complete text of the
South Africa, and the book A Pictorial submission:

To the Constitutional Commission,
South Africa

Dear Sirs,

The Baha'i conununity of South Africa is grateful for the opportunity to offer its views in
the drafting of a new Constitution for our country. We hope that the attached document,
"Some thoughts for the drafting of a Constitution for South Africa", based on principles set
out in the scriptures of our Faith, will prove a useful contribution to this urgent national
endeavour.
These same principles have animated the development of the Baba 'i conmmnity of South
Africa ever since its inception eighty years ago. A good deal of the optimism we feel about
the ability of the people of South Africa eventually to build in this favoured land a just and
unified society arises from the confirmations which have met our efforts to realize these
spiritual and social ideals in the life of our own community.
If our experience can serve to reinforce a sense of confidence in the eventual outcome of
the long struggle in which our nation is engaged, we would be honoured to share it, too, with
those whose task it is to create the constitutional framework for the process.
In no sense does South Africa stand alone. The forces that are welding humanity into one
family and our globe into a common homeland challenge all peoples and all of the cultural
and political assumptions of the past. In such a world, the solutions we achieve here in South
Africa can have influence far beyond our borders.
Please be assured of the ardent prayers of South Africa's Baha'is for the success of the
historic task you have undertaken.

Sincerely,

The National Spiritual Assembly
of the Baha'is of South Africa
494 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Some Thoughts for the Drafting of a Constitution for South Africa
Human beings have been endowed by Divine Providence with immeasurable qualities of
spirit and mind without discrimination as to sex, race or nationality. The progressive unfoldment of the potentialities inherent in these qualities enables the human race to fulfil its purpose in carrying forward an ever advancing civilization. This is confirmed by the record of
continuous development of human society as it has traversed the successive stages of its
evolution from the emergence of the family as society's basic corporate entity to the unity of
tribe, of city-state and of nation.
Now, the world with its myriad peoples and cultures, and through the rapid advances in
scientific discovery, has suddenly contracted into a neighbourhood, affirming that the path
of its social evolution leads ultimately to global unity, implying the essential oneness and
wholeness of human relationships, and thus requiring, at this stage of social maturity, that
every unit of society, whether at the local, regional or national level, of which this neighbourhood is composed, adopt a world-embracing vision.
To ensure the orderly continuity of social life on the planet and to encourage the collective realization of humanity' s latent endowments, governments are formed, maintaining
their authority and capacity to canalize the flow of civilization by upholding the principles of
justice. Fundamental to all progress in human affairs is man's right to a just government.
Sensible of this broad context in which its destiny must be shaped, fully conscious of the
remarkable opportunity which Providence has bestowed upon it at this ripe time in human
history, and confident of the positive influence which a fitting response to the challenges
facing it can exert at home and abroad, South Africa must attend to these requisites in its
consideration of the provisions of a new constitution.
• Ensure the peace, freedom, well-being, tranquillity and advancement of all persons under
its jurisdiction, regardless of race, class, creed or economic condition.
• Safeguard the personal rights, freedom and initiative of individuals.
• Include among the specific rights guaranteed to all citizens: the right to a basic education,
the right to work and free choice of employment, the right to freedom of movement and
residence, the right to assemble peacefully, the right to freedom of association with people
of all backgrounds.
• Devise a system of government which will maintain a balance between centralized
national or federal authority, on the one hand, and decentralized regional or local authority, on the other; which allows a wide latitude for autonomous action at the local level;
which adheres to the practice of consultation as the basis of decision-making; which provides mechanisms for acquainting the government with the condition of the people in all
areas-mechanisms that will encourage the freedom of the people to express their opinions for the good of the country and to air their grievances with impunity.
• Safeguard the stability of society at its primary source by promoting the well-being and
solidarity of the family.
• Strengthen the fabric of society by promoting recognition of the equal rights of men and
women.
• Guarantee education for all, and attend to the necessity of educating girls and women, who
are the first educators of children, giving primacy to this if for some compelling reason a
choice has to be made between the sexes in providing education.
• Foster development of the sciences and the arts, and provide for the stimulation of interest
in these essential pursuits of civilized life at all levels of society.
• Regulate the economic life of the country in such a way as to prevent destitution, on the
one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership, on the other; and while promoting
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 495
advancement in industrial development, maintain the primacy of agriculture, which is
vital to the well-being of society.
• Protect the natural resources from misuse, thereby aiming to preserve the fitness of the
environment, while at the same time permitting the sources of raw material to be tapped
for the economic benefit of the country.
• Guarantee free choice in religious faith and practice, for the fear of God is conducive to
the up building of the moral character of a people, a prerequisite of social stability, which
cannot be guaranteed only by the enactment of civil laws.
• Adopt a language to serve as the common vehicle of communications among the entire
people; teach it in the schools along with the mother tongue in each region.
• Collaborate with international efforts to secure the peaceful progress of the entire human
race.

Excerpts from the Baha'i Writings that Bear on Constitutional Issues
Facing South Africa

GOVERNMENT
1. The world of politics is like the world of man; he is seed at first, and then passes by
degrees to the condition of embryo and foetus, acquiring a bone structure, being clothed
with flesh, taking on his own special form, until at last he reaches the plane where he can
befittingly fulfil the words: "the most excellent of Makers." Just as this is a requirement
of creation and is based on the universal Wisdom, the political world in the same way
cannot instantaneously evolve from the nadir- of defectiveness to the zenith of rightness
and perfection. Rather, qualified individuals must strive by day and by night, using all
those means which will conduce to progress, until the government and the people
develop along every line from day to day and even from moment to moment. 1
2. While the setting up of parliaments, the organizing of assemblies of consultation, constitutes the very foundation and bedrock of government, there are several essential requirements which these institutions must fulfil. First, the elected members must be righteous,
God-fearing, high-minded, incorruptible. Second, they must be fully cognizant, in every
particular, of the laws of God, informed as to the highest principles of law, versed in the
rules which govern the management of internal affairs and the conduct of foreign relations, skilled in the useful arts of civilization, and content with their lawful emoluments. 2
3. It is obvious that not until the people are educated, not until public opinion is rightly
focussed, not until government officials, even minor ones, are free from even the least
remnant of conuption, can the country be properly administered. Not until discipline,
order and good government reach the degree where an individual, even if he should put
forth his utmost efforts to do so, would still find himself unable to deviate by so much as
a hair 's breadth from righteousness, can the desired reforms be regarded as fully established. 3
4. There must be special laws made, dealing with these extremes of riches and of want. The
members of the Government should consider the laws of God when they are framing
plans for the ruling of the people. The general rights of mankind must be guarded and
preserved.

'Abdu ' I-Baha , Th e Secret of Divine Civilization (Wi lmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1983), p.107.
ibid. , p. 17.
ibid., p. 16.
496 THE BAHA'i WORLD

The government of the countries should conform to the Divine Law which gives equal
justice to all. This is the only way in which the deplorable superfluity of great wealth and
miserable, demoralizing, degrading poverty can be abolished. Not until this is done will
the Law of God be obeyed. 1

ONENESS OF HUMANKIND
5. That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire
human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the
best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him
who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens. 2
6. The Great Being saith: 0 ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the
Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the
human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to
become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path,
the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the
changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of
countless centuries undermine its structure .... 3

PEACE
7. True civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost heart of the world whenever acertain number of its distinguished and high-minded sovereigns- the shining exemplars of
devotion and determination-shall, for the good and happiness of all mankind, arise,
with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause of Universal Peace. They must
make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in
their power to establish a Union of the nations of the world. They must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable
and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all
the human race. This supreme and noble undertaking-the real source of the peace and
well-being of all the world-should be regarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All
the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this
Most Great Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and
every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another definitely laid down, and all international agreements and
obligations ascertained. In like manner, the size of the armaments of every government
should be strictly limited, for if the preparations for war and the military forces of any
nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspicion of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government
later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce
it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at
its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to
the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally
safe and secure. 4

'Abdu'l-Bah:i, Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu '/-Bahn in Paris in 1911- 1912 (London: Baha'i Publishin g Trust, 1979), p. 153 .
Tablets of Bahtl 'u 'I/ah Revealed afler the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1982), p. 167.
Gleanings from th e Writings of Bah a '11 '//ah (Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1984), p. 2 15.
The Secret of Divine Civilization, pp. 64-65.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' i ACT IVITIES 497
EDUCATION
8. [A] requirement of perfection is to arise with complete sincerity and purity of purpose to
educate the masses: to exert the utmost effort to instruct them in the various branches of
learning and useful sciences, to encourage the development of modem progress, to
widen the scope of commerce, industry and the arts, to further such measures as will
increase the people' s wealth. For the mass of the population is uninfo1TI1ed as to these
vital agencies which would constitute an immediate remedy for society's chronic ills. I
9. ... Arts, crafts and sciences uplift the world of being, and are conducive to its exaltation.
Knowledge is as wings to man's life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as
can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with
words .... In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of
bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto hin1. Happy the man that
cleaveth unto it, and woe betide the heedless. 2
10. The education and tráaining of children is among the most meritorious acts of humankind
and draweth down the grace and favour of the All-Merciful, for education is the indispensable foundation of all human excellence and alloweth man to work his way to the
heights of abiding glory. If a child be trained from his infancy, he will, through the loving care of the Holy Gardener, drink in the crystal waters of the spirit and of knowledge,
like a young tree amid the rilling brooks. And certainly he will gather to himself the
bright rays of the Sun of Truth, and through its light and heat will grow ever fresh and
fair in the garden of life .... Every child is potentially the light of the world-and at the
same time its darkness ; wherefore must the question of education be accounted as of primary importance. From his infancy, the child must be nursed at the breast of God's love,
and nurtured in the embrace of His knowledge, that he may radiate light, grow in spirituality, be filled with wisdom and learning, and take on the characteristics of the angelic
host. 3

CONSULTATION
11. Consultation bestoweth greater awareness and transmuteth conjecture into certitude. It is
a shining light which, in a dark world, leadeth the way and guideth. For everything there
is and will continue to be a station of perfection and maturity. The maturity of the gift of
understanding is made manifest through consultation. 4
12. In all things it is necessary to consult. This matter should be forcibly stráessed by thee, so
that consultation may be observed by all. The intent of what hath been revealed from the
Pen of the Most High is that consultation may be fully canied out among the friends ,
inasmuch as it is and will always be a cause of awareness and of awakening and a source
of good and well-being. 5
13 ... .The first condition is absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly. They must be wholly freed from estrangement and must manifest in themselves the
Unity of God, for they are the waves of one sea, the drops of one river, the stars of one
heaven, the rays of one sun, the trees of one orchard, the flowers of one garden. Should

Th e Secret ofDivine Civilization, p. 39.
Baha'u' ll ah, Epistle to the So n of the Wolf (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishin g Trust, 1979), pp . 26-27.
' Abdu' l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu '1-Bahiz (Haifa: Baha' i World Centre, 1982), pp. 129- 131.
Baha' u' ll ah , quoted in Consultation: A Compilation, prepared by the Research Department at the Baha'i World
Centre, p. 1.
ibid. , p. 1.
498 THE BAHA'I WORLD

harmony of thought and absolute unity be non-existent, that gathering shall be dispersed
and that assembly be brought to naught. The second condition: they must when coming
together tum their faces to the Kingdom on High and ask aid from the Realm of Glory.
They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation
to express their views. They must in every matter search out the truth and not insist upon
their own opinion, for stubbornness and persistence in one 's views will lead ultimately to
discord and wrangling and the ttuth will remain hidden. The honoured members must
with all freedom express their own thoughts, and it is in no wise permissible for one to
belittle the thought of another, nay, he must with moderation set forth the truth, and
should differences of opinion arise a majority of voices must prevail, and all must obey
and submit to the majority. It is again not permitted that any one of the honoured members object to or censure, whether in or out of the meeting, any decision arrived at previously though that decision be not right, for such criticism would prevent any decision
from being enforced. In short, whatsoever thing is arranged in harmony and with love
and purity of motive, its result is light, and should the least trace of estrangement prevail
the result shall be darkness upon darkness .... If this be so regarded, that assembly shall be
of God, but otherwise it shall lead to coolness and alienation that proceed from the Evil
One .... Should they endeavour to fulfil these conditions the Grace of the Holy Spirit shall
be vouchsafed unto them, and that assembly shall become the centre of the Divine blessings, the hosts of Divine confirmation shall come to their aid, and they shall day by day
receive a new effusion of Spirit. 1

TH E RO LE OF RELIGION
14. 0 contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the
radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve
to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you ... . There can be no doubt
whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between
the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements
and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few which
are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His
Will and Purpose. Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of
your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which
d.raweth you together and uniteth you .... 2
15. Universal benefits derive from the grace of the Divine religions, for they lead their ttáue
followers to sincerity of intent, to high purpose, to purity and spotless honor, to surpassing kindness and compassion, to the keeping of their covenants when they have covenanted, to concern for the rights of others, to liberality, to justice in every aspect of life, to
humanity and philanthropy, to valor and to unflagging efforts in the service of mankind .
It is religion, to sum up, which produces all human virtues, and it is these virtues which
are the bright candles of civilization .... 3

'A bdu ' l-Baha, c ited in a letter dated 5 March 1922 written by Shoghi Effendi to the Baha ' is of the United States
and Canad a, pub li shed in Bahn 'i Administration: Selected Messages 1922- 1932 , pp. 22- 23.
Baha ' u' ll ah, Gleanings from the Writings of Ba/iii 'u '//ah , p. 217.
Th e Secret of Divine Civilization , p. 98.
INT ERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' i ACTIVITIES 499
WOM EN
16. Woman's lack of progress and proficiency has been due to her need of equal education
and opportunity. Had she been allowed this equality, there is no doubt she would be the
counterpart of man in ability and capacity. The happiness of mankind will be realized
when women and men coordinate and advance equally, for each is the complement and
helpmeet of the other. 1
17. Divine Justice demands that the rights of both sexes should be equally respected since
neither is superior to the other in the eyes of Heaven. Dignity before God depends, not on
sex, but on purity and luminosity of heart. Human virtues belong equally to all! 2
18. The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over woman by
reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting; force is losing its dominance, and mental alertness, intuition, and
the spiritual qualities of love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age less masculine and more pem1eated with the
feminine ideals, or, to speak more exactly, will be an age in which the masculine and
feminine elements of civilization will be more evenly balanced. 3

F A MILY LIFE
19. According to the teachings of Baha'u'llah the family, being a human unit, must be
educated according to the rules of sanctity. All the virtues must be taught the family. The
integrity of the family bond must be constantly considered, and the rights of the individual
members must not be transgressed. The rights of the son, the father, the mother-none of
them must be transgressed, none of them must be arbitrary. Just as the son has certain
obligations to his father, the father, likewise, has certain obligations to his son. The
mother, the sister and other members of the household have their certain prerogatives.
All these rights and prerogatives must be conserved, yet the unity of the family must be
sustained. The injury of one shall be considered the injury of all; the comfort of each, the
comfort of all; the honor of one, the honor of all. 4

'Abdu' l-Baha, The Promulgation of Uni versal Peace, Talks Delivered by 'A bdu ' l-Baha during His Visit to the
United States and Canada in 1912 (Wi lmette: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 182.
Paris Talks: Addresses given by 'Abdu'/-Balui in Paris in 1911- 1912, p. 162.
'Abdu ' l-Baha, c ited in J . E. Ess lemont, Bahit 'u '//Ith and the Ne w Era (Wi lmette: Baha' i Publishing Trust,
I 987), p. I 49.
The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 168 .
500 THE BAHA'I WORLD

C. SINGAPORE:
STATEMENT ON THE NATIONAL IDEOLOGY

WHEN the Government of Singapore approval from the Universal House of Jusinvited individuals and groups to submit tice, the Spiritual Assembly submitted the
ideas that would help them form a set of Statement to the Office of the First Deputy
"core values" to take the nation along the Prime Minister, which was responsible for
path of progress into the twenty-first cen- this issue, and to all 82 members of the
tury, the Spiritual Assembly of the Baba'is Parliament of Singapore.
of Singapore prepared a "Statement on the
National Ideology". In 1990, after receiving The following is the text of the statement.

Statement on the National Ideology

PREAMBLE
Singapore is a nation of many remarkable achievements. Despite its brief history, a dramatic
economic expansion has resulted from the collaboration between a vigilant and responsible
government and an enterp1ising population. Progress in such areas as housing, education,
transportation, and communication can be traced to this same fortunate combination.
Singapore society, with citizens who come from diverse racial, cultural and religious backgrounds, is in many respects, a microcosm of the world. Despite their differences Singaporese live together in prosperity and harmony, reflective of the essential oneness of
humankind.
We now stand together on the threshold of the last decade of this century, facing not only
dazzling prospects, but also great challenges. The winds of change blow here as everywhere.
There are trends in the world and our country which, if not effectively countered, have the
potential to unde1mine the achievements that have been so painstakingly gained. Such trends
include deepening materialism, the disintegration of the family, and religious and racial
intolerance. Such trends are profoundly divisive to the unity on which our prosperity rests.
Consequently, the Baha'i community of Singapore welcomes the decision of the Government of our country to consult the various segments of society on the principles that should
govern our collective life. Singapore has a wealth of scholarly and professional expertise
upon which such a study can draw. We will content ourselves with offering certain spiritual
and moral principles that derive from the Teachings of our Faith and that have been central
to the unity and progress ofBaba ' is everywhere.

CORE ELEMEN TS
We humbly put forward these values:
a. Balance-embracing moderation, understanding and fairness.
b. Preservation of family unit.
c. Fostering the spirit of co-operation.
d. Consultation-applied to all facets of decision-making.
e. Social and economic justice.
f. Unity in diversity .
a. Balance: Balance is an important and fundamental concept that every individual shall
strive to embrace. Inherent in this concept are the virtues of moderation, understanding,
and fairness which should be inculcated at a very early stage of an individual ' s education.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' f ACTIVITIES 501
This comes from the belief that "whatsoever passeth beyond the limits of moderation will
cease to exert a beneficial influence".
b. Preservation of family unit: The foundation stone of every human society is the family
unit. The family home, as a fortress for well-being, is the nucleus for the education and
inculcation of values and virtues. Filial piety is one of these virtues which is slowly being
eroded in the name of progress and in the face of materialistic influences .
According to the Baha'i Writings: "The family being a human unit must be educated
according to the rules of sanctity. All the virtues must be taught in the family. The integrity of the family bond must be constantly considered and the rights of the individual
members must not be transgressed."
c. Fostering the spirit of co-operation: The hallmark of the maturity of the individual is the
extent to which he is able to go beyond self and extend the spirit of co-operation to society
at large. "All progress is the result of association and co-operation." Without co-operation,
development and progress of society will be impossible. To the extent that we can imbue
each and every individual with this quality will depend the advancement and growth of
our society.
d. Consultation-applied to all facets of life: The art of consultation is the method that
enables thoughts to combine and to evolve beyond the limitations of individuals. "Take ye
counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which
leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding." Only when this principle is
applied to all aspects of our lives will society be able to soar higher than ever imagined
before.
Consultation is the art of seeking truth through frank and thorough presentation of dissenting ideas. "The shining spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of differing
opinions." The very attempt to achieve harmony through consultative action can release
such a salutary spirit among the peoples of the nation that no power could resist the final
triumphal outcome.
e. Social and Economic Justice: Justice, as declared in the Baha'i Writings, is "the best
beloved of all things" in the sight of God and represents God's freely given gift to man in
this, the age of his maturity. In the decades since this was written, justice has become the
touchstone with which every proposal for social and economic change is tested. Those
societies which are best organized to serve as vehicles of this divine gift are the ones who
will ultimately succeed.
The importance of adopting social and economic justice as a core value becomes apparent
when the topics of emancipation of women, care for the elderly, education for all and
equal opportunities for everyone are considered.
f Unity in diversity: This is the crowning value of the proposed group because it brings all
the other values to fruition. Tluáough balance, individuals are transformed. The upholding
of the structure of the family provides a solid foundation for the individual to step into the
society. Consultation consolidates myriad ideas within the society into one relative tluth.
Social and economic justice provides the means for the society to prosper. And finally,
unity in diversity is the cohesive force behind a unified nation.
In the eyes of the Almighty we are "the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch".
Once the weighty load of prejudice is shed from the shoulders of a nation, the spectacular
rewards of co-operation in the light of unity become obvious.
502 THE BAHA'I WORLD

CONCLUSION
With the adoption of an appropriate set of core values, we are confident that this nation will
become a beacon of light within this region and beyond. In addition, we put forward the following for consideration: ultimately the national ideology cannot be limited to the national
boundaries. Nations are now bound and interlinked to other nations. The national ideology
must foster peace and growth not just within the nation but also to the rest of the world itself.
We, as representatives of the Baha'i community in Singapore, would like to thank the Government for the opportunity to express our views on such an important exercise and we stand
ready to present them in person, if so required.

D . UNITED STATES:
STATEMENT ON RACE UNITY

IN June 1991, the National Spiritual Assem- the public on Baha' i approaches to the subbly of the United States published a statement ject. Nearly 200,000 copies were sold before
to define and present Baha'i solutions to the the end of the Six Year Plan and presentaproblems borne of the racism plaguing the tions were made to members of vi1tually
nation. The Vision of Race Unity-Amer- every segment of American society.
ica 's Most Challenging Issue became the
centerpiece of a special campaign to educate The following is the text of the statement.

The Vision of Race Unity-America's Most Challenging Issue
Racism is the most challenging issue confronting America. A nation whose ancestiy
includes every people on earth, whose motto is e pluribus unum, whose ideals of freedom
under law have inspired mill ions throughout the world, cannot continue to harbor prejudice
against any racial or etlmic group without betraying itself. Racism is an affront to human
dignity, a cause of hatred and division, a disease that devastates society.
Notwithstanding the efforts already expended for its elin1ination, racism continues to
work its evil upon this nation. Progress toward tolerance, mutual respect, and unity has been
painfully slow and marked with repeated setbacks. The recent resurgence of divisive racial
attitudes, the increased number of racial incidents, and the deepening despair of minorities
and the poor make the need for solutions ever more pressing and urgent. To ignore the
problem is to expose the country to physical, moral and spiritual danger.
Aware of the magnitude and the urgency of the issue, we, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States, speaking for the entire U.S. Baha'i community,
appeal to all people of goodwill to arise without further delay to resolve the fundamental
social problem of this country. We do so because of our feeling of shared responsibility,
because of the global experience of the Baha'i community in affecting racial harmony
within itself, and because of the vision that the sacred scriptures of our Faith convey of the
destiny of America.

The oneness of humanity is the pivot round which revolve all the teachings of the Baha' i
Faith. It is at once a statement of principle and an assertion of the ultimate goal of human
experience on the planet. More than a century ago, Baha 'u 'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 503
Baha'i Faith, wrote: "The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable
unless and until its unity is firmly established." It is a principle that issues naturally from the
genesis and purpose of human existence. The Word of God as presented in the Baha'i
writings offers compelling insights as in the following examples :

Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity ofMy essence, I knew My love
for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee
My beauty.

Know ye not why We created you all Ji-om the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have
created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to
walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from
your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of
detachment may be made manifest. Such is My counsel to you, 0 concourse of light! Heed
ye this counsel that ye may obtain the fruit of holiness from the tree of wondrous glory.

All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The Almighty
beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues
that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all
the peoples and kindreds of the earth.

Having gone through the stages of infancy and turbulent adolescence, humanity is now
approaching maturity, a stage that will witness "the reconstruction and demilitarization of
the whole civilized world-a world organically unified in all the essential aspects of its life."
In no other country is the promise of organic unity more immediately demonstrable than in
the United States because this country is a microcosm of the diverse populations of the earth.
Yet this promise remains largely unrealized even here because of the endemic racism that,
like a cancer, is conoding the vitals of the nation.
For too much of its history and in so many places the human race has squandered its
energy and resources in futile efforts to prove the unprovable: that one portion of itself,
because of separation by geography, a difference in skin color, or the diversity of cultural
expression, is intrinsically distinct from another portion. The ignorance and prejudice on
which such efforts are founded have led to endless conflicts in the name of the sanctity of
tribe, race, class, nation, and religion. Paradoxical as it may seem, in the consistency of these
negative efforts across the spectrum of the race, humanity has proved the exact opposite: it
has affirmed its oneness. The proof is in the fact that, given the same circumstances, all people, regardless of ethnic or cultural variety, behave essentially the same way. In the futility
of its efforts to classify and separate its diverse elements, humanity has become disoriented
and confused. Unaided by the divine influence of religion, people are incapable of achieving
a proper orientation to their innermost reality and purpose and are thus unable to achieve a
coherent vision of their destiny. It is in this respect that the Baha ' is find relevancy, direction,
and fulfillment in the teachings ofBaha'u'llah, the Founder of their Faith.
The oneness of humanity is a spiritual truth abundantly confirmed by science. Recognition of this truth compels the abandonment of all prejudices of race, color, creed, nation, and
class-of "everything which enables people to consider themselves superior to others." The
principle of the oneness of humankind" is no mere outburst of ignorant emotionalism or an
504 THE BAHA'i WORLD

expression of vague and pious hope .... It does not constitute merely the enunciation of an
ideal.... It implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such as
the world has not yet experienced."

II
The application of the spiritual principle of the oneness of humanity to the life of the nation
would necessitate and make possible vast changes in the economic status of the non-white
segments of the population. Although poverty afflicts members of all races its victims tend
to be largely people of color. Prejudice and discrimination have created a disparity in the
standards of living, providing some with excessive economic advantage while denying others the bare necessities for leading healthy and dignified lives. Poor housing, deficient diet,
inadequate health care, insufficient education are consequences of poverty that afflict African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanic Americans more than they afflict the rest of
the population. The cost to society at large is heavy.
Evidence of the negative effect of racial and ethnic conflict on the economy has prompted
a number of businesses and corporations to institute educational programs that teach conflict
resolution and are designed to eliminate racial and ethnic tensions from the workplace.
These are important steps and should be encouraged. If, however, they are intended primarily to save the economy, no enduring solution will be found to the disastrous consequences
of racism. For it cannot suffice to offer academic education and jobs to people while at the
same time shutting them out because of racial prejudice from normal social intercourse
based on brotherly love and mutual respect. The fundamental solution- the one that will
reduce violence, regenerate and focus the intellectual and moral energy of minorities, and
make them partners in the construction of a progressive society- rests ultimately on the
common recognition of the oneness of humankind.
It is entirely human to fail ifthat which is the most important to people 's self-perception
is denied them- namely, the dignity they derive from a genuine regard by others for their
stature as human beings. No educational, economic, or political plan can take the place of
this essential human need; it is not a need that businesses and schools, or even governments,
can provide in isolation from the supportive attitude of society as a whole. Such an attitude
needs to be grounded in a spiritual and moral truth that all acknowledge and accept as their
own and that, like the oxygen that serves all equally, breathes life into their common effort
to live in unity and peace. Absence of the genuine regard for others fostered by such truth
causes hopelessness in those discriminated against; and in a state of hopelessness , people
lose the coherent moral powers to realize their potential. This vitalizing truth, we are convinced, is summarized in the phrase: the oneness of humankind.
So essential is the principle of the oneness of humanity to the efficacy of educational programs that it cannot be overemphasized. Without its broad influence such programs will not
contribute significantly to the development of society. The very fact that businesses are
themselves implementing educational programs is indicative of the glaring deficiency of the
entire educational system. As we have already said, beyond the mechanisms of education
lies the essential prerequisite of a proper attitude on the part of those dispensing curricula
and, even more important, on the part of society as a whole. On this basis, education is not
only the shortest route out of poverty; it is the shortest route out of prejudice as well. A
national program of education, emphasizing the values of tolerance, brotherhood, appreciation for cultures other than one 's own, and respect for differences would be a most in1portant
step toward the elimination of racism and, as a consequence, the bolstering of the economy.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 505

III
The persistent neglect by the governing bodies and the masses of the American people of the
ravages of racism jeopardizes both the internal order and the national security of the country.
From the day it was born the United States embraced a set of contradictory values. The
founding fathers proclaimed their devotion to the highest principles of equality and justice
yet enshrined slavery in the Constitution. Slavery poisoned the mind and heart of the nation
and would not be abolished without a bloody civil war that nearly destroyed the young
republic. The evil consequences of slavery are still visible in this land. They continue to
affect the behavior of both Black and White Americans and prevent the healing of old
wounds.
Healing the wounds and building a society in which people of diverse backgrounds live
as members of one family are the most pressing issues confronting America today. Her
peace, her prosperity, and even her standing in the international community depend to a
great extent on the resolution of this issue.
That the virulence of the race issue in America attracts the attention of the entire world
should spur this country to an unprecedented effort to eliminate every vestige of prejudice
and discrimination from her midst. America's example could not fail to have a profound
influence on world society nor could it fail to assist the establishment of universal peace.
"For the accomplishment of unity between the colored and white," the Baha 'i writings
proclaim, "will be a cause of the world's peace."
The responsibility for the achievement of racial peace and unity in the United States rests
upon both Black and White Americans. To build a society in which the rights of all its members are respected and guaranteed, both races must be animated with the spirit of optimism
and faith in the eventual realization of their highest aspirations. Neither Black nor White
Americans should assume that the responsibility for the elimination of prejudice and of its
effects belongs exclusively to the other. Both must recognize that unity is essential for their
common survival. Both must recognize that there is only one human species. Both must
recognize that a harmoniously functioning society that permits the full expression of the
potential of all persons can resolve the social and economic problems now confounding a
society wracked with disunity.
It is evident that both Black and White Americans in large numbers are feeling deeply
disappointed and frustráated by what each group perceives to be a failure of the efforts in
recent decades at affecting progress in the relations between the races. To rationalize this
failure, both have been reacting by retreating to the more familiar ground of racial separation. As the problems with crime and drug addiction mount, the tendency is to use the
seeming intractability of these problems as a measure of the failure of years of struggle on
the part of both to overcome the barriers of centuries. Formidable as is the challenge yet to
be met, can it fairly be said that no significant progress has taken place since the days of the
sit-ins at lunch counters across the South?
Similarly, the victims of a protracted and entrenched racial discrimination seek relief in
the notion that Black Americans, White Americans, American Indians, Hispanic Americans,
Asian Americans are so distinctly different from one another that all of them must stake out
their own cultural and social territories and stay within them. Would this be sensible? Would
it not be a retreat from the reality of our common humanity? Would it not be a formula for
the total breakdown of civilization? Those who raise the call for separation preach a grim
doctrine indeed. If the nation is seriously to submit to such a view, where exactly will either
the Black or the White Americans divide their cultural heritage, one from the other?
506 Tl-IE BAHA'I WORLD

Racism runs deep. It infects the hearts of both White and Black Americans . Since without
conscious, deliberate, and sustained effort, no one can remain unaffected by its conosive
influence, both groups must realize that such a problem can neither easily nor immediately
be resolved. "Let neither think that anything short of genuine love, extreme patience, true
humility, consummate tact, sound initiative, mature wisdom, and deliberate, persistent, and
prayerful effort can succeed in blotting out the stain which this patent evil has left on the fair
name of their common country."
Both groups must understand that no real change will come about without close association, fellowship, and friendship among diverse people. Diversity of color, nationality, and
culture enhances the human experience and should never be made a banier to harmonious
relationships , to friendship , or to maniage. "O well-beloved ones!" Bahi' u'llah wrote, "The
tabernacle of unity has been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits
of one háee and the leaves of one branch."

IV
Our appeal is addressed primarily to the individual American, because the transfomrntion of
a whole nation ultimately depends on the initiative and change of character of the individuals who compose it. No great idea or plan of action by the government or other interested
organizations can hope to succeed if the individual neglects to respond in his or her own way
as personal circumstances and opportunities pem1it. And so we respectfully and urgently
call upon our fellow Americans of whatever background to look at the racial situation with
new eyes and with a new determination to lend effective support to the resolution of a
problem that hinders the advance of this great republic toward the full realization of its
glorious destiny.
We mention the experience of the Baha' i community not from any feeling of pride and
ultimate victory, because that which we have accomplished still falls short of that to which
we aspire; nonetheless, the results to date are most encouraging, and it is as a means of
encouragement that we call attention to them.
From its inception in 1863 the Baha' i community was dedicated to the principle of the
unity of humankind. Baha' is rely upon faith in God, daily prayer, meditation, and study of
sacred texts to effect the háansfo1mation of character necessary for personal growth and
maturity; however, their aim is to create a world civilization that will in turn react upon the
character of the individual. Thus the concept of personal salvation is linked to the salvation,
security, and happiness of all the inhabitants of the earth and stems from the Bahi ' i belief
that "the world of humanity is a composite body" and that "when one part of the organism
suffers all the rest of the body will feel its consequence."
Guided and inspired by such principles, the Baha'i community has accumulated more
than a century of experience in creating models of unity that háanscend race, culhire,
nationality, class, and the differences of sex and religion, providing empirical evidence that
humanity in all its diversity can live as a unified global society. Bahi'is see unity as the law
of life; consequently, all prejudices are perceived as diseases that threaten life. Rather than
considering that the unity of humankind can be established only after other problems
afflicting it have been solved, BaM' is believe that both spirih1al and material development
are dependent upon love and unity. Therefore, the Bahi'is offer the teachings of their Fa ith
and the example of their community for examination, convinced that these can make a
contribution toward the eradication of racism endemic in American society. We do so with
firm faith in the assistance of our Creator, Who, out of His infinite love, brought forth all
humanity from the same stock and intended that all belong to the same household. We
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 507
believe, moreover, that the day of the unification of the entire human race has come and that
"the potentialities inherent in the station of man, the innate excellence of his reality, must all
be manifested in this promised Day of God."

ADDEN DUM
The Nation al Spiritua l Assembly of the Baha ' is of the United States is the natio nal administrative body for the
Baha'is of the United States. The Assemb ly has nine members and is elected annually by delegates from the fortyeight contiguous states. It directs, coordinates, and stimu lates the activities of local Baha'i admini strative bodies
and of th e 11 0,000 Baha'is in the United States.
The Baha'i Faith is an independent world reli gion with adherents in virtuall y every country. The worldwide
Baha ' i commun ity, numbering more than five million , inc ludes almost all nationalities and classes. More than
2, 100 ethnic groups and tri bes are represented. There are 155 Nationa l Sp iritua l Assemb li es. 1
Baha'u'llah was the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith. The central principles of His religion are the oneness
of God, the o neness of re ligion, and the oneness of humanity. His reli gion "proc la ims the necessity and the in evitability of th e unification of mankind .... It, moreover, enjoins upon its followers the primary duty of an unfettered
search a ~e r truth , condemn s a ll manner of prejudice and superstition, dec lares the purpose of religion to be the promotion of amity and concord, proclaims its essential hannony with sc ience, and recogn izes it as the foremost
agency for the pacification and the orderly progress of human society. It uneq ui voca lly maintains the principle of
eq ual rights, opportunities and privileges for men and women , insists on compulsory education , elim inates
extrem es of poverty and wealth, abolishes the in stituti on of priesthood, prohibits slavery, ascetici sm, mendi cancy
and monasticism, prescribes monogamy, di scourages di vo rce, emphasizes the necessity of strict obedience to one's
government, exal ts any work perfonned in the sp irit of serv ice to the level of worship, urges either the creati on or
the adoption of an aux il iary international language, and delineates the outlines of those insti tutions that mu st establi sh and perpetuate the genera l peace of mankind. "

Copyright 1991 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States.

By the end of the Six Year Plan (Ri<;fvan 1992) there were 165 Nationa l Spiritual Assemb lies.
THE BAHA'i WORLD

10. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN THE WORLD
ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH

ON 29 December 1988, the Universal House 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Centre of the Covenant,
of Justice wrote a letter to the Baha'is of projected a compelling vision of the worldthe United States clarifying the Baha'i per- embracing prospects of that richly endowed
spective on individual rights and freedom of country. "The American nation", He
expression. In 1989, this letter was published averred, "is equipped and empowered to
in booklet form by the Baha ' i Publishing accomplish that which will adorn the pages
Trust of the United States. of history, to become the envy of the world,
The following is the text of the letter. and be blest in both the East and the West
for the triumph of its people." In another
assertion addressed to the Baha'i community
To the Followers ofBaha'u'llah in the United
itself, He uttered words of transcendent
States of America
importance: " ... your mission", He affirmed,
Dear Baha'i Friends, "is unspeakably glorious. Should success
We have noticed with concern evidences of crown your enterprise, America will assura confusion of attitudes among some of the edly evolve into a centre from which waves
friends when they encounter difficulties in of spiritual power will emanate, and the
applying Baha'i principles to questions of throne of the Kingdom of God will, in the
the day. On the one hand, they acknowledge plenitude of its majesty and glory, be firmly
their belief in Baha'u'Ilah and His teachings; established."
on the other, they invoke Western liberal Shoghi Effendi, in various statements,
democratic practices when actions of Baba' i celebrated the remarkable achievements and
institutions or of some of their fellow Baha'is potential glories of that specially blessed
do not accord with their expectations. At the community, but was moved to issue, in
heart of this confusion are misconceptions of "The Advent of Divine Justice'', a profound
such fundamental issues as individual rights warning which is essential to a proper underand freedom of expression in the Baha' i standing of the relation of that Baha' i
community. The source of the potential dif- community to the nation from which it has
ficulties of the situation appears to us to be sprung. "The glowing tributes," he solemnly
an inadequacy of Baha' i perspective on the wrote, "so repeatedly and deservedly paid to
part of both individual believers and their the capacity, the spirit, the conduct, and the
institutions. high rank, of the American believers, both
Recognizing the immense challenge you individually and as an organic community,
face to resolve such confusion, we pause to must, under no circumstances, be conreflect with you on these issues in search of founded with the characteristics and nature
a context in which relevant fundamental of the people from which God has raised
questions may be discussed and understood them up. A sharp distinction between that
in the community. community and that people must be made,
The extraordinary capacities of the and resolutely and fearlessly upheld, if we
American nation, as well as the superb stew- wish to give due recognition to the transmutardship of the Baha'i community within it, ing power of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, in its
have repeatedly been extolled in the writings impact on the lives and standards of those
of our Faith. In His Tablets and utterances, who have chosen to enlist under His banner.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 509
Otherwise, the supreme and distinguishing established, inasmuch as Baha'u'llah has
function of His Revelation, which is none Himself revealed its principles, established
other than the calling into being of a new its institutions, appointed the person to interrace of men, will remain wholly unrecog- pret His Word and conferred the necessary
nized and completely obscured." It is the authority on the body designed to supplefar-reaching, transformative implications of ment and apply His legislative ordinances".
this distinction which we especially invite In another statement, he maintains that "It
you to contemplate. would be utterly misleading to attempt a
The vantage point that gives us perspec- comparison between this unique, divinely
tive and is the foundation of our belief and conceived Order and any of the diverse
actions rests on our recognition of the sover- systems which the minds of men, at various
eignty of God and our submission to His will pe1iods of their history, have contrived for
as revealed by Baha'u'llah, His supreme the government of human institutions."
Manifestation for this promised Day. To "Such an attempt", he felt, "would in itself
accept the Prophet of God in His time and to betray a lack of complete appreciation of the
abide by His bidding are the two essential, excellence of the handiwork of its great
inseparable duties which each soul was Author."
created to fulfil. One exercises these twin The lack of such appreciation will detract
duties by one 's own choice, an act constitut- from the perspective of anyone who
ing the highest expression of the free will measures Baha 'i administrative processes
with which every human being has been against practices prevalent in today 's sociendowed by an all-loving Creator. ety. For notwithstanding its inclination to
The vehicle in this resplendent Age for democratic methods in the administration of
the practical fulfilment of these duties is the its affairs, and regardless of the resemblance
Covenant of Baha'u'llah; it is, indeed, the of some of its features to those of other
potent instrun1ent by which individual belief systems, the Administrative Order is not to
in Him is translated into constructive deeds. be viewed merely as an improvement on
The Covenant comprises divinely conceived past and existing systems; it represents a
arrangements necessary to preserve the departure both in origin and in concept.
organic unity of the Cause. It therefore "This new born Administrative Order", as
engenders a motivating power which, as the Shoghi Effendi has explained, "incorporates
beloved Master tells us, "like unto the artery, within its structure certain elements which
beats and pulsates in the body of the world". are to be found in each of the three recog-
"It is indubitably clear", He asserts, "that nized fom1s of secular government, without
the pivot of the oneness of mankind is noth- being in any sense a mere replica of any one
ing else but the power of the Covenant." of them, and without introducing within its
Through it the meaning of the Word, both machinery any of the objectionable features
in theory and practice, is made evident in which they inherently possess. It blends and
the life and work of 'Abdu'l-Baha, the harmonizes, as no government fashioned by
appointed Interpreter, the perfect Exemplar, mortal hands has as yet accomplished, the
the Centre of the Covenant. Through it the salutary truths which each of these systems
processes of the Administrative Order- undoubtedly contains without vitiating the
"this unique, this wondrous System"- are integrity of those God-given verities on
made to operate. which it is ultimately founded."
In emphasizing its distinctiveness, Shoghi You are, no doubt, conversant with the
Effendi has pointed out that "this Adminis- Guardian ' s expatiations on this theme. Why,
trative Order is fundamentally different from then, this insistent emphasis? Why this
anything that any Prophet has previously repeated review of fundamentals ? This
510 THE BAI-IA'i WORLD

emphasis, this review, is to sound an appeal Freedom of thought, freedom of exfor solid thinking, for the attainment of cor- pression, freedom of action are among the
rect perspectives, for the adoption of proper freedoms which have received the ardent
attitudes. And these are impossible without a attention of social thinkers across the centudeep appreciation of Baha'i fundamentals. ries. The resulting outflow of such profound
The great emphasis on the distinctiveness thought has exerted a tremendous liberating
of the Order of Baha'u'llah is not meant influence in the shaping of modern society.
to belittle existing systems of government. Generations of the oppressed have fought
Indeed, they are to be recognized as the and died in the name of freedom. Certainly
fruit of a vast period of social evolution, the want of freedom from oppression has
representing an advanced stage in the devel- been a dominant factor in the turmoil of the
opment of social organization. What times: witness the plethora of movements
motivates us is the knowledge that the which have resulted in the rapid emergence
supreme mission of the Revelation of of new nations in the latter part of the
Baha'u'llah, the Bearer of that Order, is, as twentieth century. A true reading of the
Shoghi Effendi pointed out, "none other but teachings ofBaha'u'llah leaves no doubt as
the achievement of this organic and spiritual to the high importance of these freedoms to
unity of the whole body of nations'', indicat- constructive social processes. Consider, for
ing the "coming of age of the entire human instance, Baha'u'llah's proclamation to the
race" . The astounding implication of this is kings and rulers. Can it not be deduced from
the near prospect of attaining an age-old this alone that attainment of freedom is a
hope, now made possible at long last by the significant purpose of His Revelation? His
coming of Baha'u'llah. In practical terms , denunciations of tyranny and His urgent
His mission signals the advent of "an appeals on behalf of the oppressed provide
organic change in the structure of present- unmistakable proof. But does not the
day society, a change such as the world has freedom foreshadowed by His Revelation
not yet experienced". It is a fresh manifesta- imply nobler, ampler manifestations of
tion of the direct involvement of God in human achievement? Does it not indicate an
history, a reassurance that His children have organic relationship between the internal
not been left to drift, a sign of the outpouring and external realities of man such as has not
of a heavenly grace that will enable all yet been attained?
humanity to be free at last from conflict and In his summary of significant Baha'i
contention to ascend the heights of world teachings, Shoghi Effendi wrote thatBaha'u'llah
peace and divine civilization. Beyond all "inculcates the principle of 'moderation in
else, it is a demonstration of that love for His all things ' ; declares that whatsoever, be it
children, which He knew in the depth of His 'liberty, civilization and the like ', ' passeth
"immemorial being" and in the "ancient beyond the limits of moderation' must
eternity" of His Essence, and which caused 'exercise a pernicious influence upon men';
Him to create us all. In the noblest sense, observes that western civilization has
then, attention to the requirements of His gravely perturbed and alarmed the peoples
World Order is a reciprocation of that love. of the world; and predicts that the day is
It is this perspective that helps us to approaching when the 'flame ' of a civilizaunderstand the question of freedom and its tion 'carried to excess' 'will devour the
place in Baha'i thought and action. The idea cities'."
and the fact of freedom pervade all human Expounding the theme of liberty,
concerns in an infinitude of notions and Baha'u'llah asserted that "the embodiment
modes. Freedom is indeed essential to all of liberty and its symbol is the animal"; that
expressions of human life. "liberty causeth man to overstep the bounds
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 511
of propriety, and to infringe on the dignity necessary to the maintenance of that moderof his station"; that "true liberty consisteth ation which will ensure the "true liberty" of
in man's submission unto My command- humankind. All things considered, does the
ments". "We approve of liberty in certain Administrative Order not appear to be the
circumstances," He declared, "and refuse to structure of freedom for our Age? 'Abdu'lsanction it in others." But He gave the assur- Baha offers us comfort in this thought, for
ance that, "Were men to observe that which He has said that "the moderate freedom
We have sent down unto them from the which guarantees the welfare of the world of
Heaven of Revelation, they would, of a mankind and maintains and preserves the
certainty, attain unto perfect liberty." And universal relationships is found in its fullest
again, He said, "Mankind in its entirety must power and extension in the teachings of
firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been Baha'u'llah".
revealed and vouchsafed unto it. Then and Within this framework of freedom a patonly then will it attain unto true liberty." tern is set for institutional and individual
Baha'u'llah's assertions clearly call for behaviour which depends for its efficacy
an examination of current assumptions. not so much on the force of law, which
Should liberty be as free as is supposed in admittedly must be respected, as on the
contemporary Wes tern thought? Where does recognition of a mutuality of benefits, and
freedom limit our possibilities for progress, on the spirit of cooperation maintained by
and where do limits free us to thrive? What the willingness, the courage, the sense of
are the limits to the expansion of freedom? responsibility, and the initiative of individuals
For so fluid and elastic are its qualities of -these being expressions of their devotion
application and expression that the concept and submission to the will of God. Thus
of freedom in any given situation is likely to there is a balance of freedom between the
assume a different latitude from one mind to institution, whether national or local, and the
another; these qualities are, alas, susceptible individuals who sustain its existence.
to the employment alike of good and evil. Is Consider, for example, the Local Spirit any wonder, then, that Baha'u'llah exhorts itual Assembly, the methods of its formation
us to submission to the will of God? and the role of individuals in electing it. The
Since any constructive view of freedom voter elects with the understanding that he
implies limits, further questions are inevita- is free to choose without any interference
ble: What are the latitudes of freedom in whomever his conscience prompts him to
the Baha'i community? How are these to select, and he freely accepts the authority of
be determined? Because human beings the outcome. In the act of voting, the indihave been created to "carry forward an vidual subscribes to a covenant by which the
ever-advancing civilization", the exercise of orderliness of society is upheld. The Assemfreedom, it may be deduced, is intended bly has the responsibility to guide, direct and
to enable all to fulfil this purpose in their decide on community affairs and the right
individual lives and in their collective func- to be obeyed and supported by members
tioning as a society. Hence whatever in of the community. The individual has the
principle is required to realize this purpose responsibility to establish and maintain the
gauges the latitudes or limits of freedom. Assembly through election, the offering of
Contemplating Baha 'u'llah 's warning advice, moral support and material assisthat "whatsoever passeth beyond the limits tance; and he has the right to be heard by it,
of moderation will cease to exert a beneficial to receive its guidance and assistance, and to
influence", we come to appreciate that the appeal from any Assembly decision which
Administrative Order He has conceived he conscientiously feels is unjust or detriembodies the operating principles which are mental to the interests of the community.
512 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

But occupation with the mechanics of protest against the oppressive conditions
Baha'i Administration, divorced from the which revolutions were intended to remedy .
animating spirit of the Cause, leads to a dis- These characteristics are conspicuous, for
tortion, to an arid secularization foreign to example, in the inordinate scepticism rethe nature of the Administration. Equally sig- garding authority, and consequently, in the
nificant to the procedures for election- to grndging respect which the citizens of varifurther extend the example- is the evoca- ous nations show toward their governments;
tion of that rarefied atmosphere of prayer they have become pronounced in the incesand reflection, that quiet dignity of the sant promotion of individualism, often to the
process, devoid of nominations and cam- detriment of the wider interests of society.
paigning, in which the individual's freedom How aptly, even after the lapse of half a cento choose is limited only by his own con- tury, Shoghi Effendi's views, as conveyed
science, exercised in private in an attitude by his secretary, fit the contemporary scene:
that invites communion with the Holy Spirit. "Our present generation, mainly due to the
In this sphere, the elector regards the out- corruptions that have been identified with
come as an expression of the will of God, organizations, seem to stand against any
and those elected as being prin1arily respon- institution. Religion as an institution is desible to that will, not to the constituency nounced. Government as an institution is
which elected them. An election thus con- denounced. Even marriage as an institution
ducted portrays an aspect of that organic is denounced. We Baha'is should not be
unity of the inner and outer realities of blinded by such prevalent notions. If such
human life which is necessary to the con- were the case, all the divine Manifestations
struction of a mature society in this new would not have invariably appointed
Age. In no other system do individuals exer- someone to succeed Them. Undoubtedly,
cise such a breadth of freedom in the corrnptions did enter those institutions, but
electoral process. these corruptions were not due to the very
The equilibrium of responsibilities rm- nature of the institutions but to the lack of
plied by all this presupposes maturity on the proper directions as to their powers and
part of all concerned. This maturity has an nature of their perpetuation. What Baha 'u 'llah
apt analogy in adulthood in human beings. has done is not to eliminate all institutions in
How significant is the difference between the Cause but to provide the necessary safeinfancy and childhood, adolescence and guards that would eliminate corruptions that
adulthood! In a period of history dominated caused the fall of previous institutions. What
by the surging energy, the rebellious spirit those safeguards are is most interesting to
and frenetic activity of adolescence, it is dif- study and find out and also most essential to
ficult to grasp the distinguishing elements of know."
the mature society to which Baha' u'llah We make these observations not to
beckons all humanity. The models of the old indulge in criticism of any system, but rather
world order blur vision of that which must to open up lines of thought, to encourage
be perceived; for these models were, in a re-examination of the bases of modem
many instances, conceived in rebellion and society, and to engender a perspective for
retain the characteristics of the revolutions consideration of the distinctive features of
peculiar to an adolescent, albeit necessary, the Order of Baha 'u'llah. What, it could be
period in the evolution of human society. asked, was the nature of society that gave
The very philosophies which have provided rise to such characteristics and such philosothe intellectual content of such revolu- phies? Where have these taken mankind?
tions- Hobbes, Locke, Jefferson, Mill, Has their employment satisfied the needs
come readily to mind- were inspired by and expectations of the human spirit? The
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITI ES 513
answers to such questions could lay the reinforces this understanding by drawing
ground for a contrasting observation of the attention to the maxim that "Not everything
origin and nature of the characteristics and that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor
philosophy underlying that Order. can everything that he can disclose be
As to freedom of expression, a fundamen- regarded as timely, nor can every timely
tal principle of the Cause, the Administrative utterance be considered as suited to the
Order provides unique methods and channels capacity of those who hear it."
for its exercise and maintenance; these have Speech is a powerful phenomenon. Its
been amply described in the writings of the freedom is both to be extolled and feared . It
Faith, but they are not yet clearly understood calls for an acute exercise of judgement,
by the friends . For Baha 'u'llah has extended since both the limitation of speech and the
the scope and deepened the meaning of self- excess of it can lead to dire consequences.
expression. In His elevation of art and of Thus there exist in the system ofBaha'u' llah
work performed in the service of humanity checks and balances necessary to the benefito acts of worship can be discerned enor- cial uses of this freedom in the onward
mous prospects for a new birth of expression development of society. A careful examinain the civilization anticipated by His World tion of the principles of Baha'i consultation
Order. The significance of this principle, and the formal and informal arrangements
now so greatly amplified by the Lord of the for employing them offer new insights into
Age, cannot be doubted; but it is in its rami- the dynamics of freedom of expression.
fications in speech that keen understanding As it is beyond the scope of this letter to
is urgently needed. From a Baha'i point of expatiate upon these principles, let it suffice
view, the exercise of freedom of speech must to recall briefly certain of the requisites of
necessarily be disciplined by a profound consultation, particularly for those who
appreciation of both the positive and nega- serve on Spiritual Assemblies. Love and
tive dimensions of freedom, on the one hand, harmony, purity of motive, humility and
and of speech, on the other. lowliness amongst the friends, patience and
Baha' u' llah warns us that "the tongue is a long-suffering in difficulties-these inform
smouldering fire, and excess of speech a the attitude with which they proceed "with
deadly poison". "Material fire consumeth the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care
the body," He says in elaborating the point, and moderation to express their views'', each
"whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth using "perfect liberty" both in so doing and
both heart and soul. The force of the former in "unveiling the proof of his demonstralasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of tion". "If another contradicts him, he must
the latter endureth a century." In tracing the not become excited because if there be no
framework of free speech, He again advises investigation or verification of questions and
"moderation". "Human utterance is an matters, the agreeable view will not be disessence which aspireth to exert its influence covered neither understood." "The shining
and needeth moderation'', He states, adding, spark of huth cometh forth only after the
"As to its influence, this is conditional upon clash of differing opinions." If unanimity is
refinement which in turn is dependent upon not subsequently achieved, decisions are
hearts which are detached and pure. As to its arrived at by majority vote.
moderation, this hath to be combined with Once a decision has been reached, all
tact and wisdom as prescribed in the Holy members of the consultative body, having
Scriptures and Tablets." had the opportunity fully to state their views,
Also relevant to what is said, and how, is agree wholeheartedly to support the outwhen it is said. For speech, as for so many come. What if the minority view is right? "If
other things, there is a season. Baha'u'llah they agree upon a subject," 'Abdu' l-Baha
514 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

has explained, "even though it be wrong, it acknowledging, as a matter of principle,
is better than to disagree and be in the right, that "it is not only the right, but the vital
for this difference will produce the demoli- responsibility of every loyal and intelligent
tion of the divine foundation. Though one of member of the community to offer fully and
the parties may be in the right and they frankly, but with due respect and considerdisagree, that will be the cause of a thousand ation to the authority of the Assembly, any
wrongs, but if they agree and both parties suggestion, recommendation or criticism he
are in the wrong, as it is in unity, the truth conscientiously feels he should in order to
will be revealed and the wrong made right." improve and remedy certain existing condi-
Implicit in this approach to the social utility tions or trends in his local community".
of thought is the profundity of the change in Correspondingly, the Assembly has the duty
the standard of public discussion intended "to give careful consideration to any such
by Baha'u' Jlah for a mature society. views submitted to them".
The qualities by which the individual can Apart from the direct access which one
achieve the personal discipline necessary to has to an Assembly, local or national, or to a
successful consultation find their full Counsellor or Auxiliary Board member,
expression in what Shoghi Effendi regarded there are specific occasions for the airing of
as the "spirit of a hue Baha'i". Ponder, for one ' s views in the community. The most
instance, the appealing remark addressed to frequent of these occasions for any Baha'i is
your own community in one of his earliest the Nineteen Day Feast which, "besides its
letters: "Nothing short of the spirit of a hue social and spiritual aspects, fulfils various
Baha'i can hope to reconcile the principles administrative needs and requirements of the
of mercy and justice, of freedom and sub- community, chief among them being the
mission, of the sanctity of the right of the need for open and constructive criticism and
individual and of self-surrender, of vigi- deliberation regarding the state of affairs
lance, discretion and prudence on the one within the local Baha'i community". At the
hand, and fellowship, candour, and courage same time, Shoghi Effendi's advice, as
on the other." This was an appeal to the conveyed by his secretary, goes on to stress
maturity and the distinction towards which the point that "all criticisms and discussions
he repeatedly directed their thoughts . of a negative character which may result in
Because the Most Great Peace is the undermining the authority of the Assembly
object of our longing, a primary effmi of the as a body should be strictly avoided. For
Baha'i community is to reduce the incidence otherwise the order of the Cause itself will
of conflict and contention, which are categor- be endangered, and confusion and discord
ically forbidden in the Most Holy Book. Does will reign in the community."
this mean that one may not express critical Clearly, then, there is more to be considthought? Absolutely not. How can there be ered than the critic 's right to self-expression;
the candour called for in consultation if there the unifying spirit of the Cause of God must
is no critical thought? How is the individual also be preserved, the authority of its Jaws
to exercise his responsibilities to the Cause, if and ordinances safeguarded, authority being
he is not allowed the freedom to express his an indispensable aspect of freedom. Motive,
views? Has Shoghi Effendi not stated that "at manner, mode, become relevant; but there is
the very root of the Cause lies the principle of also the matter of love: Jove for one 's felthe undoubted right of the individual to lows, love for one ' s community, Jove for
self-expression, his freedom to declare his one' s institutions.
conscience and set fo1ih his views"? The responsibility resting on the individ-
The Administrative Order provides ual to conduct himself in such a way as to
channels for expression of criticism, ensure the stability of society takes on
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 515
elemental importance in this context. For objective animating the Baha'i community,
vital as it is to the progress of society, criti- namely, the establishment of the unity of
cism is a two-edged sword: it is all too often mankind.
the harbinger of conflict and contention. The We return to the phenomenal characterisbalanced processes of the Administrative tics of speech. Content, volume, style, tact,
Order are meant to prevent this essential wisdom, timeliness are among the critical
activity from degenerating to any form of factors in determining the effects of speech
dissent that breeds opposition and its dreadful for good or evil. Consequently, the friends
schismatic consequences. How incalculable need ever to be conscious of the significance
have been the negative results of ill-directed of this activity which so distinguishes human
criticism: in the catastrophic divergences it beings from other forms of life, and they
has created in religion, in the equally con- must exercise it judiciously. Their efforts at
tentious factions it has spawned in political such discipline will give birth to an etiquette
systems, which have dignified conflict by of expression worthy of the approaching
institutionalizing such concepts as the "loyal maturity of the human race. Just as this disciopposition" which attach to one or another pline applies to the spoken word, it applies
of the various categories of political opinion equally to the written word; and it pro-
-conservative, liberal, progressive, reac- foundly affects the operation of the press.
tionary, and so fo1th. The significance and role of the press in a
If Baha'i individuals deliberately ignore new world system are conspicuous in the
the principles imbedded in the Order which emphasis which the Order of Baha'u'llah
Baha'u'llah Himself has established to rem- places on accessibility to information at all
edy divisiveness in the human family, the levels of society. Shoghi Effendi tells us that
Cause for which so much has been sacrificed Baha'u' llah makes "specific reference to 'the
will surely be set back in its mission to swiftly appearing newspapers', describes
rescue world society from complete disinte- them as 'the mirror of the world' and as 'an
gration. May not the existence of the amazing and potent phenomenon', and
Covenant be invoked again and again, so prescribes to all who are responsible for their
that such repetition may preserve the needed production the duty to be sanctified from
perspective? For, in this age, the Cause of malice, passion and prejudice, to be just and
Baha'u' llah has been protected against the fair-minded, to be painstaking in their inquirbaneful effects of the misuse of the process ies, and ascertain all the facts in every
of criticism; this has been done by the insti- situation".
tution of the Covenant and by the provision In His social treatise, "The Secret of
of a universal administrative system which Divine Civilization", 'Abdu'l-Baha offers
incorporates within itself the mechanisms insight as to the indispensability of the press
for drawing out the constrnctive ideas of in future society. He says it is "urgent that
individuals and using them for the benefit of beneficial articles and books be written,
the entire system. Admonishing the people clearly and definitely establishing what the
to uphold the unifying purpose of the Cause, present-day requirements of the people are,
Baha'u'llah, in the Book of His Covenant, and what will conduce to the happiness and
addresses these poignant words to them: advancement of society". Further, He writes
"Let not the means of order be made the of the "publication of high thoughts" as the
cause of confusion and the instrument of "dynamic power in the arteries of life'', "the
union an occasion for discord." Such asser- very soul of the world". Moreover, He states
tions emphasize a crncial point; it is this: In that "Public opinion must be directed toward
terms of the Covenant, dissidence is a moral whatever is worthy of this day, and this
and intellectual contradiction of the main is impossible except through the use of
516 THE BAHA'I WORLD

adequate arguments and the adducing of towards the Faith's golden destiny? Has he
clear, comprehensive and conclusive proofs." not advised us all that the subsequent stage
As to manner and style, Baha'u'llah has of oppression must precede the stages of its
exhorted "authors among the friends" to emancipation and its recognition as a world
"write in such a way as would be acceptable religion? Can the friends forget the oftto fair-minded souls, and not lead to cavilling quoted warning of 'Abdu'l-Baha concerning
by the people". And He issues a reminder: the bitter opposition that will confront the
"We have said in the past that one word hath Cause in various lands on all continents?
the influence of spring and causeth hearts to In the case of the American believers, has
become fresh and verdant, while another is Shoghi Effendi not alluded to this coming
like unto blight which causeth the blossoms fury in his description of them as "the invinand flowers to wither." cible Army ofBaha'u ' llah, who in the West,
In the light of all this, the code of conduct and at one of its potential storm centres is to
of the press must embrace the principles and fight, in His name and for His sake, one of
objectives of consultation as revealed by its fiercest and most glorious battles"?
Baha'u'llah. Only in this way will the press Those who are anxious to relax all
be able to make its full contribution to the restraint, who invoke freedom of speech as
preservation of the rights of the people and the rationale for publishing every and any
become a powerful instrument in the consul- thing concerning the Baha'i community, who
tative processes of society, and hence for the call for the immediate termination of the
unity of the human race. practice of review now that the Faith has
Some of the friends have suggested that emerged from obscurity-are they not aware
the emergence of the Faith from obscurity of these sobering prospects? Widespread as
indicates the timeliness of ceasing obser- has been the public revulsion to the current
vance in the Baha'i community of certain persecutions in Iran, let there be no mistake
restraints; particularly are they concerned about the certainty of the opposition which
about the temporary necessity of review must yet be confronted in many countries,
before publishing. including that which is the Cradle of the
Tirnt the Faith has emerged from obscurity Administrative Order itself.
on a global scale is certain. This definitely The Faith is as yet in its infancy. Despite
marks a triumphant stage in the efforts of the its emergence from obscurity, even now the
community to register its existence on the vast majority of the human race remains
minds of those who influence world events. ignorant of its existence; moreover, the vast
Consider how, because of the sufferings and majority of its adherents are relatively new
sacrifices of the friends in Iran, the concerns Baha'is. The change implied by this new
of the community in these respects have stage in its evolution is that whereas heretobecome a matter of discussion in the most fore this tender plant was protected in its
influential parliaments and the most impor- obscurity from the attention of external
tant international forums on earth. That elements, it has now become exposed. This
this emergence frees the Cause to pursue exposure invites close observation, and that
objectives hitherto umeachable is also unde- observation will eventually lead to opposiniable; but that it marks the attainment of the tion in various quarters. So, far from
cornn1llnity's anticipated maturity is entirely adopting a carefree attitude, the community
doubtful. must be conscious of the necessity to present
How could it have attained maturity, a correct view of itself and an accurate
when we know from the clear guidance of understanding of its purpose to a largely
the beloved Guardian that obscurity is but sceptical public. A greater effori, a greater
one of the many stages in the long evolution care must now be exercised to ensure its
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 517
protection against the malice of the ignorant making him an anti-social creature, a menand the unwisdom of its friends. ace to society. As in everything, it follows
Let us all remember that the struggle of the 'golden mean' ."
the infant Faith of God to thrive is beset with This relationship, so fundamental to the
the turmoil of the present age. Like a tender maintenance of civilized life, calls for the
shoot just barely discernible above ground, utmost degree of understanding and cooperit must be nurtured to strength and maturity ation between society and the individual;
and buttressed as necessary against the blight and because of the need to foster a climate in
of strong winds and deadly entanglements which the untold potentialities of the indiwith weeds and thistles. If we to whose care vidual members of society can develop, this
this plant has been entrusted are insensitive relationship must allow "free scope" for
to its tenderness, the great tree which is its "individuality to assert itself' through modes
ce1iain potential will be hindered in its of spontaneity, initiative and diversity that
growth towards the spreading of its shelter- ensure the viability of society. Among the
ing branches over all humankind. From this responsibilities assigned to Baha'i instituperspective we must all consider the latent tions which have a direct bearing on these
danger to the Cause of ill-advised actions aspects of individual freedom and developand exaggerated expectations; and particu- ment is one which is thus described in the
larly must we all be concerned about the Constitution of the Universal House of
effects of words, especially those put in Justice: "to safeguard the personal rights,
print. It is here that Baha'i authors and freedom and initiative of individuals". A
publishers need to be attentive and exert corollary is: "to give attention to the preserrigorous discipline upon themselves, as well vation of human honour".
as abide by the requirements of review at this How noteworthy that in the Order of
early stage in the development of the Faith. Baha'u'llah, while the individual will is sub-
The right of the individual to self-expres- ordinated to that of society, the individual is
sion has pe1meated the foregoing comments not lost in the mass but becomes the focus of
on the various freedoms, but, even so, a primary development, so that he may find
word more might be said about individual his own place in the flow of progress, and
freedom. The fundamental attitude of the society as a whole may benefit from the
Faith in this respect is best demonstrated by accumulated talents and abilities of the indistatements of 'Abdu' l-Baha concerning the viduals composing it. Such an individual
family. "The integrity of the family bond", finds fulfilment of his potential not merely
He says, "must be constantly considered, in satisfying his own wants but in realizing
and the rights of the individual members his completeness in being at one with
must not be transgressed ... . All these rights humanity and with the divinely ordained
and prerogatives must be conserved, yet the purpose of creation.
unity of the family must be sustained. The The quality of freedom and of its expresinjury of one shall be considered the injury sion-indeed, the very capacity to maintain
of all; the comfort of each, the comfort of freedom in a society-undoubtedly depends
all; the honour of one, the honour of all." on the knowledge and training of individu-
The individual's relation to society is als and on their ability to cope with the
explained by Shoghi Effendi in the state- challenges of life with equanimity. As the
ment that "The Baha 'i conception of social beloved Master has written: "And the
life is essentially based on the principle of honour and distinction of the individual conthe subordination of the individual will to sist in this, that he among all the world's
that of society. It neither suppresses the indi- multitudes should become a source of social
vidual nor does it exalt him to the point of good. Is any larger bounty conceivable than
518 THE BAI-L< ' i WORLD

this, that an individual, looking within him- the human race? Consider what Baha' u'llah
self, should find that by the confirming has done: He revealed laws and principles
grace of God he has become the cause to guide the free; He established an Order
of peace and well-being, of happiness and to channel the actions of the free ; He proadvantage to his fellowmen? No, by the one claimed a Covenant to guarantee the unity
true God, there is no greater bliss, no more of the free .
complete delight." Thus, we hold to this ultimate perspec-
The spirit of liberty which in recent tive: Baha'u'llah came to set humanity free .
decades has swept over the planet with such His Revelation is, indeed, an invitation to
tempestuous force is a manifestation of the freedom- freedom from want, fre edom
vibrancy of the Revelation brought by from war, freedom to unite, freedom to
Baha' u'llah. His own words confirm it. "The progress, freedom in peace and joy.
Ancient Beauty", He wrote in a soul-stirring You who live in a land where freedom is
commentary on His sufferings, "hath con- so highly prized have not, then, to dispense
sented to be bound with chains that mankind with its fruits, but you are challenged and do
may be released from its bondage, and hath have the obligation to uphold and vindicate
accepted to be made a prisoner within this the distinction between the licence that limmost mighty Stronghold that the whole its your possibilities for genuine progress
world may attain unto true liberty." and the moderation that ensures the enjoy-
Might it not be reasonably concluded, ment of true liberty.
then, that "true liberty" is His gift of love to
IV
BAHA'f INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
REPRESENTATION

1. THE BAHA'i FAITH AND THE UNITED NATIONS:
SUMMARY OF THE YEARS 194 7-1986

THE relationship of the world Baha'i For detailed information on Baha'i Intercommunity to the United Nations began in national Community activities with the U.N.
1948, when the eight National Spiritual during this period, see earlier volumes of
Assemblies then existing were recognized The Baha'i World.
collectively by the United Nations Office of
Public Information (OPI) as an international The First Period: 1947- 1970
non-governmental organization under the Although limited to activities educating the
name Baha'i International Community. An public about the aims and programs of the
official Baha'i-United Nations relationship United Nations, the first stage of Baha'ihad actually started a year before-in the United Nations cooperation allowed many
spring of 1947-when OPI accredited the opportunities for sharing the Baha' i perspec-
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is tive, both through participation in numerous
of the United States and Canada as a national non-governmental conferences, and through
non-governmental organization, qualified to the presentation to the United Nations of
be represented through an observer. several important statements.
The next step in Baha' i-United Nations One of the most important contributions
cooperation-and a major one-took place took place in 1947, when the United Nations
in 1970, when the Baha'i International Special Palestine Committee addressed a
Community was granted consultative status, letter to Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, Guardian
category II, with the United Nations of the Baha' i Faith, resident at the Baha'i
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). World Centre in Haifa, requesting an
A few years later, in 1974, as an extension of expression of the Baha' i attitude to the
this relationship in the economic and social future of Palestine. Explaining that "Our aim
fields, the Baha'i International Community is the establishment of universal peace in the
established an association with the United world and our desire to see justice prevail in
Nations Environment Program (UNEP). every domain of human society, including
Then, in 1976- another important develop- the domain of politics," Shoghi Effendi
ment-it was welcomed into consultative enclosed with his reply a summary of the
status with the United Nations Children's history and teachings of the Baha'i Faith.
Fund (UNICEF). In 1985, it formali zed its Other presentations of note were: A
representation with the United Nations "Baha'i Declaration on Human Obligations
Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS). and Rights" (1947); a study entitled
520 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

"Proposals for Charter Revision," circulated economic programs. Not only was it repreat a United Nations Conference for Revision sented at sessions of United Nations bodies
of the United Nations Charter (1955); a concerned with issues of aging, children,
statement endorsing the Genocide Conven- crime prevention, disabled persons, disarmation, presented to the President of the ment, energy-new and renewable sources,
Commission on Human Rights (1959); and a environment, exploration and peaceful uses
comprehensive statement to a meeting of the of outer space, the family, human rights,
United Nations Office of Public Information human settlements, law of the sea, narcotic
to discuss problems of cooperation "with the drugs, population, science and technology,
United Nations family insofar as its program social development, status of women, the
affects the new nations'', noting the "vigor- United Nations University, world food, and
ous assistance of Baha' i communities" tluáough youth, but it also furnished information, subthe implementation of Baha' i teachings and mitted statements and published brochures
principles, to help the less developed peo- on most of these subjects. In addition ,
ples become integrated into the more the Baha' i International Community particideveloped society surrounding them (1960). pated in United Nations Years, in world
The Baha' i International Community was conferences and congresses, in regional
also able, even in the early years of its rela- conferences and in seminars concerned with
tionship with the United Nations, to assist in the socio-economic problems of our planet,
the protection and recognition of the Baha'i as well as in preparation and follow-up
world community. For example, appeals meetings and activities.
were lodged with the United Nations in 1955 When the Committee on Non-Governand 1962 on behalf of Baha' is being perse- mental Organizations, the functional
cuted in Iran and Morocco, respectively, and committee of ECOSOC in charge of fosterin 1967 a special edition of The Proclama- ing the United Nations relationship with
tion of Baha 'u 'llah was presented on behalf NGO's in the social and economic field,
of the Universal House of Justice to fifty-six reviewed the work of non-governmental
Heads of State, through their Permanent organizations in consultative status with
Representatives to the United Nations. ECO SOC during the years 1973-77, 1978-
81, the Baha' i International Community
The Second Period: 1970- 1986 reports, showing an impressive number of
These years witnessed a noticeable increase activities recording warm cooperation with
in the range and depth of Baha'i-United the United Nations, were approved without
Nations cooperation, as the Baha'i Interna- questions.
tional Community began the steady growth Most gratifying during this period was
of its consultative relationship with ECOSOC the increased participation of national
and with UNICEF , and its associations with Baha'i communities, through their National
the United Nations Environment Program Spiritual Assemblies, United Nations repre-
(UNEP) and the United Nations Center for sentatives and committees, in fostering the
Human Settlements (UNCHS) while con- ties of the Baha'i world with the United
tinuing its close cooperation with the United Nations. They not only organized national
Nations Office-later Department-of Public and local Baha'i-United Nations activities,
Information. but also represented the Baha'i International
As it worked closely with ECOSOC, its Community at Conferences, and offered the
functional commissions, committees and grow ing experience of Baha'i social and
associated bodies, the Baha' i International economic development projects as applica-
Community gradually explored new aven ues tions of Baha'i teachings to the solution
of participation in United Nations soc ial and of specific world problems. In addition,
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I A CTIVITI ES 521
National Spiritual Assemblies in countries non-partisan political nature, as well as
where United Nations conferences or its constructive contributions to the work of
meetings took place made a valuable contri- the United Nations resulting from its consulbution to successful Baha' i participation, tative status, made access to key United
furnishing clear evidence that each Baha'i Nations officials easier when a clear presencommunity did, in fact, share in the con- tation of the Baha'i position was needed.
sultative relationship of the Baha'i Interna- This became especially important from 1981
tional Community with ECOSOC and on, since access to the United Nations
UNICEF. human rights organs-the Commission on
The Baha'i International Community Human Rights and the Subcommission on
worked closely, through its United Nations the Prevention of Discrimination and Protecrepresentative, with United Nations offices tion of Minorities-became crucial in
and officials at United Nations headquarters bringing the persecution of the Baha' i
in New York, as well as in Geneva, Vienna, community of Iran to the attention of the
and Nairobi; and-through representatives governments of the world, and curbing, to
from its member Baha'i communities with some extent, this flagrant case of religious
United Nations field offices around the discrimination.
world. It became clear during these years that, as
In addition, under the direction and government delegates and United Nations
guidance of the Universal House of Justice, personnel increasingly witnessed the Baha'i
contacts were made on many occasions presence, through extensive Baha' i repreduring this period with Missions to the sentation and a variety of written and oral
United Nations and the United Nations statements-many of the written ones circu-
Secretariat, to assist in the recognition of the lated as United Nations documents-they
Faith and the protection of Baha'i communi- were becoming aware ofa worldwide Baha' i
ties. Here again, a growing understanding of community committed to the spiritual and
the Baha'i International Community, its moral vision of the unity of mankind.

2. THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF THE BAHA'f
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 1986-1992

Overview in such areas as fostering popular participa-
For more than twenty years, the United tion in development, enhancing the role of
Nations Office of the Baha' i International women, eliminating racial prejudice, and
Community has sought, through its consul- preventing drug abuse- all areas of intense
tative and working relations with the United interest to governments.
Nations ' specialized agencies, to support the The Baha' i International Community
work of the United Nations by sharing actively participated in the activities of non-
Baha ' i perspectives and experience. During governmental organizations (NGOs) at the
the Six Year Plan, Baha 'i International United Nations, prin1arily in Geneva, New
Community representatives attended more York and Vienna, participating in numerous
than one hundred UN consultative sessions NGO conferences and consultations. It
and international conferences . Many of the served as vice president (1986- 1988) and as
more than ninety statements and reports pre- secretary (1988- 1991) of the Board of the
sented between 1986 and 1992 were based Conference of Non-Governmental Organion the experience of Baha' i communities zations (CONGO) in Consultative Status
522 THE BAI-IA'i WORLD

with the United Nations Economic and national Community strengthened its
Social Council (ECOSOC). In Geneva, New presence at the UN Commission on the
York and Vienna, its representatives also Status of Women. Represented each year by
served as officers on NGO committees on an international delegation of women and
human rights, the family, women, human men, the Baha 'i International Community
settlements, development, youth, the Depart- presented more than fifteen statements,
ment of Public Information, and the United focusing on such topics as social and
Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF). economic development, education, and the
Baha'is around the world assisted the status of the girl child. Baha'is with profes-
Baha'i International Community to carry out sional expertise became more involved in
its work. Volunteers in Nairobi, Rome and the United Nations work related to women
Vienna were appointed by the Baha'i Inter- over these six years, representing the Baha'i
national Conununity to help strengthen ties International Community at conferences,
with the UN Center for Social Development workshops, and symposia held at global and
and Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations regional levels.
Environment Program (UNEP), and the One direct result of Baha' i International
Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Community involvement with the Commis-
In addition, volunteers were appointed to rep- sion was a project financed by the United
represent the Baha'i International Community Nations Development Fund for Women
to the United Nations Regional Economic (UNIFEM) entitled Traditional Media as
Commissions for Africa in Addis Ababa, Change Agent. A Baha'i International
Ethiopia; for Latin America in Santiago, Conununity statement to the Commission in
Chile; and for Asia and the Pacific in 1988 suggested that permanent change in
Bangkok, Thailand. Organizing the work by the status of women requires the support of
sectors allowed the Baha' i International the whole community. The Director of
Conmrnnity United Nations Office to cover UNIFEM suggested that Baha 'is develop
efficiently an immense range of overlapping a project for funding by UNIFEM to foster
issues. These sectors included advancement that community support. In cooperation over
of women, education and social development, the next three years with the Baha'i Office
health, peace, human rights, and refugees. of Social and Economic Development,
selected National Spiritual Assemblies,
Promoting the Advancement of Women Baha'i consultants, and UNIFEM, the
The Baha'i International Community gave Baha'i International Conununity developed
high priority to the advancement of women, a project using traditional media, such as
participating fully in the work of the United music and dance, to stimulate village-wide
Nations in this area, particularly the Com- discussions about women's roles. The
mission on the Status of Women. The Baha' i two-year project, which began to be imple-
International Connnunity was represented mented in Bolivia, Cameroon, and Malaysia,
by both women and men at meetings called engaged entire communities in improving
by the Commission, including global and the status of women. Baha'i communities in
regional conferences, seminars, and work- Brazil and Nigeria also joined the project.
shops, and worked closely with the The joint Baha'i International Community/
conmrnnity of NGOs at the United Nations UNIFEM project marked a new level of
in Geneva, New York, and Vienna. cooperation between the Baha'i Interna-
During the Six Year Plan, the work in this tional Conununity and the United Nations '
area expanded and diversified, as seeds agencies.
sown during the Decade of Women (1976- The Baha'i International Conununity
1985) began to bear fruit. The Baha'i Inter- Office of Public Information and the United
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I A CTIVITIES 523
Nations Office jointly sponsored a presti- between women and men, stood in the foregious luncheon in Washington, D.C., in front of the movement toward equality in the
1988 for the Executive Board of the Interna- international sphere.
tional Council of Women (ICW): The event,
held to commemorate the centennial of the Education and Social Sector
ICW, honoured Madame Laura Dreyfus Education, always a primary concern for
Barney, known to Baha'is as the compiler Baha'is, continued to be a priority for the
of Some Answered Questions, and a distin- Baha'i International Community United
guished member of the ICW. A reception to Nations Office. Preparation for and particicommemorate the life of Madame Barney pation in International Literacy Year (1990)
was also held in New York, co-sponsored by and the W arid Conference on Education for
the Baha'i International Community and All (1990), both sponsored by the United
UNICEF. Nations system, provided the focus for a
Awakening policy-makers to the important variety of educational activities. The UN
role of women in achieving food security for Office promoted the International Literacy
Africa was also a major Baha'i International Year by providing National Spiritual
Community focus. In 1988, the Baha'i Assemblies with information about the year,
International Community began serving as by serving on the International Task Force
convenor of Advocates for African Food on Literacy, and by attending five interna-
Security: Lessening the Burden of Women, tional meetings in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
a unique coalition of international and The Baha'i International Community also
national NGOs, United Nations agencies, promoted "The Book Voyage", a global
and intergovernmental organizations. Con- project which collected the writings of
vinced that women are the key to food newly literate men and women and compiled
security in Africa, where eighty to ninety them into a ceremonial book. A special
percent of the food for domestic consump- edition of this book was presented to the UN
tion is produced by women, the Advocates Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Perez de
strove to raise the awareness of policy- Cuellar, by a Baha'i International Commumakers to this fact, and the importance of nity representative and a literacy learner
involving women in all levels of decision- from Kenya at UN Headquarters during a
making to end the food crisis. Annual ceremony coordinated by the Baha'i Internasymposia at the United Nations in New York tional Community.
were held; wide circulation was given to a The Baha'i contribution to the 1990
survey on the status of food security in World Conference on Education for All,
Africa, conducted by the Advocates in 1990 held in Jomtien, Thailand, and sponsored by
and compiled by a Baha'i consultant; UNICEF, the United Nations Development
brochures and symposium reports were Program (UNDP), the United Nations Edudistributed, as well as a video entitled A Day cation, Scientific and Cultural Organization
in the Life of an African Woman Farmer. In (UNESCO), and the World Bank, was nota-
April 1992, a member of the Continental ble. The Baha'i International Community
Board of Counsellors in Africa participated in published and distributed Survey of Baha 'i
the first Advocates symposium held in Africa. Education Programmes and contributed
Gradually, the idea that the advancement four papers to the round-table discussions .
of women is a prerequisite for peace and In addition, the Baha'i International
development became more widely accepted. Community representative was asked to rep-
The Baha'i International Community, with resent NGOs on the steering group for the
its sustained involvement in this area and conference. The New York Baha 'i Internaits uncommon emphasis on partnership tional Community United Nations Office was
524 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

The Baha 'i International Community
was represented at the
World Health
Assembly, held in
Geneva, Switzerland,
from 2 to 14 May 1988.
Shown at right,
Dr. Ethel Martens.

instrumental in developing an Education For the World Summit on Children, held for
All Network. For the last two years of the Heads of State at United Nations headquar-
Plan, this network encouraged NGOs to ters in 1991 , was attended by a Baha'i
contribute to the achievement of the ambi- International Community observer.
tious education goals adopted at the conference. The Baha ' i International Community Health
representative attended regional meetings on In suppori of the World Health Organizaeducation sponsored by the Network in tion' s (WHO) goal of Health for All by the
Bangladesh and Chile. Year 2000 through Prirnaty Health Care,
Increased international attention to educa- Baha'i communities around the world
tion issues and the visible contribution of the initiated health projects, most emphasizing
Baha'i International Community strength- education for health. This increased activity
ened its relations with UNICEF and made it encouraged the Baha' i International Combetter known to UNESCO. As a consultative munity United Nations Office to intensify its
NGO since 1976, the Baha'i International own involvement with health issues.
Community addressed the 1991 meeting of In Geneva, WHO headquarters, the
the UNICEF Executive Board, supporting Baha'i International Community became an
its emphasis on educating girls. The Baha' i active member of the NGO Prima1y Health
International Community also assisted with Care Group in 1986. Baha' i International
three major UNICEF conferences: one in Community representatives attended the
Zimbabwe on Child Development in Africa annual sessions of both the WHO Executive
and two in New York on Education of the Board and the World Health Assembly, and
Girl Child. Through these and other activities, participated actively in Assembly Technical
local Baha ' i programs in education and the Discussions. The same year, the Baha ' i
Baha' i commitment to universal education International Community established workbecame better known throughout the world. ing relations with WHO and subsequently
The Baha'i International Community's continued to sháengthen cooperation with the
dedication to children was not limited to organization. Primary health care activities
education. As participants in both United at the grass roots level, many in cooperation
Nations and NGO human rights working with WHO, included the involvement
groups , Baha' i International Community of Baha' i conmmnities in Burkina Faso,
representatives helped draft the Convention Cameroon, India, Laos , Kenya, Malawi,
on the Rights of the Child, contributing Malaysia, Swaziland, Tanz ania, Thailand,
notably to the text of Atiicle 17. In addition, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 525
The Baha'i International Community sup- on peace and disarmament, including the
ported education for health by distributing United Nations Conference for Promotion of
sample copies of Facts for Life, a publica- International Cooperation in the Peaceful
tion sponsored by UNICEF, WHO, and Uses of Nuclear Energy, the UN Confer-
UNESCO, to forty-one National Assemblies ences on Disarmament and Development,
and providing over five thousand copies and the Third Special Session of the United
in four languages free of charge to thirty Nations General Assembly Devoted to
national Baha' i communities. The Baha'i Disarmament.
International Community also supported the
development by Baha' is of a model commu- Protection and Promotion of Human
nity health workers' training program, based Rights
on the elements of primary health care, and Beginning in 1980, the Baha' i International
adaptable to the needs of each community. Community vigorously sought protection
through the United Nations human rights
Peace system for the beleaguered Baha' i commu-
The International Year of Peace (1986), pro- nity in iran. It also actively promoted the
claimed by the United Nations, was well human rights of all people.
underway when the Six Year Plan began, The United Nations first intervened on
and the Universal House of Justice had behalf of the Baha'i community in Iran in
already addressed The Promise of World 1955. When persecutions began again in
Peace to the peoples of the world. The pro- 1979, the Baha' i community in iran, having
cess of distributing that message to Heads no recourse at the national level, once
of State, UN ambassadors, and officials, again appealed for protection to the United
however, was just beginning. As a result of Nations human rights system. The 1980
concerted efforts by the Baha'i International Sub-Commission on the Prevention of
Community and national Baha'i communi- Discrinllnation and Protection of Minorities,
ties around the world, by January 1989 The in response to a Baha' i International Com-
Promise of World Peace had been translated munity request, issued the first of several
into seventy-six languages and distributed resolutions asking the Iranian authorities to
to more than two hundred Heads of State, respect the rights of Baha ' is. Subsequently,
many through their Ambassadors at the concern for the welfare of the Baha'i
United Nations, and to over two million community in Iran was expressed repeatedly
individuals. A wide range of peace activi- in the United Nations Commission on
ties, centered around this message of hope, Human Rights and in the General Assembly.
led the United Nations Secretary-General to At first, the resolutions by the Commisdesignate the Baha'i International Commu- sion and Sub-Commission, the expressions
nity and five of its affiliates-the National of concern by the General Assembly, and
Assemblies of Australia, Belgium, Brazil, the public outrage, pa11icularly over the exe-
Kenya, and Lesotho-as "Peace Messen- cutions, seemed to have little effect. In 1986,
gers," an honor bestowed on only three however, the Commission on Human Rights
hundred organizations in the world. appointed Reynaldo Galindo Pohl Special
The Baha'i International Community Representative of the Commission and
supported the many activities of the Interna- called on the Iranian government to coopertional Year of Peace Secretariat (later the ate by inviting him to visit Iran. For two
Peace Studies Unit) and the UN Department years the Iranian government refused, but
ofDisam1ament Affairs. In addition, Baha'i in 1988 it agreed to accept Mr. Galindo
International Community representatives par- Pohl 's visit and to cooperate with his
ticipated in major United Nations meetings investigations.
526 THE BAHA'I WORLD

A representative of the
National Spiritual
Assembly of the
Baha 'is of Brazil
receiving the United
Nations' "Peace
Messengers" award
from Merida Morales
0 'Donnel, chief of the
UN High Commission
for Refugees, in Brazil
on 15 September J 987.

A year prior to Mr. Galindo Pohl's visit, Violations of the rights of Baha'is in
the government began systematically to other countries were also reported to the UN
release Baha'is from the prisons and jails. human rights system. In addition, the Baha' i
Baha'i children were re-admitted to elemen- International Community devoted considertary and secondary schools, and executions able attention to promoting the human rights
came to a halt in 1988. Although the worst of children and minorities, supporting human
abuses were coming to an end, discrimina- rights education, cooperating with other
tion continued and the Baha'i Faith remained NGOs and participating in the preparat01y
a proscribed religion. process for the World Conference on Human
Unable to meet with Mr. Galindo Pohl on Rights to be held in 1993. The Baha'i Interhis first visit to Iran, Baha'is succeeded in national Community presented approxin1ately
meeting with him on Iranian soil in 1990. He forty oral and written statements to the
subsequently made two more visits to Iran, Commission and to the Sub-Commission
and his reports, verifying and deploring the on such issues as the need for religious tolerdiscrimination against Baha'is, became pro- ance and respect for the rights of minorities
gressively more critical. and the disabled, the right to development,
Besides sensitizing the United Nations the need to eliminate torture and racism, the
system, government missions in Geneva, World Public Information Campaign on
and NGOs, the Baha'i International Com- Human Rights, and the need for a more just
munity United Nations Office worked international economic order. The Baha' i
closely with National Spiritual Assemblies , International Community contributed to a
providing periodic updates, and requesting UN study on minorities and to the draft dectheir assistance. By bringing to the attention laration on the rights of minorities.
of their governments the plight of the The Baha'i International Community's
Baha ' is in Iran, National Assemblies played participation in the drafting of the Convena critical role in mobilizing the international tion on the Rights of the Child was, perhaps,
community and strengthened relations with its most significant contribution. Baha ' i
their governments. In consultation with the International Community representatives
Baha ' i World Centre, the Baha'i Interna- proposed much of the wording for what
tional Community office in Geneva also became Article 17 of the Convention ensurselected and translated relevant documents ing the access of children to appropriate
for submission to those in the UN system info1TI1ation. Article 17 addresses the role
monitoring discrin1ination. of the media in disseminating to children
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAl-L.\'i ACTIVITIES 527
information that promotes social, spiritual, transfer facilitated closer interaction with
and moral well-being and physical and the United Nations High Commissioner for
mental health. The Baha'i International Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva and with
Community attended the two meetings of other organizations concerned with refugee
the Preparatory Committee for the World matters. During the last year of the Six Year
Conference on Human Rights, contributing Plan, the number of refugees leaving Iran
statements to both meetings. decreased substantially. The Refugee Office
continued to monitor the resettlement of
Refugee Office refugees and to assist the National Assem-
In 1990, the Baha'i International Refugee bly of Pakistan, the UNHCR and other
Office, which had been established in relevant agencies in Pakistan, where most
Canada by the Universal House of Justice of the refugees had initially arrived, in proin 1986, was transferred to Geneva. This cessing Baha'i refugee cases.

ANNEX I

Special United Nations Conferences, Congresses and Seminars in which the Baha'i
International Community Participated 1986--1992

I. Un ited Nations Seminar on Internati onal Assistance on the Rights of the Child; Geneva, Switzerland;
and Support to Peoples and Movements Struggling 20- 22 January 1988. Rep: Mrs. Machid Fatio.
Against Co lonialism, Racism, Racial Discrimina- 8. World Health Assembly (WI-IA) Technical Discustion and Apartheid; Yaounde, Cameroon; 28 April- sions on "Leadership Development for Health for
9 May April 1986. Rep: Mr. E.O. Asare. All "; Geneva, Switzerland; 7- 9 May 1988. Reps:
2. United Nations General Assemb ly Special Session Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, Dr. Ethel Martens.
on the Critical Economic Situation in Africa; New 9. African Seminar on the Universal Declaration of
York, U.S.A; 27-3 1 May I 986. Reps: Mrs. Mary Human Rights; Lome, Togo; 5-7 April 1988. Rep:
Sawicki Power, Mr. Victor de Araujo . Dr. Akouete Akakpo-Vidah.
3. United Nations Conference for Promotion of Inter- IO. Third Special Session of the Un ited Nations General
national Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Assembly Devoted to Disarmament; New York,
Nuc lear Energy (UNCPICPUNE); Geneva, Switzer- U.S.A.; 8- 16 May 1988. Reps: Mr. Robert Wh ite,
land; 23 March-I 0 April 1987. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Mr. Victor de Araujo.
Ballerio, Mrs. Machid Fatio, Mr. Gerald Knight . 11. European Workshop on the Un iversal Declaration
4. United Nations International Conference on Drug of Human Rights: Past, Present and Future; Milan,
Abuse and Il licit Trafficking (I CDA IT) ; Vienna, Ita ly; 7-9 September 1988. Rep: Mr. Morten
Austria; 17- 26 June 1987. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Bal- Bergs mo.
Jerio, Mr. Khashayar Forghani, Mrs. Neda Forghani, 12. Fourth Regiona l Conference on the Integration of
Dr. 'Abdu' I Missagh Ghadirian, Mrs. Helene l-lolzl, Women into the Economic and Social Development
Mrs. Naghmih Mavaddat, Dr. Roland Philipp. of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC);
5. Intern ational Conference on the Relationship Guatemala City, G uatema la ; 27- 30 September
Between Disarmament and Development; New 1988. Rep: Mrs. Helen Mirkovitch de Sanchez.
York, U.S.A.; 24 August- I I September 1987 . Reps: 13. United Nations Global Consultation on Racial
Mr. Victor de Araujo, Mr. Paul Ojermark. Discrimination; Geneva, Switzerland; 3- 7 October
6. Interregiona l Consultation on Developmental Social 1988. Rep: Mr. Wytze Bos.
Welfare Policies and Programmes; Vienna, Austria; 14. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) In for-
7- 15 September 1987. Reps: Mr. G iovanni Bal lerio, ma l Consultation on the Drafting of the Convention
Mr. Paul Ojermark, Mrs. Neda Forghani, on the Rights of the Chi ld; Geneva, Switzerland;
Mrs. Helene Holz!. November 1988. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos.
7. Un ited Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) In for- 15. UN Seminar on the Teaching of Human Rights;
mal Consultation on the Drafting of the Convention Geneva; 5- 9 December 1988. Rep: Mr. Wytze Bos.
528 THE BAHA'I WORLD

16. United Nations Commemoration of the Fortieth Development (UNCED); Nairobi, Kenya; 6--31 Aug-
Anniversary of the Universal Declarati on of Human ust 1990. Reps: Mrs. Joy M 'boya, Mrs. Rose Akech ,
Rights; Geneva, Switzerland; 12 December 1988. Mr. Greg Du ly.
Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Fatio. 30. lnternational Bureau of Education of the United
17. United Nations Commemoration of the Fortieth Nations Educational, Scientific and Cu ltural Orga-
Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human ni zation (UNESCO-IBE) In ternational Conference
Rights sponsored by UNESCO; Paris, France; on Education, 42nd Session, Geneva, Switzerland;
8- 10 Dece mber 1988. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, 3- 8 September 1990. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio,
Mrs. C hristine Samandari-Hakim. Mr. Daniel Wegener.
18. International Bureau of Education of the United 31 . Second United Nations Conference on Trade and
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orga- Development in the Least Developed Countries
ni zation (UNESCO-IB E) International Conference (UNCTAD); Pari s, France; 3- 14 September 1990.
on Educati on, 41 st Session; Geneva, Switzerland; Reps: Mrs. Li esbeth Bos de Jong, Mr. Wytze Bos.
9- 17 January 1989. Rep: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio. 32. UN World Summit on Chi ldren; New York, U.S.A .;
19. United Nations Seminar on the Effects of Racism 30 September 1990. Rep: Dr. Wilma Elli s.
and Racia l Discrimination on the Social and 33. Economic and Social Council for Asia and the
Economic Relations between Ind igenous Peoples Pacific (ESCAP)/Non-governmental organization
and States; Geneva, Switzerland; 16- 20 January (NGO) Media Sympos ium on Communication for
1989. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Fatio. Environment; Bangkok, Thailand; 6--10 October
20 .World Health Assembly (W I-IA) Techn ical Discus- 1990. Reps: Mrs. Samireh Smith, Mr. Husayn
s ions on "Health of Youth"; Geneva, Switzerland; Anwar.
11 - 13 May 1989. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, 34. Second Mini sterial session of the World Climate
Dr. Ethel Martens. Conference sponsored by World Meteorological
21. International Conference on the Protection and Organi zation (WMO), United Nations Environment
Promotion of Child Rights; Beijing, China; Program (UNEP), United Nations Educational
20-23 November 1989. Rep: Mrs . Nahid Mohajeri Scientific and Cu ltural Organ ization (UNESCO),
Eng. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the
22. Fourth Regional Conference on the Integration of International Counci l of Scientific Unions (!CSU) ;
Women in Developmen t and on the Implementation Geneva, Switzerland; 6- 7 November 1990. Rep:
of the Arusha Strategies for the Advance of Women Mr. Lawrence Arturo.
in Africa (ECA); Abuja, Nigeria; 6--10 November 35. UN In ternationa l Seminar on Political, Historical ,
1989. Rep: Mrs. Alasebu Gebre Selassie. Economic, Social and Cu ltural Factors ContTibuting
23. Worl d Health Organization Consultati on with Inter- to Racism, Racial Discrimination and Apartheid;
national Women's NGOs on AIDS Prevention , Geneva, Switze rland ; 10-14 December 1990. Reps:
Con trnl and Care; Geneva, Switzerland; 21 - 22 Dec- Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Fatio.
ember 1989. Reps: Mr. Giovanni Ballerio, Dr. Denise 36. First session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating
Be li sle Committee for a Framework Convention on C limate
24. UN General Assembly Special Session on Drug Change; Washington , D.C.; 4- 14 February 1991.
Abuse; New York City, U.S.A.; 20- 23 February Reps: Mrs. Mona Grieser, Mr. Richard Grieser.
1990. Rep: Dr. A.M. Ghadirian. 37. The Latin American and Caribbean Regional Prepa-
25. World Conference on Education for All by the Year ratory Meeting for the United Nations Conference
2000 , sponsored by United Nations Educational on Environment and Development (UNCED);
Scientific and C ultural Organ ization (UNESCO), Mexico C ity, Mexico; 4-7 March 199 1. Rep:
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the Mr. Lawrence Arturo.
World Bank; Jomtien, Thailand, 5- 9 March 1990. 38. Second Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) session
Rep: Mr. Dani el Wegener. for the UN Conference on Environment and Deve l-
26. Globa l Consultation on the Rea li zation of the Right opment (UNCED); Geneva, Switzerland ; 18 Marchto Development as a Human Right; Geneva, 5 April 199 I. Rep: Mrs . Han-Ju Kim-Farley.
8- 12 Jan uary 1990. Rep: Mrs. Machid Fatio. 39. United Nations Consu ltation on the implementation
27 . Regional preparatory meeting fo r the United of the Convention on the Rights of the Child ;
Nations Conference on Environment and Develop- Geneva, Switzerland; 8 May 1991. Rep: Mr.
ment (UNCED); Bergen, Norway; 8- 16 May 1990. Giovanni Ballerio.
Rep: Mr. Robert White. 40. United Nations Meeting of Peace Messenger
28. Un ited Nations Asian/ Pacific Workshop on Interna- Organizations; Dagomys, U.S.S.R., 10- 14 June
tional Human Rights Issues; Manila , Philippines; 1991. Rep: Mrs. Machid Fatio.
7- 11 May 1990. Rep: Dr. Martha Taylor. 41. Third Preparatory Co mmittee (Prepcom) session for
29. First Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) session for the Un ited Nations Conference on Environment and
the United Nations Conference on Environment and Deve lopment (UNCED); Geneva, Switzerland ;
INT ERNA TIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 529
12 August-4 September 199 1. Reps : Mrs. Rebequa Ed ucation for All by the Year 2000; Paris, France;
Getahoun Murphy, Mrs . Han -J u Kim-Farley. December 1991. Rep : Mr. Daniel Wegener.
42. First Preparatory Committee session for the Un ited 47. World Health Organi zation International Forum on
Nations World Conference on Human Rights; "Health: a Cond itionality for Economic Devel op-
Geneva, Switzerland; 9- 16 September 199 1. Reps: ment, Breakin g the Cyc le of Poverty and Inequity";
Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Fatio. Accra, Ghana; 4-6 December 199 1. Rep : Mrs.
43. United Nations Educational Scientifi c and Cultural Beatrice Asare.
Organization Sub -Regional Meeting on Literacy in 48. Regional Consultation on Ed ucati on for All for
Francophone Africa; Porto Novo, Benin; October South Asia; Dhaka, Bangladesh; 24- 26 February
1991. Reps: Mr. Daniel Wegener, Mrs. Parvin 1992. Rep: Mr. Daniel Wegener.
Djoneidi. 49. Fourth Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) sess ion
44. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and for the United Nations Conference on Environment
the Pac ific (ESCAP) South As ian and Pacific Mini s- and Development (UNCED); New York, U.S.A.;
teri al Confe rence on Soc ial Welfare and Social 2 March- 3 April 1992. Reps : Mr. Lawrence Arturo,
Development; Manila, Philippines; 7- 11 October Mrs. Han-Ju Kim-Farley.
199 1. Reps: Mr. Husayn Anwar, Mrs . Tinai Hancock. 50. Second Preparatory Committee session for the
45 . United Nations Regional Symposi um on Co-opera- Uni ted Nations World Conference on Human
tion between the Economic and Social Commiss ion Rights; Geneva, Switzerl and ; 30 March- I 0 April
for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Non-govern- 1992. Reps: Mr. Wytze Bos, Mrs. Machid Fatio.
mental Organi zations (NGOs) for Rura l Poverty 5 1. Uni ted Nations Educational Sc ientific and Cultural
Alleviation; Bangkok, Thai land; 16-- 19 December Organ ization (UNESCO) Regional Seminar on
199 1. Reps: Mrs. Tinai Hancock. Strategies to Satisfy Bas ic Learning Needs; Santi-
46. Un ited Nations Educati onal Scientific and Cultural ago, Chil e; 20- 22 Apri l 1992. Reps: Mr. Dani el
Organization International Consultative Forum on Wegener, Mrs. Helen Mirkovitch de Sanchez.

ANNEX II

Statements, Reports and other Publications Presented by the Baha'i International
Community to the United Nations Ri<;Ivan 1986-Ri<;lvan 1992

I . Statemen t to the 42nd Session of the Economi c and 6. A Report to the United Nations Chil dren' s Fund
Social Commi ss ion for Asia and th e Pacific (UNICEF) on Baha'i In ternational Commun ity
(ESCAP); Bangkok, Thailand, 22 April- 2 May activities in support of International Youth Year,
1986. submitted 3 Jun e 1986.
2. Statemen t to the N inth Session of the United 7. Report to the UN Economic and Soc ial Council
Nations Commission on Human Settlements; (ECOSOC) on Baha'i In ternational Community
Istanbul , T urkey, 5--6 May 1986. consultative activities during the period January
3. " Food Security: The African Woman Farmer," 1982/December 1985; submitted 20 Jun e 1986.
a statement by Semin ar Resource Person Paul 8. "Education for Peace and Unity"; a statement
Oj ermark of the Baha'i Intern ational Community at submitted to the International Sympos ium "Educaa symposi um sponsored by the Advocates for tion fo r International Understanding and Peace";
African Food Security at UN Headqu arters, New Barce lona, Spain , 7- 12 Jul y 1986.
York, U.S.A., 15 May 1986. 9. " Persecution of the Baha' is in Iran 1979- 1986. A 7-
4. " Help African Women"; a statement presented Year Campaign to Elimin ate a Religious Minority,"
jointly by the members of the Advocates for African Second Ed ition. A booklet published by the Baha'i
Food Security to the UN General Assembly Spec ial Intern ational Community United Nations Office.
Session on the Critica l Economic Situati on in I 0. Statement to the Genera l Congress of the Interna-
Africa; New York, U.S.A ., 27-31 May 1986. tional Catholi c Child Bureau; Rome, Italy,
5. "Conflict-Free Confli ct Resolution: Concepts and 1-3 December 1986.
Methods" a paper by Hossain Danesh presented by 11 "Prevention of Drug Abuse: A Baha'i Perspective",
the Baha'i In ternational Community to the World a paper by A.M. Ghadirian , M .D., presented at the
Congress Devoted to the International Year of Peace InteJTegional Conference on the Involvement of
sponsored by the World Association of World NGOs in Prevention and Reduction of the Demand for
Federalists; Copenhagen, Denmark, October 1986. Drugs; Stockholm, Sweden, 15- 19 Dece mber 1986.
530 Tl-IE BAHA ' I WORLD

12. "The Fami ly: A Baha'i Perspective," a statement 22. Oral statement to the 43rd session of the Un ited
to the consul tation "The Family as the First Nations Commi ss ion on Human Rights on torture
Community," sponsored by the New York Non- and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
Governmenta Organ ization Worki ng Group on the punish111ent; Geneva, January/March 1987.
Family; New York, U.S.A. , 7 January 1987. 23. Oral statement to the 43rd session of the Com111is-
13. Statemen t submitted jointly by several non-govern- sion on Human Rights on the role of youth in the
menta l organizations to the United Nations promotion and protection of human rights; Geneva,
Co mmission on the Status of Women on the consul- January/March 1987.
tative role of NGOs in the implementation of the 24. Oral statement to the 43rd session of the United
Commission' s future work and in the Commiss ion's Nati ons Commi ssion on Human Rights in rebuttal
efforts to integrate the Na irobi Forward- Looking of the charges made by the representative of the
Strategies in to the Med ium-Term Plan and in to lsla111ic Republic of Iran in hi s statement to the
development programs; Vienna, Austria, 15 January Commiss ion on 5 March 1987; and in hi s reply on
1987. 9 and 10 March 1987. Geneva, March 1987.
14. Ora l statement to the 30th sess ion of the United 25. Oral statement to the United Nations Conference for
Nations Comm ission for Social Develop ment on the Promotion of Internati onal Cooperation in the
!Tends and strategies for socia l integrati on through Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (UNCP IC PUNE);
popu lar participation and poli cies for the advance- Geneva, Switzerland, 23 March- 0 April 1987.
ment of speci fie soc ial groups; V ienna, Austria , 26. Oral sta tement to the Tenth Sess ion of the UN Com-
23 February-4 March 1987 . mi ss ion on Human Settlements; Nairob i, Kenya,
15. Oral statement to the 43rd sess ion of the UN 6- 16 April 1987.
Commi ssion on Human Rights on the human 27. Wri tten statement to the 27th session of the Un ited
ri g hts si tuation of the Baha'is in Iran ; Geneva, Nations Committee for Programme and Co-ord ina-
Switzerland , 21 Janu ary 1987. ti on on Recurrent Publications of the United Nations,
16. Ora l statement to the 43rd sess ion of the United circulated as UN documen t E/AC.5 111 987/12;
Nations Commi ss ion on Human Rights on the status 28 Apri\- 23 May 1987.
of the in ternationa l covenant on economic, soc ial 28. Oral statement to the Un ited Nations International
and cultural rights. Geneva, Switzerland, Janu ary/ Conference on Drug Abuse and Illi cit Traffi cking;
March 1987. Vienna, Austria, 17- 26 June 1987.
17. Oral statement to the 43rd sess ion of the United 29. Statement on the Rights of Ind igenous Popu lations
Nations Commiss ion on Human Rights on the Ques- presented to the 5th session of the Workin g Gro up
tion of the Violation of Human Rights and on In dige nous Popul ations of the Sub-Commiss ion
Fundamental Freedoms in any Part of the World; on the Prevention of Discrim inat io n and Protection
Geneva, Sw itze rl and, January/ March 1987. of Min orities; Geneva , Switze rl and, 30 Ju ly 1987.
18. Written statement to the 43rd session of th e 30. Written statement to the Internationa l Conference
Commi ssion on Human Rights on the Ques ti on of on the Re lationship between Disarmame nt and
the Violation of Human Rights and Fundamental Develop111ent, circ ul ated as UN doc ument A/
Freedo ms in any Part of the World, with Particular Conf. 130/NG0/34; New York City, U.S.A. ,
Reference to Co lonial and Other Dependent Coun- 24 A ugust- I I September 1987.
tries and Territories, circu lated as UN document E/ 3 1. Written statement to the United Nations Interre-
CN.411987/23; Geneva, Switzerland, 28 Jan uary gional Consultation on Deve lopment Social We lfare
1987. Po li cies and Programmes, circu lated as UN docu-
19. Ora l statement to the 43rd sess ion of the United ment E/CONF.80/NG0 .7; V ienna, Austria,
Nation s Co mmi ss ion on Human Rights on the 7-15 September 1987.
Implementati on of the Programme of Action for the 32. Oral state ment to the UN Interregional Consultati on
Second Decade to Combat Racism and Racia l on Deve lopmenta l Soc ial We lfare Policies and Pro-
Discrimination; Geneva, January/March 1987. grammes; Vienna, AustTia, I 0 September 1987.
20. State ment to the 43rd sess ion of the United Nations 33. The Baha'i State ment on Nature, presented to HRH
Com111iss ion on Hu111an Rights on the !111pl ementa- the Duke of Edi nburgh when the Baha ' i Fa ith
tion of the Declaration on the Eli111ination of A ll became the sixth major religion to joi n the Worl d
For111s of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Network on Conseron Rel igion or Be lief; Geneva, January/ March 1987. vation and Re li gion on 5 October 1988.
2 1. O ral state ment to the 43rd sess ion of the UN Co111- 34. Oral statement on the situation of human ri ghts in
mi ssion on Hu111an Rights on the Question of the the Islamic Republic of Iran presented to the Th ird
rea lization in all co untries of the rights contained in Committee of the Un ited Nations General Assembly
the Universa l Dec laration of Human Rights and in at its 42nd session during consideration of the
the In ternationa l Covenant on Economic, Socia l and Report of the Economic and Soc ial Co uncil ; New
C ultural Rights; Geneva, .J anuary/March 1987. York C ity, U.S.A., 12 October 1987.
INTER NAT IO NAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIV ITI ES 531
35 . Written statement to the I 0th special session of the 47. Written statement on measures to combat racism
Uni ted Nations Economic and Social Counci l Com- and racial discrimination and the ro le of the Submission on Narcotic Drugs, circulated as UN Com mission circulated as UN document E/CN.4/
document E/CN.7/1988/NG0. 1; Vienna, Austria, Sub.211988/NG0/5 al the 40th session of the UN
8- 19 February 1988. Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination
36. Oral statement on the implementation of the pro- and Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland ,
gram me of action for the Second Decade to Combat 8 A ugust l 988.
Racism and Racia l Discrimination presented to the 48. Oral statement on th e human ri ghts situation of the
44th sess ion of the UN Comm iss ion on Human Baha'is in iran presented to th e 40th session of the
Rights ; Geneva, Switzerland, l 0 February 1988. United Nations Sub-commission on Prevention of
3 7. Oral statement on the right to development pre- Discrimination and Protection of Minori ties;
sented to the 44th session of the UN Commission on Geneva, Switzerland, August 1988.
Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, l 6 February 49. Oral statement on human ri ghts and disability pre-
1988. sented to the 40th session of the UN Sub-
38. Oral statement on the elimination of re ligiou s Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and
discrimination presented to the 44th session of the Protection of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland,
UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, August 1988.
Switzerland, 17 February 1988. 50. Written statement on human rights and disabi li ty,
39. Oral statement on the elimination of torture pre- circul ated as UN document E/C N.4/Sub.211988/
sented to th e 44th session of the UN Co mmi ssion on NG0/4 at the 40th sess ion of the UN Sub-Commis-
Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerl and, 19 February sion on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection
1988. of Minorities; Geneva, Switzerland , August 1988.
40. Oral statement on the human rights situati on of 5 1. Oral statement lo the Fourth Regional Conference
the Baha ' is in Iran, presented to the 44th session of on the Integration of Women into the Economi c
the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, and Soc ial Development of Latin America and the
Switzerland, I March 1988 . Caribbean; Guatemala City, Guatemala, 27-30 Sep-
4 1. Written statement on equality presented to the 32nd tember 1988.
session of the UN Commission on the Status of 52. "Spiri tua l Foundations for an Eco logica lly Sustain-
Women, circu lated as UN document E/CN.6/ 1988/ able Society," an essay by Robert White, origina lly
NGO/ I; Vienna, Austria, 14-23 March 1988. pub li shed in Th e Joum a/ of Balui 'i Studies (vo l. 2,
42. Written statement on the problems of rural women, no. I), issued as a monograph by the Office for the
includ ing food, water resources, agricultural tech- Environme nt as a contributi on lo the preparatory
nology, rural empl oyment, transportation and process for the Un ited Nations Co nference on Envienvironment, circu lated as UN document E/CN.6/ ronment and Development.
1988/NGO/l 3 at the UN Comm ission on the Status 53.0NE COUNTRY, Winter 1989, Vol. I, Issue I, the
of Women; Austria, 14- 23 March 1988. news letter of the Baha'i International Community.
43. Oral statement to the 44th session of the Economic Headline: "New Conservation Project Reaches oul
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pac ifi c lo Artistic Worl d," distributed 10 ambassadors,
(ESCAP); Jakarta, Indonesia, 11-20 Apri l 1988. diplomats and other leaders of thought.
44. Comments and views on a UN-commissioned study 54. Oral statement on implem entation of the Proo n the Ach ievements made and Obstacles Encoun- gram me of Action for the Second Decade to Combat
tered during the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racia l Discri mination presented to the
Racism and Racial Discrimination, subm itted to the 45th UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva,
UN Centre for Human Rights; Ge neva, Sw itzerland, Switzerland, 8 February 1989.
23 June 1988. 55. Ora l statement on the prob lems whi ch th e develop-
45. Ora l statement on the evo lution of standards con- ing countries face in their effo rts lo achi eve
cerni ng the rights of indigenous popu lations, economic, soc ia l and cu ltural rights, presented to the
presented to the 6th session of the Working Group 45th United Nations Comm ission on Human Rights;
on Indigenous Popu lations of the 40th session of the Geneva, Switzerland, 9 February 1989.
United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of 56. Oral statement on a World Campa ign for Human
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; Rights presented to the 45th United Nations Com -
Geneva, Switzerland, 1- 5 August 1988. mission on Human Rights; Geneva, Swi tzerland,
46. Oral statement on measures to combat racism and 15 February 1989.
racial discrimin ation and the ro le of the Sub-Com- 57. Oral statement on the human ri ghts situation of the
missio n lo the 40th session of the UN Sub- Baha'is in Iran presented lo the 45th Commission on
commi ss ion on Preventio n of Disc ri mination and Human Rights; Geneva, Switze rland, I March 1989.
Protection of Minoriti es; Geneva , Switzerland, 58. Oral statement on implementation of the Dec lara-
A ug ust 1988. ti on on the Elim ination of Al l Form s of Intolerance
532 THE BAHA'f WORLD

and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, Community for distribution at the World Conferpresented to the 45th Comm ission on Human ence on Education for A ll , Jomtien, Thailand,
Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, I March 1989. 5-9 March 1990.
59. Oral statement on a Baha' i development project for 71.0NE COUNTRY, Jan uary-March 1990, Vol. 2,
women in India, presented to the 33rd session of the Issue I, newsletter of the Baha ' i International
United Nations Comm ission on the Status of Commun ity. Headline: "A Visit to the Soviet Union,
Women; Vienna, Austria, 29 March- 7 April 1989. carry ing a message of peace, evokes a warm
60. ONE COUNTRY Spring 1989, Vo l. 1, Issue 2, response ."
newsletter of the Baha'i In ternational Community. 72. Written statement on the el im ination of all forms of
"Decade-long Effort to Promote Literacy Launched." intolerance and of discrimination based on religion
6 1. Report to the United Nations Di vision on the or belief, circulated as UN document E/CN.4/1990/
Advancement of Women, on Baha ' i International NG0/5 at the 46th session of the UN Co mmission
Community Implementation of the Nairobi on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 25 January
Forward-Looking Strategies; June 1989. 1990.
62.0ral statement on Baha ' i In ternational Community 73. Written statement on the impl ementation of the Pro-
Training Acti vities for Women in the Pacific, pre- gramme of Action for th e Second Decade to Combat
sented to th e South Pacific Commi ssion lnteragency Rac ism and Racial Di scrimination, circul ated as UN
Meeting; Suva, Fiji, 31 July-4 August 1989. docum ent E/CN .4/1990/NG0/7 at the 46th session
63. ONE COUNTRY, June-A ugust 1989, Vol. 1, Issue 3, of the UN Commission on Human Rights; Geneva,
newsletter of the Baha ' i International Community. Switzerland, 25 January 1990.
Headline: "S imple methods, simple training are 74. Written statement on the Report of the Sub-Comkeys to primary health care in vill ages." mi ssion on Prevention of Discrimination and
64. Oral statement on the evo lution of standards con- Protection of Minorities at its 41 st session , circucerning the rights of indigenous popu lations, lated as UN document E/CN .4/1990/NG 0/6 at the
presented to th e 7th session of the Working Group 46th session of the UN Commission on Human
on Indi genous Population s of the UN Sub-Comm is- Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 26 January 1990.
sion on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection 75. Ora l statement on the right to development, preof Minorities; Geneva, 3 August 1989. sen ted to the 46th session of the UN Commi ssion on
65. Oral statement on the human rights situation of the Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, 9 February
Baha' is in Iran, presented to the 41st session of the 1990.
United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of 76. Oral statement on the elimination of all forn1s of
Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; intolerance and di scrimination based on religion or
Geneva, 16 August 1989. be lief, presented to the 46th session of the UN Com-
66. Oral statement on measures to combat rac ism and mi ss ion on Human Rights; Geneva, Swi tzerland,
rac ial discrimination presented to the 41 st sess ion of 12 February 1990.
the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention 77. Oral statement on the situation of the Baha'is in iran
of Di scrimination and Protection of Minorities; to the 46th session of the UN Comm ission on
Geneva, 21 August 1989. Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland, February
67. Oral statement on the individua l and contemporary 1990.
International Law, presented in French to th e 4 1st 78. Statement submitted by the Advocates fo r Africa n
session of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Food Security and s igned by several non-govern-
Prevention of Discrimin ation and Protection of menta l organizations to the 34th sess ion of the UN
Minorities; Geneva, 30 August 1989. Commi ssion on the Status of Women , on the nega-
68. ONE COUNTRY, October- December 1989, Vol. I, ti ve effects of the international economic situation
Issue 4, newsletter of the Baha' i International Co m- on the improvement of the status of wome n; Vienna,
munity. Headline: "An is Zu nuzi Schoo l in Ha iti Austria, 26 February-9 March 1990.
emphasizes moral training and cooperation ski ll s." 79. Oral statement to the 34th session of the UN Com-
69. Oral statement on the implementation of the Arusha mi ssion on the Status of Women, on equali ty in
Strategies for the Advancement of Women in Africa po litical participation and dec ision-making; Vienna,
beyond the end of the Un ited Nations Decade for Austria, 26 February- 9 March 1990.
Women, presented to the 4th Regional Conference 80. Statement on NGOs and Literacy: Meeting Basic
on the Integration of Women in Development and Learning Needs-The Experience of Baha' i
on the Im plementation of the Arusha Strategies for Communities, presented to a round-tab le discussion
the Advance of Women in Africa, organized by the at th e World Conference on Education for A ll ;
Economi c Comm ission for Africa; Abuja, Nigeria, Jomtien , Thailand, 5-9 March 1990.
6-10 November 1989. 8 1. Statement on The Teacher's Situation: The Deter-
70. "Survey of Baha'i Education Programmes," January mining Factor of a Quality Education for All ,
1990, booklet published by the Baha'i International presented to a round-tabl e discussion at the World
INT ERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'f ACTIV ITI ES 533
Conference on Education for All; Jomtien, Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and
Thailand , 5-9 March 1990. Protection of Minorities; Geneva, 15 August 1990.
82. Statement on The Education of Girls: Co nstraints 94. Oral statement to the 42nd session of the United
and Policy Measures, presented to a round-table Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Disdiscussion at the World Conference on Education crimination and Protection of Minorities on the
for All ; Jomtien, Thailand, 5-9 March 1990. human rights si tuation of the Baha'is in Iran;
83. Statement on New Delivery Systems for Basic Geneva, August 1990.
Education, presented to a round-table discussion at 95 . Oral statement to the 42nd session of the UN
the World Conference on Education for all ; Jomtien, Sub-Commission on Prevention of Di scrimination
Thailand, 5-9 March 1990. and Protection of Mi nori ties on measures to com-
84. ONE COUNTRY, April-June 1990, Vol. 2, Issue 2, bat racism and racial discri mination and the ro le of
the newsletter of the Baha'i Intern ational Commu- the Sub-Commission; Geneva, August 1990.
nity. Headline: "A mong the Daga peop le in Papua 96. "The Common Goa l of Uni versal Peace in
New Guinea a newfound sense of cooperation Buddhism and the Baha ' i Faith," a paper delivered
emerges." to the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace;
85. Pamphlet describing the work of the Baha' i Interna- Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, 16-25 September 1990.
tional Community Office of the Environment. 97. ONE COUNTR Y, October-December 1990, vo l. 2,
86. Quadrennial Report to the Econom ic and Soc ial issue 4, the newsletter of the Baha'i lnternational
Counci l (ECOSOC) for the period January 1986 Community. Headline: "Vocational training for rural
through December 1989, describing the work of the women in India brings unexpected dividends."
Baha'i International Com munity as a non-govern- 98. Statement on the Proposed World Conservation
mental organization in consultative status. Strategy for the I 990 ' s, delivered to the General
Appendix I li sts United Nations meetings attended; Assembly of the World Conservation Union
Appendix II lists statements presented to United (IUCN) ; Perth , Austra lia, 26 November 1990.
Nati ons bodies. 99. "Baha'i Faith," an essay published in The New
87. "Women 2000 Report" submitted in response to a Road, Issue No. 16, Oct-Dec 90, published by
questionnaire from the UN Division for the the World Wide Fund for Nature. This essay was
Advancement of Women in Vienna, Austria, for submitted in response to "editorial requests to
publication in the magazine, Women 2000. Also schol ars w ithin al l major faiths for their stand on
used in the preparation of a background document the popu lation issue. "
on Machinery for the Integration of Women in 100. ONE COUNTRY, January-March 1991, Vol. 3,
Development for th e 199 1 session of the UN Com- Issue I, the newsletter of the Baha' i Internati onal
mission on the Status of Women. Communi ty . Headline: "Bolivian Environmental
88. ONE COUNTRY, Ju ly-Septem ber 1990, Vol. 2, Research Center Focuses on Problems of the
Issue 3, the news letter of the Baha'i lnternational Altipl ano."
Community. Head line: "Nur Un iversity: An educa- IOI. "A Baha ' i perspective on drug abuse prevention"
tional Upstart Exceeds Expectati ons in Bolivia." an article by A.M . Ghad irian in Bulletin on Nar-
89. Ora l statement to the 8th session of the Working cotics Vol. XLIII, No . I, 1991 , published by the
Group on Indigenous Popu lations, addressing the United Nations International Drug Control Program.
evolution of standards concerning the rights of 102. Report on Baha'i International Community activiindigenous popu lations. Geneva, 23 Jul y-3 August ties in suppo rt of International Literacy Year,
1990. 1990, presented to th e International Task Force on
90. Oral statement to the 8th sess ion of the Working Literacy, 4-8 February, 1991 , Bonn, Germany.
Group on Indigenous Populations, on the promotion 103. "The Book Voyage," a proj ect of the International
and protection of human rights and fundamenta l Task Force on Literacy in support of Internati onal
freedoms of indigenous popu lations. Literacy Year 1990, which culminated in ceremo-
9 1. Statement by the Baha'i Intern ational Community to nies at the UN in New York on 10- 11 Decem ber
the Baltic Sea Ra lly on Minorities and Human 1990. Report presented to the International Task
Rights, Bornholm 27 Jul y 1990. Force on Literacy, Bonn, Germany; 4-8 February,
92. Statement on the importance of invol ving non- 1991.
gove rnmental organ iza tions (NGOs) in the process 104. Statement on the lnternational Year of the Family
of preparing for the United Nat ions Conference on submitted jointly by several NGOs to the 32nd
Environment and Development (UNCED), pre- sess ion of the Commission on Social Deve lopsented to the first substanti ve session of the ment; Vienna, 11 -20 February 199 1.
Preparatory Committee for UNCED; Nairobi, 105 . Written statement on the Rights of persons belong
Kenya, 6-31 August 1990. ing to national, ethn ic, religi ous and linguistic
93 . Oral statement on Protection of Minorities, pre- minorities, circulated as UN document E/CN.4/
sented to the 42nd session of the UN Sub- 1991 /NG0/9 at the 47th Session of the UN
534 THE BAHA' f WORLD

Commission on Human Rights; Geneva, Switzer- 11 7. Oral statement presented jointly by the Baha 'i
land, February 199 1. Intern ati onal Communi ty and the NSAs of Brazil
I 06. Statement submitted jointly by several non- and Belgium to the Meeting of Peace Messenger
governmental organizations to the 4 7th Session Organizations; U.S.S .R., June 1991.
of the UN Co mmission o n Human Rights on the 118. Proposal for the Improvement of the working
status of the Convention on the Rights of the methods of the Sub-Commission on the Preven-
Child; Geneva, February 199 1. tion of Discrimination and Protection of
107. Oral statement to the 47th Session of the UN Minorities with regard to the role ofNGOs.
Commi ssion o n Human Rights on the human 119. ONE COUNTRY, July-September 199 1, Vol. 3,
rights situation of the Baha ' is in Iran; Geneva, Issue 3, newsletter of the Baha' i International
February 199 1. Com munity. Headl ine: "New Survey of NGOs
108. Ora l statement to the 47th Session of the UN Com- suggests root causes of African food problems."
mi ssion on Human Rights on Impl ementation of 120. Oral statement on the human rights situation of the
the Declaration on the Elimi nation of All Forn1s of Baha ' is in Iran, presented to the 43rd sess ion of the
Intolerance and of Di scrimination Based on Reli - UN Sub-Commi ssion on the Preventi on of Di scrimgion or Belief; Geneva, Switzerland, February 199 1. ination and Protection of Minorities; August 199 1.
109. Statement submitted joi ntl y by several NGOs to 12 1. "Intern ational Legislation for Environment and
th e 35 th session of the UN Comm ission on the Development," a statement presented to the Inter-
Status of Women, add ressing the priority theme , national Environmental Law Conference; The
Peace: Refugee and di splaced women and chil- Hague, 12- 16 August 199 1. Also presented in a
dren; Vienna, Austria, March 1991. sli ghtly modified forrn to Working Group III of
110. Statement submitted by the Ad vocates for African the 3rd session of the Preparatory Committee for
Food Security: lessening th e burden fo r women on The UN Conference on Environment and Deve lbehalf of severa l NGOs to the 35th session of th e opment (UNCED); Geneva, August 199 1.
UN Commission on the Status of Women, on th e 122. Oral intervention at the ! st session of the Preparaimplementati on of the Nairobi Forward-looking tory Co mmittee for the World co nfere nce on
Strategies for the Adva ncement of Women; Human Rights; Geneva, I I September 1991.
Vienna, Austria, 27 February to 5 March . 123. ONE COUNTRY, October- December 1991 , Vol. 3,
111. Statement submitted j ointl y by several NGOs to Issue 4, newsletter of the Baha' i International
the 2nd session of the Preparatory Committee (Prep- Co mmunity. Headline : "On the Road to Rio:
com) for the UN Conference on th e Environment women ' s voices are raised in Miami ."
and Development (UNCED) on the interrelation- 124. " Women and Men: Partn ership for a Healthy
ship between popul atio n and environment and Planet," a statement presented to the World
development and the essential ro le of women in Women's Congress for a Healthy Pl anet; Miami ,
these processes; Geneva, 18 March- 5 April 199 1. Florida, August 8- 14, 1991.
11 2. Comments on the Questionnaire annexed to the 125 . Contribution to wording of the Report on Institu-
Special Rapporteur' s progress report on "Poss ibl e tional Proposals by the Secretary General of the
ways and means of facilitating the peaceful and Conference, Paragraph 89, drafted 13 December
constructive solutions of situations invol ving 1991 ; presented to Working Group Ill of the 4th
minoriti es"; Geneva, March 1991. Preparatory Comm ittee fo r UNCE D; New York,
113. ONE COUNTRY, Apri l- June 199 1, Vo l. 3 issue 2, 2 March-3 April 1992.
Baha ' i International Community news letter. Head- 126. Report submitted to the UN Regiona l Symposium
lin e: "Earth Summit" in 1992 stimu lates NGO on Cooperation between the Economi c and Social
activ iti es worldwide." Commi ssion for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
114. "Elements for Inclusion in the Proposed "Earth and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) fo r
Charter," suggestions offered to the 2nd Preparatory Rura l Poverty Alleviation; Bangkok, Thailand,
Committee of The UN Conference on Environment 16 December 1991.
and Development (UNCED); Geneva, 5 April 199 1. 127. ONE COUNTRY, October-December 199 1, Vol. 4,
115. Statement on the girl child, presented to the United Issue I, newsletter of the Baha'i International
Natio ns Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Community. Headline: "Befo re it begins the Earth
Board, under agenda item Women in development; Summit chalks up successes."
New York, 22 Apri l 199 1. 128. Statement on the Impl ementation of th e Pro-
11 6. "Culture and Development: A Survey of the gramme of Acti on for the Second Decade to
Baha' i Experience," a talk given at a seminar on Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination, subthe UN World Decade for Cultura l Development, mitted to the 48th session of th e UN Commission
sponsored by the NGO Committee fo r Sustain ab le on Human Ri gh ts; Geneva, February 1992.
Development and UNESCO at UN Headquarters; 129. Oral statement on the ri ghts of persons belonging to
New York City, May 29, 199 1. national, ethnic, religious and linguisti c minoriti es,
INTER NAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA 'I ACTIVIT IES 535
presented to the 48th session of the UN Commis- 135. Oral statement urging the inclusion of the princision on Human Rights; Geneva, February 1992. ple of the oneness of humani ty in the preamble to
130. Oral statement on Implementation of the Declara- the Earth Charter, presented to Working Group III
ti on on the Elimination of All Forms of of PrepCom 4 for the United Nations Conference
Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Reli- on Environment and Development (UNCED);
gion or Belief, presented under agenda item 22 to New York, 4 March 1992. Also circulated as a
the 48th session of the Commission on Human longer written statement.
Rights; Geneva, February 1992. 136. ONE COUNTRY, Vo l. 4 issue 2, April-June 1992,
131 . Oral statement on the human rights situation of the Baha' i International Community. Headline: "The
Baha'is in Iran, presented to the 48th sess ion of Legacy of Rio : A New Global Vision."
the Commission on Human Rights ; Geneva, 137. Statement on the human rights of women pre-
Switzerland, 19 February 1992. sented by the Baha'i Internationa l Community on
132. Written statement presented jointly by several behalf of several non-governmental organizations
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and cir- to the 2nd session of the Preparatory Committee
culated as UN document E/CN .6/ 1992/ 1. at the for the World Conference on Human Rights;
36th session of the UN Commission on the Status Geneva, 6 April 1992.
of Women on priority themes: Equa lity (Elimina- 138. Statement encouraging involvement of nontion of de Jure and de facto discrimination against governmental organizations (NGOs) in regional
women) and Deve lopment (Integration of women meetings, submitted jointly by several NGOs to
in the process of development); Vienna, Austria, the 2nd session of the Preparatory Comm ittee for
20 February 1992. the World Conference on Human Rights; Geneva,
133. Statement on partnership between women and March 30-April 10, 1992 .
men for sustainable development, submitted to the 139. Description of the Baha'i International Community
36th session of the Commission on the Status of submitted for a Round Table on "U nderstanding
Women; Vienna, Austria, March 1992. the role of international non-governmental organi-
134. Oral statement about the effects of gender discrim- zations: challenges and opportun ities for the United
ination on girl children presented under the Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations,"
priority theme equality to the 36th session of the hosted by the Co mmittee on Non-Governmental
UN Commi ssion on the Status of Women; Vienna, Organ izations of the Economic and Social Council
Austria, 17 March 1992. (ECOSOC); New York, 9 Apri l 1992.

The Baha'i International Community was represented at the fourth Regional South Pacific
Committee Conference of Pacific Women, held in Suva, Fiji, from 17-23 September 1988.
On the left: Mrs. Mary Sawicki Power; on the right: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.
536 THE BAHA' I WORLD

ANNEX III

Relationship of the Baha 'i International Community with the
South Pacific Commission
(Con fe rences Attended)

1. The 5th meeting of the Committee of Representa- 7. The I 0th meeting of the Committee of Representatives of Governments and Admini strations (CRGA) tives of Governments and Admini strations (CRGA)
of the South Pacific Commi ssion; Noumea, New of the South Pacific Commiss ion; Noumea, New
Caledonia; 26-3 0 May 1986. Rep : Mrs. Ti nai Caledonia; 22 -26 May 1989. Rep: Mrs . Ti nai
Hancock. Hancock.
2. The 26th Con ference of the South Pacific Commis- 8. South Pacific Commission lnteragency Meeting;
sion; Papeete, French Polynesia; 3-5 November Suva, Fiji ; 3 1 July-4 August 1989. Rep: Mrs. T inai
1986. Rep: Mrs . Tinai Hancock. Hancock.
3. The 7th meeting of the Committee of Representa- 9. The 29th Conference of the South Pacifi c Commis -
tives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA) sion; Agana, Guam; 9-11 October 1989. Rep:
of the South Pacific Commission; Nou mea, New Mrs. Tinai Hancock.
Caledoni a and the Loyalty Islands; 18-22 May IO. The 30th Conference of the South Pacific Commis-
1987. Reps: Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Mr. Timoci sion ; Noumea, New Caledon ia; 29-3 1 October 1990.
Serevi. Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock.
4 . The 27th Conference of the South Pacific Commis- 11 . So uth Pacific Commi ssion lnteragency Meeting;
sion; Noumea, New Ca ledonia; I 0-14 October 1987. Suva, Fij i; 18-20 February 199 1. Rep: Mrs. Audrey
Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock. Hancock-Aumua.
5. The 4th Regional Sou th Pacific Commi ss ion 12. The 12th meeting of the Committee of Representa-
Conference of Pacific Women ; Suva, Fij i; ti ves of Govern ments and Admini strations (CRGA)
17-23 September 1988. Reps: Mrs. Tinai Hancock, of the South Pac ific Commiss ion (SPC); Noumea,
Ms. Mary Sawicki Power. New Caledonia ; 27-31 May 199 1. Rep: Mrs. Audrey
6. The 28th Conference of the Sou th Pacific Commis- 1-lancock-Aumua.
sion ; Rarotonga, Cook Islands; I 0-1 2 October 1988. 13. The 3 1st Conference of the South Pacific Commis-
Rep: Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Ms. Mary Sawicki sion; Tonga; 28-30 October 199 1. Rep: Mrs. T inai
Power. Hancock.

Statements Presented to the South Pacific Commission and
at Conferences in the Region
I. Statement to the Fifth Session of the South Pacific 5. Statement to the I 0th Meeting of the South Pacific
Commission. Committee of Representatives of Gov- Commiss ion 's Commi ttee of Representatives of
ernments and Admini strations (CRGA); Noumea, Governments and Admini strations (CRGA); Noumea,
New Caledonia, 26-30 May 1986. New Ca ledonia, 22-26 May 1989.
2. Statement to the 26th South Pacific Conference; 6. Statement on Baha' i International Communi ty Train-
Papee te, French Polynesia, 3- 5 November 1986. ing Activities for Women in the Pacific, presented to
3. Statement on health, ed ucation and the role of the South Pacifi c Commiss ion In teragency Meeting;
women presented to the 9th Meeting of the South Suva, Fiji , 3 1 July-4 August 1989.
Pac ifi c Commiss ion's Committee of Representa- 7. Statement to the 29th South Pacific Commission
tives, Governments and Administrations (CARGA); [SPC] Conference; Agan a, Guam; 9-11 October 1989.
Noumea, New Cal edonia , 23- 27 May 1988. 8. Statement on Health and Nutriti on presented to
4. Statement submitted to the 28th South Pacific the Committee of Representati ves of Governments
Conference (SPC); Rarotonga, Cook Islands , and Administrations (C RGA) of the South Pacific
I 0-12 October 1988. Commiss ion (SPC); Noumea, New Caledon ia,
27-3 I May 1991.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES

3. THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC lNFORMA TION

THE Baha'i International Community's Development of Supplemental Resource
Office of Public Information was one year Materials
old when the Six Year Plan opened at The task of creating resource materials to
Ric;lvan 1986. Established for the purpose of supplement those produced by National
promoting a favorable and accurate image Assemblies was undertaken principally by
of the Baha'i Faith internationally, the the Haifa Office. Economies offered by the
Office disseminated information, produced opportunity to design and produce materials
resource materials, corrected inaccuracies centrally were especially attractive in the
and misperceptions, developed collaborative area of pamphlet literature. In 1987, a prorelationships with like minded groups, and gram entitled the Perspective Series was
provided assistance and advice to National undertaken to make available to National
Spiritual Assemblies and their information Assemblies high quality literature on major
agencies. subjects of public concern. Multi-language
editions meant that such brochures could be
Development of Branch Offices sold at prices below what could be achieved
The Office was created with its headquarters if such items were produced by individual
at the World Centre and a branch office in National Assemblies.
New York City. Late in 1988, a third office An agreement was made with the United
was established in Paris to give greater Kingdom Publishing Trust to handle proattention to supporting the work of the duction, marketing, and distribution, with
Baba' i's United Nations Office in Geneva, the Office of Public Information taking
and to take advantage of the opportunities responsibility for the production of the
offered by collaboration with European copy, artwork, and design. The collabora-
National Assemblies and francophone tion resulted in three separate titles being
National Assemblies elsewhere. The follow- produced: The Bahri 'i Faith, Social and
ing year, March 1989, a fourth office was Economic Development, and Education: A
opened in Hong Kong. Its mandate was Bahri 'i Perspective. By the end of the Plan,
directed principally to assisting the public the series had appeared in twenty-one
information work of National Assemblies different language editions, and had sold
in countries with large Chinese-speaking nearly 800,000 copies.
populations. The Office also promoted the production
During this period, a Public Information of audio-visual presentations. In 1988, it
Officer was also appointed to coordinate sponsored the production by a private firm
activities in London. In due course, the Public of a documentary film on the Baha'i Temple
Information Officers in Paris, Hong Kong, in India, The Heart of the Lotus. A few
and London were each asked by their months later it produced a retrospective on
respective National Assemblies to serve also the development of the Cause between 1983
in a similar national capacity, thus ensuring and 1988, The Fourth Epoch Opens. In colmaximum collaboration between the Faith's laboration with the World Centre's Audionational and international interests. The Visual Department, it supplied materials and
three National Assemblies also made office advice, and provided liaison assistance for a
and other facilities available. number of other productions. Just before the
538 THE BAl-IA ' i WORLD

conclusion of the Plan, the Office began Centre. Among the contacts that led to artiworking with two private Baha'i-owned firms cles or programs were visits by the British
on the production of a film documentary on Broadcasting Corporation ' s World Service,
the Mission ofBaha'u'llah. France ' s TFl and FR3, Germany's ZDF,
Another major concern of the Office was Bulgarian Television, World Television
the production of statements on subjects News, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporasuch as capital punishment and the role of tion, and a number of newspapers and
women in the Baha' i community for the television stations in the United States.
assistance of national public inforn1ation The New York office undertook a camoffices. paign to secure maximum coverage of the
In December 1990, at the request of the award-winning New Delhi House of W or-
Universal House of Justice, the Office of ship prior to and during its dedication in
Public Inf01mation wrote and produced an December 1986. Inf01mation kits were
introduction to Baha'u'llah's life and mission. prepared and distributed to architectural mag-
This statement, entitled simply Baha 'u 'llah, azines throughout the world, resulting in
was translated into a large number of several hundred a1iicles, many of them with
languages.á full color reproductions and design drawings, a number of them featuring the Temple
Media Activities on the magazine ' s cover.
During the Six Year Plan fourteen major For the 1988 International Convention
press releases were issued to the interna- in Haifa, a video cassette of brief news clips
tional media by the New York office, which of the event was produced, duplicated in
established the position of Information all three of the major international formats
Officer in April 1987. This office also pre- (PAL, NTSC, SECAM), and supplied to
pared a number of other press releases for each national delegation at the end of the
use by national Baha' i information offices Convention for broadcasting immediately
around the world. Membership in the New upon the delegation's return home. The
York Foreign Press Association and the appearance of the clip on South Africa's
Religious Public Relations Council also national television within 48 hours of the
sháengthened relations with international end of the convention was pa1iicularly
news media. gratifying.
Paris was also extremely active in this In London, the eff01is of the representaarea, developing contacts with both print tive of the Office of Public Information were
and television media that led to coverage of rewarded by an invitation for her to join
the Faith in such programs as the prime-time the Fore ign Press Association, giving her
Le Sphinx. The Hong Kong office energeti- unusual access to publicity oppmiunities. In
cally pursued the development of relations New York, the Public Information Officer
with the media on the Chinese mainland. secured membership in the Foreign Press
Programs covering educational and cultural Association as a journalist, and also won the
exchanges were extremely well-received distinction of being appointed Press Officer
and proved very useful in highlighting the of the U.S. Public Relations Council.
international image of the Faith.
Throughout the Six Year Plan, largely Building Relationships
because of the energetic efforts of Nationa l A good deal of energy was devoted tluáough-
Assemblies around the world, as well as out the Six Year Plan to the development
the branch offices of the Office of Public of contacts with leaders of t11ought and
Information, a growing nw11ber of media collaborative relationships with like-minded
representatives began visiting the World organizations. Formal association was
INTER NATIO NAL SU RVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 539

inaugurated with the World Wide Fund for Baha'is, which was entitled "The Common
Nature and the World Conference for Reli- Goal of Universal Peace in Buddhism and
gion and Peace, and practical assistance the Baha'i Faith." The statement had been
was given to the Baha'i International Com- translated into Mongolian, and approximunity's United Nations Office and to a mately two hundred Mongolian and two
number of National Spiritual Assemblies in hundred English copies were distributed.
the promotion of cooperative activities with (See also p. 209)
various other agencies.
Paris proved to be a particularly impor- One Country
tant centre for this area of the Office's work, From its inception, a goal of the Office of
with some thirty private receptions being Public Information was the publication of a
held for prominent personalities, over fifty newsletter addressed to influential nonofficial meetings, and participation in some Baha 'i circles. By the beginning of 1989
eighty international events. The Paris office preparations were complete, and the first
also took the lead in coordinating the partici- issue of the English language edition of One
pation of the National Spiritual Assemblies Country was published that February. In
of France, the United Kingdom, and all, sixteen issues were produced during
Germany in the World Centre for Peace and the remaining years of the Six Year Plan;
Human Rights at Verdun, which included a the last issue during the Plan was mailed
Baha'i exhibition. to nearly 12,000 prominent individuals , non-
In Haifa, the growing recognition of the governmental organizations, government
Faith around the world produced a steady agencies, academic institutions and media in
increase in the number of distinguished over 180 countries and territories. The New
visitors to the World Centre: diplomats , York Office received a total of six hundred
academics, parliamentarians, and officers of responses from recipients, almost all of
various international organizations. An esti- which were very positive.
mated 450 receptions for distinguished The French language edition was
visitors were organized during the course of launched in October of 1989 by the Paris
the Plan. (See also section III. I) Office. Ten issues had appeared by the con-
Significant events included the co-spon- clusion of the Plan, the final going out to
soring in October 1988 of "The Aris for nearly 2,000 people in over 50 countries. As
Nature" program in support of conservation, with the English language edition, there
an initiative launched at Sion House in Lon- were seventy-four letters of appreciation, the
don, with Amatu'l-Baha Rul_iiyyih Khanum majority of them requesting additional inforand His Royal Highness Prince Philip as mation about the Faith and its activities. A
guest speakers. The following year the Chinese language edition followed in June
World Forestry Charter Gatherings, an of 1990, eight issues appearing during the
institution established by Richard St. Barbe Plan. The mailing list included nearly 2,000
Baker in 1945 , was revived in London, addressees in over 30 countries, and the
in collaboration with the United Nations Hong Kong Office reported a similarly
Environmental Program. (See also sub- appreciative response from the recipients.
section 4, starting on p. 541) During the Plan, the English edition
In 1991, Baha' is were invited to attend received two significant awards for quality:
the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace an "Award of Merit" for excellence from the
(ABCP) held in Ulaan Baator, Mongolia, from U.S.-based Religious Public Relations
18 to 23 September. Han-ju Kim-Farley, the Council (April 1991); and the "Grand
only woman speaker during the Conference, Award" in the APEX 1991 awards for publipresented the principle statement of the cations' excellence. The French edition had
540 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

the distinction of special mention in Le plans for the Holy Year. At the World
Monde Diplomatique's July issue, among Centtáe, a campaign was organized to include
international reviews that were recom- international media at the Commemoration
mended to the readership. Stories from both of the Centenary of the Ascension of
the English and French editions have been Baha'u'llah. The Haifa Office also was
reprinted in a number of other publications . involved in the planning and preparation of
As the Plan ended, the first issue of the the program for the World Congress . After
new Russian-language edition, launched assisting in the development of the central
through the intennediary of the Paris Office, theme, the Office prepared a "treatment" for
had just come off the press in Moscow. each of the four days of the main event at
Javits Center, for the consideration of the
Consultation with National Spiritual World Congress Program Committee. Once
Assemblies the program had been finalized, the Office
One of the most important tasks of the undertook to produce one of the four major
Office of Public Information was its ongoing audio-visual segments and to serve as conservice as a consultant and source of infor- sultant for the production of the other three.
mation to National Spiritual Assemblies and Starting in April 1991, the New York
their public information agencies. By the Office was appointed as the executive arm
end of the Plan the Haifa Office's corre- of the Congress ' Media Task Force,
spondence alone had reached nearly one devoting approximately ninety percent of its
thousand items a year, and the branch time and resources to Congress publicity.
Offices conttáibuted significantly in pro- Conferences were organized for media providing information and advice by mail. The fessionals, an international media campaign
director of the Office ttáavelled extensively was developed, a promotional video profor the same purpose, and a number of duced, and regional meetings organized in
significant projects resulted from these several parts of the world.
consultations with National Spiritual More than one hundred and seventy
Assemblies. A public information manual Baha'is from twenty-two counttáies, most of
was prepared by the Haifa Office and them employed in journalism, broadcasting,
distributed to the International Network. The film-making, advertising, and public rela-
New York Office developed a media tions attended two-day conferences held
training workshop for national public infor- in Los Angeles and New York during the
mation officers, and assisted in organizing spring of 1991. The purpose of the conferttáaining sessions in Switzerland (1988) , India ences was to develop ideas for reaching the
(1990) and South Africa (1991). media with the story of the Second Baha' i
Late in 1991 the Universal House of Jus- World Congress .
tice created the International Advisory After many months of consultation, the
Group with the Office of Public Inforn1ation Task Force produced a Global Media Camas its executive agency. The Group 's man- paign which was approved by the Universal
date was to help coordinate Baha' i advice House of Justice and disseminated to the
and assistance to governments and non-gov- Baha' is worldwide.
ernmental organizations, particularly those One result was the development and
functioning in countries of the former Soviet expansion of the International Public Infor-
Union and the neighboring republics . mation Network, originally set up by the
Haifa Office and devoted totally to the
Preparation for the Holy Year publicity needs of the Congress beginning
The Office of Public Inforn1ation became in November 1991. Regional meetings to
extensively involved in various aspects of bring together National Public Information
INT ERNA TION AL SURVEY OF CURREN T BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 541

Officers, Task Force representatives, Canada, Fiji, Germany, Hawaii, Hong Kong,
National Assembly representatives and Con- India, Kenya, Panama, Puerto Rico, Russia,
tinental Counsellors were held in Brazil, Spain, Turkmenistan, and Zimbabwe.

Amatu 'l-Baha
RufJ,iyyih Khiznum
presenting the Bahiz 'i
Statement on Nature
to HR.H. Prince
Philip, the Duke of
Edinburgh, on the
occasion ofthe Baha'i
Faith joining the Network on Conservation
and Religion of the
World Wide Fund
for Nature.
3 October 1987.

4. THE BAHA'f OFFICE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Relations with United Nations Agencies Baha'i International Community repreand Non-Governmental Organizations sentatives met several times with top
The Baha'i International Community has officials from the World Wide Fund for
been associated with the United Nations Nature to discuss potential areas of
Environment 'Program (UNEP) since 1974. collaboration, and the Baha'i International
Ties with UNEP were strengthened during Conununity provided articles for The New
the Six Year Plan through visits by Baha'i Road on Baha'i perspectives and conservarepresentatives to senior UNEP officials, tion projects. National Spiritual Assemblies
and through Baha'i attendance at three ses- were also encouraged to explore cooperation
sions of the UNEP Governing Council. The with the World Wide Fund in their respec-
Baha 'i International Community also estab- tive countries.
lished relations in the early 1980s with the In October 1988, the Baha'i International
Environment Liaison Centre International. Community and the World Wide Fund
Connections with other environmental co-sponsored a fund-raising banquet and
NGOs reached a new stage when the Baha 'i reception in London to launch "Arts for
International Conununity became a Working Nature". The program was conceived by His
Partner of the Centre For Our Cornn1on Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of
Future and a member of the Network on Edinburgh, as a means of drawing on visual
Conservation and Religion of the World and perforn1ing arts to enlist public support
Wide Fund for Nature. A ceremony marking for critical environmental needs around the
the Baha'i Community's forn1al affiliation world. The Hand of the Cause of God
with the Network took place in Winchester, Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum, represent-
England, on 3 October 1987, after which a ing the Baha' i International Community,
front page story on the event was printed in addressed the two hundred guests, among
the World Wide Fund for Nature publica- whom were influential figures in British
tion, Th e New Road. public life and leading European artists.
542 THE BAHA'I WORLD

On 11 September 1989, the Baha'i Inter- encourage sustainable development activinational Community hosted a one-day sym- ties within the Baha'i community, taking
posium entitled "Africa-Environment and over responsibility for enviromnent-related
Development: NGO Perspectives for the activities from the Baha 'i International
1990s." Held at the Baha'i International Community' s United Nations Office and
Community Office in New York in collab- Office of Public Information.
oration with the United Nations Non-
Participation in the Earth Summit
governmental Liaison Service and the Club Process
of Rome, the event was plam1ed to present Three months after the creation of the Office
an African perspective on environment and of the Environn1ent, the United Nations Gendevelopment issues to representatives of eral Assembly mandated the United Nations
Wes tern donor countries, donor agencies, Conference on Enviromnent and DevelopandNGOs. ment, better known as the Earth Sunm1it, to
The Baha'i International Community also be held in early June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro,
collaborated with a number of environmental Brazil. The hope for this conference was that
organizations to reinstitute the annual World heads of state would be able to set aside their
Forestry Charter Gatherings. These Gather- differences for the sake of future generations
ings had been founded in 1945 by Richard and establish a new international framework
St. Barbe Baker, a well-known Baha'i who for sustainable development.
had founded Men of the Trees. For more The process of planning and preparing
than two decades he had sponsored an for the Earth Sunm1it, which took place on
annual luncheon at which representatives of all continents, provided excellent opportuninational governments and other influential ties for Baha ' i International Community
persons were apprised of the cunent situa- involvement both within and outside of the
tion of the world 's forests. The tradition was United Nations system. Representatives of
revived on 15 December 1989 in London, the Community- many of whom were volwith a gathering attended by ambassadors or unteer consultants in the field- attended
their representatives from fifteen countries. forty-three conferences and gatherings,
The event was co-sponsored by the UNEP , scores of receptions , and over fifty meetings
the United Nations Development Program, of other non-govenm1ental organizations. In
Men of the Trees, the World Wide Fund for addition, the Office of the Enviromnent was
Nature, Living Earth, and SOS Sahel. a member of five Earth Summit-related
NGO working groups/networks, and signed
Creation of the Baha'i Office of the two joint NGO statements.
Environment Baha'i principles relating to the environ-
To support this ever-increasing Baha'i work ment and development were shared with
on behalf of the enviromnent, and immedi- many United Nations officials, members
ately following the October 1989 release of government, NGO representatives, acaby the Universal House of Justice of a demics, and individuals. Five different
new compi lation entitled "Conservation of displays were created by the Office of the
the Earth's Resources" prepared by the Enviromnent for use at conferences, and five
Research Department of the Baha'i World oral and eight written statements were pre-
Centre, the Baha'i Office of the Environ- sented on various aspects of the environn1ent
ment was created with its headquarters in and development, each of which focussed
New York City. It was to represent the on an essential Baha'i principle such as the
environn1ental interests of the Baha' i Inter- oneness of humanity and the equality of men
national Conmmnity externally and to and women.
INTERNATIO NA L SURVE Y OF CURRENT BAH A' I ACTIVITIES 543
The response to the Baha ' i perspective least fourteen National Spiritual Assemblies
was very positive, with Baha'i principles established National Desks or Offices of the
being discussed extensively as part of the Environment, and many local communities
Ea1ih Summit process. Many United Nations' established such Desks or Offices.
governmental, and NGO documents carried The Office supported these national and
direct quotations or paraphrases of Baha' i local activities with information and materiprinciples as they appeared in Baha' i Inter- als, some developed in collaboration with
national Community statements. the Baha'i Office of Social and Economic
Development. Thousands of letters and
Participation of National Spiritual
phone calls requesting information and
Assemblies in the Earth Summit Process
advice not only from Baha'i instih1tions but
The Office of the Environment worked with from NGOs, government officials, universi-
National Spiritual Assemblies in their re- ties, and institutions were answered . In
spective national preparatory processes for
addition, the Office hosted more than three
the Earth Summit, providing them with hundred and fifty visitors from various
information and advice on environmental organizations.
and developmental issues. Four National Spir-
CotTespondence, reports, and interaction
itual Assemblies-Brazil, Iceland, Singapore, with Baha' is indicate that many communities
and the United States- became officially
have undertaken small-scale environmental
accredited to the Earth Summit. In addition , service projects, and that Baha' i communithe Office of the Environment worked very
ties are sh1dying the environmental and
closely with the National Spiritual Assembly
developmental issues and the principles of
of Brazil to plan activities to take place dur- the Faith that most directly relate to them.
ing the Global Forum- the NGO conference
held concurrent with the Earth Summit. Publications
Among these activities were eleven different
cultural events and the presentation, as a Written materials offering the Baha'i
permanent gift to the people of Rio de perspective on the environment and devel-
Janeiro, of a Peace Monument inscribed opment were both created and encouraged
with the following words: "The earth is but by the Office of the Environment during
one country, and mankind its citizens. - the last half of the Six Year Plan. Three
Baha 'u 'llah" . Baha' i statements on the requirements for
sustainable development were published as
Supporting National Baha'i Conservation brochures and translated into French, Spanish,
Activities and Portuguese. The Baha'i International
Twenty-five circular letters were sent during Community newsletter, One Country , carthe first two and a half years of the existence ried conservation-related articles in each
of the Office of the Environment encourag- edition, and an article which appeared in the
ing national commun1t1es to consider Journal of the Association f or Bahli 'i
initiating conservation projects and activi- Studies, entitled "Spiritual Foundations of
ties, and providing them with copies of an Ecologically Sustainable Society," was
the eight Baha ' i International Community reprinted jointly by the Association for
statements on the environment. As a result, Baha'i Studies and the Office of the Enviscores of Baha'i communities took part in ronment and translated into Portuguese for
commemorating Earth Day International, at distribution at the Earth Summit in Brazil.
v
RECOGNITION
OF THE BAHA'I FAITH

1. INCORPORATION OF NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
Ric;lvan 1986 to Ric;!van 1992

Jn previous volumes, many certificates of incorporation or other documents
attesting recognition of various Nationa l Spiritual Assemblies have been
reproduced. The following are representative of the forms of recognition
obtained by National Spiritual Assemblies during the p eriod covered by this
volume.

1. Certificate of Incorporation of the National Spi1itual Assembly of the Baha 'is of the
Cook Islands ; 2 February 1989.

2. Recognition of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahi'is of Guinea-Bissau in
accordance with the provisions of the Constitution; 7 July 1988.

3. Receipt of the Declaration of Trust for the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahi'is of
Guinea; 29 May 1986 (first page).

4. Certificate of change of name from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahi'is of
South and West Africa to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahi'is of South
Africa; 27 March 1987.

5. Certificate of Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the
West Leeward Islands; 23 October 1991.
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546 THE BAHA'I WORLD

(~J
,_.~'l;l'\
REPOBLJCA DA GUINE-BIS.SAU

MIHISTERIO DA EOUCACAO, CULTURA EDESPORTOS
GABINETE DO MINISTRO

DESPACHO NORMATIVO NQ j IR~

Considerando o pedido f ormulado pela Assembleia
Espiritual Nacional dos Bah'is da Guine-Bissau para o seu
l ega l reconhecimento ;

Tendo em atencao que, o Ministerio da Educacao,
Cultura e Desportos de conform idade com a decisao do Conse lho de Ministros, tenha estudado o respectivo dossier
que para o efeito lhe fora oportunamente r eme tido ;

Atendendo ao facto de aue a Assembleia Espiritual
Nacional dos Bah'is da Guine-Bissau para a lem do Culto, prossegue fins identicos aos objectivos a lmejados pelo Estado,

o Ministerio da Educacao, Cultura e Desportos, no
uso das atribuicoes e competencias que lhe foram delegadas
pelo Conselho de Ministros em 11 de Julho de 1985 decide :

ARTIGO 1

~ reconhecida a Assemb l e i a Espiritual Nacional
dos Bah' is da Guine-Bissau, conformemente ao estatuido no
ArtQ 44 da Constituicao.

ARTIGO 2

Sao aprovados os respectivos estatu tos que vao
em anexo , publicados com este Decreto.

2. Recognition of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha 'is of Guinea-Bissau in
accordance with the provisions of the Constitution; 7 July 1988.
INTERNA TI ONAL SU RVEY OF CU RR EN T BAH A'i AC TI V ITI ES 547

PRESIDENECE DE LA REPUB LIOUE REPUBLIQUE DE GUINEE
TRAVAJ L-J U S TICE -SOLIOARITE

MINISTERE DE L' INTERIEUR
ET DE LA DECENTRALISATION

. 7..L~.J./_ _ 19 8,b_
Conak ry. le _ __ _ _,,Z.<....J.'I.J.l...c.
17-0 / MID / CAB /86

LE MIN!STRE

A MONSIEUR LE REFRESENTANT DE L1 ASSEMBLEE

SPIRITOELLE NATIONALE DES BAHA'IS DE GUD!EE.

RECIPISSE DE DECLARATI ON D' ASSOCIAT I ON

Le Ministre d e l' Ixteri eu r et de la Dece n -
tra l isation donne aux personnes c i -a pres de si gxees ,
r ecipisse de declaration pour l'ass oc iation r egie
pa r l'OrdonnaMce n" 072 portant cr eat ion des O. N. G,
en Repitbl ique de Gt-timle et definie co1t11ne suit
r.) - TITRE Assemblee spiritue7.le Na tionale des
BAHA'is de cui ne e. Siege social :
quart i e r de Taou yah a Col'!arny I I.

2) - OB/ET : Gerer l es af faires et b i el'l s col'!cer nal'l t
la co1ro1tul'la t-1te Bahaie cle Guil'lee, en res -
pectal'lt l es pril'lcipes du s ysteme ad in il'li s
t rat if etabl is par BAHA ' ii ' Ilah.
- Eff ectuer t ou te transact i ol'I inobiliere et irn -
mob ili e r e , acqi1erir ou col'lstruire des b i blio
th eqt-teS, des clispeMsai res des ecol es r ea l is
1 1

../ ..

3. Receipt of the Declaration of Trust for the Nationa l Spiritual Assembly of the Saha 'is
of Guinea; 29 May 1986 (first page).
548 TH E BAHA' I WORLD

Ropub li c of South Africa HBpUDllBM. van ~UIU - M.1111\tl
Co mpanlu A ct, 1973, Secti on 44(1 ltb) Mastskappywat, 1973, Anik el 44(1 )lb)

76/00020/08
Registration No. or company/ Reglstraslenommer van maatska ppy

Certificate of change
of name of company
Sertifikaat van verandering
van naam van maatskappy
This is to certify that/Hierby word gesertifiseer dat
The Nationai Spiritual Assembly
of the Bah~ 1 {s of South and West Africa
(Incorporated Association not for Gain)
has changed its name by SPECIAL RESOLUTION and Is now called
sy naam verander het by SPESIALE BESLUIT en nou genoem word
The Nationa1 Spiritual Assembly
of the Bah&l{s of South Africa
(Incorporated Association not for Gain)
nnd that the new name has this day been entered In the Register of Companies.
en dat die nu we naam op hlerdie dag In die Register van Maatskappye aangeteken Is.

Signed and sealed 01 Prclorle, lhls/Geteken en geseel te Prelorle op hede dle,_---=;2--'7-~-"------

Reg istrar of Com pa

Sea l of Cottipa nies Rc9lstr•1lon Office
Seel va n Reg/sfrareur vanMutshppye

4. Certificate of change of name ji-om the National Spiritual Assembly of the Saha 'is of
South and West Afi~ ica to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Saha 'is of South Aji-ica;
27 March 1987.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 549

5. Certificate of Incorporation of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha 'is of the
West Leeward Islands; 23October1991.
THE BAHA'i WORLD

2. INCORPORATION OF LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
Ric;!van 1986 to Ric;!van 1992

1. Decree by the Government of Quebec, Canada, regarding the Civil Registry of Baha'i
Loca l Spiritual Assemblies in Hull , Quebec, Iles-de-la-Madeleine, Longueui l, and
Montreal; 1990 (first page).

2. Registration of the Baha ' is of Ashkhabad of the Turk.men Soviet Socialist Republic by
the Council of Religious Affairs at the Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics ; 25 January 1990.

3. Recognition of the Baha'is of Dushanbe of the Tadzhik Soviet Socialist Republic by the
Counci l of Ministers ofTadzhikistan; 14 November 1990.
IN T ERNA TI ONA L SURVEY O F CU RREN T BAH A ' i A CTI V ITI ES 551

MAY 0 7 1390

DECRET
GOUVERNEMENT DU QUEBEC

'" •' t1 51 -90 CONCERNANI' les re<;1istres de l'etat 4 AVR. 1990
civil de certaines corporations
religieuses designees sous le nan
de "Assefl'l:>lees spirituelles des
Ba.ha is"
I

--oooOooo---

ATl'ENDU COE le 28 fevrier 1973, des lettres
patentes ant ete accordees a
la corporation religieuse designee
sou~ le nom de L'll.Ssemblee spirituelle des Baha' is de Lucerne
q'Jl, le 28 avril 1984, est devenue L'Assemblee spirituelle des
Bar.a' is d 'Aylmer, en vertu de la Loi sur les corporations
r el i gieuses (L.R.Q. c. C-71);

ATl~NDU COE le 28 fevrier 1973, des lettres
patentes ant ete accordees a
la corporation religieuse designee
sous le nom de L'Assemblee sp.i.rituelle des Saha' is de Hull, en
ve rtu de ~tte loi;

ATI'ENDU Ql.18 le 28 fevrier 1973, des lettres
;:>ater.tes ant ete ac..:ordees a
la corporation religieuse designee
sous le nom de L'Assemolee s~irituelle des Baha'is de la ville de
Quebec, en vertu de cette loi;

ATI'ENDll COE le 20 avril 1979, des lettres patentes
ant ete accordees a la corporation religieuse designee sous le
nOf'I de L'Assemblee spirituelle des Baha'is des
" 1=sááácl ..,,_la-l'.<deleine, en vertu de cette loi;

AI'"1'ENDU COE le 23 mars 1979, des lettres patentes
c...-.• etc> accordecs a la corporation religieuse designee sous le
rá ..ir;; . ~e L'As5efl\'.llee spirituelle des Saha' is de Longueuil, en vertu
. .> -.ác- tc.l: l ei ;

ATI'F.NDU QUE le 2 mai 1989, des lettres patentes ant
et ~ ac:o rd.§es a
la coq:xxation religieuse designee sous le nan de
L'Assernb li'- : spirituelle des Saha' is de Montreal, en vertu de
ce :.~0 l v i;

A'I'TENDU QUE les assemblees spirituelles des Baha'ig
p rec i t ees ne sent pas des corporations religieus es autorisees a
ten1 ~ ou a faire tenir les registres de l'etat civil e n vertu ,)e
l ' a ct \c l ~ 44 d u Cede civil;

1. Decree by the Government of Quebec, Canada, regarding the Civil Registry of
Baha 'i Local Spiritual Assemblies in ff.ull, Quebec, lies-de-la-Madeleine, Longueuil,
and Montreal; 1990 (first page).
552 THE BAHA'i WORLD

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2. Registration of the Baha 'is of Ashkhabad of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic by
the Council of Religious Affairs at the Co uncil of Ministers of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics; 25 January 1990.
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 553

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3. Recognition of the Bahir 'is of Dushanbe of the Tadzhik Soviet Socialist Republic by the
Council of Ministers of Tadzhikistan; 14 November 1990.
THE BA HA ' i WORLD

3. A SELECTION OF OTHER DOCUMENTS RECORDING
OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF THE BAHA'i FAITH
Ric;!van 1986 to Ric;!van 1992

I. Appointment by the Attorney General of a Baha' i Marriage Officer in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, effective from I 0 March 1988.

2. Approval of a legal representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Burundi by the Minister of Justice; 12 October 1988.

3. Letter from Equatorial Guinea' s Ministry of Finance recog111z111g the right of the
National Spiritual Assembly, as a religious organization, to be exempt from taxes;
29 Apri l 1986.

4. Certificate of recognition of the Lomaivuna Baha'i Kindergarten by the Ministry of
Education of the Government of Fiji, dated 21August1987.

5. Circular Letter from the Minister for the Administration of the Territories of Gabon
dated 6 May 1987, stating that the National Spiritual Assemb ly of the Baha'is of Gabon
may carry out any activities (first page).

6. Certifi cate dated 8 September 1988, duly registering the offices of the National Spiritual
Assemb ly of the Baba' is oflreland as a place for the solemnisation of marriage.

7. The Malawi Gazette Supplement, dated 7 November 1986, giving notice of the licensing
of the Baha'i Centre in Limbe, and the Baha'i Teaching Institute in Amalika Village, for
the celebration of marriages.

8. Rental agreement between the Baha'i Property Incorporate and three individuals fi led
with the Clerk of Courts on the Island of Santo, Kwajalein Atoll , in the Marshall Islands
on 14 November 1986, of a propetiy for a Baha'i Centre.

9. Letter dated 10 September 1987 from the Department of Education for the Commonwealth of the Notihern Mariana Islands recognizing Baha'i Holy Days as days when
children may be excused from classes.

10. Notification by the Government of Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs and Minority
Affairs on 27 January 1988 of the appointment of a Baha' i on the Advisory Counci l for
Minorities Affairs.

11 . Certificate of Registration of a Permitted School in Papua New Guinea dated 14 November 1986 for the Baha'i Study Centre to operate as a high school.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIV ITI ES 555
12. Marriage contract of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha ' is of the Philippines
which was approved by the Government in 1987.

13. Certificate of Registration by the Republic of Zambia of the William Mmuthe Maseltha
Baha'i Institute dated 5 October 1988.

14. First Day Cover of a commemorative stamp issued by the Government of Western
Samoa for Christmas 1988. There are four stamps in this series, the $2.00 stamp having
the picture of the House of Worship in Apia.

15. The Postal Department in India has depicted the House of Worship in New Delhi on a
postage stamp to mark the Diamond Jubilee of that city. The Mashriqu' l-Adhkar is
featured on one of two stamps which portray well-known buildings in India's capital.
October 1991 .
556 THE BAHA'i WORLD

REGISTRAR GENERAL'S OFFI CE
P. 0. Box 532
Nassau, Bahamas

Mr. Michael Horton Ref: 15 U
P. 0. Box N 3822
Nassau, Bahamas. ~20th May, 1988.

Dear Sir,

I have to i q,form you that the Attorney General has appointed you a Marriage
Officer for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas with effect from 10th March 1988 .

I should be grateful if you would read the Marriage Act so as to familiarize
you rs elf with your duties as a Marriage Officer.

The necessary forms and re gis ters can be obtained from this Office on
application .

I add my congratulations and best wishes.

B. Bain
for Actg. Registrar General.

l. Appointment by the Attorney General of a Bahit. 'i Marriage Officer in the
Commonwealth of the Bahamas, effective fiáom JO March 1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 557

R.EPUBLIQUE DU BURUNDI Bujumbura, l e - - - - - - -

Cabinet du Ministre

Rif. : OHDONi :11IICE N• áá~.A ,-.:\- - DU ;t ~ ()'..kJ-.); C 198!á
POHTANT AGHJ;.O..;NT DU R.;;PRESENTANT LEG AL ET DU
Ob/et :
h LPliESBNTANT LEGAL SUPl'LEANT DE L' A ~; ~ ;ocr.~ 'l' HJ N
, ; )':á ; 1,11•:• J.lfi:,, :.' 1.' J I•' DENOMllll>E "ASSE;,;IJ LEE SP!HITUELLE
NATICN,,LE DE S BAHA 'IS' DU mnmrm I" . -

LJ;; rnINISTRE DE LA JU ST ICE,

Vu l e d tfore4-loi n ° 1/00 1 du 27 octobre 1987 port tmt
or~a.nis a tion des pouvoirs l egiiilatif et regle mentaire ;

Vu s!'J ec i .1. ~ nt en ses articles 9 a 11, le decre t du
27 novembre 1959 r e] .ux assoc i a tions sans but lucratif ap ~ li­
c abl e a u Burundi en ,' ~ •• de l 'ordonnwice n° 111/6 6 du 4 roars 1960

Vu l' ordonnance n° 560/45 du 7 avril 197) por t an t octroi
d e l ' a utorisa tion ;ircalnb l e de cons ti tut ion et de l a pe rsonnali t e
civile en r.:,veur a., l' assoc i a tion s 3ns bu t lu cr a tif d~nol!!l:lee " ASS2M-
BLBE SPIH ITUELLE N,>TI ONA LE DES BARA •rs, DU BURU!IDI" ;

Vu l a requl!te introdui te en date du 2 1 juille t 1988 :iar
les inembres de cet t e a ssoci a tion e t d e siu>nant i:essieurs Ilde 9honse
MIGISHA et C6ne NHiPAGAR IT SE r espective 1ue nt en ~ualite de Hepresentan :
Le.;al e t de Re ; resentant Let:al su1,pl eant ;

Attendu que cette requl!te est c onforme aux dis; -ositi ons
du decret susvi s e ;

0 R D 0 N N E

Arti c l e 1 Sant SGrees re s;,1ective r'1e nt en •iualit e de Ile ~'r esent nn t
Le.::; ul e t de Re:rire se ntant Leg,-,1 Sup ) l eC!Xlt de l' asso ci a -
tion s Lu1s but lucr a tif d~o r.rce e "ASS~;l!J LE-:;; SPII<ITUELLE
N •iTIO!tALE DES BAHA 'IS' DU Beffi~:JIDI ", t!'.ess i eurs Ilde phonse
1.!I tHSJ!A et Cl!r:ie NH'[['AGA.'UTSB. -

Article 2 ,kt cir r:á s e nte ordonnance entre en Vi6uern' l e jour Je s::i
s i ...;na'tur8. -

l"a i t a Bujui::bur a , 1e ,11 z I ;t-0 f 1911e

2. Approval of a legal representative of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha 'is of
Burundi by the Minister of Justice, dated 12 October 1988.
558 THE BAHA'i WORLD

-~ r.,;i~_, G."áal •
. Ooord .
Emma.-

Vi sta l a pe t i ci6n d ocun:e nta~ a promovida p or Vd. en n ombre
y re presentac i 6n de la Asambl e a Lspiritual de los Baha'is de I
Guinea Ecuatorial, de fe~ha 21 de Enero Ultimo , s olicitando l a
E.'illnION del pag o de l a Contribuci6n Urbana de sus pr opiedade s ;
vi s to , asimiSl'lo, el f avorable informe emitido al r especto ~ or/
l a Direr:ci6n. '.>eneral de I mpuestos y Tesoro en su. escrito numero 408 , fec.h ado el 23 de l os corrientes;
Este Minist eri o c.J.e Finanzas en e-jercicio de l as pr errogat i vas qu e l e est aná r ec onoc idas yen ba~ e a lo previ sto en el I
art i cul o 43 , inc i so b ), de l Decreto-Ley nfunero 1/1. 986 de 10 I
de Febrero, por el que se aprueba el Sistema Tributario de l a
Republica de Gui nea Ecuatorial, por resoluci6n de est a fecha I
ha venido a bi en en acc eder a su petici6n y en su cons ec uencia
concederle l a EXENCI ON DEL PAGO DE LA CONTRIBUCI ON URBANA que
soli cita, toda ve z que l as fincas pertenecientes a Instituciones o ConGregac iones Re l igi osas, áen á tanto que no áproduzc an r e_!l
tas y se ded i quen di r cct omcnte al cult o u obras bene fi cas es- -
tan exent o: á de l pago de l lnpuesto que nos ocup a .
('
Mal abo, 2')~0.~Abril de 1 . 986
I """' P OH li11{' _GllJHEA !-lEJOR,
~ P•• ~
""-.,~ >: - ~--r--:::::
_~\f3TRO,
/ ,,:..._ áááá~Willi_ __ _ _

t,. ~r+'Jj~2;-~
#- ••

- tr=:;/~~ -----
-1.. ~ á7 ..._.;J..o<'r
W
__ --<. ác
./. ,,..,, t s.........-
...:~ * :~/ --#
/ .1
-- . . .-I

~r~ or 1?1... fk~ IJJ tE.'.~IDAN I, á á ~ pr i..:se nt ante ~i t~ la .: .. .Jarnbl ca Esp iri tuaL de los :.'i:.;1 -:.
Gu j_nt::~ 'Zc uat;o :['ial., C I U D ii. D0 -

3. Letter dated 29 April J986, fl-om the Ministry of Finance of Equatorial Guinea
recognizing the right of the National Spiritual Assembly, as a religious organization, to
be exempt from taxes.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' i ACTIV IT IES 559

GOVERNMENT OF FIJI

E:ertiJicate oJ C/:2eco~11itio11 oJ a School

School under....' á .:.:LP.~.Ab . SJ'.JRI.T.µf.l.~ .. f.l.S..S..E..1-1.B..~.~... Qf. ...I.H..~....B..AH..A~.?. ... 9.F.....~Cl~~.YUNA

as Controlling Authorit y has been recognised as a ...... Kl.~.Q~~~!.~~ .

School under th e provisions of the Education Act, to conduct

~áL ... ááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááááá
Permanent S ecretary for Education

Recognition No. 9.~.?.~......

4. Certificate of recognition of the Lomaivuna Baha 'i Kindergarten by the Minist1y of
Education of the Government of Fiji, dated 2 J August 1987.
560 THE BAHA'I WORLD

MIN ISTERE DE L' ADMIN I STR ATION REPUBLIQUE GABONAI SE
DU TERR I TOI RE , DES COLLECTIVITES Un i on -~- Jus tic e
LOCALES ET DE L ' I MM I GRATI ON

DIRECTI ON GENERALE
DE L 1 ADMI NI STRAT I ON DU TERR I TO I RE

/MATCLI/DGA7

Ill
IL_ ETTRE (=- IRCULAIRE
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

LE MIN ISTRE D'ETAT, MIN ISTRE DE
L.1ADMINISTRATION DU TERRITOIRE, DES
COLLECTIVITES LOCALES ET DE L'IMMIGRATION

A MESSIEURS LES GOUVERNEURS

Pa r d6 cr cts n°s 007 09/PR/M ID du 30 Ma i I 9 ~0 il est port c
di ssoluti on de s Ass ocia ti ons dit es "T emoins de J ehovah " et
" Armee du Salut " et 00888/PR/MACTL/DGAT du 23 Ma i I985, cell e des
Associati on s r 6li g i euses c i-apr 8s ctes i g nees :

- Assoc i a ti on ECKANKAR Boit e Po s t a l e 3 . 767 Li br evi l l e.
- MIHIK.\RI , Filial e Gnbonni se , Boit e Post nlc 448 Li br evill e.
- Eglise du Chri s t i a ni sme Cel .c s t e du Gabon , Boit e Posta l e
14.1 90 Libr evi ll e.
- L ' Eglise Epi scopal e des Ch&rubins e t des Ser aph i ns du
Ni ge ria Qua rti er Gr a nd e Poub el l e Libr evill e.
- L'A ssoc iati on de l ' Ordr e Souve r a in et Milit a ir e du
Templ e de J er usal em Libr e vill e .

Or, il me r e vi en t que cer t a ines nu t or i t &s adm i n i s trntives
e t mi litnir es nur ni e nt i nte r dit l ' e x ertric e de t out e .::i.ctivit 6 a
l ' Assembl ee Spirituell e Nati onal e Des BAH.A ' IS du GABON ct ce ,
ce rtninement pnr confu s i on au muuva i se i nt e r pr 6t a ti on des t c xt cs
susvis6s .

. .. / ...

5. Circular Letter from the Minister for the Administration of the Territories of Gabon
dated 6 May 1987, stating that the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha 'is of Gabon
may carry out any activities (first page).
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 561

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION OF A SEPARATE BUI.LDING, BEING A PLACE

OF PUBLIC RE LI GIOUS WORSHIP, UNDER S. 27 OF THE MARRIAGES

(IRELAND) ACT, 1 844

I, GORDON W. KERR JOHNSTON, Deputy, Registrar of the Distric t of

Dublin , do hereby c ertify that on the 9th day of May, 19 88 , th e

National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha ' is of Ir e l and , 24

Burlington Road., Dublin 4, was duly registered for the

solemnisation of marriages therein, in the prese nce of t he

Registrar , by P. J. Kehoe, An t Ard -C hla rait heo ir-Cu nta , who

signed the requisite Certific ate for that purpose .

l"litness my hand this-=Bt=h=----- day of September ' 1 938

Dep uty !1egistrar .

6. Certificate dated 8 September 1988, duly registering the offices of the National
Spiritual Assembly of the Bah6 'is of Ireland as a place for the solemnisation of marriage.
562 THE BAHA'i WORLD

The Malawi Gazette Supplement,
Re~ulations, Rules, etc. (No. 35A)

GáoVERN~1EN T NoncE No. 97

Given under my h and this 29th day of October, 1986.
H. K AMUZU BANDA
(FILE NO . srn. D. 25 :01) Life President
Gov EnN~lEN T NOTICE N o. 98
MARRIAGE ACT
(CAP. 25 :01 )
NOTICE
Ix E XERCI SE of t he powers conferred by section 6 of the Marriage Act , I, NGWAZI
Dn. I-I. K A ~I U W BAXDA, Life P-resident of Malawi, do hereby license the underm entioned place of public worship for the celebration of marriages.
Rtl1a 'i Centre
P lot No. CC 711
Lim be
Given under my hand this 29th day of October, 1986.
H. KAMUZU BANDA
(FI LE :w . S\;ll . D. 25:0 1) Life President
GovERN:li EXT NoncE No. 99
PUBLIC HOLJDAYS ACT
(CAP. 18:05)
Pt;BLIC HOLIDAYS (AMENDMENT OF SCHEDULE) ORDER, 1986
I N E XERC ISE of the powers conferred by section 3 (1) of the Public Holidays
Aet, 1, NdWt.it Dtt, H. KAMU~u BANt>/\, Lile Prc»idcnt of Mo.laWi, m11ke the following
Ordcr-
1. This Order may be cited as the Public Holidays (Amendment Citatiou
of Schedule) Order, 1986.
2. T he Schedule to the Public Holidays Act is amended by deleting Amendment
the words "The first Monday in Augu st" a nd substituting the words ~~hcdule to
"N a tional Tree Pl anting D a y (21st D ecember)" . cap. 18 :05
Ma<lc this 27th d ay of October, 1986.
H. KAM UZU BANDA
(FILE N O . l J/02/6) Life President

Prin ted and pulJlished by THE GOVER N MENT PRINTER, Zomba, MalaWi-90095

7. Th e Malawi Gazette Supplement, dated 7 November 1986, giving notice of the
licensing of the Balui 'i Centre in Limbe, and the Baha 'i Teaching Institute in Amalika
Village, for the celebration of marriages.
INTERNATIONAL SU RV EY OF CU RR EN T BAHA'i ACT IV ITI ES 563

JLO!l A(;il&!h 1'JIT ll011 IWC:lLlAL _; \JlJll illiJ:H. I 'fUiDK
Ill I I.Oil J Al' Ail ;;Xi ILO 3,\l 11'0 I SL,\llll, ID I,
K/,\Jl\l, lilil ATOLL, l.A .Gl .\l,L IJJ..l .

Agreanent in ear rnoj kowappen e im kanonmon e ikotan party ko cn10,n :
Iroij , Alap , Dri- jerllal Tu Jaha 1 i Property Incorpo ra~e .;c .
J .illd.n co na j kajerbalo oj lk?d r ilo woto eo iro k in iJ,, jiI'"'" 111 "" k.;;'
rl-.J aµpr; !I'o, ii 1 bedr ion cne in J~mtA> island , J: 11ajali~in .:.il..oll , il u
Hard1all Islands Diotrict .

I>j komo n A(:reement in ilo ".!!we in in kali)rnre i j in. ilal: -

a) Btve 3aha ' i Proµerty I ncorro r at.e enaj á.<1or an 1;1aroii in kajerlJal8
j i ki..11 in kal il~aro ileii, i.J,1 ej k:.H:.loL an konan 11aj bar kaju tak
juon im eo ena j Baha'i Cantre, ak jikin hrolok eo an Hahu ' i l'O
ilo Santo i sland.

b) Juon drettan rental eo kin kajerbale jild...11 in, enaj jfirbal ekl.01á
fion :.); 12.00 do llar ilo juon year. ,Ja1La 1 i Prop~rt;y Incorpor.:;.te ~j
kali.Jnur bwc enaj kulla drettan in ium Alap eo an jild u in ilo
jinoin October in yeaI: ot~r.:joj . I1a iMe d rott an eo an rnwin , cn.Jj
/f-2,, square feet.

c) i3we J3aha 1 1 Property eo ejjam in naj ko l laik drettan i n ilo .iar.'. '. i9
B.etok l o k jen,ak rumij lok jcn ran in rnoJ kaj ejJe te iJl.11 i l.::in.i/ ..3
Baha 1 i i Property Imc prporate ej,jar1i.J1 naj konone i joko konan i.i.i naj
r tua ij i n kolla i loan jilu( 3) alliii. ko , irwm riamnak ro iiaj uor air
maroii i n naj kaj eblak j ikin in na i bbci r lI•i kajemlok l o.:in agr::ica.,8n t.
in.

d) };en in i kotan Iroij , Alap i.lll Dri - jerbal ro ilo wcto in rMi n cj b•3rl r i c ;
im 13aha 1i Pr operty I n!orporatc eo , e n naj kin r0n0ul - la l.fo,( ?.~; ) y ear
kin naj juon ka r ok ea nae nuj bar kakkal iJn komnnmon lo ~ muin <J k
bar karok ko jet ikotan p:irty kein fion- dron, i.m naj kaje riJ.:il ! ,:Jnlok
i loan bar 25 year manl ok .

e) Im ilo an Party ko naj loc bue 11a:w iI1 koin ijin rejjw:1in na j l~LáJ l
wot e inwot karok kcin , inem renaj bar riaroii in kor,on jc t kJ.ruk 1-:o
naj einjuon l ok j e n 1rn1á1 ein kcin ilo aereement in , im roj kill-! b•:lf:
J?emon lok.

Baha 1 i Property I ncorporate eo e likin an naj koM011mon lok jil:in in .i:á1
kajutak Centre eo ie , inl3i1 naj ktiJ11eli..m an jabre1á10t dtol ul ko an j <'!b r 81vcJt,
kajjojo naj kajerbale jikin in iki ji,.Jn kowonr.. anlok bedr ko air, ijellnJ.:in
ko r ej ikijien bar kabuil ko jet .

AOGnEl!ltl!:NT in ear :mOj an wappen im kornonmon e ien in kalikare ijin
iber. rAin re j uwan party kO i1:1 drodr air jain ijin i.lal lok.

tiadreloiiii rainin: _ __ _ __ __ 19_ _

., /
á,

~
ID
u 4 1986
..... ... ... .....................
AGIJI'. CLERK OF COURTS

8. Rental agreement between the Baha'i Property Incorporate and three individuals filed
with the Clerk of Courts on the Island of Santo, Kwajalein Atoll, in the Marsh all Islands
on 14 November 1986, of a property for a Bahiz 'i Centre.
564 TH E BAHA'I WORLD

/)
q
<II:ommonmealtl) ot t1)e Jllortl)ern jflariana ]slanbs
0FF!CE 0F [HE SUPER!NtENDENC
DEPARtffiENt ~F £DUCA[!0N
SA!PAN, cm 96950
Phone : 98 12 /9S2'J/98 27/931 1
Cable J\O t'l ress:
Gov . Nill! Saipan
.

.'

0 Pat rici.3 DJniei:.
::.;:c:-- et.:irá:,.:
<J
N.:t:oil.JI ~. pirit :1 .: l ?.:.:t mbiá1
•Jf the b,~há~ is of th-: tiar J.jn.:r:
\I~
'
c:?

fn re : p.:.:~ ~ e táJ :/!)Uf \e.t.cr :i.ted : .,..: 013 7 acvut 2xcusi nc :.tude-nts of tJv: Ban.:f i' rel ialcus f.Jith on
cert2in f. j~cái' Hoi'/ D.;•;s, ol;:.;:e be caá;Já:ec tt:.;t the -Bocr d or Education ha:. .:ccpted a schCTál
Cá::? f en 1~a r t/'1.1i. eni.:-cm pQ:~-:s 1.:0 d.::iv~ i)f in:.i. r1
.:ct1cn without reg.3r1J to r~i i 9i0u:, holidJr:á, excep t
Chr i s~ m a-:. .:nG Gocd f r ;C::\:

W ~á ~rev e.r
a 3tuden t iTi i:se:. a sch00I day ior a justifiabl e and '3 xcusab1e. r sa:..:.n , tt"1e parent iS
r :- ~::Grr:. ; b ! :: for
pr ov: d1;:g tt'";E: ~e~c !": er with a wr itten note exo J.3m1ng the ab~ence. Stu•jents ar e
recu ired ~c ;r;.;f:e up ~II wor k for excused ~b::ences.

Cctober 20 Apr il::'.?
No'1t:moer 1: May:
•.pr ii 21 May 23

While te:cners m.;y consider ttá,ese de-; ; as excused absences for cer tain students oi the Bah., .i'
f3 ;tt•. ! 'Nc:..i! c 11ke you .3r:.J .j iJ )::.Jrer;~ .:. t::1note th.3t seven "ho li d3'_1s" consti tute .3 signi fk.mt num t.er
and \vcu lGr'?pr:::e.nt 3 ni~r, ab:entte r,Jt::

e-v 2á c ~ :-=j cf Eájucatwn poi1 cy , -st .:Cen t'5 wno ::ccurnuiate ~ S o r mc•re cb~er.c'=s in a school 'fi:Jr rn ~á
not po:: s.: ~u tr.e next gre:ce ! ~'1 ;; !

! arr: p!-0,_,;;j ;r1Q =ce:pv ;:,f ~.~. ;: le-t\-:.r to all .:.che:ol pr incipalá3 :o tt-:at thE\' rnoy pc33 tt-,;5 infor iiiC:t1l:!i
.3b1Ju t ~ .:i n a ' i' ~cii á 1' C•ayá:. 1
; n to l. lit-~ r tecct1crs.

/.f)~

r,c: : r:hr,oi Pr inc : p .~ i s

9. Letter dated J0 September J98 7 from the Department of Education f or the
Commonwealth of the North ern Mariana Islands recognizing Baha 'i Holy Days as days
when children may be excused from classes.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 565

.i\J L> L r ..;sJd) Id 'i ' iLE ;E:xá.r
G/I ZE'l''l';,; 01" l'/\K I ~ 'i' AN("i'/,fl'l' .III).

Ho. P. 1 ( 64 )MA/ .POL/86-He cons)
GJVERi'fi'llliNT UF P/\KI ~iTAN
;á;t.1HISTRY 0.1'' .H.£11GIUJ;:) APFA l !IB
Aim r1U Nu HITIES AJ:<' FAIRS

** * **

I s l8:ne bad, the 27th Jsn u8ry, 1988 .

s \J j e ct:- WvISCiHY CUJli CIL Pv lt .V! Hlu H. l1'IIBS /IFFAIRS.

In continuation of this b1inistry' s notification

o f e ven n 1rnb er dat e d 2 6th October, 1987, ~lr. Israr Hus sain
S i ddiqui, Bhai -\;>.,, ~ Kflrechi, is appointed as non-official

;ue :nber of the Advisor y Co W1oil for Minorities Affairs

aga ins t the seat fallen vacant due to death of ~~ . Uttem

Clvrnd of Qllette.
_, r!~
_) . áát. -á -
( Rao }'szel KhRn Akhtar
Joint Secretary(M)

The :;inna v, er,
~1áint~ng á á Corporation of P;:ikintan Press,
!'.!g!'P.0 !'.. i :

Copy is forwarded to:-

1) Mr. Isrsr Hussain Siddiqlli, President National Spirtual
of As sembly of Bhai's of Pa k i s tan, Bhn i's Hall, Karachi - 5 .

\J~lr. M.P. Bhandara, MNA, No. 1 , National Pa rk Roa d,
Rawalpindi.

J) P.S to Minis t er for ReligiollS Affairs and Minor ities
Af fairs, Islamabad.
I
J .~ !... /1V
( Rao Fazal Kh an Akhtar

10. Notification by the Government of Pakistan 's Minist1y of Religious Affairs and
Minority Affairs on 27 January 1988 of the appointment of a Baha 'i on the Advisory
Council for Minorities Affairs.
566 THE BAHA'I WORLD

INDEPENDENT STATE - - - OF PAPUA NF.W GUINEA
-.-G_.._.
EDUCATION ACT l~M

CERTIFICA.TE OF REGISTRATION
OF PERMITTED SCHOOL
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT .. ~AHA,' .1. ~'.~~~ .c.E~!~~ .......... SC'fi00!..
HAS BEEN REGISTERED AS A J?ERMITTED SCHOOL UNDER
THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 100 OF THE EDUCATION ACT 1983
CONDITION . ...... Hrca . SCHOOL.

REGISTRATION NO .. Ps.:335/83 . ..... .

L DATED ! 4. tio.ve.111q~i: .... . 13 .~ 9 ... , . .
DEPARTMENT HEAD

h~=-.-==:::::=..::=.===.~~-~.:=:;====:=á=.. =====á=á=á=..~áá=..=á=..=-=.. ~..=-':=J.U
11 . Certificate of Registration of a Permitted School in Papua New Guinea dated
14 November 1986 for the Baha 'i Study Centre to operate as a high school.
INT ERNATIONA L SURVEY OF CU RRENT BAHA 'I ACT IVITI ES 567

: AT IO: ..\L Sl' IHI T l l AL ASSEMBLY o f th e BAHA'lS o f the l'HILll'l'I N ES , ! NC.

R EG l ~T t:R No..

MARRIAGE CONTRACT
Cit y or Mun icipality ol . .. . . . , Prov ince of.

HUSBAND WIF E

Cont ra cting Part i1ás - - - - - -- l l - - - - -- -- - - - -- J J - - - - - - - - - - - - -
faJ A l ! P - - - -- - - -- 1 1 - - - - - - -- - - -- - + - - -- - - - -- - - -
tb) '.'iationali ty _ _ __ _ _ 4 _ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _- j f - - -- -- - -- ----

(c) Rl>sidt•nce _ _ _ _ __ ___,11----- -- - -- - - - J J - - - - - - - -- - - - -
Si ngle, wido wed o r divorced _ _ _ _- j f - - - - -- -- - -- - - ! 1 -- - - - - -- - -- - -
Fath l' r _ _ _ __ __ _ _ _- J J - - - - - - - - - -- ---JJ-------------
Nationali ty _ __ _ _ _ _ _- 1 1 - - - - - - - -- -- - - 1 c - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mothcr _ __ __ __ _ _ _...,.__ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ _I f - - - - - - -- - -- - -

NationalitY-- - - - - -- r - -- - - -- - -- -- ! l - -- - -- - - -- - --
Wirnesses _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _---lf--- - - - - -- - ---11---- - - - - - - - --
Rt-sidenct> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _- l l - - - - - - - - - - - -- r- - - -- -- -- - - -
Persons who gave consent or advice _ _-jf-- - - - -- - -- -- - t r -- -- - - - -- -- - -
(a) Rcsidence _ __ _ _ _ _ , 1 1 - - - - - -- - - - - - - J J - - - - -- - - - - -- -
(b) Helati on t o contracting parcy _+-- - -- - -- - - -- - 1c - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

&lui'1"Cem erof )
Pla ce o f marriage House of
[
&rrio or barangay of
Date of marriage . . Officia ted by
Lega liz ing Officer for Baha'i marriages in th e Philippines with residence at

THIS IS TO CERTIFY : That I, and
I, on th e date and at the place above given,
of our ow11 free w ill and accord, and in th e presence of th e p erson app oin ted by the NATIONAL SP/RI-
TUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA 'TS OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.á with license to officiate th is marriage
and of the two wit11esses named below, both of age, tak e each other as httsband and wife after utt ering
th e sacred verse:
" WE WILL ALL, VERILY, ABIDE BY THE WILL OF GOD. "
A~L .......... . ........ .. . . . . . , Baha'(Marriage Officer,
CERTIF Y: That on the date and at the place aboue writt en the aforesaid .
.............. . and. ........... .
were with their mutual consent joined togeth er in marriage in accordance with the Laws of BARA 'I FAITH
in th e presen ce of said witnesses, both of age; and l further certify that th e Ma rr iage License No.
issued at
O tl. ..... 19. . . .. in favor of said parties was exhibited to me ; and tha t co nsent or adv ice
to su ch marriage was duly given as re quired by Ba lui'i'law, by th e living pare nt s aboue mentioned.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, w e signed, (or marhed with our fingerprint) this certificat e in quad ruplica r<'
this. day of . . 19..

IC Hnll.ll \ll\~ 1',111} I cl 'o n1r:i,á1in)! l'.1r1 y 1

...... . . . ..... . . .
t lhh;i' l 1'. 1:i 111:i!!t Offinár 1

License No: Date Issue d: Exp. Da te:

W I TNESSES

l 2. Marriage contract of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha 'is of the
Philippines which was approved by the Government in I 987.
568 THE BAHA'I WORLD

. .,..,., .tJ, ~(/ /,<g , ..., .. ;

Form 801
8&oobd bJ IW&. Bool.11. . .
(R.U 6 )

REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA

THE SOCIETIES RULES

CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION

l H&Blt.BY ORRTU"Y •hat BA.II.A '.1. !:P.:1 '1'!!.... \.~~~l. . . l/ILLIAM
MlfllTHE !USELTHA BAHA'I INSTITUTE - KA.BllE RURAL
ááááááánrsTRICT; ááá ...... ................................... .
has this day been registered under section 7 (I) of the Societies Act..

Trl<phon< J.'o. : LUSA.KA 52198 fux REF. ORS/1c2/65/5..-2
THE Rr.etSTFlAR ov S'octE'riE.S
Sir/Mad am, P.O. Box 1862, L usAJU
THE SOCIETIES ACT
I forward herewith n. Ccrtifica.te of Registration for your society.
2. I t.ako this opportunity ofdro.,-ing your attention to tho .alient requirements of the Act nnd the Rules;
these are:
(I) To koop ono or more books of account •howing c:lot::.ils of all money; received and pay monts made by
the society (rule 3).
(2) To keep a rr.gistr.r of mf!mbt>r.:: ~howing tho full nnmc and addms~ of ca.ch momber, tho date on which
each member wni::. ndmitt-ed to membershin n.nd tho date on which each mcmhor ter minated such
member.hip (rule 4). á
(3) To submit t.o tho Registrar of you r di!•trict, th a.t is your District Socret:uy, an annna1 return in duplicate
on Form S09 not later thnn th e 31st Mnrch of e>ch ycsr (rule 16).
(4) To give noti ro to th e Registrar of your district, that is your District Secretary, in dupli cate on Form
SOS within fourteen day~. of any change of office boarcr (rule 15).
(5) To notify tho Registrar of your dic;trict, t ha.t i ~ your Di~ trict Sccret!l.ry, in duplicate on Form 807
within a month, of any change in one !'lociety's name or of a.ny of tho provisions of it!; constitution or
rules or of any a ddition or dec rease on its objects, or if it becomes a branch of or affiliated to or con.
ncrted with any organisation or group of a politicn.1nature established outside the country (section 15).
(G) To notify the R <'g i!'trar of your d istrict, that is you r Distri ct Secretary, in duplicate on Form S07 of any
ch1mgc of a society's post.a l address of or tho situation of its registered office (section 32).
(i ) To ~ upply nny of t.hc informat ion the R cgi:-: trar nmy requi re under sec tion 17 or 18 or rulo IV.
Forms 807, 8 and 9 cnn h(I obtnin(-<l from th o District Socrctnry of th e di:;trict in which a society's offices are
tiituntcrl. .
am, Sir{1\.fodam,
TiiE CHAl !<MAN. Your obodiont ~rva~t,
..... iiA.HA:;i Fi..1Tii (ZAi.i!ii ;.. ; . ~~~~ . .q.. K, .. C'r:J~~V; /
lllLLl AM MM\JTI!:S BAlfA ' 1 lli 5 'fl Tl/fE , i.Jtrar of Socidfu

.P •. o.•. . B~ X. 5q4.6} , ..
J...U SA)(.0, .
10.. AAIO 2Jlt)

13. Certificate of Registration by the Republic of Zambia of the William Mmuth e
Maseltha Baha'i Institute, dated 5 October 1988.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIV ITIES 569

14. First Day Cover of a commemorative stamp issued by the Government of
Western Samoa for Christmas J988. There are four stamps in this series, the $2.00 stamp
having the picture of the House of Worship in Apia.
570 THE BAHA' I WORLD

I

~ ~Tá ~en Jf~-TtT NE láDI 0 D
1991

15. The Postal Department in India has depicted the House of Worship in New Delhi
on a postage stamp to mark the Diamond Jubilee of that city. The Mashriqu 'l-Adhklir is
featured on one of two stamps which portray well-known buildings in India 's capital;
October 1991.
INT ERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES

4. THE GERMAN COURT'S LEGAL RECOGNITION OF
ASSEMBLY STATUS

Department of the Secretariat 27 May 1991

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

Dear Baha'i Friends,

Decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court

In the Ric:ivan message of the Universal House of Justice, reference was made to an
extremely significant decision of the Federal Constitutional Court in Germany. Since this
decision may be of assistance to National Spiritual Assemblies in other counháies where difficulties are experienced in obtaining recognition for the Faith, or where the Spiritual
Assemblies meet with complications in acquiring legal incorporation, the House of Justice
has instructed us to send you the enclosed three documents:

1. The decision of the Federal Constitutional Court, in Geiman

2. A tráanslation of this decision into English

3. An elucidation of the abbreviations used in the above

4. A brief outline of the background to the decision and indications of its importance,
drawing on an article by Dr. Udo Schaefer published in "Baha' i Nachrichten" (the
newsletter of the German Baha'i community).

We should mention that it proved very difficult indeed to tráanslate the decision into
English, since the forms and concepts of Geiman Law differ radically from those of English
Law. There is often, therefore, no exact equivalence of terminology. Nevertheless, the
English translation is sufficiently faithful as to convey a clear impression of the original.

With loving Baha'i greetings,

For Department of the Secretariat

cc: International Teaching Centre
Boards of Counsellors
572 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Leitsiitze

zum Beschluf3 des Zweiten Senats vom 5. Februar 1991
- 2 BvR 263/86 -

1. Allein die Behauptung und das Selbstverstiindnis, eine Gemeinschaft bekenne sich zu
einer Religion und sei eine Religionsgemeinschaft, konnen flir diese und ihre Mitglieder
die Berufung auf die Freiheitsgewiihrleistung des Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG nicht rechtfertigen; vielmehr muf3 es sich auch tatsiichlich, nach geistigem Gehalt und iiuf3erem
Erscheinungsbild, um eine Religion und Religionsgemeinschaft handeln. Dies in1 Streitfall zu priifen und zu entscheiden, obliegt-als Anwendung einer Regelung der
staatlichen Rechtsordnung-den staatlichen Organen, letztlich den Gerichten.

2. a) Zur Religionsfreiheit im Sinne des Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG gehOrt auch die religiose
Yereinigungsfreiheit, wie sie sich aus dieser Bestimmung in Yerbindung mit den einschliigigen, <lurch Art. 140 GG einbezogenen Weimarer Kirchenartikeln ergibt.

b) Der Gewiihrleistungsinhalt der religiosen Yereinigungsfreiheit umfaf3t die Freiheit, aus
gemeinsamem Glauben sich zu einer Religionsgesellschaft zusammenzuschlief3en und
zu organisieren. Damit ist kein Anspruch auf eine bestimmte Rechtsform gemeint,
etwa die des rechtsfahigen Yereins oder einer sonstigen Form der juristischen Person;
gewiihrleistet ist die Moglichkeit einer irgendwie gearteten rechtlichen Existenz einschlief3lich der Teilnahme am allgemeinen Rechtsverkehr.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 573
BUND ESVERF ASSUNGSGERICHT

- 2 BvR 263/86 -

IM NAMEN DES VOLKES
In dem V erfahren
tiber
die Verfassungsbeschwerden

1. des "Geistigen Rat der Baha' i in Ttibingen mit Sitz in Ttibingen'',
vertr. <lurch den Vorsitzenden, Hem1 S... ,
2. des Herrn S .. .,
3. der Frau S ... ,
4. der Frau S .. .

- Bevollmachtigte: Rechtsanwalte Dr. Michael Uechtritz,
Dr. Hans Schlarmann,
Birkenwaldstral3e 149, Stuttgart 1 -

gegen a) den Beschlu13 des Oberlandesgerichts Stuttgart
vom 27. Januar 1986 - 8 W 252/85 -,
b) den Beschlul3 des Landgerichts Tubingen
vom 8. Mai 1985 - 5 T 34/84 (FGG) - ,
c) die Beschliisse des Amtsgerichts Ttibingen
vom 8. Dezember 1983 und vom 2. Januar 1984- GReg. II 922/83 -

hat <las Bundesverfassungsgericht - Zweiter Senat- unter Mitwirkung der Richter
Vizeprasident Mahrenholz,
Bockenforde,
Klein,
Gral3hof,
Kruis,
Franl3en,
Kirchhof,
Winter

am 5. Februar 1991 beschlossen:

Die Beschlilsse des Oberlandesgerichts Stuttgart vom 27. Januar 1986 - 8 W 252/85 -,
des Landgerichts Ttibingen vom 8. Mai 1985 - 5 T 34/84 (FGG) - und des Amtsgerichts
Ttibingen vom 8. Dezember 1983 w1d vom 2. Januar 1984 - GReg. II 922/83 - verletzen
die Beschwerdefilhrer in ihrem Grundrecht aus Artikel 4 Absatz 1 und 2 des
Grundgesetzes. Sie werden aufgehoben . Die Sache wird an <las Amtsgericht
zurtickverwiesen.

Das Land Baden-Wtirttemberg hat den Beschwerdefilhrem die notwendigen Auslagen zu
erstatten.
574 TH E BAHA'I WORLD

Griin de:

A.

Gegenstand der Verfassungsbeschwerden ist die Frage, wieweit es Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2
GG gebietet, bei der Auslegung und Anwendung vereinsrechtlicher Vorsch1iften des Bi.irger!ichen Gesetzbuchs die Eigenart eines religiosen Vereins zu beri.icksichtigen, der sich als
Teilgliederung einer Religionsgemeinschaft versteht und organisiert.

I.

Die Religionsgemeinschaft der Baha' i, einer aus dem schiitischen Islam entstandenen
Glaubensrichtung, ist in einer Vielzahl von Landern vertreten. Sie ist hierarchisch gegliedert
und wird derzeit durch das aus neun gewahlten Mitgliedern bestehende "Universale Haus
der Gerechtigkeit" mit Sitz in Ha ifa (Israel) geleitet. In Landern mit einer groJ3eren Anzahl
von 01tsgemeinden wird jahrlich von der Gesamtheit der Mitglieder ein neunkopfiger
Nationaler Geistiger Rat in indirekter Wahl gewahlt. Dieser ist in der Bundesrepublik Deutsch-
Jand als eingetragener Verein errichtet; in anderen Staaten bedient er sich entsprechend den
dort geltenden Gesetzen anderer vereins- oder gesellschaftsrechtlicher Rechtsformen. Als
Leitungsorgane auf ortlicher Ebene werden von den Glaubigen der ortlichen Gemeinde
ebenfalls aus neun Mitgliedern bestehende ortliche Geistige Rate gewahlt, die fiir die Regelung der i:irtlichen Belange zustandig sind.

II.

1. Der Beschwerdefiihrer zu 2) ist Vorsitzender, die Beschwerdefilhrer zu 3) tmd 4)
waren weitere Vorstandsmitglieder des Beschwerdefiilrrers zu 1). Am 14. Februar 1983 meldete der Beschwerdefiihrer zu 2) als Vorsitzender des Vorstandes beim Amtsgericht
Tiibingen den Beschwerdefiiluáer zu 1) zur Eintragung in das Vereinsregister an. Die dem
Antrag zugrnndeliegende Satzung enthalt fo lgende, bier bedeutsame Vorsclrriften:

Artikel 2
Zweck des Vereins
I Der Zweck des Geistiges Rates der Baha' i in Ti.ibingen ist die Verwaltung aller
Angelegenheiten der Ba ha' i-Gemeinde in Ti.ibingen nach den Lehren und Verwaltungsgnmdsatzen der Baha'i-Religion, wie sie sich aus dem der Satzung
anschlieJ3enden Anhang ergeben ....
II Der Geistige Rat verfolgt danach ausschlieJ31ich und unmittelbar gemeinni.itzige,
mildtatige und religiose Zwecke im Sinne des Abschnitts " Steuerbegi.instigte
Zwecke" der Abgabenordnung.
III Der Geistige Rat ist selbstlos tatig und verfolgt keine eigenwi1tschaftlichen Zwecke.

Artike l 3
Entstehung der Mitgliedschaft
I
II Die M itglieder des Geistigen Rates werden von den wahlberechtigten Mitgliedern
der Baha'i-Gemeinde aus deren Mitte in geheimer Wahl mit einfacher Stin1Illenmehrheit fur die Dauer ei nes Jaluáes , langstens bis zur Wahl ilrrer Nachfolger,
INTERNAT IONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 575
berufen. Diese Wahl findet am 21. April eines jeden Jahres auf der Jahrestagung der
Baha' i-Gemeinde statt. Das Nahere regelt Artikel 10.
III

Artikel 4
Beendigung der Mitgliedschaft
I Die Mitgliedschaft wird beendet
durch Zeitablaufund Neuwahl des Geistigen Rates,
durch Austritt,
durch AusschluJ3,
durch Ausscheiden aus der Baha'i-Gemeinde Tilbingen.
II Der AusschluJ3 eines Mitgliedes des Geistigen Rates fa.lit in die Zustandigkeit des
Nationalen Geistigen Rates der Baha'i in Deutschland e.V.
Artikel 5
Nachwahl
I Ausfallende Mitglieder des Geistigen Rates werden auf einer zu diesem Zwecke
durch den Geistigen Rat ordnungsgemaJ3 einberufenen, besonderen Versammlung
der Baha' i-Gemeinde durch Wahl erganzt. Solange die Zahl der Mitglieder des Geistigen Rates nicht unter 5 herabsinkt, bleibt seine BeschluJ3fahigkeit erhalten.
II Falls die Zahl der ausfallenden Mitglieder hi:iher als vier ist, so daJ3 der Geistige Rat
nicht mehr beschluJ3fahig ist, wird die Wah! unter der Aufsicht des N ationalen Geistigen Rates vorgenommen.

Artikel 9
Mitgliederversammlung
I
II Alie folgenden Sitzungen werden durch den Sekretar des Geistigen Rates auf Antrag
des Vorsitzenden oder bei dessen Verhinderung des stellvertretenden Vorsitzenden
oder auf Antrag dreier Mitglieder des Rates formlos (schriftlich, telefonisch oder
mi.indlich) einberufen oder durch BeschluJ3 des Rates im voraus festgelegt. ...
III
IV

Artikel 11
Der Nationale Geistige Rat
I Die alien Geistigen Raten in der Bundesrepublik vorgeordnete Institution ist der
Nationa le Geistige Rat der Baha' i in Deutschland e.V.
Er entscheidet
a) und b) .. . ;
c) i.iber die Zustandigkeit eines ortlichen Geistigen Rates;
d) bis f) ...
Artikel 13
Satzungsanderungen
I
II Satzungsanderungen bedi.irfen der Genehrnigung des Nationalen Geistigen Rates der
Baha'i in Deutschland e.V. Sie werden wirksam mit der Eintragung in das Vereinsregister.
576 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Artikel 14
Auflosung
I Die Auflosung des Geistigen Rates kann erfolgen
a) aufgrund eines mit absoluter Stimmenmehrheit gefal3ten Beschlusses der
Ratsmitglieder in einer ausschlie131ich zu diesem Zweck einberufenen
Mitgliederversammlung,
b) durch einen mit absoluter Stimmenmehrheit getroffenen Beschlul3 des
Nationalen Geistigen Rates.
II Bei Auflosung des Geistigen Rates wird dessen Ve1m6gen dem Nationalen Geistigen
Rat der Baha'i in Deutschland e.V. ilbereignet, deres unmittelbar und ausschlie13lich
fur gemeinniltzige, mildtatige und religiose Zwecke zu verwenden hat.

2. Das Amtsgericht wies im Eintragungsverfahren auf rechtliche Bedenken formeller und
materieller Art hin und forderte zur Abhilfe auf. Dem Beschwerdefuhrer zu 1) ermangle es
insbesondere an der erforderlichen rechtlichen Selbstandigkeit, weil er in seinem Bestand
einerseits von der 6rtlichen Gemeinde, andererseits vom Nationalen Geistigen Rat abhangig
sei. Die Beschwerdefuhrer machten demgegenilber geltend, der institutionelle Aufbau der
weltweiten Baha'i-Gemeinschaft beruhe auf einem gottlichen Stiftungsakt und konne von
ihnen nicht geandert werden. Da nach dem Verfassungsrecht der Baha'i alle Jurisdiktionsgewalt bei den gewahlten Korperschaften liege, mil13ten diese Rechtsfahigkeit erlangen, um im
Rechtsverkehr tatig werden zu konnen. Den Einttáagungsantrag wies das Amtsgericht nut
Beschlul3 vom 8. Dezember 1983, eine weitere Anmeldung vom 22.12.1983 mit Beschlu13
vom 2. Januar 1984 zmiick.
3. Die sofortige Beschwerde der Beschwerdefuhrer zu 2) bis 4) gegen die Beschliisse des
Amtsgerichts vom 8. Dezember 1983 und 2. Januar 1984 wies das Landgericht am 8. Mai
1985 als unbegriindet zmiick. Die vorgelegte Vereinssatzung verstol3e gegen § 37 Abs. 1
BGB sowie gegen den Grundsatz der Vereinsautonomie. Art. 9 Abs . 2 der Satzung, der die
Voraussetzungen fur die Einberufung einer Mitgliederversammlung regle, werde dem durch
§ 37 Abs. 1 BGB geforderten Schutz der Minderheit nicht gerecht. Die Gesetzesvorschrift
verlange, die Zahl der Mitglieder, auf deren Antrag eine Mitgliederversammlung einzuberufen sei, anteilsmal3ig festzusetzen, damit auch kilnftigen Andemngen der Starke des
Vereins Rechnung getragen werde. Die Mitgliederzahl des Vereins k61me bis auf funf herabsinken, olme dal3 Beschlu13unfahigkeit eintrete. In diesem Fall reprasentiere die in Art. 9
Abs. 2 vorgesehene Zahl von drei Mitgliedem keine Minderheit mehr.
Vor allem aber enthalte die Satzung Regelungen, die eine organisationsrechtliche Abhangigkeit des Vereins von Dritten herbeifuhrten und deshalb mit dem Grundsatz der
Selbstandigkeit und Selbstverwaltung von Vereinen unvereinbar seien. Durch Art. 4 Abs. 2,
11 Abs. 1, 13 Abs. 2, 14 Abs. 1 Buchst. b w1d durch weitere Bestimmungen solle einerseits
dem Nationalen Geistigen Rat als Nichtvereinsmitglied das Entscheidw1gsrecht iiber den
Ausschlu13 von Mitgliedem, Satzungsandemngen, Vereinsauf16sung und andere Vereinsbelange ilbertragen werden; andererseits solle nach Art. 3 Abs. 2 und 4 Abs. 1 die Baha' i-
Gemeinde durch Wahlen iiber den Erwerb und die Dauer der Mitgliedschaft bestinm1en. Ein
derart umfassender Fremdeinflul3 auf die Organisation eines Vereins sei unzulassig.
4. Das Oberlandesgericht Stuttgart wies die sofortige weitere Beschwerde der Beschwerdefuhrer zu 2) bis 4) mit Beschlul3 vom 27. Januar 1986 (OLGZ 1986, S. 257) als
unbegriindet zurilck. Art. 9 Abs . 2 der Satzung verletze § 37 Abs. 1 BGB, weil fur eine
mogliche Anderung der Mitgliederzahl ilicht sichergestellt sei, dal3 die Einbemfung der Mitgliederversanunlung auf Verlangen einer Minderheit zu erfolgen habe. Die Satzung sei
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 577
tiberdies mit dem Grundsatz der Selbstandigkeit und Selbstverwaltung des Vere ins (V ereinsautonomie) nicht vereinbar. Ari. 14 Abs. 1 Buchst. b, wonach der Nationale Geistige Rat
den Verein auflosen konne, verstoJ3e gegen § 41 BGB. Es sei nicht zulassig, einem auJ3enstehenden Dritten das Recht zu tibertragen, den Verein gegen den Willen seiner Mitglieder
aufzulosen. Soweit die Rechtsprechung solche Bestimmungen vereinzelt als statthaft angesehen habe (KG, DJ 1936, S. 1948; OLG Karlsruhe, JW 1936, S. 3266; OLG Stuttgart, Das
Recht 1936, Sp. 151), seien die Entscheidungen in nationalsozialistischer Zeit ergangen und
tiberzeugten in der Begrtindung nicht. Die in Art. 3 Abs. 2 und Art. 4 Satz 1 der Satzung
vorgesehene Wahl der Mitglieder durch die Baha'i-Gemeinde verstoJ3e gegen die §§ 38 und
58 Nr. 1 BGB. Zwar konne die Form des Beitritts eines neuen Mitglieds und die Aufnahmeerklarung in der Satzung beliebig geregelt und die Mitgliedschaft an bestimmte
Voraussetzungen gekntipft werden. Es mtisse jedoch grundsatzlich dem Verein freistehen,
ob er jemanden als Mitglied aufnehmen wolle, sofem er nicht ausnahmsweise als existenzwichtiger Verein mit Monopolstellung zur Aufnahme von Mitgliedem verpflichtet sei.
Abgesehen von diesen Einzelbestimmungen ergebe das Gesamtbild der Satzung einen so
starkeh FremdeinfluJ3, daJ3 von einem eigenverantwortlichen Handeln des Vereins nicht
mehr die Rede sein konne. Hierbei seien die Einwirkungsrechte des Nationalen Geistigen
Rates nach Art. 4 Abs. 2 (AusschluJ3 eines Mitglieds), Art. 11 Abs. 1 Buchst. c (Entscheidungsbefugnis tiber die Zustandigkeit), Art. 13 Abs . 2 (Genehmigungsvorbehalt for
Satzungsanderungen) und Art. 14 Abs. 2 (Ubergang des Vermogens bei Vereinsauflosung
auf den Nationalen Geistigen Rat) von Bedeutung. Die Satzung enthalte einen Verzicht auf
die Vereinsautonornie, der rnit dem geltenden Vereinsrecht nicht vereinbar sei.

III.

Die Verfassungsbeschwerden richten sich gegen die Beschltisse des Oberlandesgerichts
und des Landgerichts sowie- bei sachgerechter Auslegung der Verfassungsbeschwerde-
Schrift-gegen beide Beschltisse des Amtsgerichts. Die Beschwerdeftihrer haben hierzu ein
Gutachten von Prof. Dr. Friedrich Muller vorgelegt und rnachen in1 wesentlichen geltend:
1. Die Verfassungsbeschwerden seien zulassig. Das erforderliche Rechtsschutzinteresse
sei gegeben. Dem stehe nicht entgegen, da/3 die Zurtickweisung des Eintragungsantrags auch
auf eine Beanstandung des Art. 9 Abs. 2 der Satzung, zu dessen Anderung die Beschwerdeftihrer bereit seien, gesttitzt worden sei. Wtirde der Antrag nach der Anderung dieser
Satzungsbestimmung emeut gestellt, so wtirde er wegen der anderen vom Oberlandesgericht
beanstandeten Satzungsbestinmmngen wieder abgelehnt werden, wobei voraussichtlich
keine neue Sachprtifung stattfande.
2. Das Oberlandesgericht habe das Vereinsrecht des Btirgerlichen Gesetzbuchs wuáichtig
ausgelegt und hierbei insbesondere Inhalt und Tragweite der Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2, Art. 140
GG in Verbindung mit Ari. 137 Abs. 3, 4 WRV verkannt. _
a) Entgegen der Auffassung des Oberlandesgerichts hindere § 41 Abs. 1 BGB nicht
daran, das Recht, den Verein aufzulOsen, auf einen Dritten zu tibertragen. Dies gelte jedenfalls dann, wenn auch die Mitgliederversammlung diese Befugnis habe . Die
Satzungsbestimmungen tiber die Wahl der Vereinsmitglieder durch die Baha'i-Gemeinde
und deren Ausscheiden infolge Neuwahl seien mit §§ 38 und 58 BGB vereinbar. Wie sich
aus den §§ 25 und 40 BGB ergebe, stelle es das staatlicQ.e Recht in das Belieben des Vereins,
derariige Regelungen zu treffen. Aus dem Btirgerlichen Gesetzbuch konnten auch keine
Bedenken hergeleitet werden gegen die Kompetenz des Nationalen Geistigen Rates zum
Ausschlu/3 eines Mitglieds des ortlichen Geistigen Rates (Art 4 Abs. 2 der Satzung) und zur
578 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Bestimmung von <lessen Zustandigkeit (Art. 11 Abs. 1 Buchst. c) sowie gegen die in Art. 13
Abs. 2 vorgesehene Genehmigungspflicht fur Satzungsanderungen und die Obertragung des
Vermogens des Geistigen Rates bei <lessen Auflosung auf den Nationalen Geistigen Rat
(Art. 14 Abs. 2). Insgesamt lief3en die vom Oberlandesgericht beanstandeten Satzungsbestimmungen keinen unzuliissigen Fremdeinfluf3 auJ3enstehender Dritter auf den
Beschwerdefuhrer zu 1) zu. Dessen Einbindung in den hierarchischen Aufbau der Religionsgemeinschaft der Baha' i sei zwingend <lurch deren Grundsatze und Prinzipien vorgegeben ,
die auf gottlicher Offenbarung beruhten.
b) Die Versagung der Rechtsfahigkeit verletze den Beschwerdefuhrer zu I) in seinen
Grundrechten aus A1i. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG und verstoJ3e gegen Art. 140 GG in Verbindung
mit Art. 137 Abs. 3 und 4 WRY. Von diesen Verfassungsbestimmungen sei auch der organisatorische Aufbau der Religionsgesellschaft erfaf3t einschlief3lich des Rechts, fur ein
gemeindliches Leitungsorgan die Rechtsfahigkeit anzustreben. Fi.ir das hier maf3gebliche
Selbstverstandnis der Baha ' i sei es unabdingbar, daf3 die Leitungsorgane der 6rtlichen
Gemeinden, nicht aber die Gemeinden selbst, Rechtsfahigkeit erlangen. Das Grundgesetz
raume in Art. 140 GG in Verbindung mit Art. 137 Abs. 2 bis 5 WRY den Religionsgemeinschaften ein grundsatzliches Wahlrecht in bezug auf die Rechtsform ein. Nachdem den
Baha ' i der angestrebte Status einer Korperschaft des offentlichen Rechts versagt werde,
mi.isse dem Beschwerdefuhrer zu 1) die Rechtsfahigkeit nach bi.irgerlichem Recht zuerkannt
werden. Selbst wenn die vom Oberlandesgericht gefundene Auslegung des Vereinsrechts
fur nichtreligiose Vereine zutreffen sollte, wirke sie sich auf den Beschwerdefuhrer zu 1)
aufgrund seiner religiosen Zielsetzung und der daraus zwingend folgenden Einbindung in
die nationale und internationale Ordnung der Baba' i barter aus als auf jene und konne daher
fur ihn nicht gelten.
Die Beschwerdefuhrer zu 2) bis 4) seien als Vorstandsmitglieder des Beschwerdefuhrers
zu 1) in ihrem <lurch Art. 4 Abs. 2 GG geschi.itzten Recht auf Wahrnehmung religionsgesellschaftlicher (Leitungs-)Aktivitaten verletzt.
IV.
Zu der Verfassungsbeschwerde haben sich der Bundesminister der Justiz und das Ministerium fi.ir Justiz, Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten Baden-Wi.irttemberg geauf3ert.
Beide halten die Verfassungsbeschwerde fi.ir unbegri.indet.
1. Der Bundesminister der Justiz tragt vor, aus Art. 4 Abs. 2 und Art. 140 GG in Verbindung mit Art. 137 Abs. 3 WRY konne nicht unmittelbar unter Berufung auf die Glaubensinhalte der Baha'i-Religion ein Anspruch auf Erlangung der Rechtsfahigkeit fur den
Beschwerdefuhrer zu I) hergeleitet werden. Art. 4 Abs. 2 GG verpflichte den Staat zur Respektierung des Glaubens und zum Schutz der Religionsausi.ibung, nicht aber zur Schaffung
rechtlicher Regelungen, die den jeweiligen Glaubensinhalten einzelner Religionsgesellschaften entsprachen . Fraglich sei bereits, ob Art. 137 Abs. 3 WRY den Erwerb der
Rechtsfahigkeit <lurch den Beschwerdefi.ihrer zu 1) i.iberhaupt erfasse; Art. 13 7 Abs. 4
WRY, der auf den Beschwerdefi.ihrer zu I) als blof3er Untergliederung einer Religionsgemeinschaft allerdings nicht unmittelbar anwendbar sei, treffe namlich gerade fur diesen
Bereich eine ausdri.ickliche Regelung. Jedenfalls konne der Geistige fat die Rechtsfahigkeit
nur nach den allgemeinen Vorschriften des bi.irgerlichen Rechtes erlangen; geringere
Anforderungen, als sie Art. 137 Abs. 4 WRY fur die Eintragung einer Religionsgesellschaft
als Verein stelle, konnten insoweit nicht gelten . Die Gerichte batten bei ihrer Entscheidung
i.iber die Eintragung des Beschwerdefi.ihrers zu I) Bedeutung und Tragweite des Art. 140
GG in Verbindung mit Art. 137 Abs. 3 und 4 WRY nicht verkannt.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'f ACTIVITIES 579
2. Nach Auffassung des Ministers fur Justiz, Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten Baden-
Wilrttemberg verst6/3t die Satzung nicht nur gegen einzelne Vorschriften des zwingenden
Rechts. Sie weiche auch in ihrer Gesamtheit so erheblich von dem im Bilrgerlichen
Gesetzbuch geregelten Typus des autonomen Vereins ab und setze den Beschwerdefuhrer zu
1) so dominierenden Fremdeinflilssen aus, da/3 die Entscheidung des Oberlandesgerichts,
gemessen an den vereinsrechtlichen Vorschriften des Bilrgerlichen Gesetzbuchs, nicht beanstandet werden konne. Auch bei der gebotenen Berilcksichtigung des einschlagigen
Verfassungsrechts ergebe sich nichts anderes. Die Beschwerdefuhrer hatten auch bisher
nicht schlilssig dargelegt, da/3 der Glaube der Baha'i im einzelnen die Organisationsregeln
fordere, die vom Oberlandesgericht als unvereinbar mit den Vorschriften des Bilrgerlichen
Gesetzbuchs erachtet wurden. Es liege vielmehr nahe, da/3 die Glaubenslehre eine gewisse
Flexibilitat in der Ausgestaltung der Organisationsstruktur einraume.

B.

Die Verfassungsbeschwerden sind zulassig.

1. Der Beschwerdefuhrer zu 1) ist zur Erhebung der Verfassungsbeschwerde befugt. Als
Vereinigung von Personen kann er, unabhangig von gegebener Rechtsfahigkeit, die mogliche Verletzung eines Grundrechts geltend machen (vgl. BVerfGE 3, 383 <391 >). Die
Verfassungsbeschwerde betrifft gerade die Frage, ob dem Beschwerdefuhrer zu 1) die Eintragung als Verein und damit die Erlangung der Rechtsfahigkeit ohne Verletzung seines
Grundrechts aus Art. 4 Abs. l und 2 GG verweigert werden darf.
Der Beschwerdefuhrer zu 1) behauptet, er werde in seiner Freiheit der Religionsausilbung
dadurch verletzt, da/3 ihm mit der Verweigerung seiner Eintragung in das Vereinsregister
unmoglich gemacht werde, sich so zu organisieren, wie es seiner im wesentlichen <lurch den
Glaubensinhalt der Baha'i zwingend vorgegebenen inneren Verfassung entspreche. Damit
ist der Schutzbereich des Grundrechts der Religionsfreiheit berilhrt. Das Vorbringen des
Beschwerdefuhrers zu 1) ist auch hinreichend substantiiert; nach seinem Vortrag ist der
Sach- und Lebensbereich der Religionsfreiheit betroffen und erscheint eine Verletzung des
Gewahrleistungsinhalts des Grundrechts moglich.
2. Die Beschwerdefuhrer zu 2) bis 4) bringen vor, die Ablehnung der Eintragung des Beschwerdefuhrers zu 1) mache es ihnen unmoglich, sich im Rahmen ihrer Glaubensgemeinschaft entsprechend den fur die bindenden Vorgaben der ihr zuteil gewordenen Offenbarung
zu organisieren und so ihre Religion auszuilben. Mit diesem Vortrag haben sie die Moglichkeit einer Verletzung ihres Grundrechts aus Art. 4 Abs . 1 und 2 GG , das gerade auch ein
Individualgrundrecht ist, hinreichend dargetan. Daf3 die Beschwerdefuhrer zu 3) und 4)
inzwischen nicht mehr dem ortlichen Geistigen Rat angehoren , hat das ursprilnglich bestehende Interesse an einer Sachentscheidung nicht entfallen !assen. Wie sich eine Anderung
der Sachlage auf eine anhangige Verfassungsbeschwerde auswirkt, ist fur den jeweiligen
Einzelfall unter Berilcksichtigung der Art des angegriffenen Hoheitsakts, der Bedeutung der
geltend gemachten verfassungsrechtlichen Gewahrleistung und der Zwecke des Verfassungsbeschwerde-Verfahrens zu entscheiden (BVerfGE 76, 1 <38>). Im vorliegenden Fall
ist die grundsatzliche Bedeutung der aufgeworfenen verfassungsrechtlichen Frage und
weiter zu berilcksichtigen, da/3 die Beschwerdefuhrer zu 3) und 4) bei Wahlen emeut Mitglieder des ortlichen Geistigen Rates der Baha'i werden konnen und weitere gerichtliche
Verfahren bei erneuten Antragen auf Eintragung in das Vereinsregister moglich sind (vgl.
auch BVerfGE 2 1, 139 < 143>).
580 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

3. Das Rechtsschutzbedii rfnis fur die Verfassungsbeschwerde fehlt nicht deshalb, weil
das Oberlandesgericht seine Entscheidung auch auf die von den Beschwerdefuhrern nicht
beanstandete Erwagung gestiitzt hat, Art. 9 Abs. 2 der Satzung gewahrleiste hinsichtlich der
Einberufung der Mitgliederversammlung nicht den von § 37 Abs. I BGB geforderten Minderheitenschutz. Insoweit handelt es sich ersichtlich um ei ne Frage, die im fachgerichtlichen
Verfahren nur eine untergeordnete Rolle spielte. Die Beschwerdefuhrer sind zu einer
Anderung der Satzung in diesem Punkt bereit. Es ist ihnen nicht zuzumuten , nach einer
solchen Anderung erneut ei n offensichtlich aussichtsloses Verfahren zu durchlaufen.

C.

Die Verfassungsbeschwerden sind begriindet.

Die Entscheidungen der Gerichte werden der Bedeutung des in Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG in
Verbindung mit Art. 140 GG/137 Abs. 2 und 4 WRY gewahrleisteten Grundrechts der
religiosen Vereinigungsfreiheit fur die Auslegung (und Handhabung) des Vereinsrechts des
Biirgerlichen Gesetzbuchs nicht gerecht und verletzen dad urch die Beschwerdefuhrer in
ihren Grundrechten.

I.

Dem ortlichen Geistigen Rat der Baha'i Tiibingen und den Glaubigen der Baha' i-
Gemeinschaft steht das Grundrecht aus Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG zu. Zwar konnen nicht allein
die Behauptung und das Selbstverstiindnis, eine Gemeinschaft bekenne sich zu einer Religion und sei eine Religionsgemeinschaft, fur diese und ihre Mitglieder die Berufung auf die
Fre iheitsgewahrleistung des Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG rechtfertigen; vielmehr mu/3 es sich
auch tatsachlich, nach geistigem Gehalt und auf3erem Erscheinungsbild, um eine Religion
und Religionsgemeinschaft handeln . Dies im Streitfall zu priifen und zu entscheiden, obliegt
-als Anwendung ei ner Regelung der staatli chen Rechtsordnung- den staatlichen Organen,
letztlich den Gerichten, die dabei freilich keine fre ie Bestimmungsmacht ausiiben, sondern
den vo n der Verfassung gernei nten oder vorausgesetzten , dem Sinn und Zweck der grundrechtlichen Verbiirgung entsprechenden Begriff der Religion zugrundezulegen haben. Im
vorliegenden Fall braucht hierauf j edoch nicht naher eingetreten zu werden, da der Charakter
des Baha' i-G laubens als Religion und der Baha ' i-Gemeinschaft als Religionsgemeinschaft
nach aktueller Lebenswirklichkeit, Kulturtradition und allgemeinem wie auch religionswissenschaftlichem Verstiindnis offenkundig ist.

II.

D ie Religionsfreiheit im Sinne des Art. 4 Abs . 1 und 2 GG umfaf3t auch die religiose
Vereinigungsfreiheit, wie sie sich aus dieser Bestimmung in Verbindung mit den einscblagigen, <lurch Art. 140 GG einbezogenen We imarer Kirchenartikeln ergibt.
I. Die religiose Vereinigungsfreiheit ist in Art. 4 Abs . 1 und 2 GG nicht ausdriickli ch
benannt; eigens gewahrleistet werden die Freiheit des Glaubens, des Gewissens, des
reli giosen und weltanschaulichen Bekenntnisses sowie die Freiheit der Religionsausiibung.
Nach der Rechtsprechung des Bundesverfassungsgerichts ist die in Art. 4 GG verbiirgte
Religionsfreiheit jedoch umfassend zu verstehen (vgl. BVerfGE 24, 236 <244 ff.>). Die
Intention des Verfassungsgebers war nach der Erfahrnng der Religionsverfo lgung <lurch das
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 581
NS-Regime darauf gerichtet, Religionsfreiheit nicht nur in bestimmten Teilfreiheiten,
sondem voll zu gewahrleisten. Jedenfalls sollte keines der religiosen Freiheitsrechte, die als
Ergebnis jahrhundertelanger geschichtlicher Entwicklung in der Weimarer Yerfassung
Anerkennung gefunden hatten, nunmehr ausgeschlossen sein. Zu diesen religiosen
Freiheitsrechten gehorten die Glaubens- und Gewissensfreiheit einschlief31ich der Bekenntnisfreiheit, die Freiheit der privaten und offentlichen Religionsaustibung (Kultusfreiheit)
und die religiose Yereinigungsfreiheit (vgl. Art. 135, 136, 137 Abs. 2 WRY und G.
Anschutz, Die Religionsfreiheit, in: Anschiitz/Thoma (Hrsg.), HDStR, Bd. 2, 1932, § 106, S.
681 ff.).
Dies wird <lurch die Entstehungsgeschichte bestatigt. In den Beratungen des Parlamentarischen Rates enthielt der spatere Art. 4 seit der Yorlage des Grundsatzausschusses und der
ersten Lesung im HauptausschuJ3 als Satz 2 des Abs. 1 ausdrticklich die Gewahrleistung der
religiosen Yereinigungsfreiheit ("Das Recht zur Yereinigung zu Religions- und Weltanschauungsgesellschaften wird anerkannt"). Erst in der vierten Lesung im Hauptausschuf3 am
4. Mai 1949-nach der Dbernahme des Weimarer Kirchenkompromisses in das
Grundgesetz-wurde dieser Satz mit der Begrtindung gestrichen, er sei nunmehr entbehrlich, weil Art. 137 Abs. 2 WRY Bestandteil des Grundgesetzes geworden sei (v.Doemming/
FUJ3lein/Matz, Entstehungsgeschichte der Artikel des Grundgesetzes: JOR, N.F., Bd. 1, S. 73
ff.; Pad.Rat, HA-Prot., 57. Sitzung am 4.5.1949, S. 745). Daraus ergibt sich, daf3 nach dem
Willen des Parlamentarischen Rats die religiose Yereinigungsfreiheit verfassungsrechtlich
gewahrleistet sein und bleiben so llte. Es ware diesem Befund und dem Willen des Yerfassungsgebers gerade entgegengesetzt, ihr wegen der Herausnahme aus Art. 4, die nur
erfolgte, um eine Doppelgewahrleistung zu vermeiden, nunmehr die Zugehorigkeit zur
grundrechtlich garantierten Religionsfreiheit abzusprechen. Yielmehr ist davon auszugehen,
daf3 Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG sich fur die Gewahrleistung der religiosen Yereinigungsfreiheit
auf Art. 140 GG/137 Abs. 2 WRY bezieht und sie in <lessen normativem Gehalt mitumfaf3t.
2. Der Gewahrleistungsinhalt der religiosen Yereinigungsfreiheit umfaf3t die Freiheit, aus
gemeinsamem Glauben sich zu einer Religionsgesellschaft zusammenzuschlief3en und zu
organisieren. Schon der Begriff der Religionsgesellschaft weist darauf hin, daf3 ein Zusammenschluf3 auf dem Boden der staatlichen Rechtsordnung gemeint ist und nicht etwa nur
eine rein geistliche Kultgemeinschaft. Die Moglichkeit der Bildung einer Religionsgesellschaft soil den Weg eroffnen, sich als Yereinigung von Menschen zur Yerwirklichung des
gemeinsamen religiosen Zwecks zu organisieren, eine rechtliche Gestalt zu geben und am
allgemeinen Rechtsverkehr teilzunehmen. Damit ist kein Anspruch auf eine bestimmte
Rechtsform gemeint, etwa die des rechtsfahigen Yereins oder einer sonstigen Form der
juristischen Person; gewahrleistet ist die Mog lichkeit einer irgendwie gearteten rechtlichen
Existenz einschlief31ich der Teilnahme am all gemeinen Rechtsverkehr.
Dem entspricht es, daf3 Art. 140 GG in Yerbindung mit Art. 137 Abs. 4 WRY den Religionsgesellschaften die Moglichkeit eroffnet und gewahrleistet, die Rechtsfahigkeit nach
den allgemeinen Yorschriften des btirgerlichen Rechts zu erwerben. Diese Yorschriften
haben wie jedermann so auch die Religionsgesellschaften grundsatzlich zu beachten. Es verschlagt daher nichts, wenn eine Religionsgesellschaft oder eine ihrer Gliederungen wegen
einer glaubensbegriindeten besonderen Organisation eine bestimmte Rechtsform, die sie
erstrebt, nicht erlangen kann. Die religiose Yereinigungsfreiheit gebietet allerdings, <las
Eigenverstandnis der Religionsgesellschaft, sowei t es in den Bereich der <lurch Art. 4 Abs. 1
GG als unverletzlich gewahrleisteten Glaubens- und Bekenntnisfreiheit wurzelt und sich in
der <lurch Art. 4 Abs . 2 GG geschtitzten Religionsausiibung verwirklicht, bei der Auslegung
und Handhab ung des einschlagigen Rechts, hier des Yereinsrechts des Biirgerlichen
582 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Gesetzbuchs, besonders zu beriicksichtigen (vgl. BYerfGE 53 , 366 <401 > m.w.N.). Das
bedeutet nicht nur, dal3 die Religionsgesellschaft Gestaltungsspielraume, die das dispositive
Recht eroffnet, voll ausschopfen darf. Auch bei der Handhabung zwingender Yorschriften
sind Auslegungsspielraume, soweit erforderlich, zugunsten der Religionsgesellschaft zu
nutzen; dies darf allerdings nicht dazu fuhren, unabweisbare Riicksichten auf die Sicherheit
des Rechtsverkehrs und auf die Rechte anderer zu vemachli:issigen.
Unvereinbar mit der religiosen Yereinigungsfreiheit ware ein Ergebnis, das eine Religionsgesellschaft im Blick auf ihre innere Organisation von der Teilnahme am allgemeinen
Rechtsverkehr ganzlich ausschlosse oder diese nur unter Erschwerungen ermoglichte, die
unzumutbar sind.

III.

Dem dargelegten nonnativen Gehalt der religiosen Yereinigungsfreiheit werden die
angegriffenen Entscheidungen nicht gerecht. Das Yereinsrecht des Biirgerlichen
Gesetzbuchs lal3t es zu, besonderen Anforderungen an die innere Organisation Rechnung zu
tragen, die sich aus der Eigenart von religiosen Yereinen ergeben, die Teilgliederungen einer
Religionsgesellschaft sind oder mit ihr in besonderer Yerbindung stehen. Dies ist, da den
Baha'i die Rechtsform der Korperschaft des offentlichen Rechts nicht zur Yerfugung steht
(nachfolgend 1), im Blick auf den ortlichen Geistigen Rat aus Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG auch
verfassungsrechtlich geboten (nachfolgend 2).
1. Die Baha' i-Gemeinschaft kann die Eigenschaft als Korperschaft des offentlichen
Rechts gemal3 Art. 140 GG/Art. 137 Abs. 5 WRY nicht erlangen. Mit dieser Organisationsform wiirden zwar die bestehenden Probleme gelost, denn im Rahmen der "Korperschaft des
offentlichen Rechts", die im Regelungszusammenhang des Art. 137 Abs. 5 WRY nur als
Mantelbegriff fungiert, liel3e sich die Einfugung in eine hierarchische Struktur, wie sie fur
die Baha'i von ihrer Glaubenslehre vorgegeben erscheint, organisatorisch voll verwirklichen. Das ze igt etwa das Beispiel der Romisch-Katholischen Kirche, for die insoweit eine
hierarchische Organisationsstruktur bestimmend ist, die ohne Abstriche for das staatliche
Recht Geltung gewinnt. So werden Pfarreien nach Anhorung des diozesanen Priesterrats
allein durch den Ortsbischof errichtet und aufgelOst, ohne dal3 dafiir der Rat oder die Zustimmung des Pfarrers, der Pfarrangehorigen oder eines von den Pfarrangehorigen gewahlten
Gremiums erforderlich ware (Can. 515, § 2 i.Y.m. Can. 127, §§ I und 2 CIC). Die Beschwerdefohrer haben indes dargelegt, dal3 fur die Baha' i-Gemeinschaft nach den einschlagigen Empfehlungen der Kultusministerkonferenz und nach dem Ergebnis einer Anfrage
beim Hessischen Kultusministerium die Anerkennung als Korperschaft des offentlichen
Rechts for sie nicht in Frage komme; sie habe im Jahre 1986 in der Bundesrepublik nur etwa
4.000 bis 5.000 Mitglieder, die sich zudem auf etwa 50 ortliche Baha'i-Gemeinden
verteilten. Es li:i.13t sich nicht sagen, dal3 die Yerweigerung der Anerkennung als Korperschaft
des offentlichen Rechts angesichts dieser Umstande im Blick auf die Kriterien des Art. 137
Abs. 5 WRY rechtsfehlerhaft oder gar mil3brauchlich ware . Daher kann dahinstehen, ob die
Baha' i-Gemeinschaft, ware die Erlangung der Eigenschaft einer Korperschaft des offentlichen Rechts fiir sie moglich, ohne Einbul3e in dem Freiheitsanspruch aus Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2
GG darauf auch verwiesen werden konnte, oder ob ihr insoweit die Wahl der Rechtsform
offenstiinde.
2. Es ist im Rahmen des Yereinsrechts des Biirgerlichen Gesetzbuchs moglich und verfassungsrechtlich geboten, die glaubensbedingten Anforderungen an die innere Organisation
des ortlichen Geistigen Rates der Baha 'i als religioser Yerein und Teilgliederung einer Religionsgesellschaft besonders zu beriicksichtigen.
INTERNATIONA L SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 583
a) Die von den Gerichten mit dem Grundsatz der Selbstandigkeit und Selbstverwaltung
(Vereinsautonomie) fur unvereinbar angesehenen Bestimmungen der vorgelegten Satzung
i.iber das Zustandekommen der Mitgliedschaft (Art. 3 Abs. 2), den AusschluJ3 von der Mitgliedschaft (Art. 4 Abs. 2) und die Auflosung des Vereins (Art. 14 Abs. I Buchst. b), die
Erfordemisse ei11er Satzungsanderung (Art. 13 Abs. 2) und die Abgrenzung der Aufgaben
des Vereins (Art. 11 Abs. 1 Buchst. c) betreffen nicht diejenigen Bestimmungen des Vereinsrechts, die im Interesse der Sicherheit und Klarheit des Rechtsverkehrs die nach auJ3en
wirkenden Angelegenheiten und Rechtsverhaltnisse regeln (Bestellung und Abberufung des
Vorstands, <lessen Vertretungsmacht, Haftung des Vereinsvermogens, Liquidation bei
Auflosung des Vereins u.a.m.) . Sie beziehen sich allein auf die innere Organisation des
Vereins.
b) Die beanstandeten Regelungen stehen nicht in Widerspruch zum Wortlaut vereinsrechtlicher Vorschriften iiber die innere Organisation des Vereins. Die in § 41 BGB
geregelte Auflosung des Vereins <lurch BeschluJ3 der Mitgliederversammlung wird nicht
ausgeschlossen, sondem <lurch das Auflosungsrecht des Nationalen Geistigen Rates der
Baha'i erganzt; i.iber die Art und Weise des Zustandekommens der Mitgliedschaft enthalt §
58 BGB ebensowenig eine Regelung wie i.iber AusschluJ3moglichkeiten; die Bestimmung
des § 33 BGB i.iber Satzungsanderungen ist dispositiv (§ 40 BGB); i.iber die Abgrenzung von
Vereinsaufgaben besteht keine gesetzliche Regelung.
c) Die Gerichte begriinden die Unzu!assigkeit der genannten Satzungsbestimmungen
denn auch allein aus der Unvereinbarkeit mit dem das Vereinsrecht pragenden Grundsatz
der Vereinsautonomie. Dieser Grundsatz der Vereinsautonomie ist im Vereinsrecht des
BGB nicht ausdriicklich festgelegt; er wird vielmehr <lurch Rechtsprechung und Lehre der
Gesamtheit der Vorschriften entnommen, die die Konstituierung und Organisation des Vereins
sowie die Wahrnehmung der Vereinsangelegenheiten auf den Willen der Vereinsmitglieder
zuri.ickfuhren, und als darin vorausgesetzt angesehen. Sein Ziel ist, der Privatautonomie vergleichbar, den Charakter des Vereins als eines vomehmlich von der Willensbestimmung und
-betatigung seiner Mitglieder getragenen Personenverbandes zu wahren (KG, OLGZ 1974,
S. 385 <387>; RGRK-Steffen, 12. Aufl., Rdnm. 31 f. vor § 21, § 25 Rdnr. I; Staudinger-
Coing, 12. Aufl., Vorbem. zu §§ 21-54, Rdnr. 38 ; AK-Ott, § 25 Rdnrn. 15 f.; vgl. auch
Flume, Allgemeiner Tei! des Bi.irgerlichen Rechts 1/2, 1983, S. 189 f.). Es gehort zu dieser
Autonomie, den mit ihr ausgestatteten Einrichtungen das Recht einzuraumen, sich die ihren
Zwecken entsprechende Organisation selbst zu geben und diese frei zu bestimmen, soweit
dem nicht zwingende Vorschriften oder dem Wesen der entsprechenden Institution zu entnehmende Grundsatze entgegenstehen. In der Rechtsprechung wird hervorgehoben, dal3 diese
Autonomie auch in der Weise ausgeilbt werden kann, dal3 das Selbstverwaltungsrecht des
Vereins satzungsmaJ3ig beschrankt wird; auch eine solche Beschrankung stellt die Ausiibung
von Autonomie dar; es bedeutete daher eine Beschneidung von Autonomie, wenn solche
Regelungen fur unzulassig erk!art wi.irden (vgl. KG, OLGZ 1974, S. 385 <387>; Diltz, 2. FS
fur Herschel, 1982, S. 55 <73 ff.>; a.A. Flume, a.a.O., S. 194 ff.).
Der Grundsatz der Vereinsautonomie, wie er in Rechtsprechung und Schrifttum verstanden wird, wird somit von zwei nicht notwendig parallel laufenden inhaltlichen
Tendenzen gepragt: Einerseits schi.itzt er die Autonomie in der Bildung und organisatorischen Gestaltung des Vereins nach der freien Selbstentscheidung der Mitglieder, wozu
auch die Einfugung in eine hierarchisch organisierte Gemeinschaft gehoren kann, andererseits bewahrt er die Selbstbestimmung des Vereins und seiner Mitglieder vor einer
EntauJ3erung, die die eigene Willensbestimmung nahezu vollstandig zum Erliegen bringt. Er
schliel3t es nicht aus, ist vielmehr dafur offen , bei seiner Auslegung und Anwendung beide
584 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Tendenzen unter Berticksichtigung des konkreten Falles, d.h. auch bezogen auf Zweckausrichtung und Eigenart des in Frage stehenden Vereins, zum Ausgleich zu bringen. So wird es
mit der Vereinsautonomie for vereinbar gehalten, gestufte Verbande zu schaffen, innerhalb
deren die Unterverbande-sei es als rechtsfahige, sei es als nichtrechtsfahige Vereine-zu
Oberverbanden in Abhangigkeit stehen, ihren Vereinscharakter dadurch aber nicht verlieren,
sofem sie auch eigenstandig Aufgaben wahrnehmen (Reichert/ Dannecker/Kuhr, Handbuch
des Vereins- und Verbandsrechts, 4. Aufl. 1987, Rdnrn. 2098 ff.; Soergel-Hadding, Rdnm.
53 vor § 21; BGHZ 90, S. 331).
d) Wird dabei die Eigenart religioser Vereine, die sich als Teil einer Religionsgemeinschaft organisieren, bedacht, so liegt es im Blick auf die vielfach zu beobachtende
glaubensgebundene hierarchische innere Organisation von Religionsgesellschaften nahe,
dal3 Vereine, die Teilgliederungen von Religionsgesellschaften sind oder mit ihnen in besonderer Verbindung stehen, sich in die Hierarchie ihrer Religionsgemeinschaft einfogen
wollen. Darin kann nicht ohne weiteres die Unterwerfung unter eine Fremdbestimmung von
aul3en gesehen werden, die die Selbstandigkeit und Selbstverwaltung des Vereins in ihrem
Kern trifft.
aa) Die Autonomie in der Bildung und Organisation eines religiosen Vereins kann dahin
betatigt werden, dal3 als Zweck des Vereins gewollt wird, eine Teilgliederung einer Religionsgemeinschaft zu sein und sich in deren religionsrechtlich bestimmte Struktur
einzufiigen. Solche selbstgesetzten Einordnungszwecke, die sich bei einem religiosen
Verein gerade als Ausdruck der religiosen Selbstbestimmung der Mitglieder in ihrem
gemeinsamen Glauben darstellen, mlissen nicht schlechthin als Preisgabe der Selbstbestimmung des Vereins beurteilt werden. Die Grenze ist erst dort erreicht, wo Selbstbestimmung
und Selbstverwaltung des Vereins nicht nur in bestimmten Hinsichten, wie sie sich aus der
religionsrechtlich vorausgesetzten hierarchischen Einordnung ergeben, sondem dartiber
hinaus in weitem Umfang ausgeschlossen werden; der Verein wtirde dann nicht mehr vornehmlich vom Willen der Mitglieder getragen, sondern zur blol3en Verwaltungsstelle oder
einem blol3en Sondervermogen eines anderen (vgl. KG, OLGZ 1974, S. 385 <390>; Bay-
ObLGZ 1979, S. 303 <308 ff. >).
Hiernach lal3t es das Vereinsrecht zu, bei einem religiosen Verein, der sich als
Teilgliederung einer Religionsgesellschaft konstituiert, Einschrankungen der autonomen
Auflosungs-, Ausschliel3ungs- oder Betatigungsbefugnis nicht als mit der Vereinsautonomie
unvereinbare Fremdbestimmung von aul3en anzusehen, sofem sie der Sicherung der Einordnung in die gro13ere Religionsgemeinschaft im Rahmen der bestehenden religionsrechtlichen
Verkntipfung-etwa der Wahrung der Identitat der Glaubenslehre und grundlegender
glaubensbedingter Lebensfohrungspflichten-dienen und sich darauf begrenzen. Bei
solcher Begrenzung der Eingriffsbefugnisse einer hierarchisch tibergeordneten Instanz, die
for sich nur eine Art Lehramt und entsprechende Jurisdiktionsbefugnisse beansprucht, bleibt
noch ein hinreichender Bestand an Selbstbestimmung und Selbsttatigkeit des Vereins
gewahrt.
bb) Indem die Gerichte den in der Satzung normierten Ei nflul3 des Nationalen Geistigen
Rates aufBestand, Mitgliedschaft und Betatigung des ortlichen Geistigen Rates generell als
unzulassige Fremdbestimmung des Vereins von aul3en ansehen, haben sie die Eigenart
religioser Vereine, die sich als Teilgliederung einer Religionsgesellschaft glaubensgebunden
hierarchisch organisieren, und damit die Bedeutung des Grundrechts der religiosen Vereinigungsfreiheit for die Auslegung und Anwendung des Grundsatzes der Vereinsautonomie
verkannt. Sie haben den Nationalen Geistigen Rat wie eine fremde, von anderen Zielen und
Interessen bestimmte Organisation angesehen, die beherrschenden Einflul3 austibt, ohne die
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 585
<lurch die religionsrechtliche Verkntipfung gegebene Einheit und Gemeinsamkeit zu
beachten. Nichts anderes gilt im Ergebnis hinsichtlich der Wahl der Mitglieder des ortlichen
Geistigen Rates <lurch die Glaubigen der ortlichen Baha'i-Gemeinde. Diese sind kraft der
religionsrechtlichen Yerkntipfung ebenfalls nicht Fremde, die den Verein einer andersgerichteten Bestimrnung von auf3en unterwerfen und dadurch seine Selbstbestimmung aufheben;
vielmehr steht diese Art der Begri.indung der Mitgliedschaft mit dem Zweck des Vereins, als
hierarchische Leitungsinstanz die Angelegenheiten der ortlichen Baha'i-Gemeinde zu verwalten (Art. 2 Abs. 1 der Satzung und die Praambel), in Einklang und dient gerade seiner
Verwirklichung.
e) Ein unzulassiger Fremdeinfluf3 kann sich auch nicht daraus ergeben, daf3 bei Auflosung
des Yereins <lurch den Nationalen Geistigen Rat das Yereinsvermogen diesem zufallt (Art.
14 Abs. I und 2 der Satzung). Zielrichtung dieser Satzungsbestimrnung ist nicht, dem
Nationalen Geistigen Rat unter Ausnutzung seiner Auflosungsbefugnis den Zugriff auf
fremdes Yerrnogen zum Zweck eigener Yermogensmehrung zu eroffnen. Hiergegen spricht
bereits, daB nach der Satzung keine Beitrage erhoben werden, die den Zweck einer Vermogensansammlung verfolgen; die Finanzierung des Vereins erfolgt allein durch freiwillige
Spenden; zudem hat sich der Yerein ausdrticklich den rechtlichen Bindungen der Gemeinni.itzigkeit unterstellt (Art. 2 Abs. 2 und 3 der Satzung).

IV.

Die genannten Entscheidungen verletzen danach die Beschwerdefiihrer in ihrem Grundrecht aus Art. 4 Abs. 1 und 2 GG in Verbindung mit Art. 140 GG/ 137 Abs. 2 und 4 WRY,
indem sie die Eigenart des ortlichen Geistigen Rates als religioser Yerein und Teilgliederung
einer Religionsgesellschaft bei der Auslegung und Anwendung des Begriffs der Yereinsautonomie nicht hinreichend berticksichtigen. Sie sind daher aufzuheben. Die Sache ist an das
Amtsgericht zur erneuten Entscheidung zuri.ickzuverweisen. Es wird dabei u.a. zu pri.ifen
haben, ob das in der Satzung unbegrenzt formulierte Auflosungs- und AusschlieBungsrecht
<lurch den Nationalen Geistigen Rat schon <lurch den Zweck des Yereins und die Praambel
der Satzung hinreichend eingeschrankt im Sinne der Darlegungen unter III 2 d) aa) erscheint
oder ob es insoweit einer ausdrticklichen Festlegung in der Satzung bedarf.

Die Entscheidung i.iber die Kosten folgt aus § 34a Abs. 2 BVerfGG.

Mahrenholz Bockenforde Klein
Graf3hof Kruis Franf3en
Kirchhof Winter
586 THE BAHA'I WORLD

[TRANSLATION - FROM GERMAN]

Guiding Principles

for the decision of the Second Senate of 5th February 1991
- 2 BvR 263/86 -

I. A community's mere assertion and self-understanding of professing a religion and of
being a religious community cannot justify reference for it and its members to the guarantee of religious freedom of Art. 4, par. 1 and 2 GG; rather it must be a religion and a
religious community in fact, according to spiritual content and outward appearance. To
examine and determine this in case of dispute is the duty of the organs ofthe State, ofthe
courts in the final ana lysis, - in application of the ruling of the State's legal system.

2. a) To the freedom of religion in the meaning of Art. 4, par. I and 2 GG belongs also the
freedom of religious association, arising from this regulation in connection with the
relevant Weimar Church Articles included by Art. 140 GG.

b) The guarantee of freedom of religious association contains also the freedom to form a
religious association and organize according to one 's common faith. This does not
mean the right to a particular legal form, such as that of an incorporated association or
some other form of corporation; what is guaranteed is the possibility of legal existence
in some form or other, includi ng participation in general legal proceedings.
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 587

(TRANSLATION - FROM GERMAN]

FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL COURT
- 2 BvR 263/86 -

IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE
In the Proceedings
on the
Constitutional Appeal

l. of the "Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is ofTubingen, with its seat in Tubingen",
represented by the Chairman, Mr. S ....
2. of Mr. S ....
3. of Mrs. S ... .
4. of Mrs. S .. .

- Represented by: Attorneys Dr. Michael Uechtritz,
Dr. Hans Schlarmann,
BirkenwaldstraBe 149, Stuttgart 1 -

against a) the decision of the High State Court Stuttgart
of 27 January 1986 - 8 W 252/85 -,
b) the decision of the State Court Tubing en
of 8 May 1985 - 5 T 34/84 (FGG) -,
c) the decision of the District Court Tiibingen
of 8 December 1983 and of 2 January 1984 - GReg. II 922/83 -

the Federal Constitutional Court - Second Senate - with the participation of Judges
Vice-chairman Mahrenholz,
Bockenforde,
Klein,
GraBhof,
Kruis,
FranBen,
Kirchhof,
Winter

decided on 5 February 1991:
The Decisions of the High State Court Stuttgart of 27 January 1986 - 8 W 252/85 -, of
the State Court Tubingen of 8 May 1985 - 5 T 34/84 (FGG) - and of the District Court
Tubingen of 8 December 1983 and of 2 January 1984 - GReg . II 922/83 - violate the
basic rights of the appellants accorded by Article 4, paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Constitution. They are repealed. The case is referred back to the District Court.
The State of Baden-Wiirttemberg has to reimburse the appellants for the necessary
expenses.
588 T H E BAHA'I WORLD

Reasons

A.

Subject of the Constitutional Appeal is the question to what extent Art. 4, par. 1 and 2 GG
requires that the individuality of a religious association, considering and organizing itself as
part of a religious community, must be taken into account in the interpretation and application of regulations of corporate law of the Code of Civil Law.

I.

The Religious Community of the Baha'is, constituting a religious movement arisen out of
Shi ' ih Islam, is represented in a multiplicity of countries. It is hierarchically organized and is
currently governed by the "Universal House of Justice", consisting of nine elected members,
with its seat in Haifa (Israel) . In countries with a considerable number of local communities,
a nine-member National Spiritual Assembly is elected annually in an indirect election by the
totality of its members. In the Federal Republic of Germany this is established as a registered association; in other countries it makes use of other legal forms of association or
incorporation according to the laws valid there. As governing bodies on a local level, Local
Spiritual Assemblies also consisting of nine members are elected by the believers of the
local community, and are responsible fo r regulating local affairs.

II.

1. The appellant under 2) is chai1man, the appellants under 3) and 4) were further elected
officers of the appellant under 1). On 14 February 1983 the appellant under 2) as chairman
of the governing body applied to the District Court Tubingen for registration of the appellant
under 1) in the Court's Register of Associations. The By-Laws on which this application is
based contain the following regulations, which are significant here:

Article 2
Pmpose of the Association
I The purpose of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is of Ttibingen is the administration of all the affairs of the Baha'i Community in Tiibingen according to the
teachings and administrative principles of the Baha' i Religion, as they appear in the
Appendix following the By-Laws ....
II Accordingly the Spiritual Assembly exclusively and directly pursues charitable and
religious purposes and purposes of public benefit in the sense of the paragraph on
"Tax-favoured purposes" in Tax Law.
III The Spiritual Assembly acts in a disinterested capacity and does not pursue purposes
for its own economic benefit.

Article 3
Establishment of Membership
I
II The members of the Spiritual Assembly are elected by the voting members of the
Baha'i Community from amongst their midst by secret ballot with sin1ple plurality
vote, for the duration of one year, or until the election of their successors. This
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 589
election takes place on 21 April of each year at the Annual Convention of the Baha'i
Conununity. Details are regulated by Article 10.
III
Article 4
Termination of membership
I Membership is terminated
by the expiration of time and new election of the Spiritual Assembly,
by resignation,
by removal,
by leaving the Baha'i Conununity ofTtibingen.
II The removal of a member of the Spiritual Assembly falls within the competence of
the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Germany.
Article 5
By-Election
I Vacancies in the membership of the Spiritual Assembly are replaced by election at a
special meeting of the Baha'i Community duly called by the Spiritual Assembly for
this purpose. As long as the number of members of the Spiritual Assembly does not
fall below 5, its decision-making competence is maintained.
II If the number of vacancies is higher than four, so that the Spiritual Assembly is no
longer competent to make decisions, the election is carried out under the supervision
of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Article 9
Meeting of the members
I
II All subsequent meetings are called informally (in writing, by telephone or orally) by
the Secretary of the Spiritual Assembly at the request of the Chairman or, if he is prevented, by the Vice-chairman, or at the request of three members of the Assembly or
by decision of the Assembly in advance ....
III
IV

Article 11
The National Spiritual Assembly
I The institution superior to all the Spiritual Assemblies in the Federal Republic is the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Germany e.V.
It decides
a) and b) ... ;
c) about the area of jurisdiction of the Local Spiritual Assembly;
d) to f) ...

Article 13
Amendment of the By-Laws
I
II Amendments to the By-Laws require the approval of the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Baha'is of Germany. They become effective on registration in the Court's Register of Associations.
590 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Article 14
Dissolution
I The dissolution of the Spiritual Assembly can result
a) from an absolute majority decision taken by the members of the Assembly
in a meeting of the members called exclusively for this purpose,
b) from an absolute majority decision of the National Spiritual Assembly.
II In case of the dissolution of the Spiritual Assembly its assets are transferred to the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Germany, which must use them
directly and exclusively for charitable and religious purposes and purposes of public
benefit.

2. The District Court indicated questionable legal points of a formal and material kind in
the registration procedure and demanded rectification. The appellant under 1) was stated to
lack particularly the necessary legal independence, because its existence is dependent on the
one hand on the local community, and on the other on the National Spiritual Assembly. The
appellants counter-claimed that the institutional structure of the world-wide Baha'i Community rests on a divine foundation and cannot be changed by them. As, according to the
Constitutional Law of the Baha'is, all power of jurisdiction lies with the elected bodies,
these should be given legal capacity in order to be able to participate in legal proceedings.
The District Court rejected the application for registration with the decision of 8 December
1983, and another application of22.12.1983 with the decision of2 January 1984.
3. The immediate appeal of the appellants under 2) to 4) against the decisions of the District Court of 8 December 1983 and 2 January 1984 was rejected as unjustified by the State
Court on 8 May 1985. The Association's By-Laws presented were stated to violate§ 37 par.
1 BGB, as well as the principle of corporate autonomy. Art 9 par. 2 of the By-Laws, which
gives the provisions for calling a meeting of the members, was stated not to do justice to the
protection of the minority called for in§ 37 par. 1 BGB. The legal provision demands that
the number of members at whose request a meeting of the members is to be called be fixed
proportionately, so that allowance will be made for future changes in the sháength of the
Association. The membership of the Association could drop to five without resulting in legal
incapacity to make decisions. In this case the number of three members fixed in Art. 9 par. 2
no longer represents a minority.
Above all it was pointed out that the By-Laws contain regulations leading to a legal and
organizational dependence of the Association on a third party and are thus incompatible with
the principle of independence and self-administration of associations. On the one hand
through Art. 4 par. 2, 11 par. 1, 13 par. 2, 14 par. 1 letter b, and through further regulations,
the National Spiritual Assembly as a non-member of the Association is to be given the right
of decision-making in the removal of members, amendment of the By-Laws, dissolution of
the Association and other matters concerning the Association; on the other hand the Baha 'i
Community is to decide through elections on the establishment and the duration of the membership, according to Art. 3 par. 2 and 4 par. 1. Such wide-ranging influence by a third party
in the organization of an association is inadmissible.
4. The High State Court Stuttgart rejected as unjustified the further appeal of the appellants under 2) to 4) with decision of27 January 1986 (OLGZ 1986, p. 257). It noted that Art.
9 par. 2 of the By-Laws violates§ 37 par. 1 BGB, because it does not ensure, with a possible
change in the number of members, that the call for a meeting of the members has to follow
the request of a minority. The By-Laws are furthermore not reconcilable with the principle
of independence and self-administration of the Association (corporate autonomy). Art. 14
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 591
par. 2 letter b, according to which the National Spiritual Assembly can dissolve the Association, violates § 41 BGB. It is inadmissible to give the right to an external third party to
dissolve the Association against the wish of its members. Insofar as jurisprudence had
judged such regulations in individual cases to be admissible (KG, DJ 1936, p. 1948; OLG
Karlsruhe, JW 1936, p. 3266; OLG Stuttgart, Das Recht [The Law] 1936, col. 151 ), these
decisions had been made in the time of National Socialism and their reasoning was not convincing. The election of the members by the Baha'i Community, as envisaged in Art. 3 par.
2 and Art. 4 par. 1 of the By-Laws, violates§§ 38 and 58 No. 1 BGB. The form by which a
new member joins and the declaration of acceptance could indeed be regulated in the By-
Laws in any way that is desired, and membership can be tied to certain pre-conditions. But
in principle the Association is to be free to decide whether to accept someone as a member,
as long as it is not, as a vitally important Association with monopoly status, exceptionally
obliged to accept members. Apart from these individual regulations, the overall picture of
the By-Laws shows such a strong third-party influence that there can no longer be a question
of autonomous action on the part of the Association. Significant hereby are the National
Spiritual Assembly 's rights of intervention, according to Art. 4 par. 2 (removal of a member), Art. 11 par. 1 letter c (right of decision-making on the area of jurisdiction), Art. 13 par.
2 (reserving approval for amendment of the By-Laws), Art. 14 par. 2 (transfer of the assets
to the National Spiritual Assembly in case of the dissolution of the Association). The By-
Laws contain a renunciation of the autonomy of the Association not in accordance with corporate law.

III .

The Constitutional Appeals are addressed against the decisions of the High State Court
and of the State Court as well as-in the relevant interpretation of the brief of the Constitutional Appeal-against both decisions of the District Court. The appellants presented an
expert opinion by Prof. Dr. Friedrich Muller on this and claim essentially:
1. The Constitutional Appeals are admissible . The required interest for legal protection is
established. This is not contravened by the fact that the rejection of the application to register was based also on an objection to Art. 9 par. 2 of the By-Laws, which the appellants had
agreed to change. Should an application again be made after amendment of this provision of
the By-Laws, it would again be rejected because of the other provisions of the By-Laws
which were questioned by the High State Court, in which case there would probably be no
re-examination of the case.
2. The High State Court has interpreted the corporate law of the Code of Civil Law incorrectly, and has especially misunderstood the content and significance of Art. 4 par. 1 and 2,
Art. 140 GG in connection with Art. 137 par. 3, 4 WRV.
a) Contrary to the interpretation of the High State Court § 41 par. 1 BGB does not prevent
the transfer to a third party of the right to dissolve the Association. This is certainly true
when the assembly of the members has this right as well. The provisions of the By-Laws for
the election of the members of the Association by the Baha'i Community and the termination of their membership due to new elections are in accordance with§§ 38 and 58 BGB. As
is shown from §§ 25 and 40 BGB, State Law leaves it to the Association to make such provisions. No objections can be derived from the Code of Civil Law either against the
competence of the National Spiritual Assembly to remove a member of the Local Spiritual
Assembly (Art. 4 par. 2 of the By-Laws), or to the definition of its area of jurisdiction (Art.
11 par. 1 letter c), or to the duty of approval for amendment of the By-Laws provided for in
592 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Art. 13 par. 2, or to the transfer of assets of the Spiritual Assembly in case of its dissolution
to the National Spiritual Assembly (Art. 14 par. 2). Altogether the provisions of the By-
Laws contested by the High State Court did not grant an inadmissible outside influence of a
third party on the appellant under 1). Its integration in the hierarchical shucture of the Religious Community of the Baha'is is of necessity given by its rules and principles, which are
based on divine Revelation.
b) The denial of legal capacity violates the constitutional rights of the appellant under 1)
as derived from Art. 4 par. 1 and 2 GG and violates Art. 140 GG in connection with Art. 137
par. 3 and 4 WRY. These provisions of the Constitution comprehend an organizational
shucture for a religious community, including the right to seek legal capacity for an administiáative institution of the community. In the understanding of the Baha'is, which is relevant
here, it is an unyieldable principle that the administiáative institutions of the local communities , but not the communities themselves, should attain legal capacity. The Constitution in
Art. 140 GG in connection with Art. 137 par. 2 to 5 WRY gives religious communities the
basic right of choice as regards their legal form. Since the Baha'is were denied the status of
' Korperschaft des offentlichen Rechts' [Corporate Body under Public Law] which they
sought, the appellant under 1) must be granted legal capacity under Civil Law. Even if the
High State Court's interpretation of corporate law for non-religious associations should be
correct, its effect on the appellant under 1) is more serious because of his religious aims and
the necessity of integration in the national and international order of the Baha'is which they
require, and thus it cannot be applied to him.
The appellants under 2) to 4) as officers of appellant under 1) suffer violation of their
right, protected by Ari. 4 par. 2 GG, to carry out administiáative activities for the religious
community.

IV.

On the Constitutional Appeal the Federal Minister of Justice and the Ministiáy for Justice,
Federal and European Affairs of Baden-Wi.irttemberg have given their opinion. Both consider the Constitutional Appeal unjustified .
1. The Federal Minister of Justice explains that the right to be granted legal capacity for
the appellant under 1) cannot directly be derived from Art. 4 par. 2 and Ari. 140 GG in connection with Art. 13 7 par. 3 WRY by referring to the contents of belief of the Baha'i
Religion. Ari. 4 par. 2 GG obliges the State to respect belief and to protect the practice of
religion, but not to create legal regulations which correspond to the pariicular contents of
belief of individual religious cornnmnities. It is questionable whether Art. 137 par. 3 WRY
covers the attainment of legal capacity by the appellant under 1); Art. 137 par. 4 WRY,
which is not directly applicable to the appellant under 1) as a mere sub-organization of a religious community, gives an explicit regulation just for this area. In any case, the Spiritual
Assembly can attain legal capacity only according to the general prescriptions of Civil Law;
lesser requirements than those demanded in Art. 137 par. 4 WRY for the registration of a
religious community as an association, could not apply in this case. The Courts, in their
decision on the registration of the appellant under 1), have not misunderstood the meaning
and significance of Art. 140 GG in connection with Ari. 137 par. 3 and 4 WRY.
2. According to the view of the Minister of Justice, Federal and Emopean Affairs of
Baden-Wi.irttemberg, the By-Laws violate not only individual regulations of the compulsory
law. They also depart significantly in their totality fro m the type of autonomous association
regulated in the Code of Civil Law, and so expose the appellant under 1) to dominating
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'i ACTIVITIES 593
third-party influences, that the decision of the High State Court cannot be contested in the
light of the regulations of corporate law of the Code of Civil Law. Even when taking the relevant Constitutional Law into necessary consideration, no other result can obtain. The
appellants have not so far proven conclusively that the belief of the Bah:i'is demands in particular the organizational rules considered iITeconcilable with the regulations of the Code of
Civil Law. It is suggested rather that the teachings of the Faith grant a certain flexibility in
the aITangement of details of the organizational strncture.

B.

The Constitutional Appeals are admissible.

1. The appellant under 1) is entitled to make the Constitutional Appeal. As a union of persons he can, independent of given legal capacity, claim the possible violation of a
constitutional right (cf. BVerfGE 3, 383 <391 >). The Constitutional Appeal specifically
concerns the question whether the appellant under 1) can be denied registration as an association and thus the attainment of legal capacity, without violation of his constitutional right
from Art. 4 par. 2 and 2 GG.
The appellant under 1) asserts that his freedom of religious practice is violated by the fact
that with the denial of his registration in the Court's Register of Associations it has been
made impossible for him to organize in accordance with the internal constitution prescribed
essentially and imperatively by the belief of the Bah:i 'is . Thus the protection of the Constitutional Law of religious freedom is infringed. The claim of the appellant under 1) is
adequately substantiated; according to his presentation the material and vital areas of religious freedom are concerned and there appears a possible violation of the guarantee of the
Constitutional Law.
2. The appellants under 2) to 4) claim that the denial ofregistration to the appellant under
1) makes it impossible for them to organize themselves in the framework of their religious
community according to the binding prescriptions of the Revelation underlying it, and thus
to practise their religion. With this presentation they have sufficiently proven the possibility
of a violation of their constitutional right from Art. 4 par. 1 and 2 GG, which is also an individual constitutional right. That the appellants under 3) and 4) no longer belong to the Local
Spiritual Assembly, has not lessened their original interest in a decision of the case. How a
change in the situation affects a Constitutional Appeal already made, is to be decided in each
individual case, taking into consideration the contested act of sovereignty underlying the
appeal, the significance of the constitutional guarantee appealed to and the purposes of the
Constitutional Appeal (BVerfGE 76, 1 <38>). In the present case the basic significance of
the Constitutional Question brought up is to be considered, and further, that the appellants
under 3) and 4) can again become members of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bah:i'is
in elections, and further court proceedings in case of renewed applications for registration in
the Court's Register of Associations are possible (cf. also BVerfGE 21 , 139 < 143>).
3. The legitimate interest to take legal action as basis for the Constitutional Appeal is not
vitiated through the High State Court' s having based its decision also on the consideration
not contested by the appellants, namely that Art. 9 par. 2 of the By-Laws does not guarantee,
as regards calling a meeting of the members, the protection of minorities required in § 37
par. 1 BGB. Thus, this is obviously a question which plays only a subordinate role in the
court proceedings. The appellants are ready to amend the By-Laws on this point. They cannot be expected to again go through a hopeless application after such an amendment.
594 THE BAHA ' i WORLD
c.
The Constitutional Appeals are justified.

The decisions of the Courts do not do justice to the significance of the constitutional right
of freedom of religious association, guaranteed in Art. 4 par. 2 and 2 GG in connection with
Art. 140 GG/137 par. 2 and 4 WRY, for the interpretation (and application) of the corporate
law of the Code of Civil Law, and they thereby violate the constitutional rights of the
appellants.

I.

The Local Assembly of the Baha'is ofTubingen and the believers of the Baha'i Community are entitled to the constitutional right from Art. 4 par. 1 and 2 GG. A community's mere
assertion and self-understanding of professing a religion and of being a religious community
cannot justify reference for it and its members to the guarantee of religious freedom of Art.
4, par. I and 2 GG; rather it must be a religion and a religious community in fact, according
to spiritual content and outward appearance. To examine and determine this in case of dispute is the duty of the organs of the State, of the courts in the final analysis,-in application
of the ruling of the State's legal system. These cannot decide freely in such a case, but must
base their decision on the concept of religion to which the meaning and purpose of the fundamental guarantee refers, as intended or set forth in the Constitution. In the present case it
is not necessary to go more deeply into this, as the character of the Baha' i Faith as a religion
and of the Baha ' i Community as a religious community is evident, in actual everyday life, in
cultural tradition, and in the understanding of the general public as well as of the science of
comparative religion.

II.

Religious freedom in the meaning of Art. 4 par. I and 2 GG also includes freedom ofreligious association as it follows from this regulation in connection with the relevant Weimar
Church Articles which are included by Art. 140 GG.
I. Freedom of religious association is not expressly mentioned in Art. 4 par. 1 and 2 GG;
specifically guaranteed are freedom of religion, conscience, religious and ideological belief,
as well as the freedom of religious practice. According to the judgements of the Federal
Constitutional Court the freedom ofreligion guaranteed in Art. 4 GG has to be understood in
a comprehensive manner (cfBYerfGE 24, 236 <244 ff.>). The intention of the framer of the
Constitution, after the experience of religious persecution by the National Socialist regime,
was aimed at guaranteeing freedom of religion not just as particular partial freedoms , but
fully. In any case none of the rights to religious freedom, which had been recognized in the
Weimar Constitution as the result of hundreds of years of historical development, should
now be excluded. A part of these rights to religious freedom was freedom of religion and
conscience, including freedom of belief, freedom of private and public religious practice
(freedom of worship) and freedom of religious association (cf. Art. 135, 136, 137 par. 2
WRY and G. Anschutz, Die Religionsfreiheit [The Freedom of Religion] , in: Anschutz/
Thoma (Pub!.) HDStR, vol. 2, 1932, § I 06, p. 681 ff.).
This is confirmed by the history of its development. In the consultations of the Parliamentary Council, what was later to be Art. 4 expressly contained the guarantee of the freedom of
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 595
religious association ("The right of association for religious and ideological societies is recognized"), from its presentation by the Committee of Principles and the first reading in the
Main Committee as sentence 2 of par. 1. Only in the fourth reading in the Main Committee
on 4 May 1949-after inclusion of the Weimar Church Compromise into the Constitutionthis sentence was deleted with the reasoning that it is now unnecessary, because Art. 137
par. 2 WRY is now part of the Constitution (v.Doemming/ Filsslein/Matz, Entstehungsgeschichte der Artikel des Grundgesetzes [History of the Development of the Articles of the
Constitution]: JOR, N.F., vol. 1, p. 73 foll.; Pad.Council, HA-Prot., 57th meeting on
4.5.1949, p. 745). From this it follows, according to the intention of the Parliamentary Council, that freedom of religious association is, and is to continue to be, guaranteed in
Constitutional Law. It would be totally opposed to this ruling and to the intention of the
framer of the Constitution, if it [freedom of religious association] were to be denied merely
because of its deletion from Art. 4 which was only made in order to avoid a double guarantee, since it is part of the freedom ofreligion guaranteed in Constitutional Law. It is rather to
be deduced that Art. 4 par. 1 and 2 GG refers for its guarantee of the freedom of religious
association to Art. 140 GG/137 par. 2 WRY and includes its normative content.
2. The guarantee of freedom of religious association includes the freedom to form and
organize as a religious association based on a common Faith. Even the concept of religious
association points to the fact that a union on the basis of State Law is intended, and not just a
mere spiritual community of worship. The possibility of forming a religious association is to
open the way to organizing as a union of people for the realization of a common religious
purpose, to give some legal form, and to participate in general legal proceedings . This is not
meant as a right to a particular legal form, such as that of an incorporated association or
some other form of legal person; guaranteed is, however, the possibility of a legal existence
in some form or other, including participation in general legal proceedings.
It is in conformity with this that Art. 140 GG in connection with Art. 137 par. 4 WRY
opens and guarantees to religious communities the possibility of acquiring legal capacity
according to the general conditions of Civil Law. These conditions have to be observed by
everyone on principle, including religious communities. Nothing is therefore lost, if a religious community or one of its parts cannot acquire a particular legal form it is aspiring to,
because of a special organization rooted in its belief. Freedom of religious association
demands, however, that the self-understanding of the religious community, insofar as it is
rooted in the freedom of religious belief and confession guaranteed in Art. 4 par. 1 GG and
is realized in the practice of the religion protected by Art. 4 par. 2 GG, is to be especially
considered in the interpretation and application of the relevant law, here of corporate law of
the Code of Civil Law (cf. BverfGE 53, 366 <401> m.w.N.). This means not only that the
religious community is allowed to make full use of the leeway in organization opened to it
by Dispositive Law [i.e. Law that is amenable to negotiation]. Even in the application of
compulsory regulations leeways of interpretation are to be used in favour of the religious
community if necessary; this must not, however, lead to neglect of imperative consideration
of the security of legal proceedings or of the rights of others.
It would be incompatible with the freedom of religious association, if a religious community, in view of its internal organization, were to be denied participation in general legal
proceedings entirely, or this were made possible only under unacceptable conditions
596 THE BAHA'I WORLD

III.

The contested decisions do not satisfy the normative content of the freedom of religious
association described . The corporate law of the Code of Civil Law admits of taking into
account special requirements of internal organization resulting from the individuality of religious associations which are a pa1i of a religious community or in some special relationship
to it. Since the legal form of a 'Ktirperschaft des tiffentlichen Rechts' [Corporate Body
under Public Law] is not available to tlie Bahi'is (1 following) , this is applicable to the
Local Spiritual Assembly, from Art. 4 par. 1 and 2 GG (2 following).
1. The Baha'i Community cannot acquire the character of a Corporate Body under Public
Law according to Art. 140 GG/Art. 137 par. 5 WRY. With this fo1rn of organization the
existing problems would be solved, because in the framework of a "Corporate Body under
Public Law" which in connection with the regulations of Art. 137 par. 5 WRY functions
only as a blanket concept, the inclusion into a hierarchical strnctme, as it appears to be given
for the Balli ' is in their belief, could be fully realized organizationally. This is shown, for
example, in the case of the Roman Catholic Church, for which a hierarchical organizational
shucture is determined which acquires validity in State Law without diminution . Thus,
church parishes are established or dissolved by the local bishop alone, after a hearing in the
Diocesan Council of Priests, without the advice or the agreement of the priest or the congregation of the church or of a body selected by the congregation being necessary (Can. 515,
§ 2 i.Y.m. Can. 127, §§ 1 and 2 CIC). The appellants have, however, shown that recognition
as a Corporate Body under Public Law is out of the question for the Baha'i Community,
according to the relevant recommendations of the Conference of the Ministers of Religion
and as the result of an enquiry to the Minisháy of Religion ofHessen; it had only about 4,000
to 5,000 members in the Federal Republic in the year 1986, who moreover were divided
among approximately 50 local Baha'i communities. It cannot be said that the denial ofrecognition as a Corporate Body under Public Law is legally inconect or even wrong in view of
these circumstances and of the criteria of Art. 137 par. 5 WRY. Therefore it is uncertain
whether the Baha'i Community, were the acquisition of the character of a Corporate Body
under Public Law possible for it, could be referred to it without losing its right to freedom
granted in Art. 4 par. 1 and 2 GG, or would have a choice of legal form.
2. It is possible in the framework of the corporate law of the Code of Civil Law, and it is
demanded by Constitutional Law, that the religious requirements for the internal organization of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahi'is as a religious association and as part of a
religious community be especially considered.
a) The regulations of the By-Laws presented, which were considered by the Courts to be
incompatible with the principle of independence and self-adminisháation (autonomy of the
Association), on the establishment of membership (Art. 3 par. 2), removal from membership
(Art. 4 par. 2) and the dissolution of the Association (Art. 14 par. 1 letter b), the requirements for amendment of the By-Laws (Art. 13 par. 2) and the definition of the tasks of the
Association (Art. 11 par. 1 letter c), do not concern those regulations of corporate law which,
in the interest of the security and clarity of legal proceedings, regulate the affairs and legal
relations with external effects (appointment or removal of the officers, their power of representation, liability of the assets of the Association, liquidation in case of dissolution of the
Association etc). They refer solely to the internal organization of the Association.
b) The regulations contested are not in contradiction to the wording of the regulations of
corporate law on the internal organization of the Association. The dissolution of the Association regulated in § 41 BGB by decision of the general meeting of members is not excluded
INTERN A TI ON AL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACT IVITI ES 597
but supplemented by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is' right of dissolution; on
neither the manner of the establishment of membership, nor on the possibilities for removal,
does § 58 BGB contain any regulation; the regulation of§ 33 BGB on amendment of the
By-Laws is dispositive [not obligatory] (§ 40 BGB); on the definition of the tasks of the
Association there is no legal regulation.
c) The courts justify the inadmissibility of the mentioned By-Laws merely on the basis of
their incompatibility with the principle of corporate autonomy characterizing corporate law.
This principle of corporate autonomy is not expressly laid down in the corporate laws of the
BGB ; rather it is deduced from jurisprudence and from the doctrine of the totality of regulations, which trace back the bringing into being and organization of an association, as well as
the conduct of its affairs, to the will of the members of the association. Its aim, similar to that
of private autonomy, is to preserve the character of the association as a union of persons carried on mainly by the will and action of its members (KG, OLGZ 1974, p. 385 <387>;
RGRK-Steffen, 12th ed., marginal No. 31 f. before§ 21 , § 25 marginal No. 1; Staudinger-
Co ing, 12th ed., introd. remark to§§ 21- 54, marginal No. 38; AK-Ott, § 25 marginal No. 15
f. ; cf. also Flume, Allgemeiner Tei! des Burgerlichen Rechts [General Part of Civil Law] I/2,
1983, p. 189 f.). Part of this autonomy is to give institutions which are provided with it the
right to give themselves the organization suitable to their aims, and to freely determine it, as
long as there are no binding provisions or principles derived from the character of the particular institution which are contrary to it. It is emphasized in jurisdiction that this autonomy
can also be practised in such a way, that the right of self-administration of the association is
limited by its Constitution; such a limitation also represents a practice of autonomy; it is
therefore a curtailment of autonomy when such regulations are declared inadmissible (cf.
KG, OLGZ 1974, p. 385 <387>; Diitz, 2. FS for Herschel, 1982, p. 55 <73 ff.>; a.A. Flume,
a.a .O., p. 194 ff.).
The principle of corporate autonomy, as it is understood in legal judgements and literature, is thus marked by two tendencies in regard to its content, which do not necessarily run
parallel: on the one hand it protects autonomy in the fom1ation of the organizational structure of the association according to the free self-dete1mination of the members, to which can
also belong integration in a hierarchically organized community; on the other hand it protects the self-determination of the association and its members from a renunciation which
almost totally defeats their own self-determination. It does not exclude the possibility, rather
it opens up the way, to an equalization in the interpretation and application of both tendencies, by taking into consideration the concrete case, i.e. in relation to the aims and
individuality of the Association in question. Thus it is considered consistent with corporate
autonomy, to create associations at different levels, inside which the lower-level associations-be they of legal capacity or not-are in a relation of dependency to the superior
associations, but do not thereby lose their character as associations, as long as they also pursue tasks independently (Reichert/ Dam1ecker/Kiihr, Handbuch des Vereins- und
Verbandsrechts [Handbook of the Law governing Associations and Unions], 4th ed. 1987,
marginal No. 2098 ff. ; Soergel-Hadding, marginal No. 53 before§ 21; BGHZ 90, p. 331).
d) If, in this connection, one considers the individuality of religious associations which
are organized as parts of a religious community, it is obvious, in view of the frequently
observable hierarchical internal organization rooted in the belief of religious communities,
that associations which are part of religious communities, or in a particular relationship to
them, wish to be integrated into the hierarchy of their religious community. This cannot
automatically be considered as submission to outside third-party influence which threatens
the essential independence and self-adminisháation of the association.
598 THE BAHA'i WORLD

aa) Autonomy in the formation and organization of a religious association can be practised in such a way, that one of the aims of the association is to be part of a religious
community and to integrate into the structure determined by its religious laws. Such selfdetermined aims of integration which, in the case of a religious association, may well represent an expression of the religious self-determination of the members in their common Faith,
must not be judged simply as surrender of the self-determination of the association. A limit
is reached only when the self-determination and self-administration of the association is
ruled out, not only in certain respects as a consequence of the hierarchical integration arising
from the religious law, but greatly beyond that; the association would then no longer be carried on mainly by the will of its members, but would become a mere administrative centre or
would be run for the separate estate of another party (cf. KG, OLGZ 1974, p. 385 <390>;
BayObLGZ 1979, p. 303 <308 ff.>).
According to the above, corporate law permits, in the case of a religious association constituted as part of a religious community, that limitations in the autonomous rights of
dissolution, removal or activity shall not be considered as inadmissible external third-party
influence incompatible with corporate autonomy, as long as they serve, and are limited to,
safeguarding integration into the greater religious community in the framework of existing
ties of religious law-such as the preservation and identity of belief and basic duties of daily
living. With such a limitation to the powers of intervention of a hierarchically superior institution, which only claims for itself some kind of authmity over the teachings and
conesponding rights of jurisdiction, a sufficient share of self-determination and self-administration of the association is preserved.
bb) By considering the influence of the National Spiritual Assembly specified in the By-
Laws in regard to the continuance, membership and activities of the Local Spiritual Assembly as constituting in general an inadmissible third-party influence over the Association, the
comis have misunderstood the character of religious associations which, as part of their
belief, organize themselves hierarchically as part of a religious community, and thus have
misconstrued the significance of the Constitutional Law of freedom of religious association
for the interpretation and application of the principle of corporate autonomy. They have considered the National Spiritual Assembly to be an extraneous organization, characterized by
different aims and interests, exercising a dominating influence, without considering the
unity and mutuality linked to religious law. It is no different with the conclusion concerning
the election of the members of the Local Spiritual Assembly by the believers of the local
Baha'i community. These, by virtue of the ties ofreligious law, are not third parties subjecting the Association to an alien influence from outside and thereby annulling its selfdetermination; rather, this manner of establishing membership is in accordance with the purpose of the Association to administer the affairs of the local Baha'i Community as a
hierarchical governing body (Art. 2 par. 1 of the By-Laws and Preamble), and it precisely
serves its realization.
e) Nor can an inadmissible third-party influence be deduced from the fact that, in case of
dissolution of the Association by the National Spiritual Assembly, the assets will fall to it
(Art. 14 par. 1 and 2 of the By-Laws). The purpose of this provision of the By-Laws is not
that of enabling the National Spiritual Assembly, by making use of its right of dissolution, to
seize another's assets for the purpose of increasing its own assets. This is contradicted by the
fact that according to the By-Laws no contributions are levied with the purpose of accumulating assets; the financing of the Association is solely through voluntary donations;
moreover, the Association has expressly subordinated itself to the legal conditions of charitable pmpose (Art. 2 par. 2 and 3 of the By-Laws).
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAH A ' i ACTIVITIES 599
IV.

The cited decisions therefore violate the appellants' constitutional right from Art. 4 par. 1
and 2 GG in connection with Art. 140 GG/137 par. 2 and 4 WRY, in that they do not
sufficiently consider, in the interpretation and application of the meaning of corporate autonomy, the character of the Local Spiritual Assembly as a religious Association and as part of
a religious community. They are therefore to be revoked. The case is to be referred back to
the District Court for renewed consideration. It will have to examine, among other things,
whether the right of dissolution and removal accorded the National Spiritual Assembly,
expressed without limits in the By-Laws, is sufficiently limited by the purpose of the Association and the Preamble to the Constitution, in the sense of the explanations under III 2 d)
aa), or if an express definition in the By-Laws is needed.

The decision on the costs follows from§ 34a par. 2 BVerGG.

Mahrenholz Bockenforde Klein
Gra/3hof Kruis Fran/3en
Kirchhof Winter
600 THE BAHA'i WORLD

(DECISION OF Tl-IE GERMAN FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL CO URT)

ELUCIDATION OF ABBREVIATIONS

Abbreviation Elucidation in German Elucidation in English

a.A. andere Ansicht Other opinion or view

a.a.O. am angegeben Ort (bereits idem. (from the source already
vorher zitierte Quelle) cited)

AK-Ott Kommentar zum Commentary on the Code of
Biirgerlichen Gesetzbuch Civil Law (series of
(Reihe Altemativkommentare), alternative commentaries),
1. Auflage1979ff. 1st edition 1979ff.
Ott = Bearbeiter Ott = name of author

BayObLGZ Bayerisches Oberstes Landes- Bavarian Supreme State Court,
gericht, Enscheidungssammlung Collection of decisions in
in Zivilsachen civil matters.

BGB Biirgerliches Gesetzbuch Book of the code of civil law

BGHZ Bundesgerichtshof, Federal Court, decisions
Entscheidungen in Zivilsachen in civil matters

BverfGE Bundesverfassungsgericht, Federal Constitutional Court,
Entscheidungen Decisions

BverfGG Gesetz iiber das Bundesver- Law on the Federal Constitufassungsgericht in der Fassung tional Court in the draft of
vom 3.2.1971 3 February 1971

BvR Registerzeichen des Registration symbol of the
Bundesverfassungsgerichts fi.ir Federal Constitutional Court
Yerfassungsbeschwerden for constitutional appeals

Can. Canon Canon (i.e. in relation to the Canon
Law of the Church)

CIC Codex Iuris Canonici Codex of Canon Law

FGG Reichsgesetz iiber die Imperial Law on voluntary
freiwillige Gerichtsbarkeit jurisdiction of 17 May 1898
vom 17.5.1898
INTERNATIONAL SURV EY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITI ES 601
(continued)
Abbreviation Elucidation in German Elucidation in English

FS fiir Herschel Festschrift fur Herschel Publication in honour of Herschel

GG Grundgesetz fur die Basic Law (Constitution) of
Bundesrepublik Deutschland the Federal Republic of
vom 23.5.1949 Germany of23 May 1949

GReg Gerichtsregister Court Register

HA-Prot Protokolle des Minutes of the Main Committee
Hauptausschusses des of the Parliamentary Council
Parlamentarischen Rates

HDStR Handbuch des deutschen Handbook of German State
Staatskirchemechts Church Law

i.V.m. in Verbindung mit In connection with

m.w.N. mit weiteren Nachweisen With further indications

OLGZ Entscheidungen der Decisions of the High State
Oberlandesgerichte in Courts in civil matters
Zivilsachen

RGRK-Steffen Das Bilrgerliche Gesetzbuch mit The Code of Civil Law with
besonderer Berilcksichtigung special reference to legal
der Rechtsprechung, des pronouncements, to the
Reichsgerichts und des Imperial Court and to the
Bundesgerichtshofes, Federal Court, Commentary,
Kommentar, 12. Auflage 12th edition 1974ff.
1974ff. Steffen = Name of author
Steffen = Bearbeiter

WRV W eimarer V erfassung vom Weimar Constitution of
11.8.1919 11August1919
602 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

DECISION OF THE GERMAN FEDERAL
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE

In a decision handed down on 5 February 1991 the Federal Constitutional Court of
Germany upheld a constitutional appeal made by the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha 'is of
Tiibingen. This decision is of such fa r-reaching importance that the Universal House of
Justice has asked that the following summary of its background and effects be sent to all
National Spiritual Assemblies. This summary is freely based on an article prepared by
Dr. Udo Schaefer at the request of the National Spiritual Assembly ofthe Baha 'is of Germany
for publication in "Baha 'i Nachrichten ", the newsletter of the German Baha 'i community.

I. that eventually came before the Federal
The Baha'i Administrative Order has so many Constitutional Court, namely, whether the
unique features, and is so different from the Local Spiritual Assemblies could be incororganizational structure of most other reli- porated under German Law using the Bygions, that not infrequently difficulties are Laws that are the universal Baha' i standard.
experienced in conveying to the authorities When different legal systems collide there
in some countries a clear understanding of are always problems, and this was the case
the nature of our institutions, and thus of here, where Baha'i constitutional law seemed
obtaining a status that is accorded to other to be incompatible with German civil law.
similar bodies under civil law. In order to make these problems intelligible
In Germany, for example, 95% of all and to explain the decision of the Federal
associations are recognized as being "of Constitutional Court, it is necessary to conpublic benefit". This is similar to what is sider the historical background.
known as "charitable status" in other countries, and is the basis for the granting of II.
various tax exemptions. Over the years the Firstly, it is necessary to understand that the
Spiritual Assemblies in Germany repeatedly Baha' i Community is not only a religious
experienced difficulty with the Inland Reve- community but also a community of law.
nue offices until the National Spiritual The believers are linked together not only by
Assembly turned to the Federal Minister of the tie of belief and love, but also by the
Finance, who issued a decree on 6 August legal norms with which the Founder of our
1990 clarifying that the Spiritual Assemblies Faith has endowed His community, legal
of the Baha'is "serve the promotion of norms which govern the structure of the
religious purposes" and thus have public- community, its administrative organs and its
benefit status. Even after this, one of the functions. The main sources of these legal
Revenue Offices continued to insist that the norms, which are to be found throughout the
By-Laws of a Spiritual Assembly needed to Writings of Baha'u ' llah and ' Abdu'l-Baha,
be amended . are the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the Kitab-i-'Ahd and
A second problem was that of the form 'Abdu ' l-Baha ' s Will and Testament, as well
under which Baha'i Spiritual Assemblies as the works of Shoghi Effendi who, as
could be incorporated. This was the problem the Authorized Interpreter, expounded and
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA'I ACTIVITIES 603
elaborated these nonns in his letters (especially the Local Assemblies attained legal capacity,
in those published in Baha 'i Administration they were incorporated with these By-Laws.
and The World Order of Baha 'u '!!ah). As the establishment of the judicial system
The revelation of the laws of the Faith, of the Gennan Federal Republic progressed,
and their application in practice has been the scrutiny of articles of incorporation
a very gradual process. Baha'u' llah had became increasingly strict, and Local Spiriappointed four Hands of the Cause of God tual Assemblies which wished to incorporate
during His own lifetime, and 'Abdu'l-Baha met with more and more difficulties. The
had brought into being embryonic Local standard By-Laws corresponded to American
Spiritual Assemblies, but the raising up of legal concepts and were expressed in Amerithe institutions of the Administrative Order can legal language. These were radically at
really started with the ministry of Shoghi variance with the concepts of German law
Effendi. and thus, in many instances barely compre-
In the establishment of the Administra- hensible to German lawyers.
tive Order the American Baha'i Community Under the pressure of this experience the
played a leading role. In the twenties, under Gennan Baha'i institutions acquired the
the unerring guidance of the Guardian, the understanding that, while the fundamental
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is structures and principles of our law as
of the United States and Canada formulated "Divine Law" are unalterable, they have
a constitution for itself, consisting of a Dec- to be expressed in different terminology
laration of Trust and By-Laws, and one for according to the legal systems of particular
Local Spiritual Assemblies, comprising a set countries. This experience was shared by
of By-Laws, all based on the laws and princi- other Baha' i communities around the world.
ples of the Faith, and in a fonn through which Thus, in the seventies, with the agreement
these institutions could incorporate (obtain of the Universal House of Justice, new
legal capacity) under American law. In doing By-Laws, which are faithful to the Baha'i
this, the difficulty was to mould the non-cod- standard constitution and are also in accorified Baha'i laws and principles into forms dance with German Law, were drafted and
made available by civil law for the attainment introduced as a pattern for all Local Spiritual
of legal capacity. With the expert help of Assemblies in Gennany. All Spiritual Assem-
American jurists, constitutions were worked blies in the Federal Republic are today
out for the National Assembly and the Local incorporated according to these sample By-
Assemblies which were endorsed by Shoghi Laws. The National Spiritual Assembly also
Effendi and prescribed by him as the pattern prepared a new constitution for itself, but
for the establishment of the Baha'i Adminis- this has not yet been registered, because
tration in other parts of the world. the Court of Registration concerned was
awaiting the decision of the Federal Consti-
III. tutional Court.
When, after the Second World War, the Although this development placed the
Spiritual Assemblies that had been dissolved Gennan Spiritual Assemblies in an incompaunder the Nazi regime were re-established rably better position in relation to the Courts
in Germany, the National Spiritual Assembly of Registration, it soon became clear that the
adopted the Declaration of Trust and legal construction of the By-Laws was still
By-Laws which formed the national Baha' i not easily conveyed to the courts concerned.
constitution, and the By-Laws of a Local It is not the community (with the Assembly
Spiritual Assembly which were the standard as its managing body) which is the associalocal Baha' i constitution, simply translating tion, but the Assembly itself, which is elected
them from English into German. Wherever by the members of the community; this is an
604 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

unusual construction in Germany. Normally, their superior institutions, the National
membership in an association is attained Assembly and the Universal House of Jusby joining it, but membership in a Spirihial tice, have a series of rights of intervention
Assembly is through election by a "third according to the By-Laws, is seen to violate
party", the community. Normally in Ger- this principle of corporate autonomy.
many, an Association has a minimum size Thus a critical situation had arisen for the
(7 members) and has no upper limit. As German Baha'i Community. There was a
against that the membership of the Assem- great danger that all incorporated Spiritual
bly is limited in number: it has nine Assemblies, including the National Spirmembers, no fewer and no more. In spite of itual Assembly, would be deprived of their
these difficulties it was usually possible to legal capacity.
overcome the Registrar 's objections and The German Constitution provides a posobtain legal incorporation. Sometimes this sibility for recognized religious communities
required proceedings in the Jaw courts. to incorporate, in certain circumstances,
under "public law" rather than as associa-
IV. tions under civil law. But this presupposes a
The legal administrator of the District Court minimum number of members which the
of Tilbingen was especially obstinate. He German Baha'i community is still far from
objected to no less than eight points in the having reached.
By-Laws and finally, on 8 December 1983 , The Spiritual Assemblies of the Baha'is
refused incorporation. The legal measures must therefore have recourse to the corpotaken against this decision were unsuccess- rate law of the German Code of Civil Law to
ful. The State Court ofTubingen rejected the achieve legal capacity. But, to obtain such
furiher appeal of 5 May 1985. The High registration the Spiritual Assemblies would
State Court in Stuttgart, to which the case have had to change the basic structures of
was subsequently appealed, rejected it on their By-Laws. Such changes the Baha'is
27 January 1986. cannot and will not accept, because the
With that the legal measures were essential structures of the constitutional law
exhausted, and this would have meant that of our community are the Law of God and
the Spiritual Assembly of Tilbingen would are therefore not open to compromise. These
never be able to incorporate with the essential structures include the vertical form
By-Laws of the standard local Baha'i consti- of institutional organization.
tution. Beyond this, when the decision of the With all other legal means exhausted, the
High State Court in Stuttgart was published Federal Constitutional Court presented the
in the legal literature, a number of other last resort for the German Baha'i community,
courts, alerted by this decision, demanded but this presupposed that the decisions prethat incorporated Local Assemblies amend viously passed by the courts had violated the
their By-Laws or else face cancellation of constitutional rights of the Spiritual Assembly
their existing incorporation. ofTUbingen. The National Spirih1al Assembly
The decision of the High State Court in was convinced that this was unmistakably
Stuttgart was founded on the principle of the case. Article 4 of the German Constitucorporate autonomy which applies to associ- tion guarantees not just freedom of religious
ations under German civil incorporation practice, which includes freedom of belief
law. According to this, an association is an and worship, but also freedom of organizaautonomous body free from third-party tion. The decisions passed by the couris, and
influence and is subject only to the law of the interpretation of civil law underlying
the land. The fact that Local Spiritual them, had led to the result that hierarchical
Assemblies are linked in a hierarchy and that integration within the framework of the
INTERNATIONAL SURVEY OF CURRENT BAHA ' I ACTIVITIES 605
Baha'i Administration was made impossible V.
for the Baha' is. Were these decisions to The decision which the Federal Constitution
be enforced, each local Baha'i community Court reached, wholly in our favour, on
would be isolated from the rest of the 5 February 1991, is a relatively rare decision
Administrative Order. The community as a in the field of State Church Law in Germany,
whole would no longer exist, it would be and for this alone it constitutes a highly sigonly an amorphous collection of autono- nificant precedent in the formulation and
mous bodies with no links to one another. development of German Law.
The Baha' i Community as the "People of For the German Baha'i Community this
God" embodied in a legal structure, would decision, as shown by the above explanano longer exist. In this the National Assem- tions, is of far-reaching significance and
bly saw a violation of Article 4 of the cannot be overestimated: It ensures the legal
Federal Constitution and concluded that the status of the community and brings to an
submission of a Constitutional Appeal was end all attempts by the courts to require
advisable. the amendment of the basic structures of
Although, from the outset, this constitu- our By-Laws. It confirms once and for all
tional question had been referred to in the right of the Baha'is to be organized as a
writing, the courts concerned with the hierarchically structured legal community
successive appeals on the case had not con- according to the revealed Law of God.
sidered them at all. The decision first of all sets a limit to
After receiving the Constitutional Appeal, its application, in a statement that is of the
which was submitted in March 1986, the greatest importance as a testimony to the
Federal Constitutional Court considered this widespread recognition of the Baha'i Faith
extremely unusual matter very intensively. It as an independent religious community. It
even requested original literature from the explains that the mere assertion of a com-
German Baha'i Publishing Trust, asked for munity that it is a religious community is not
and examined numerous By-Laws of other sufficient for it to submit such a constituassociations, Christian and Islamic, and tional appeal. The authorities and courts have
solicited views from the Federal Minister of to examine in each specific case whether it is
Justice and from the Ministry of Justice of really a religion and a religious community,
Baden-Wiirttemberg, the Evangelical Church according to spiritual content and external
in Germany and the Institute for State appearances. Here the Court states: "In the
Church Law of the Dioceses of Germany (on present case it is not necessary to go more
the question of corporate autonomy in the deeply into this, as the character of the
case of church associations) . The two Minis- Baha'i Faith as a religion and the Baha'i
tries of Justice expressed an opinion very Community as a religious community is
unfavourable to the Baha'is, concluding that evident, in actual everyday life, cultural tradithe contested decisions had been passed cor- tion, and in the understanding of the general
rectly and so the Constitutional Appeal was public as well as of the science of comparaunfounded. tive religion ."
The Federal Constitutional Court took a In its decision, the Federal Constitutional
long time to reach its decision. It had to con- Court reviewed in detail the constitutional
sider the far-reaching consequences which right of freedom of religious organization
a decision in our favour could have. Would and came to the conclusion that the lower
it not open wide the floodgates for orga- courts, in arriving at their decisions, had not
nizations unjustifiably calling themselves done justice to this constitutional right; that
"religions" to make use of this decision in it is possible, within the framework of the
future? German civil Jaw governing incorporations,
606 THE BAHA'i WORLD

to give special consideration to the religious judgement represents in the efforts to prerequirements governing the internal organi- serve and ensure the legal status of the
zation of the Local Spiritual Assembly as Spiritual Assemblies in Germany can be
a religious association and as part of a judged from the fact that only 1.5% of all
religious community; and, moreover, that Constitutional Appeals meet with success.
Constitutional Law demands that such special The National Spiritual Assembly had the
consideration be given. wisdom to shrink from no effort or cost in
The Court pointed out that, because order to ensure the best presentation of the
associations which are part of religious case. It engaged a renowned Stuttgart firm
communities wish to be integrated into the of attorneys for its legal protection. The
hierarchy of their religious community, the presentation of the case was in the hands of
granting of the right of intervention to an expert in the fields of Constitutional Law,
superior institutions cannot be considered as Administrative Law and State Church Law.
submission to an external influence which Beyond that the National Spiritual Assembly
would threaten the essential independence of solicited an opinion from a highly regarded
the association or its right to administer expert in State Church Law at the University
itself. The Federal Constitutional Court con- of Heidelberg (Professor Friedrich Millier).
cluded that the courts acting in this case This profound opinion, comprising 115 pages,
had misunderstood the constitutional right of which clearly and convincingly sets forth the
freedom of religious organization in the legal position of the Baha'is, was a great
interpretation and application of the principle support for this Appeal and surely had an
of corporate autonomy, in that they had con- effect in helping to bring it to a successful
sidered the National Spiritual Assembly "to conclusion. A gratifying side-effect of the
be an extraneous organization, characterized work and funds devoted to this Appeal is to
by different aims and interests, exercising a be found in the number of highly-placed
dominating influence, without considering the ministerial officials, professors and scienunity and mutuality linked to religious law". tific collaborators, who had to concern
The same was true, the Court explained, for themselves intensively with the Faith, not to
the election of the members of the Local mention the judges of Germany's highest
Spirihial Assembly by the believers in the Court. The decision will be included in the
local community, who are not "third-parties". collection of official records and will be
From the reasons given for the decision it published in all the legal journals.
can be inferred that a positive decision was Undoubtedly further fruits will be gathpossible only because the Baha' i Law, ered in the years ahead when this landmark
which underlies our constitutions as revealed decision assists judicial authorities in other
Law, is an indispensable part of our Faith. lands to appreciate the stature of the Baha' i
Faith and the fundamental importance of the
VI. Jaws and principles embedded in its Sacred
The magnitude of the achievement this Scriptures.
PART FOUR

THE WORLD ORDER OF
BAHA'u'LLAH
608 THE BAHA'I WORLD

:- :: ._ ~ á : ~á ~' :' á-~o:!f á~- ~á ' ~ ~' "=" á# ::- _,_I: ~.--. ::- ~ ~; • ,"-=' : y~

"':--~-----~- --- ---~---á ---------á-~-----------áá--- á- -á - -- --~- .. --------------,----:.-::=-~=.,:.

Partial view of the Seat of the Un iversal Hous e of Justice from the south.
I
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

1. THE CONSTITUTION OF
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
DECLARATION OF TRUST

IN THE NAME OF Goo, THE ONE , THE INCOMPARABLE, THE ALL-POWERFUL, THE ALL-KNOWING, THE ALL-WI SE.

The light that is shed from the heaven of bounty, and the benediction that shinethfrom the dawningplace of the will of God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, rest upon Him Who is the Supreme
Mediator, the Most Exalted Pen, Him Whom God hath made the dawning-place of His most excellent names and the dayspring of His most exalted attributes. Through Him the light of unity hath
shone fort h above the horizon of the world, and the law of oneness hath been revealed amidst the
nations, who, with radiant faces, have turned towards the Supreme Horizon, and acknowledged that
which the Tongue of Utterance hath spoken in the Kingdom of His knowledge: .'Earth and heaven,
glory and dominion, are God's, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the Lord ofgrace abounding!'

WITH joyous and thankful hea1is we testify unity of its followers, and to maintain the
to the abundance of God's Mercy, to the per- integrity and flexibility of its teachings.
fection of His Justice and to the fulfilment of The fundamental purpose animating the
His Ancient Promise. Faith of God and His Religion, declares
Bahi'u'llah, the Revealer of God's Word in Baha'u'llah, is to safeguard the interests and
this Day, the Source of Authority, the Foun- promote the unity of the human race, and to
tainhead of Justice, the Creator of a new World foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst
Order, the Establisher of the Most Great Peace, men. Suffer it not to become a source ofdissenthe Inspirer and Founder of a world civiliza- sion and discord, ofhate and enmity. This is the
tion, the Judge, the Lawgiver, the Unifier and straight Path, the fixed and immovable founda-
Redeemer of all mankind, has proclaimed the tion. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation,
advent of God's Kingdom on eaiih, has for- the changes and chances ofthe world can never
mulated its laws and ordinances, enunciated impair its strength, nor will the revolution of
its principles, and ordained its institutions. To countless centuries undermine its structure.
direct and canalize the forces released by His Unto the Most Holy Book, 'Abdu 'l-Baha
Revelation, He instituted His Covenant, whose declares in His Will and Testament, every
power has preserved the integrity of His Faith, one must turn, and all that is not expressly
maintained its unity and stimulated its world- recorded therein must be referred to the
wide expansion throughout the successive Universal House ofJustice.
ministries of 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi. The provenance, the authority, the duties,
It continues to fulfil its life-giving purpose the sphere of action of the Universal House
through the agency of the Universal House of Justice all derive from the revealed Word
of Justice whose fundamental object, as one of Bahi'u'llah which, together with the
of the twin successors of Baha 'u'llah and interpretations and expositions of the Centre
'Abdu 'l-Baha, is to ensure the continuity of of the Covenant and of the Guardian of the
that divinely appointed authority which flows Cause-who, after 'Abdu'l-Baha, is the sole
from the Source of the Faith, to safeguard the authority in the interpretation of Baha' i
610 Tl-IE BAHA'I WORLD

Scripture-constitute the binding tem1s of requirements of the time, its own enactments;
reference of the Universal House of Justice to deliberate and decide upon all problems
and are its bedrock foundation. The author- which have caused difference; to elucidate
ity of these Texts is absolute and immutable questions that are obscure; to safeguard the
until such time as Almighty God shall reveal personal rights, freedom and initiative of
His new Manifestation to Whom will belong individuals; and to give attention to the
all authority and power. preservation of human honour, to the devel-
There being no successor to Shoghi Effendi opment of countries and the stability of states;
as Guardian of the Cause of God, the Universal To promulgate and apply the laws and
House of Justice is the Head of the Faith and principles of the Faith; to safeguard and
its supreme institution, to which all must tum, enforce that rectitude of conduct which the
and on it rests the ultimate responsibility for Law of God enjoins; to preserve and develop
ensuring the unity and progress of the Cause of the Spiritual and Administrative Centre of
God. Further, there devolve upon it the duties the Baha' i Faith, permanently fixed in the
of directing and coordinating the work of the twin cities of 'Akka and Haifa; to admin-
Hands of the Cause, of ensuring the continuing ister the affairs of the Baha'i community
discharge of the functions of protection and throughout the world; to guide, organize,
propagation vested in that institution, and of coordinate and unify its activities; to found
providing for the receipt and disbursement institutions; to be responsible for ensuring
of the I:fuququ' llah. that no body or institution within the Cause
Among the powers and duties with which abuse its privileges or decline in the
the Universal House of Justice has been exercise of its tights and prerogatives; and
invested are: to provide for the receipt, disposition,
administration and safeguarding of the
To ensure the preservation of the Sacred funds, endowments and other properties
Texts and to safeguard their inviolability; that are entrusted to its care;
to analyse, classify, and coordinate the Writ- To adjudicate disputes falling within
i.ngs; and to defend and protect the Cause of its purview; to give judgement in cases of
God and emancipate it from the fetters of violation of the laws of the Faith and to
repression and persecution; pronounce sanctions for such violations;
To advance the interests of the Faith of to provide for the enforcement of its deci-
.God; to proclaim, propagate and teach its sions; to provide for the arbitration and
Message; to expand and consolidate the in- settlement of disputes arising between
stitutions of its Administrative Order; to peoples; and to be the exponent and
usher in the World Order of Baha'u'llah; guardian of that Divine Justice which can
to promote the attainment of those spiritual alone ensure the security of, and establish
qualities which should characterize Baha'i the reign of law and order in, the world.
life individually and collectively; to do
its utmost for the realization of greater The members of the Universal House of
cordiality and comity amongst the nations Justice, des ignated by Baha'u'llah ' the Men
and for the attainment of universal peace; of Justice ', ' the people of Baha who have
and to foster that which is conducive to the been mentioned in the Book of Names',
enlightenment and illumination of the souls 'The Tmstees of God amongst His servants
of men and the advancement and better- and the daysprings of authority in His counment of the world; tries', shall in the discharge of their
To enact laws and ordinances not ex- responsibilities ever bear in mind the folpressly recorded in the Sacred Texts; to abro- lowing standards set forth by Shoghi
gate, according to the changes and Effendi, the Guardian of the Cause of God:
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U 'LLA H 611
In the conduct of the administrative guidance which is at once the life-blood
affairs of the Faith, in the enactment of the and ultin1ate safeguard of this Revelation.
legislation necessary to supplement the
laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, the members of The Universal House of Justice was first
the Universal House of Justice, it should be elected on the first day of the Festival of
borne in mind, are not, as Baha'u'llah's Ri<;lvan in the one hlll1dred and twentieth year
utterances clearly imply, responsible to those of the Balla' i Era 1, when the members of the
whom they represent, nor are they allowed to National Spiritual Assemblies, in accordance
be governed by the feelings, the general with the provisions of the Will and Testament
opinion, and even the convictions of the of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and in response to the summass of the faithful, or of those who directly mons of the Hands of the Cause of God, the
elect them. They are to follow, in a prayerful Chief Stewards of Balla'u'llah's embryonic
attitude, the dictates and promptings of their World Commonwealth, brought into being
conscience. They may, indeed they must, this "crowning glory" of the administrative
acquaint themselves with the conditions pre- institutions of Baha 'u' llah, the very "nucleus
vailing among the community, must weigh and forernnner" of His World Order. Now,
dispassionately in their minds the merits of therefore, in obedience to the Command of
any case presented for their consideration, God and with entire reliance upon Hirn, we,
but must reserve for themselves the right the members of the Universal House of Justice,
of an unfettered decision. God will verily set our hands and its seal to this Declaration
inspire them with whatsoever He willeth, is of Tmst which, together with the By-Laws
Balla 'u' llah' s incontrovertible assurance. hereto appended, fo1m the Constitution of the
111ey, and not the body of those who either Universal House of Justice.
directly or indirectly elect them, have thus
been made the recipients of the divine 1 21 April 1963 A.O.

Hugh E. Chance

Hushmand Fatheazam

Amoz E. Gibson

Dav id Hofman

H. Borrah Kavelin

A li Nakhjavani

David S. Rube

Ian C. Semple

Charles Wolcott

Signed in the City of Haifa on the fourth day of the month of Qawl in the one
hundred and twenty-ninth year of the Baha'i Era, co1Tesponding to the twenty-sixth
day of the month of November in the year 1972 according to the Gregori an
ca lendar.

Facsimile of signatures on the Constitution of the Universal House ofJustice: 26 November 1972.
612 THE BAHA'I WORLD

BY-LAWS

PREAMBLE
The Universal House of Justice is the II. LOCAL SPIRJTUAL ASSEMBLIES
supreme institution of an Administrative Order whose sa lient features, whose authority \Vhenever in any locality the number of
and whose principles of operation are clearl y Baha'is resident therein who have attained the
enunciated in the Sacred Writings of the age of twenty-one exceeds nine, these shall on
Baha'i Fa ith and their authori zed interpreta- the First Day of Ri9van convene and elect a
tions. This Adm inistrati ve Order consists, on local adm ini strative body of nine members
the one hand, of a series of e lected councils, to be known as the Spiritual Assembly of the
universal, secondary and loca l, in whi ch are Baha'is of that locality. Every such Assembly
vested legislative, executive and judicial shall be elected annually thereafter upon each
powers over the Baha' i co mmunity and , on successive First Day of Ri9van . The members
the other, of eminent and devoted beli evers shall hold office for the term of one year or
appo inted for the specific purposes of protect- until their successors are elected. When, howing and propagati ng the Faith of Baha'u'llah ever, the number ofBaha'is as aforesaid in any
under the guidance of the Head of that Fa ith. locality is exactly nine, these shall on the F irst
This Administrative Order is the nucleus Day ofRi9vlli1 constitute themselves the Local
and pattern of the World Order adumbrated Spiritual Assembly by joint declaration.
by Baha ' u' llah. In the course of its divinely
propelled organic growth its in stituti ons w ill I . The genera l powers and duties of a Local
expand , putting forth aux iliary branches and Spiritual Assembly are as set forth in the
developing subordinate age ncies , multiply- Writings ofBaha'u' llah, 'Abdu' l-Baha and
ing the ir ac tivities and diversifying their Shoghi Effendi and as laid down by the
functions , in consonance w ith the principles Universal House of Justice.
and purposes revealed by Baha'u'llah for the 2. A Local Spiritual Assembly shall exercise
progress of the human race. full jurisdiction over all Baha' i activities and
affairs within its locality, subject to the pro-
I. MEMBERSH IP IN THE BAHA ' I COMM UN ITY visions of the Local Baha' i Constitution. 2
3. The area of jurisdiction ofa Local Spiritual
The Baha ' i Community shall consist of all Assembly shall be decided by the National
persons recognized by the Universal House Spiritual Assembly in accordance with the
of Justi ce as possessing the qualifi cations of principle laid down fo r each country by
Baha ' i fa ith and practi ce. the Universal House of Justice.

I . In order to be eligible to vote and hold III. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
electi ve office, a Baha ' i must have atta ined
the age of twenty-one yea rs. Whenever it is decided by the Un iversa l
2. The rights, privileges and duties of indi- House of Justice to fo rm in any country or
v idual Baha ' is are as set fo rth in the region a National Spiri tual Assembly, the vot-
Writings of Baha'u ' llah , 'Abdu ' l-Baha ing members of the Baha ' i communi ty of that
and Shoghi Effendi and as laid down by country or region shall , in a manner and at a
the Universal House of Justice. time to be decided by the Uni ve rsal House of

2 By-Laws of a Local Sp iritua l Assem bly
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA ' U' LLAH 613
Justice, elect their delegates to their National (b) Vacancies in the membership of the
Convention. These delegates shall, in turn, elect National Spiritual Assembly shall be
in the manner provided in the National Baha'i filled by a vote of the delegates com-
Constitution 3 a body of nine members to be posing the Convention which elected
known as the National Spiritual Assembly of the Assembly, the ballot to be taken by
the Baha'is of that country or region. The correspondence or in any other manner
members shall continue in office for a period decided by the National Spiritual
of one year or until their successors shall be Assembly.
elected.
IV. OBLIGATIO NS OF MEMBERS OF
1. The general powers and duties of a SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
National Spiritual Assembly are as set
forth in the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha Among the most outstanding and sacred
and Shoghi Effendi and as laid down by duties incumbent upon those who have been
the Universal House of Justice. called upon to initiate, direct and co-ordinate
2. The National Spiritual Assembly shall the affairs of the Cause of God as members of
have exclusive jurisdiction and authority its Spiritual Assemblies are: to win by every
over all the activities and affairs of the means in their power the confidence and affec-
Baha ' i Faith throughout its area. It shall tion of those whom it is their privilege to serve;
endeavour to stimulate, unify and coordi- to investigate and acquaint themselves with the
nate the manifold activities of the Local considered views, the prevailing sentinlents and
Spiritual Assemblies and of individual the personal convictions of those whose welfare
Baha'is in its area and by all possible it is their solemn obligation to promote; to purge
means assist them to promote the oneness their deliberations and the general conduct of
of mankind. It shall furthem1ore represent their affairs of self-contained aloofness, the
its national Baha ' i community in relation suspicion of secrecy, the stifling atmosphere
to other national Baha'i communities and of dictatorial assertiveness and of every word
to the Universal House of Justice. and deed that may savour of partiality, self-
3. The area of jurisdiction ofa National Spir- centredness and prejudice; and while retaining
itual Assembly shall be as defined by the the sacred right of final decision in their hands,
Universal House of Justice. to invite discussion, ventilate grievances,
4. The principal business of the National welcome advice and foster the sense of inter-
Convention shall be consultation on Baha'i dependence and co-partnership, of w1derstandactivities, plans and policies and the ing and mutual confidence between themselves
election of the members of the National and all other Baha'is.
Spiritual Assembly, as set forth in the
National Baha'i Constitution . V . THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
(a) If in any year the National Spiritual
Assembly shall consider that it is The Universal House of Justice shall consist
impracticable or unwise to hold the of nine men who have been elected from the
National Convention, the said Assem- Baha'i community in the manner hereinafter
bly shall provide ways and means by provided.
which the annual election and the
other essential business of the Con- l. Election
vention may be conducted.
The members of the Universal House of
3 Justice shall be elected by secret ballot
Decl aration of Tru st and By-Laws of a National
Spiritual Assembly by the members of all National Spiritual
614 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Assemblies at a meeting to be known as (h) If a member of a National Spiritual
the International Baha'i Convention. Assembly who has voted by mail
(a) An election of the Universal House of ceases to be a member of that National
Justice shall be held once every five Spiritual Assembly between the time
years unless otherwise decided by the of casting his ballot and the date of the
Universal House of Justice, and those counting of the ballots, his ballot shall
elected shall continue in office until nevertheless remain valid unless in the
such time as their successors shall be interval his successor shall have been
elected and the first meeting of these elected and the ballot of such successor
successors is duly held. shall have been received by the tellers.
(b) Upon receiving the call to Convention (i) In case by reason of a tie vote or votes
each National Spiritual Assembly shall the full membership of the Universal
submit to the Universal House of Jus- House of Justice is not determined on
tice a list of the names of its members. the first ballot, then one or more addi-
The recognition and seating of the dele- tional ballots shall be held on the
gates to the International Convention persons tied until all members are
shall be vested in the Universal House elected. The electors in the case of
of Justice. additional ballots shall be the mem-
(c) The principal business of the Interna- bers of National Spiritual Assemblies
tional Convention shall be to elect the in office at the time each subsequent
members of the Universal House of vote is taken.
Justice, to deliberate on the affairs of
the Baha'i Cause throughout the world, 2. Vacancies in Membership
and to make recommendations and
suggestions for the consideration of the A vacancy in the membership of the
Universal House of Justice. Universal House of Justice will occur
(d) The sessions of the International Con- upon the death of a member or in the
vention shall be conducted in such following cases:
manner as the Universal House of
Justice shall from time to time decide. (a) Should any member of the Universal
(e) The Universal House of Justice shall House of Justice commit a sin injuriprovide a procedure whereby those ous to the common weal, he may be
delegates who are unable to be dismissed from membership by the
present in person at the International Universal House of Justice.
Convention shall cast their ballots for (b) The Universal House of Justice may
the election of the members of the at its discretion declare a vacancy
Universal House of Justice. with respect to any member who in
(f) If at the time of an election the Universal its judgement is unable to fulfil the
House ofJustice shall consider that it is functions of membership.
impracticable or unwise to hold the (c) A member may relinquish his mem-
International Convention it shall deter- bership on the Universal House of
mine how the election shall take place. Justice only with the approval of the
(g) On the day of the election the ballots Universal House of Justice.
of all voters shall be scrutinized and
counted and the result certified by 3. By-Election
tellers appointed in accordance with the
instructions of the Universal House of If a vacancy in the membership of the
Justice. Universal House of Justice occurs, the
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA ' U'LLAH 615

Universal House of Justice shall caJJ a by- Universal House of Justice, to which
election at the earliest possible date unless shall be affixed in each case the Seal of
such date, in the judgement of the Univer- the Univbrsal House of Justice.
sal House of Justice, falls too close to the
date of a regular election of the entire 6. Records [
membership, in which case the Universal
House of Justice may, at its discretion, The Universal House of Justice shall
defer the filling of the vacancy to the time provide for the recording and verificaof the regular election. If a by-election tion of its decisions in such manner as it
is held, the voters shaJJ be the members shall, from time to time, judge necessary.
of the National Spiritual Assemblies 111
office at the time of the by-election. VI. BAHA'f ELECTIONS

4. Meetings In order to preserve the spiritual character
and purpose of Baha'i elections the practices
(a) After the election of the Universal of nomination or electioneering, or any other
House of Justice the first meeting shall procedure or activity detrimental to that
be caJJed by the member elected by character and purpose shall be eschewed. A
the highest number of votes or, in his silent and prayerful atmosphere shall prevail
absence or other incapacity, by the during the election so that each elector may
member elected by the next highest vote for none but those whom prayer and
number of votes or, in case two or reflection inspire him to uphold.
more members have received the same
highest number of votes, then by the 1. All Baha'i elections, except elections of
member selected by lot from among officers of Local and National Spiritual
those members. Subsequent meetings Assemblies and committees, shall be by
shaJJ be called in the manner decided plurality vote taken by secret baJJot.
by the Universal House of Justice. 2. Election of the officers ofa Spiritual Assem-
(b) The Universal House of Justice has bly or committee shaJJ be by majority vote
no officers. It shall provide for the of the Assembly or committee taken by
conduct of its meetings and shaJJ secret ballot.
organize its activities in such manner 3. In case by reason of a tie vote or votes the
as it shaJJ from time to time decide. full membership of an elected body is not
(c) The business of the Universal House detem1ined on the first baJJot, then one or
of Justice shall be conducted by the full more additional ballots shall be taken on the
membership in consultation, except persons tied until all members are elected.
that the Universal House of Justice may 4. The duties and rights of a Baha' i elector
from time to time provide for quorums may not be assigned nor may they be
of less than the fuJJ membership for exercised by proxy.
specified classes of business.
VII. THE RIGHT OF REVIEW
5. Signature
The Universal House of Justice has the
The signature of the Universal House of right to review any decision or action of
Justice shall be the words "The Universal any Spiritual Assembly, National or Local,
House of Justice" or in Persian "Baytu' l- and to approve, modify or reverse such
'Adl -i- A'~am" written by hand by any decision or action. The Universal House of
one of its members upon authority of the Justice also has the right to intervene in any
616 THE BAH A' i WORLD

matter in which a Spiritual Assembly is seeking to compose its difference of
failing to take action or to reach a decision opinion with the National Spiritual
and, at its discretion, to require that action Assembly, have the right to appeal to
be taken, or itself to take action directly in the Universal House of Justice, which
the matter. shall determine whether it shall take
jurisdiction of the matter or leave it
VIII. APPEALS within the final jurisdiction of the
National Spiritual Assembly.
The right of appeal exists in the circumstances, and shall be exercised according to 2. An appellant, whether institution or indithe procedures, outlined below: vidual, shall in the first instance make
appeal to the Assembly whose decision
I. (a) Any member of a local Baha ' i com- is questioned, either for reconsideration
munity may appeal from a decision of the case by that Assembly or for subof his Local Spiritual Assembly to mission to a higher body. In the latter
the National Spiritual Assembly case the Assembly is in duty bound to
which shall determine whether it submit the appeal together with full parshall take jurisdiction of the matter or ticulars of the matter. If an Assembly
refer it back to the Local Spiritual refuses to submit the appeal, or fails to
Assembly for reconsideration . If such do so within a reasonable time, the
an appeal concerns the membership appellant may take the case directly to
ofa person in the Baha'i community, the higher authority.
the National Spiritual Assembly is
obl iged to take jurisdiction of and IX. THE BOARDS OF COUNSELLORS
decide the case.
(b) Any Baha'i may appeal from a de- The institution of the Boards of Counse llors
cision of bis National Spiritual was brought into being by the Universal
Assembly to the Universal House of House of Justice to extend into the future the
Justice which shall determine whether specific functions of protection and propagait shall take jurisdiction of the matter tion conferred upon the Hands of the Cause
or leave it within the fina l jurisdiction of God. The members of these boards are
of the National Spiritual Assembly. appointed by the Universal House of Justice.
(c) If any differences arise between two
or more Local Spiritual Assemblies 1. The term of office of a Counsellor, the numand if these Assemblies are unable to ber of Counsellors on each Board, and the
resolve them, any one such Assembly boundaries of the zone in which each Board
may bring the matter to the National of Counsellors shall operate, shall be
Spiritual Assembly which shall there- decided by the Universal House of Justice.
upon take jurisdiction of the case. If 2. A Counsellor functions as such only
the decision of the National Spiritual within his zone and should he move his
Assembly thereon is unsatisfactory to residence out of the zone for which he is
any of the Assemblies concerned, or appointed he automatically relinquishes
if a Local Spiritual Assembly at any his appointment.
time has reason to believe that actions 3. The rank and specific duties of a Counof its National Spiritual Assembly are sellor render him ineligible for service on
affecting adversely the welfare and local or national administrative bodies. If
unity of that Local Assembly ' s com- elected to the Universal House of Justice
munity, it shall, in either case, after he ceases to be a Counsellor.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 617
X. THE AUXILIARY BOARDS Counsellors, shall not function as a
member of the Auxiliary Board outside
In each zone there shall be two Auxiliary that area.
Boards, one for the protection and one for 3. An Auxiliary Board member is eligible
the propagation of the Faith, the numbers of for any elective office but if elected to
whose members shall be set by the Universal an administrative post on a national or
House of Justice. The members of these Aux- local level must decide whether to retain
iliary Boards shall serve under the direction membership on the Board or accept the
of the Continental Boards of Counsellors administrative post, since he may not
and shall act as their deputies, assistants and serve in both capacities at the same time.
advisers. If elected to the Universal House of Justice he ceases to be a member of the
1. The members of the Auxiliary Boards Auxiliary Board.
shall be appointed from among the
believers of that zone by the Continental XI. AMENDMENT
Board of Counsellors.
2. Each Auxiliary Board member shall be This Constitution may be amended by deciallotted a specific area in which to serve sion of the Universal House of Justice when
and, unless specifically deputized by the the full membership is present.
THE BAHA'I WORLD

2. THE SIXTH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE
ELECTION OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

RipvAN 1988
The sixth International Baha' i Convention The results of the voting were announced
was held from 29 April to 2 May 1988 to to the assembled delegates at noon on Saturelect the members of the Universal House of day, 30 April. Of the 1,296 ballots cast, only
Justice. one was invalid. The members were elected
As prescribed in the Will and Testament by a total of 7,880 of the 11,655 individual
of'Abdu'l-Baha, the people charged with this votes cast. The uniformly high percentage of
sacred duty were the members of the world's votes received from delegates unable to
National Spiritual Assemblies and the selec- attend was pointed out by Amatu' 1-Baha as a
tion was by plurality vote taken by secret reflection of the maturity of the Baha'i
ballot. As there were 148 National Spiritual world.
Assemblies in 1988, each with nine members, The members elected were: Mr. 'Alf N~a­
the number of possibl e electors was 1,332. vani, Mr. G lenford Mitchell, Mr. Hushmand
Representatives unable to attend, including Fatheazam, Mr. Ian Semple, Dr. Peter Khan,
the full memberships of sixteen National Spir- Dr. David Ruhe, Mr. Hugh Chance, Mr. Hooper
itual Assemblies, cast their ballots by mail. Dunbar, and Mr. Adib Taherzadeh. The nine
The election was the first item on the members were called to the stage and were
agenda when the meeting was opened by the greeted with wave after wave of sustained
Hand of the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha applause.
Rul~iyyih Khanum. After a few words of Fu1iher applause swept the auditorium as
greeting, prayers were read in four the two members of the Universal House of
languages. Then the 663 delegates present in Justice who had been permitted to resign by
the Haifa Auditorium continued to pray and reason of their advanced years, Mr. David
meditate silently as they considered the peo- Hofman and Mr. H. Borrah Kavelin, were
ple who wou ld be best suited to serve for the called to the stage and saluted for their long
next five years. All waited with reverence and dedicated service.
until each delegate had finished voting. Loving tribute was also paid to the three
When all ballots were ready, the dele- forn1er members of the Universal House
gates began to walk across the stage one by of Justice who have ascended to the next
one, in alphabetical order by country, to world: Dr. Lutfu'llah I:Iakim, Mr. Amoz
deposit their ballot papers as their names Gibson, and Mr. Charles Wolcott. Mr. Gibwere read by the Head Chief Teller, son's daughter and Dr. I:Iakim's grand-
Dr. Firuz Kazemzadeh. Men and women, daughter were present as delegates to the
yo ung and old, people of all racial and eth- Convention.
nic origins, all came silently to the stage-a Sadness, coupled with a feeling of pride,
potent testimony to the power ofBaha'u'llah pervaded the hall as the friends in Iran were
to unite humanity in a new World Order. remembered. 'We wil l miss with all our
A highlight of the balloting was the pres- hearts the oldest Baha'i community ... the
ence of two delegates from Cuba, a country friends in Persia', Amatu'l-Baha said. She
never before represented at an International paid tribute to the sacrifices and continued
Baha'i Convention. They were enthusiasti- suffering of 'o ur brothers and sisters in
cally applauded by the other delegates as Iran', and announced that a closing prayer
they crossed the stage to cast their ballots. wo uld be offered on their behalf. Then she
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LL!\H 619

Five Hands of the Cause of God leading the delegates to the sixth International Baha'i
Convention toward the Shrine of the Bab during the celebration of the Ninth Day of Ridvan,
29 April 1988.

The first item on the agenda of the International Convention was the election of the members
of the Universal House of Justice. One of the delegates depositing her votes. Haifa, Israel.
29 April 1988.
620 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Five consultative sessions were held during the sixth International Convention. Delegates
exchanged thoughts about the Riefvan message, issues of special concern to their countries,
and on subjects suggested in advance by the Universal House ofJustice.

Five special sessions for members of each of the Co ntinental Boards of Counsellors and
delegatesfi'om the National Spiritual Assemblies in those areas were held during the International Convention. The session on Australasia was held in the Haifa Pilgrim House.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LL!\H 621

called for an enormous bowl of 120 red In addition to the Ri<;lvan message and
roses, a gift from the Baha'is in Iran, to be issues of special concern to them, the delebrought to the centre of the stage. gates consulted on the following subjects
Five Hands of the Cause of God were suggested in advance by the Universal
present for the opening session, lending a House of Justice:
special dignity and spiritual force to the 1) the development of the Baha'i commuoccasion: Amatu'l-Baha Ru0iyyih Khanum, nity as a model , strengthening of unity, and
'Ali-Akbar Furutan, 'Alf-Mu0ammad Varqa, the Covenant in all its aspects;
William Sears, and H. Collis Featherstone. 2) what the Baha'i community needed to
Each participated in a unique and significant do to further promote peace, the developway during the Convention. Mr. Sears also ment of external affairs agencies, the promobrought special greetings from those Hands tion of social and economic development,
of the Cause who could not be not present, and the concept of a Year of Service;
Dr. Ugo Giachery, Mr. Jalal Khazeh, and 3) relating the Teachings of the Faith to
Mr. John Robarts. the needs and concerns of the world at large
Amatu'l-Baha read the Ri<;lvan message through the development of Baha'i expertise
of the Universal House of Justice at the and scholarship;
beginning of the Convention's first consulta- 4) winning increasing numbers of new
tive session, on 30 April: adherents to the Faith and consolidating the
A silver lining to the dark picture gains; and,
which has overshadowed most of this 5) the development of the funds of the
century now brightens the horizon. It is Faith, and the Arc Projects Fund.
discernible in the new tendencies impel- Under the gilt emblem of the Greatest
ling the social processes at work Name, and occupying the entire centre stage,
throughout the world, in the evidences of a magnificent full-colour aerial photograph
an accelerated trend towards peace. In featuring the Shrine of the Bab-set against
the Faith of God, it is the growing a skilfully overlaid architect's rendering of
strength of the Order of Baha'u'llah as the future terraces with their myriad young
its banner rises to more stately heights. It cypresses, paths, fountains, and shrubs, and
is a strength that attracts. the Arc with its five edifices completed-
" ... a new paradigm of opportunity has constantly reminded the delegates of the
emerged," the message continued. "New compelling needs of the Arc Project.
prospects for teaching the Cause at all levels The architect of the buildings, Mr. J:Iusayn
of society have unfolded. ... The present Amanat, and the architect of the terraces and
challenge calls for teaching on a scale and of project manager, Mr. Fariburz ~ahba, drew
a quality, a variety, and intensity outstrip- further attention to the detail, grandeur, and
ping all current efforts." These themes were financial needs of the project in their slide
often repeated in the consultations of the presentations.
delegates. Two other slide presentations were shown
Five consultative sessions were held from to the delegates. One was a retrospective of
30 April to 2 May. All of these general the development of the Faith during the premeetings were chaired by Counsellors: vious five years, and the other looked ahead
Dr. Magdalene Carney of the International to the upcoming Baha' i World Congress to
Teaching Centre; Mrs. Zena Sorabjee from be held in New York City in 1992.
Asia; Dr. Wilma Brady from the Americas; A historic talk on the subject of
Mrs. Joy Stevenson from Australasia; J:Iuququ 'llah was given by the Trustee of
Mrs. Lucretia Mancho Warren from Africa; J:Iuququ'llah, the Hand of the Cause of God
and Mrs. Polin Rafat from Europe. Dr. Varqa, who pointed out that this law
622 THE BAH A' i WORLD

The presence of
Amatu 'l-Baha
Ruhiyyih Khanum and
the other Hands of the
Cause of God added a
special dignity and
spiritual forc e to the
sixth International
Convention.

Th e Hand of the
Cause of God
Dr. 'Ali-Muhammad
Varqa talking to the
delegates about the
law of Huququ 'llah
during the International Convention.

Th e Hand of th e Cause
of God William Sears
brought sp ecial
greetings to the International Convention
from those Hands of
the Caus e not present,
Dr. Ugo Giachery,
Mr. Jalcil Khazeh, and
Mr. John Robarts.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 623

Mr. 'Ali Nal!:f!javani, at the podium, with the other members of the Universal House of
Justice elected at Rief.van 1988. Left to right: Mr. Glenford Mitch ell, Mr. Hushmand
Fatheazam, Mr. Jan Semple, Dr. Peter Khan, Dr. David Ruhe, Mr. Hugh Chance,
Mr. Hooper Dunbar, Mr. Adib Taherzadeh.

shou ld be viewed as a spiritual obligation Haifa and 'Akka. These included time spent
based on the believer' s love for God; that in the Shrines of Baha'u'llah and the Bab,
it is a tangible aspect of the Covenant of the Mansion of Baha'u'llah at Bahji, the
God; and that it strengthens the relationship Cell of Baha'u'llah, the House of 'Abbud,
between God and man. and the House of 'Abdu'llah Pasha in 'Akka,
Two Holy Days were celebrated during and the International Archives Building, the
the Convention period. The ninth Day of House of the Master, and the Seat of the
Ri9van was commemorated in the forecomi Universal House of Justice in Haifa.
and gardens of the Haifa Pilgrim House Many members ofNational Spiritual Assemadjacent to the Shrine of the Bab, with the blies took the opportunity provided by the
Hand of the Cause of God William Sears Convention to meet with members of other
presiding. Readings in five languages-Ara- National Assemblies to discuss a wide range
bic, English, Spanish, French, and Persian- of subjects of mutual interest. Scores of
were fo llowed by the recitation of the Tablet these meetings took place before the Conof Visitation. Then the friends reverently vention opened and in the evenings after the
circumambulated the Shrine of the Bab. general sessions.
Following the close of the last Conven- Counsellors from all five Continental Boards
tion session on the Twelfth Day of Ri9van, attended the Convention (16 from Africa,
all the distinguished participants gathered 16 from the Americas, 12 from Asia, 8 from
in the I:Iaram-i-Aqdas at Bahji where the Australasia, 9 from Europe), 61 in all.
gardens were in their full spring splendour. The visiting Counsellors took part in vari-
The celebration was opened with forceful ous special meetings and events including
comments by the Hand of the Cause Collis five 'continental' sessions held for members
Featherstone about the significance of the of each of the Continental Boards and the
occasion. Readings in five languages were delegates from the National Spiritual Assemfollowed by the silent and joyous circumam- blies of their areas.
bulation of the Shrine of Baha'u' llah by Following the Convention, from 3 to 8 May,
more than 1,000 of His followers. the Hands of the Cause and the Counsellors
For four days prior to the Convention, the stayed on in Haifa to participate in a Coundelegates enjoyed a series of visits arranged sellors ' conference held under the auspices
for them to the Holy Places of the Faith in of the International Teaching Centre.
II
THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD

1. THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE OF GOD AND THE EXTENSION
OF THEIR FUNCTIONS INTO THE FUTURE

A. THE R ULERS AND THE LEARNED

In every society and community of human Local, National and International Houses
beings there are those who are revered for of Justice. The duties of each of these
their learning and wisdom, and there are souls will be determined in the future.
those who are invested with authority to (Translated from the Persian.)
govern. In religious communities it has been
Since those words were written the Baha ' i
usual for the legislative and governing
Administrative Order has developed rapidly
authority to be held by the learned who have
and is now functioning throughout the
thus, as priests or as doctors of religious law,
world. Under the supreme authority of the
combined both capacities in the same
revealed Law of God the Baba ' i community
persons. Other communities have, only too
is governed by its elected institutions: Local
often, been riven by the conflict between
and National Spiritual Assemblies and the
church and state, between priests and kings ,
Universal House of Justice, while the instior, in more modern te1rns, between intellectutions of the ' learned', which exercise no
tuals and the establishment. In the World
governing authority over the believers, are
Order of Baha' u' llah these two extremes, of
accorded an exalted rank which enables
the over-concentration of authority on the one
them to exert their beneficent influence over
hand and of division and conflict on the other,
all parts of the community. Commenting on
are eliminated. The way this is achieved is
this feature of the Baha' i Administrative
one of the unique features of that Order and
Order, the Universal House of Justice wrote
confers unin1agined benefits upon the Baha'i
in its message of24 April 1972:
community.
In the Kitab-i-'Ahd (The Book of the The existence of institutions of such exa lted
Covenant) Baha'u'llah wrote, "Blessed are rank, comprising individuals who play such
the rulers and the learned in Baha. " The a vital role, who yet have no legislative,
Guardian, interpreting this passage, stated adminisháative or judicial authority, and
on 4 November 193 1: are entirely devoid of priestly fi.mctions or
the right to make authoritative interpreta-
In this holy cycle the ' learned' are, on the
tions, is a feature of Baha'i administration
one hand the Hands of the Cause of God,
unparalleled in the religions of the past. ...
and, on the other, the teachers and diffusers of His teachings who do not rank as Developing this theme, the Universal
Hands, but who have attained an eminent House of Justice referred in that same mesposition in the teaching world. As to the sage to a letter written on behalf of the
' mlers ' they refer to the members of the Guardian on 14 March 1927, to the Spiritual
Tl-IE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 625
Assembly of Istanbul, in which he expound- The difficulty of establishing a clear undered the Baha'i principle of action by majority standing of this administrative concept, new
vote. In this letter Shoghi Effendi points out in the history of religoin, is reflected in the
how, in the past, it was certain individuals concluding passage of the message of the
who 'accounted themselves as superior in Universal House of Justice, of24 April 1972,
knowledge and elevated in position' who quoted above:
caused division, and that it was those 'who
.. .The newness and uniqueness of this
pretended to be the most distinguished of
concept make it difficult to grasp; only as
all' who 'always proved themselves to be
the Baha'i community grows and the bethe source of contention'. He praises God
lievers are increasingly able to contemplate
that Baha'u'llah had withdrawn authority
its administrative stlucture urlinfluenced by
from 'the unyielding and dictatorial views of
concepts from past ages, will the vital interthe learned and the wise', rejected the asserdependence of the ' rnlers' and ' learned'
tions of individuals, even though recognized
in the Faith be properly understood, and
as the most accomplished and learned among
the inestimable value of their interaction
men, as authoritative criteria, and 'ordained
be fully recognized.
that all matters be referred to authorized centres and assemblies'. Thus the institutions of Only now, as these two arms of the worldthe learned in the Baha'i Faith, while invest- embracing system of Baha'u'llah begin to
ed with high rank and exercising invaluable function in their separate but complementary
moral authority and influence, have no exec- roles towards a common achievement, are
utive power other than in the direction of intimations caught of the divine beneficence
their own institutions. of that system.

B. THE HANDS OF THE CA USE OF GOD

Baha 'u' llah Himself created the institution dominion and to aid them through His
of the Hands of the Cause and appointed a indomitable strength which prevaileth
few of His fo llowers to serve Him as Hands over all created things. Sovereignty is
in His own lifetime. In the Tablet of the God's, the Creator of the heavens and
World He refers to the Hands of the Cause the Lord of the Kingdom of Names.
in words descriptive of the station of service
The Will and Testament of 'Abdu ' l-Baha
to which they are called:
contains many references to the Hands of
the Cause, including explicit definitions of
Light and glory, greeting and praise be
their station and functions, as well as variupon the Hands of His Cause, through
ous admonitions addressed to them:
whom the light of fortitude hath shone
forth and the truth hath been established Salutation and praise, blessing and gl01y
that the authority to choose rests with rest... upon the Hands of the Cause of
God, the Powerfid, the Mighty, the God that have difji1sed widely the Divine
Unconstrained, through whom the ocean Fragrances, declared His Proofs, proof bounty hath surged and the fi"agrance claimed His Faith, published abroad His
of the gracious favours of God, the Lord Law, detached themselves/ram all things
of mankind, hath been difji1sed. We but Him, stood for righteousness in this
beseech Him-Exalted is He-to shield world, and kindled the Fire of the Love of
them through the power of His hosts, to God in the ve1y hearts and souls of His
protect them through the potency of His servants; ... the Hands of the Cause of God
626 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

must be ever watchful and so soon as they contention and conflict amidst peoples,
find anyone beginning to oppose and pro- kindreds, nations and governments may
test against the Guardian of the Cause of disappear, that all the dwellers on earth
God, cast him out from the congregation may become one people and one race,
of the people of Bahti and in no wise that the world may become even as one
accept any excuse from him .. home.
... Th e Hands of the Cause of God must
'Abdu 'l-Baha did not Himself appoint
elect from their own number nine persons
any additional Hands of the Cause. He did,
that shall at all times be occupied in
however, refer to certain outstanding teachthe important services in the work of
ers of the Faith as Hands.
the Guardian of the Cause of God. The
During the first three decades of his minelection of these nine must be carried
istry as Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi
either unanimously or by majority from
Effendi designated certain outstanding
the company of the Hands of the Cause of
Baha'is as Hands posthumously. Then, in
God and these, whether unanimously or
December 1951 , he raised twelve living
by a majority vote, must give their assent
believers to this exalted rank, a development
to the choice of the one whom the Guardof the Administrative Order which thrilled
ian of the Cause of God hath chosen as
the entire Baha 'i world. In February 1952 he
his successor...
appointed a further seven, and in 1957 eight
O fi'iends! The Hands of the Cause of
more, bringing the total number to twenty-
God must be nominated and appointed by
seven. 1 In these brief six years the Guardian
the Guardian of the Ca use of God. All
not only established this institution on a fitm
must be under his shadow and obey his
foundation throughout the world, with a
command. ..
body of four Hands of the Cause residing in
Th e obligations of the Hands of the
the Holy Land to act as the liaison between
Cause of God are to diffuse the Divine
himself and the Hands in each continent, but
Fragrances, to edify the souls of men, to
he brought into being in each continent two
promote learning, to improve the charac-
Auxiliary Boards, one for the protection and
ter of all men and to be, at all times and
one for the propagation of the Faith, to act as
under all conditions, sanctified and
the 'assistants, deputies and advisers' of the
detached fi'om earthly things. Th ey must
Hands of that continent.
manifest the fear of God by their conduct,
The epic story of how in November 1957,
their manners, their deeds and their
the Hands of the Cause of God, called by
words. This body of the Hands of the
the Guardian the 'Chief Stewards of
Cause of God is under the direction of the
Baha'u' llah 's embryonic World Common-
Guardian of the Cause of God. He must
wealth', ra llied the grief-stricken and
continually urge them to strive and
stunned Baha ' is of the world, guided them
endeavor to the utmost of their ability to
to the victorious accomplishment of the Ten
diffi1s e the sweet savors of God, and to
Year Crusade which he had launched, and
guide all the peoples of the world, for it is
convened the members of the National Spirithe light of Divine Guidance that causeth
tual Assemblies for the first election of the
all the universe to be illumined. To dis-
Universa l House of Justice in April 1963,
regard, though it be for a moment, this
has been told in befitting detail in Volume
absolute command which is binding upon
XIII of this publication.
everyone, is in no wise permitted, that
the existent world may become even as
the Abha Paradise, that the swface of I See 'The Institution of the Hands of the Cause of
the earth rnay become heavenly, that God ', The Bnhit 'i World, vo l. XIII , p. 334.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA' U 'L LAH 627

C. THE CONTINENTAL BOARDS OF COUNSELLORS

The establishment of the Universal House of The exalted rank and specific functions of
Justice in 1963 ushered in a new phase in the the Hands of the Cause of God make it
evolution of the institution of the Hands of inappropriate for them to be elected or apthe Cause. In October 1963 the House of appointed to administrative institutions, or
Justice decided 'that there is no way to to be elected as delegates to national conappoint or legislate to make it possible to ventions. Furthem1ore, it is their desire
appoint a second Guardian to succeed and the desire of the House of Justice that
Shoghi Effendi'. Therefore, among the first they be free to devote their entire energies
questions which it was necessary for it then to the vitally important duties conferred
to consider were the manner in which the upon them in the Holy Writings.
institution of the Hands of the Cause was to
At the same time the House of Justice
continue to perform its appointed functions,
confirmed the request of the Hands of the
the relationship which should exist between
Cause that, henceforth, members of the
the House of Justice and the Hands of the
Auxiliary Boards should be freed from ad-
Cause, and how the indispensable functions
ministrative responsibilities, including service
of the Hands of the Cause could be extended
on committees and as delegates to conventions.
into the future , since, according to the text of
On 21 June 1968 the House of Justice
the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha,
announced by cable to the Baha' i world the
The Hands of the Cause of God must be
decision to establish eleven Continental
nominated and appointed by the Guardian
Boards of Counsellors for the protection and
of the Cause of God.
propagation of the Faith and, in a written
Following consultation with a conclave
message issued on 24 June, outlined in detail
of the Hands in October- November 1964,
the nature and scope of this action. Because
the Universal House of Justice annow1ced to
of its great significance to the evolution of
the believers in its message of November
the Administrative Order, the entire text of
1964 the following decision:
this message is quoted:
There is no way to appoint, or to legislate
The majestic unfoldment ofBaha 'u ' llah's
to make it possible to appoint, Hands of
world-redeeming administrative system
the Cause of God.
has been marked by the successive estab-
Responsibility for decisions on matters of
lishment of the various institutions and
general policy affecting the institution of
agencies which constitute the framework
the Hands of the Cause, which was forof that divinely-created Order. Thus,
merly exercised by the beloved Guardian,
more than a quarter-of-a-centu1y after the
now devolves upon the Universal House of
emergence of the first National Spiritual
Justice as the supreme and central institu-
Assemblies of the Baha'i world the
tion of the Faith to which all must tum.
institution of the Hands of the Cause was
That same message announced increases fo1mally established, with the appointment
in the number of the members of the Auxil- by the beloved Guardian, in conformity
iary Boards for propagation in every with the provisions of 'Abdu'l-Baha's
continent, and the Hands were requested to Will and Testament, of the first continappoint one or more members of each Auxil- gent of these high-ranking officers of the
ia1y Board to act in an executive capacity on Faith. Following the passing of the Guardtheir behalf and in the name of each Hand, ian of the Cause of God, it fell to the
for the direction of the work of the Boards . House of Justice to devise a way, within
The message continued: the Administrative Order, of developing
628 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

'the institution of the Hands of the Cause National Spiritual Assemblies, and keepwith a view to extension into the future of ing the Hands of the Cause and the
its appointed functions of protection and Universal House of Justice informed conpropagation', and this was made a goal of cerning the conditions of the Cause in
the Nine Year Plan. Much thought and their areas .
study has been given to the question over Initially eleven Boards of Counsellors
the past four years, and the texts have have been appointed, one for each of the
been collected and reviewed. During the following areas : Northwestern Africa,
last two months, this goal, as announced Central and East Africa, Southern Africa,
in our cable to the National Conventions, Nmih America, Central America, South
has been the object of prolonged and America, Western Asia, Southeastern Asia,
prayerful consultation between the Uni- Noriheastem Asia, Australasia and Europe.
versal House of Justice and the Hands of The members of these Boards of
the Cause of God. All this made evident Counsellors will serve for a tern1, or
the framework within which this goal was terms, the length of which will be deterto be achieved, namely: mined and announced at a later date, and
The Universal House of Justice sees no while serving in this capacity, will not be
way in which additional Hands of the eligible for membership on national or
Cause of God can be appointed. local administrative bodies. One member
The absence of the Guardian of the of each Continental Board of Counsellors
Faith brought about an entirely new rela- has been designated as Trustee of the
tionship between the Universal House of Continental Fund for its area.
Justice and the Hands of the Cause and The Auxiliary Boards for protection
called for the progressive unfoldment by and propagation will henceforth report to
the Universal House of Justice of the the Continental Boards of Counsellors
manner in which the Hands of the Cause who will appoint or replace members of
would carry out their divinely-conferred the Auxiliary Boards as circumstances
functions of protection and propagation. may require. Such appointments and
Whatever new development or institu- replacements as may be necessary in the
tion is initiated should come into operation initial stages will take place after consulas soon as possible in order to reinforce tation with the Hand or Hands previously
and supplement the work of the Hands of assigned to the continent or zone.
the Cause while at the same time taking The Hands of the Cause of God have
full advantage of the opportunity of having the prerogative and obligation to consult
the Hands themselves assist in launching with the Continental Boards of Counsellors
and guiding the new procedures. and National Spiritual Assemblies on any
Any such institution must grow and subject which, in their view, affects the
operate in harmony with the principles interests of the Cause. The Hands residgoverning the functioning of the institu- ing in the Holy Land will act as liaison
tion of the Hands of the Cause of God. between the Universal House of Justice
In the light of these considerations the and the Continental Boards of Cow1sellors,
Universal House of Justice decided, as and will also assist the Universal House
announced in its recent cable, to establish of Justice in setting up, at a propitious
Continental Boards of Counsellors for the time, an international teaching centre in
protection and propagation of the Faith. the Holy Land, as anticipated in the
Their duties will include directing the Guardian's writings.
Auxiliary Boards in their respective The Hands of the Cause of God are one
areas, consulting and collaborating with of the most precious assets the Baha'i
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA°U'LLAH 629
world possesses. Released from adminis- Counsellor is a high officer of the Faith
tration of the Auxiliary Boards, they will entitled to the respect, honour and courbe able to concentrate their energies on the tesy due to his rank. Each country which
more primary responsibilities of general is privileged to have a resident Counselprotection and propagation, 'preservation lor should prize that privilege. Each
of the spiritual health of the Baha' i com- National Assembly which has a Counselmunities' and 'the vitality of the faith' of lor at hand for frequent consultations
the Baha'is throughout the world. The should, without relinquishing any portion
House of Justice will call upon them to of its divinely assigned authority, call
unde1take special missions on its behalf, upon him often for his views and accord
to represent it on both Baha'i and other great weight to his advice.
occasions and to keep it informed of the
welfare of the Cause. While the Hands On 8 June 1973 a fmther directive was
of the Cause will, naturally, have special sent to the Continental Boards of Counselconcern for the affairs of the Cause in the lors which answered the need discussed by
areas in which they reside, they will oper- the Counsellors during their sessions in the
ate increasingly on an intercontinental Holy Land, at the time of the International
level, a factor which will lend tremendous Convention of that year, for some method to
impetus to the diffusion throughout the enable their institution to reach more deeply
Baha'i world of the spiritual inspiration into the fabric of the Baha ' i world conunuchannelled tluáough them-the Chief Stew- nity. The House of Justice authorized each
ards of Baha'u' llah's embryonic World Board of Counsellors, at its discretion, to
Commonwealth. petmit Auxiliary Board members to appoint
With joyful hearts we proclaim this assistants, whose duties would be to activate
further unfoldment of the Administrative and encourage Local Spiritual Assemblies,
Order ofBaha'u'llah and join our prayers to call the attention of Local Spiritual
to those of the friends throughout the East Assembly members to the importance of
and the West that Baha'u'llah may con- regular meetings, to encourage local comtinue to shower his confirmations upon munities to gather for Nineteen Day Feasts
the efforts of His servants in the safe- and Holy Days, to help deepen their fellowguarding and promotion of His Faith. believers' understanding of the teachings,
and generally to assist the Auxiliary Board
A clarification of the status of Counsellors
members in the discharge of their duties.
and their relationship to National Spiritual
The advice, at that time, was to proceed
Assemblies was made by the House of Justice
gradually with this new step so that experiin a letter to a National Spirihial Assembly
ence could indicate the most effective
in May 1975:
manner of its operation. Since then, as a
... (it) must be one of wann and active resu lt of the proven value of this expanded
collaboration, a full sharing in the excite- service, appointments of assistants in each
ment and the challenge of the teaching zone have been steadily and rapidly augwork and the establishment of living and mented. The letter of 8 June 1973 stated that
growing Baha ' i communities ... While the 'believers can serve at the same time both as
role of the Counsellors is no1mally to assistants to Auxiliary Board members and
advise, encourage and reinforce, and they on administrative institutions' .
have no legislative or administrative Adjustments to the number of Continenauthority, they nevertheless occupy a rank tal Boards of Counsellors are made as the
superior to that of the National Assembly Universal House of Justice deems necessary,
or its members and each individual entailing adjustments to zones assigned to
630 THE BAHA'i WORLD

the Boards, to the number of ColUlsellors encouraging and uplifting influence upon
and to the number of Auxiliary Boards and the lives of individuals and the deliberations
Auxiliary Board members.* Thus the insti- of institutions, constantly watching over the
tution operates at all levels throughout the security of the Faith, pointing the way to the
world, reaching into the basic structure of promotion of its best interests, and to the ever
local community life and exerting its wider dissemination of its healing message.

D. THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE
Assurance of the extension into the future The foremost topic would be the establishof the appointed functions of protection and ment of the international teaching centre
propagation conferred upon the Hands of the about which the Hands had previously been
Cause was accomplished by tl1e establishment requested to submit their written views. The
of the Continental Boards of Counsellors. Universal House of Justice, in its letter to the
However, that vital goal having been accom- Hands of the Cause in October 1971 , cited,
plished, the problem remained of ordering amongst others, the following three quotathe work of the new institution so that it tions from the Guardian which anticipated
would grow organically with the Faith itself. the evolution of the World Administrative
In a letter addressed to all National Spiritual Centre of the Faith on Mount Ca1mel and
Assemblies on 24 June 1968 the Universal the establishment there of an international
House of Justice confirmed that ' the relation- teaching centre as the seat of the Hands of
ship of Continental Boards of Counsellors the Cause of God:
to National Spiritual Assemblies will follow
... it must be clearly lUlderstood, nor can
the pattern of the relationship between the
it be sufficiently emphasized, that the
Hands of the Cause and National Spiritual
conjw1ction of the resting-place of the
Assemblies, outlined by the beloved Guard-
Greatest Holy Leaf with those of her
ian in various communications '.
brother and mother incalculably rein-
The cablegram addressed by the Univerforces the spiritual potencies of that
sal House of Justice to all National Spiritual
consecrated Spot which, under the wings
Assemblies on 21 June 1968 announcing the
of the Bab ' s overshadowing Sepulchre,
establishment of Continental Boards of
and in the vicinity of the future Mashtiqu'l-
Counsellors had contained a reference to the
Adhkar, which will be reared on its flank,
' future establishment international teaching
is destined to evolve into tl1e focal centráe
centráe Holy Land foreshadowed writings
of those world-shaking, world-embracing,
beloved Guardian.'
world-directing administrative institutions,
In October 1971 the Hands of the Cause
ordained by Baha'u'llah and anticipated
were notified that after the International
by 'Abdu'l-Baha, and which are to func-
Convention for the election of the Universal
tion in consonance with the principles
House of Justice during Ric:I van 1973, their
that govern the twin institutions of the
presence in the Holy Land for a period of
Guardianship and the Universal House of
time in order to consult on a number of
Justice. Then, and then only, will this
important subjects would be most welcome.
momentous prophecy which illuminates
the concluding passages of the Tablet of
*In November 1980 the thirteen Boards of Counsell ors Carmel be fulfilled: Ere long will God
were conso lidated into fi ve, each continental Board
hav ing two Au xili ary Board s, one for protecti on and
sail His ark upon thee (Carn1el) and will
one for propagati on; and each A uxiliary Board mem- manifest the people of Baha who have
ber having ass istants as needed and autho ri zed. been mentioned in the Book of Nam es. 1
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 631
In this great Tablet which unveils security, the preservation and protection
divine mysteries and heralds the estab- of the Cause, the safeguarding of the
lishment of two mighty, majestic and unity of the community, the promotion of
momentous undertakings-one of which God's religion and the spread of His
is spiritual and the other administrative, Word. These majestic and mighty ediboth at the World Centre of the Faith- fices, which will be constructed gradually
Baha 'u 'llah refers to an 'Ark', whose in accordance with a beautiful and unique
dwellers are the men of the Supreme style of architecture around the sacred
House of Justice, which, in conformity Monuments, are all considered as branches
with the exact provisions of the Will and of this highly-exalted, firmly-grounded
Testament of the Centre of the Mighty and broadly-based World Administrative
Covenant is the body which should lay Centre of the followers of the Cause of
down laws not explicitly revealed in the Him Who is the Lord of this Age and the
Text. In this Dispensation, these laws are Ruler of Creation. 1
destined to flow from this holy mountain, The raising of this edifice (Internaeven as in the Mosaic Dispensation the tional Baha'i Archives) will in turn herald
law of God was promulgated from Zion. the construction, in the course of succes-
The 'sailing of the Ark' of His laws is a sive epochs of the Formative Age of the
reference to the establishment of the Faith, of several other sh-uctures, which
Universal House of Justice, which is will serve as the administrative seats of
indeed the Seat of Legislation, one of the such divinely appointed institutions as the
branches of the World Administrative Guardianship, the Hands of the Cause,
Centtáe of the Baha'is on this holy moun- and the Universal House of Justice. These
tain. It will be housed in a separate edifices will, in the shape of a far-flung
building near the International Archives arc, and following a harmonizing style of
building, now under construction, on a architecture, surround the resting places
site in the neighbourhood of the Shrine of of tl1e Greatest Holy Leaf, ranking as
the Bab, and overlooking the sacred and foremost among the members of her sex
illumined Monuments. In the neighbour- in the Baha'i Dispensation, of her brother,
hood of these two stately edifices and two offered up as a ransom by Baha'u ' llah for
mighty Institutions (i.e. the Archives the quickening of the world and its unifi-
Building and the edifice for the House of cation, and of their mother, proclaimed by
Justice), another edifice will gradually be Him to be His chosen 'consort in all the
erected which will be the Seat of the worlds of God' . The ultimate completion
Guardianship, the Centre which will of this stupendous undertaking will mark
interpret, expound and prepare commen- the culmination of the development of a
taries on explicitly revealed laws, and will world-wide divinely-appointed Adminisreinforce and supplement the legislative trative Order whose beginnings may be
body. Yet another edifice to supplement traced as far back as the concluding years
these three edifices will be the Centre for of the Heroic Age of the Faith. 2
the propagation and teaching of the Faith,
On S June 1973, following the Internathe Seat for the Hands of the Cause, who,
tional Convention and the consultations with
in accordance with the explicit text of the
Will and Testament are charged with the
1 Shoghi Effendi, letter in Persian to the Baha' is of
the East, Naw-R(1z 111 (1954).
1 2
Shoghi Effendi, letter to the National Spiritual Shoghi Effendi, letter to the Baha' is of the world ,
Assembl y of the United States, 21 December 1939; 27 November 1954; see Messages to the Bahn 'i
see Messages lo America, pp. 32- 33. World, p. 74.
632 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

the Hands of the Cause, and less than a rapidly growing responsibility of the Unimonth after the Counsellors had left the Holy versal House of Justice.
Land to resume their services within their This International Teaching Centre now
zones, the following announcement was established, will, in due course, operate
cabled by the Uni versal House of Justice to from that building designated by the
all National Spiritual Assemblies: Guardian as the Seat for the Hands of the
ANNOUNCE ESTAB LI SHMENT HOLY LAND LONG
Cause, which must be raised on the arc on
ANTICIPATED INTERNATIONAL TEA CHI NG
Mount Carmel in close proximity to the
CENTRE DESTINED EVOLVE INTO ONE THOSE
Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
WORLD SHAKING WORLD EMBRACING WORLD
The duties now assigned to this nascent
DIRECTING ADM INISTRAT IVE INSTITUTIONS
institution are:
ORDA INED BY BAHA'U ' LLAl-1 ANTI Cl PATED BY
• To co-ordinate, stimulate and direct the
'AB DU 'L-BA HA ELUCIDATED BY Sl-IOGHI
activities of the Continental Boards of
EFFENDI STOP MEMBERSHIP THIS NASCENT
Counsellors and to act as liaison between
INSTITUTION COMPRJSES ALL HANDS CAUSE
them and the Universal House of Justice.
GOD ANO INITIALLY THREE COUNSELLORS
• To be fully informed of the situation of the
WHO WITH HANDS PRESENT 1-IOL Y LAND WILL
Cause in all parts of the world and to be
CONSTITUTE NUCLEUS ITS VITAL OPERA-
able, from the background of this know-
TIONS STOP CALLI NG UPON HOOPER DUNBAR
ledge, to make reports and recommenda-
FLORENCE MAYBERRY AZIZ YAZD I PROCEED
tions to the Universal House of Justice and
HOLY LAND ASSUME THIS HIGHLY MER ITORI-
give advice to the Continental Boards of
OUS SERVICE STOP OFFERING PRAYERS
Counsellors.
HEARTFELT GRATITUDE SACRED THRESHOLD
• To be alert to possibilities, both within and
THIS FURTHER EV IDENCE ORGANIC EVOLU-
without the Baha' i community, for the
TION AOM INISTRA TIVE ORDER BA HA'U ' LLAI-1.
extension of the teaching work into receptive or needy areas, and to draw the
attention of the Universal House of Justice
It was followed three days later by thi s
and the Continental Boards of Counsellors
expanded announcement to the Baha'is of
to such possibilities, making recommenthe world:
dations for action.
The centennial year of the revelation of • To determine and anticipate needs for litthe Kitab-i-Aqdas has already witnessed erature, pioneers and travelling teachers
events of such capital significance in the and to work out teaching plans, both
annals of the Baha ' i Di spensation as to regional and global, for the approval of the
cause us to contemplate with awe the Universal House of Justice.
rapidity with which Divine Providence is • All the Hands of the Cause of God wi 11 be
advancing the Cause of the Most Great members of the International Teaching
Name. The time is indeed propitious Centre. Each Hand will be kept regularl y
for the establishment of the International informed of the activities of the Centre
Teaching Centre, a development which , through reports or copies of its minutes ,
at one and the same time, brings to frui- and will be able, wherever he may be
tion the work of the Hands of the Cause residing or travelling, to convey suggesresiding in the Holy Land and provides tions, recommendations and information
for its extension into the future, links the to the Centre and, whenever he is in the
institutions of the Boards of Counsellors Holy Land, to take part in the consultaeven more intimately with that of the tions and other activities of the Centre.
Hands of the Cause of God, and power- • In addition, we now appoint Mr. Hooper
fully reinforces the discharge of the Dunbar, Mrs. Florence Mayberry and
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 633
Mr. 'Aziz Yazdi to membership of the In- community provided an opportunity for the
ternational Teaching Centre, with the rank Teaching Centre to become thoroughly
of Counsellor. These believers, who have acquainted with the conditions, needs and
been serving with distinction on the Conti- potentialities of the one hundred and thirteen
nental Boards of Counsellors in South national Baha' i communities which made up
America, North America and Central and the Baha'i international community at Ricjvan
East Africa respectively, will henceforth 1973. A greatly increased flow of vital inforreside in Haifa and will, together with the mation from the Continental Boards of
Hands present in the Holy Land, constitute Counsellors was called for by the Internathe nucleus of the operations of the Centre. tional Teaching Centre, which promised, in
Authority for the expulsion and reinstate- turn, the deve lopment of an increasingly
ment of Covenant-breakers remains with close relationship between itself and the
the Hands of the Cause of God. All such Boards through a similarly increased flow of
matters will be investigated locally by the materials from the Teaching Centre. At the
relative Continental Board of Counsellors request of the House of Justice the Teaching
in consultation with any Hand or Hands Centre also evolved a plan for international
who may be in the area. The Continental collaboration on travelling teaching projects.
Board of Counsellors and the Hands con- The divinely ordained institution of the
cerned will then make their reports to the Hands of the Cause of God, having been
International Teaching Centre where they brought into active reality by the Guardian
will be considered. The decision whether of the Faith according to the directives of
or not to expel or reinstate will be made by ' Abdu ' l-Baha' s Will and Testament, was
the Hands of the Cause residing in the confronted in its infancy with an appalling
Holy Land who will, as at present, submit crisis in the life of that Faith whose protectheir decision to the Universal House of tion was its prime duty. During the
Justice for approval.... interregnum between the passing of the
The decisions now announced are the Guardian and the election of the Universal
outcome of deliberation extending over a House of Justice, the Hands of the Cause as
number of years, reinforced by consulta- its Chief Stewards, maintained the integrity
tions with the Hands of the Cause of God, and unity of the Faith. The functions of
and especially with the Hands residing in protection and propagation appointed to this
the Holy Land who were requested in great institution have now been extended
1968 to assist the Universal House of into the future in a manner consonant with
Justice in the establishment of the Inter- the principles of the Faith. The Continental
national Teaching Centre, a task that now Boards of Counsellors with their attendant
increases in magnitude as that Centre Auxiliary Boards for protection and
begins its work propagation, the assistants to the Auxiliary
Board members, all co-ordinated and kept in
One of the first tasks assigned by the Uni- relationship to the Universal House of
versal House of Justice to the International Justice by the International Teaching Centre,
Teaching Centre was to devise the broad form the fabric of the appointive arm of the
outlines of the global teaching plan to begin Administrative Order of the Faith, which
at Ricjvan 1974 and conclude five years later will in increasing measure exert its spiritualat Ricjvan 1979. This comprehensive and izing influence upon the development of the
detailed survey of the entire Baha'i world Baha'i community and of all mankind.
THE BAHA'I WORLD

2. THE WORK AND TRAVELS OF THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE

THE Hands of the Cause of God, freed correspondence, their writings and addresses,
in 1968 of continental administrative duties, their association with Baha'i pilgrims and
were able increasingly to devote their efforts their interaction with Baha'is in the field,
to serving as standard-bearers for the Baha'is often in farflung and remote areas, they
of the world in support of the teaching have ... diffused widely the Divine Fraactivities launched by National Spiritual grances, declared His proofs, proclaimed
Assemblies and other institutions of the His Faith, published abroad His Law,
Baha'i Faith. detached themselves ji-om all things but
During the course of the Six Year Plan, Him, stood for righteousness in this world,
no less than in the teaching plans that and kindled the Fire of the Love of God in
preceded it, these remarkable individuals the very hearts and souls of His servants ....
were fonts of inspiration, encouragement In the period covered by this volume of
and reinforcement. Their contribution to the The Baha'i World, the years 143- 148 of the
achievement of the goals and the influence Baha'i Era (21April1986 to 20 April 1992),
of their example upon the Baha'i friends the Baha'i community mourned the tragic
took effect on numerous levels, both mani- loss of six of these precious souls . The folfest and intangible. Their universal service lowing is a record, in chronological order, of
in protecting the Cause of God; in proclaim- the beloved Hands of the Cause who passed
ing its trnths; in deepening the knowledge of away during this period: Dhikru ' llah Khaits adherents; in galvanizing the rank and file dem (November 1986), Dr. Ugo Giachery
to greater heights of accomplishment; in (July 1989), Jalal Khazeh (Febrnary 1990),
awakening to an appreciation of the Baha' i H. Collis Featherstone (September 1990),
Cause a large segment of the public, often John Robarts (June 1991), and William
uninformed of its true nature and its Sears (March 1992).
relevance to the spiritual and social perils Although these pages lack scope to
confronting society; and in presenting chronicle the full range of the services of
Baha'i literature to Heads of State and others the Hands-some frail or in ill health but
in authority, continued unabated. of undiminished spiritual power- let the
Not alone through their travels, but also following exce1pts culled from Baha 'i Interthrough their consultation, their presence at national News Service bulletins, and other
gatherings large and small, including inau- sources, suggest in brief outline some of
gural Conventions of new National Spiritual their major travels as well as a few of their
Assemblies and the annual Conventions of other activities which are less amenable to
established national communities, their documentation.

1986
April Year Plan has just ended in the midst of
MONACO: In a letter addressed to Baha'is celestial strains and the plaudits of the
in every land in April 1986, the Hand of the Divine Concourse, ushering in with grace
Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery said, "The Seven and joy another plan, the Six Year Plan
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 635
(1986-1992) which will pass into history least 12 other countries. ' (From report of
bearing the name of 'Accomplishment and Summer School Committee 10 August)
Triumph.' .. .I have served the Faith of God CANADA: On 30 July, repo1iing to the
for many decades, and I am going to hand Universal House of Justice, the Hand of
down the secrets of my blessed wife and the Cause Amatu'l-Bah:i RuJ:iiyyih Khanum
myself to all of you . Devote your life to the described a month of intense and productive
service of the Cause of God. The highest sta- activity in the Canadian north. A Montreal
tion man can aspire to is that of service ... visit held two outstanding events, first a very
' Abdu ' l-Baha, in a Tablet addressed to the cordial meeting for almost two hours on the
North American believers in 1898, said that Kahnawake Mohawk Reserve with Grand
ambition that is not applied to the service of Chief Joseph Norton and Chief Eugene
mankind is an abomination ... " (From The Montour. On 3 July a large gathering of
American Baha'i, August 1986) Montreal Bah:i'is was held in the new Local
I:Ia~iratu ' l - Qud s, located at the east end of
June Pine Avenue. (The historic Maxwell House,
UNITED STATES: The Hand of the Cause the Baha' i Shrine, is at the extreme west end
John Robarts was the honoured guest at of the same street.) In Quebec City Amatu 'lthe Southeastern Regional Baha 'i Youth Baha gave two talks in French, one for the
Conference held 18- 22 June 1986 near public and one for the Bah:i' is. She was
Huntsville, Alabama. This first American interviewed on radio in English and for a
Regional Youth Conference of the Six Year Quebec newspaper in French. She travelled
Plan was attended by approximately 150 in the private plane of a Canadian Baha'i
Baha'is from various Southern States. Held with the same crew of friends as in a 1982
at Alabama A and M University, a school visit to the north. Her own enthusiastic
dedicated to the advancement of the minori- account is given in the following excerpts
ties, the conference dedicated much of one from her message.
day to the issue of racial harmony. Bernice "July 7th Violette [Mrs. Na~av:ini] and
King, the daughter of slain civil rights leader I left Quebec City... and flew to Frobisher
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who spoke on Bay where we attended part of Spirit North
' Civil Rights Today ', was visibly moved as Council before continuing our journey.
she accepted a copy of The Promise of I consider entire Frobisher Bay events could
World Peace, Gayle Morrison 's biography not possibly have been better.. . Over
of the Hand of the Cause Louis Gregory, and 100 believers and guests attended, approxia silver commemorative plate engraved with mately 60 percent native Eskimos and
the admonition fow1d in the Baha'i Writ- Indians ....
ings, close your eyes to racial differences "Moving commemoration Martyrdom
and welcome all with the light of oneness. beloved Bab held outside on hill overlook-
(From The American Baha 'i, August 1986) ing unbelievably beautiful Frobisher Bay
full of scintillating pack ice, touched all
July hearts, and I was able share petals from
SW EDEN: Baha' is attending the Swedish Threshold Bah:i 'u 'llah's Shrine in Bahji
Summer School in Solbacka in July wrote, with friends .. ..
"The friends were richly blessed by the pen- "Radio and newspaper coverage was
etrating wisdom and delightful humour of complete, English but also in Eskimo, some
our beloved Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo broadcasts nationwide, others Northern
Giachery in whose honour a 90th birthday region only, and aroused local and throughparty was held. There were approximately out North strong opposition clergy various
120 participants including friends from at denominations ....
636 Tl-IE BAHA'I WORLD

"On 11th July ... flying on to Baker Lake Indian area, attending large powwow first
for one night and having very happy meeting night, and followmg day impressive auspigroup devoted pioneers there and also some cious opening ceremony presided over by
important Eskimo elders. TI1Iee-day visit Chief Crowshoe who is the only surviving
Yellowknife, present administrative centre chief of those five chiefs who gave me the
Northwest Territories, highly successful, name Natuocist in 1960 on the Peigan
large unity Feast included friends from as far Reserve. Over 300 were present from all
as British Columbia and Albe1ta; following patts Canada, including members Canadian
night... dinner reception attended by out- National Spiláitual Assembly .... Afternoon
standing leader, Stephan Kakfwi, president of 20th, official dedication new centre took
Dene Nation who ... became very friendly; on place, a deeply religious Indian pipe cerethis occasion a nun1ber of prominent politi- mony presided over by Chief Crowshoe,
cians and other leaders including members of lasting over one hour, created remarkable
the legislature were present, radio interview feeling spiritual oneness. I was permitted
and newspaper publicity also excellent.... smoke sacred pipe with small group tribal
"Had wonderful visit with Whitehorse leaders, unique honour rarely conferred on a
and other friends at large, well-attended woman. Feel very strongly world-wide
meetings, one huge potlatch dim1er over 250 community Baha' is especially pioneers,
present, many non-Baha 'i leaders, another teachers, must learn show proper respect
equally large public meeting in Whitehorse. profound customs and spiritual associations
We stayed three nights in beautiful new indigenous peoples if we desire share bounwell-built, well-designed Yukon Institute, ties Baha'u'llah's message with them. All
pride of the North and used not only by too often, alas, we neglect follow beloved
Baha'is but on befitting occasions facilities Master's footsteps who showered deep
rented to suitable organizations creating love and understanding, sincere praise and
excellent impression Faith. At special lunch respect on those of different backgrounds.
the Commissioner for Yukon Territory, the Such loving respect other people's way and
Mayor of Whitehorse, the Minister of Health deep feeling essential if we intend pass
and Human Resources, the leader of the healing cup this Revelation to other lips ....
opposition, a member of the legislature, and "Arriving 21st [Regina, Saskatchewan]. ..
three ranking representatives of the Council for three-day visit first night addressed over
of Yukon Indians, as well as the captain of 150 Baha'is ... next day after early television
Salvation Army in the Yukon, were among interview was received officially by delegadistinguished guests. Radio and newspaper tion representing Legislative Assembly of
coverage was likewise excellent. Saskatchewan at the Legislative Building
"We intetmpted Whitehorse stay to fly built by my father and uncle 1908- 10 .... It
above the Arctic Circle to Inuvik ... spending was a happy, gracious, cordial occasion folone night there with devoted group pioneers lowed by some of these officials attending
and local friends, returning next day to formal luncheon ... Mayor Larry Sclmeider
Whitehorse via Old Crow, small, charming who had proclaimed that week official Peace
entirely native Indian village mostly hunters Week in Regina in honour of the Baha'i
and fishermen umeachable by road and on no Peace Message from the Universal House of
regular airline, a great relief to have pleasant Justice. A personal representative of the
sociable evening with many of their leaders absent Premier. .. prominent Indian Heads of
at potlatch dilmer in their meetil1g hall... . various bands in the Province as well as
"We flew July 19 to Pincher Creek, other dignitaries were present."
Alberta, for happy event official opening There followed an interview on CBC
new Peigan Baha' i Centre in heart Blackfoot radio, a newspaper interview, a public talk
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 637
for 200 persons, and a final day spent at Fort from groups in many parts of Europe. The
Qu' Appelle and a lunch with prominent second issue of the publication gives an
Indian leaders, especially women. In the account of the original conference at which
afternoon Baha'is and friends gathered on a the movement was born and tells of the
beautiful 70-acre property where an Institute inspiration the participants received from the
will be built for native and other Baha'is and presence of the Hand of the Cause 'Alitheir friends to meet, study, and conduct Akbar Furutan who was accompanied by
activities related to the progress of the Faith Mrs. Furutan and whose presence was 'a
in Canada. One stop was made in the United source of joy and enthusiasm that prevailed
States at the prior request of the National in that school. ' (Based on Baha 'i Youth
Spiritual Assembly. Rul:iiyyih Khanum com- Newsletter)
plied with the wish that she meet the
believers on the Pine Ridge Reservation in August
South Dakota, the location of a massive NORTHERN IRELAND: The second Northteaching plan carried out for the previous ern Ireland Baha'i Summer School at
two years by U.S. Baha'is. "We slept at the Inniskillen was an inspiring occasion. One
Oglalla Community College'', she wrote, hundred and thirty participants attended.
"and held a large potlatch and powwow in The guest of honour, the Hand of the Cause
this important centre in the hea1t of Sioux John Robarts, brought great warmth to the
Indian territory. Sioux believers and others sessions. The theme of the school "And
from as far away as Navajo Reservation I Saw A New Earth" paid tribute to the
[Arizona] ensured a most happy and memo- memory of the Hand of the Cause George
rable evening for us all. This important Townshend. A sculptured portrait of
reservation now has 19 Local Assemblies, Mr. Townshend was sent to his son, Brian,
one of the all-Indian ones showering me in recognition of his historic donation of the
with special gifts. .. . Having left for the Townshend library to the Faith. (Message
North from Quebec City July 7th, we arrived from the participants received 15 August)
in Toronto on July 25th tired but blissful, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: What a wonderful
our cup rnnning over with love from all our two weeks the Irish Baba' i community has
dear ones." (Based on report received from just experienced with the visit of the Hand of
the Hand of the Cause 30 July) the Cause of God John Robarts. His tour of
AUSTRIA: On 1 August a telex reached Ireland has touched the hearts of all those
the World Centre from "the beautiful moun- who met him. His stories about prayer have
tainous area of Spital" where 160 Baha'is fired us with a deeper faith in the power of
and their guests from 8 countries enjoyed the prayer and a greater confidence in the key
Austrian Baha'i Summer School for 7 days : role which it will play in our teaching
UNIQUE SPIRIT HONOURED AND ENRICHED endeavours .... Mr. Robarts was present for
THROUGH PRESENCE HAND OF CAUSE OF GOD two programmes of teaching conducted in
MR. FURUTAN AND HIS BELOVED WIFE .. .' the Limerick/Clare region on weekends.
SWITZERLAND: The Baha'i Youth Move- One of these, a Peace Concert organized by
ment in Europe made a beginning in July the Baha ' is, drew an attendance of approxiwhen youth from 15 countries gathered at mately 200 non-Baba ' is. (From Feast
Landegg Centre, Switzerland, for a confer- Newsletter 8 September)
ence organized by the Austrian National CANADA: The Eleventh Annual Confer-
Youth Committee.... The movement now ence of the Association for Baha'i Studies
boasts a newsletter (in English) emanating was held from 20-24 August on the campus
from Doetinchem, the Netherlands, head of the University of Western Ontario,
office of the movement, and fed by reports London, Ontario, with approximately 2,000
638 THE BAHA'i WORLD

The Hand of the Cause of God John Robarts (right) and his wife, Audrey, (second from left)
planting a tree during their visit to Northern Ireland in August I 986.

participating. The largest annual conference to 7 September 1986. Amatu'l-Baha, accomto date had as its theme 'Beyond the Quest panied by members of the National Spiritual
for Peace: Creating a New World Order' and Assembly of Italy, presented The Promise of
was planned to mark the United Nations World Peace to the President of the Region
International Year of Peace. The keynote of Sicily in a dignified official ceremony.
speech opening the sessions was given by The attendance of 1,000 Baha'is from
Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum. A guest 25 counháies created a great proclamation
of the conference was Dr. Ervin Laszlo of opportunity on local and national television,
the Club of Rome who, with Amatu'l-Baha the broadcasts giving rise to new requests
and other dignitaries, took part in a Native for information about the Faith. (From
Indian peace pipe ceremony which is seldom report received 9 September)
performed outside Native communities and
rarely with non-Native participants.. .. An October
auxiliary conference for young people was AUSTRALIA: A special service in the
addressed by the Hand of the Cause Australian House of Worship in celebration
Dr. 'Ali-Mul:iammad Varqa, who "showered of the International Year of Peace was held
his young audience with universal love and on 19 October 1986 with the participation of
visibly increased their love of learning about the Governor General of Australia, Sir
the Faith and the solution it offers for the ills Ninian Stephen, who read from Isaiah 2: 1- 5.
of humanity." (From message received Lady Stephen was also present at the service.
7 September) Approximately 850 people attended and,
ITALY: The participation of the Hand of sinrnltaneously, a programme for 200 chilthe Cause Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih K.hanum dren took place in a marquee on the Temple
and Counsellors Leo Niederreiter and grounds. The National Spiritual Assembly
Sohrab Youssefian inspired the 25th Italian cabled that it was overjoyed that the beloved
Summer School in Sicily, held from 31 August Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone was
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 639
well and able to participate by escorting the Roba1is, were honoured participants in an
distinguished guests into the House of historic meeting in Quebec City, on 23 Nov-
Worship. (From report received 24 October) ember, sponsored by the Local Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha'is of Quebec City
November for all the believers in the Province. The
WORLD CENTRE: WITH SORROWFUL Covenant was the subject of the successful
HEARTS ANNOUNCE PASSJNG lNDEFATIGABLE gathering. (Message from the Local Spiri-
FEARLESS DEFENDER FAITH, DEEPLY LOVED tual Assembly of the Baha'is of Quebec
HAND CAUSE ZIKRULLAH KHADEM. HIS City received 26 November)
STERLJNG SERVICES TO THE CAUSE, HIS TOT AL
CONSECRATION TO TASKS ASSIGNED TO HIM December
BY BELOVED GUARDIAN, HIS OUTSTANDING INDIA: THE PLACING OF SACRED DUST HOLY
EFFORTS AS MEMBER NATIONAL SPIRITUAL SHRINES BY AMA TULBAHA RUHIYYIH KHANUM
ASSEMBLY CRADLE FAITH, HIS VALUABLE, SOUL- THIS AUSPICIOUS DAY HAS SANCTIFIED OUR
UPLIFTJNG STIMULATION fMPARTED BODY MASHRJQULADHKAR HAS BROUGHT TO IND IA
BELIEVERS NORTH AMERICA, PARTfCULARL Y PRICELESS BOUNTY AND DEEPLY STIRRED PRO-
UNITED STATES BAHA'i COMMUNITY, HIS UNTIR- JECT TEAMNOW DISBANDING TO YIELD Tl-IANKS
ING ENDEAVOURS THROUGH HTS TALKS AND SACRED THRESHOLD UN IQUE PRJVILEGE RAISE
WRITINGS IN SAFEGUARDING COVENANT AND IN MASHRJQULADHKAR AND TO EXPRESS HEART-
INSTILLING APPRECIATION LOVE FOR SHOGHI FELT GRATITUDE ENCOURAGEMENT INSPIRATION
EFFENDI, SHED UNDYING LUSTRE OVER PERIOD BELOVED UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE THROUGH-
HIS ADMIRABLE STEWARDSHIP CAUSE GOD. OUT CONSTRUCTION PERIOD. DEEPEST LOVE
OFFERING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS JOYOUS MOMENTOUS DEDICATION. (Cable dated
HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHA KJNGDOM. URGE HOLD 24 December 1986 from Indian Temple
BEFITTING MEMORIAL GATHERINGS HIS NAME AT Project)
ALL HOUSES OF WORSHIP AS WELL AS JN ALL On the morning of 24 December 1986,
LOCAL BAHA'i COMMUNITIES. (Message from Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum, on behalf
the Universal House of Justice to all National of the Universal House of Justice, dedicated
Spiritual Assemblies 13 November) the first Baha'i House of Worship of the
UNITED STATES: The Hand of the Cause Indian Subcontinent, in the presence of 400
of God Dhikru'llah Khadem was laid to rest, illustrious guests including the Hands of the
Skokie, Illinois, following a 10:00 a.m. Cause William Sears and Collis Featherstone.
service attended by the Hand of the Cause of Eight thousand Baha'is from 114 nations ,
God William Sears; members of the Conti- with Indian believers from every State and
nental Board of Counsellors, Dr. Wilma Tenitory, were present for three consecutive
Brady, Mr. Robert Hanis, Mrs. Lauretta services of dedication held that day, ending
King, Mr. Donald 0. Rogers , Mr. Fred at six in the evening. On the afternoon of
Schechter, and Mr. Aituro Senano; the 23 December, thousands had gathered at
members of the National Spiritual Assem- Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi for a
blies of the United States and of Canada; and unity feast at which Amatu'l-Baha read a
members of the Auxiliary Board and of the message from the Universal House of Justice.
committees of the National Assembly. Five At a press conference held on 22 December,
hundred sorrowing friends joined in paying Rul:iiyyih Khanum captured the hearts and
tribute to the departed Hand of the Cause. minds oflndia's press and media representa-
(From Baha'i International News Service, tives with her dynamic style and incisive
No. 160, November 1986) responses to questions. On the morning of
CANADA: Two Hands of the Cause, 27 December, dawn prayers were held at the
Dr. 'Ali Mul:iammad Varqa and Mr. John House of Worship. Services of worship open
640 THE BAHA'i WORLD
to the public were held for the first time on Committees. A proclamation meeting was
1January1987. ananged at the Pure Life Society on 9 Janu-
MALAYSIA: After pa1iicipating in the ary at which 80- 100 teachers and pupils
dedication of the Temple at New Delhi were shown the videotape the Featherstones
in December, the Hand of the Cause Collis had brought of the special 19 October peace
Featherstone, accompanied by his wife, trav- service in the Sydney Temple, and heard
elled to Malaysia on 30 December, where he a talk on the Faith. Another gathering
spent an active ten days. He spoke to several addressed by Mr. Featherstone was the
communities in the Kuala Lumpur area, in Interfaith Fellowship which met in a Baha 'i
Selangor, and in Negri Sembilan-gather- home. A stop in Singapore for one night was
ings of up to 100 persons. Mrs. Featherstone the occasion for a talk to a roomful of
also addressed some community groups. In believers who gathered to greet the Hand of
the capital, Mr. Featherstone and Counsellor the Cause. From there the Featherstones
Chellie Sundram held consultation with five went to Adelaide and Melbourne, where
members of the National Spiritual Assem- Mr. Featherstone addressed the Australian
bly. On another occasion, Mr. Featherstone National Youth Conference. (From report
met with 70 members of the Auxiliary received 15 February from the Hand of the
Boards and of National and State Teaching Cause)

1987

January At the National I:Ia?iratu'l-Quds she engaged
THAILAND: The Hand of the Cause of God in consultation with the Spiritual Assembly
Amatu'l-Baha RU.J:iiyyih Khanum returned on three occasions. Near the Eastern Border,
to the World Centre on 2nd Febrnary 1987 during what she called "the highlight" of her
after the dedication of the India Temple, and trip, Amatu'l-Baha visited the refugee camps
then left again to visit Thailand. In less of Khao-I-Dang and Site 2 South, where
than a month Amatu'l-Baha, accompanied by there were large communities of Baha'is,
Mrs. Violette Nakhjavani, criss-crossed Thai- numbered in the thousands, who had emolled
land from south to north and east to west, there since mid-1984, having fled war-torn
fulfilling an active schedule prepared for her. areas of other southeast Asian countries.
She spoke to seven major gatherings of Though able to meet with relatively few of
Baha'is and the public; held personal inter- the many Baha'is in the immense camps, she
views with at least eight officials and was impressed with the sincerity and devodignitaries ; addressed the media in two tion to the Cause of those who were able to
cities; held consultations with the Spiritual come to the gatherings. In Yasothon, in the
Assembly; and met with the rank and file of northeastern region of Thailand, Amatu'lthe believers in city and village. In Bangkok Baha visited the Yasothon Baha'i School and
Amatu' l-Baha was cordially received by the had "three happy village meetings" in the
Minister of Education, who also held the area. She also met with the Governor of the
portfolio of Religious Affairs, and discussed Province in his home. In Songkhla Province,
with him the interests of the Faith in Thai- in the far south, she spoke to a conference for
land. She met with the Governor of Bangkok, believers of the southern region attended by
addressed a small gathering of notables at a two members of the Continental Board of
World Religion Day meeting and reception, Counsellors in Asia, Dr. Chellie Sundram
and gave interviews to press and television. and Dr. Iraj Ayman. Five hundred believers
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 641
came from Malaysia and thirteen from His teaching methods as we celebrate the
Singapore, travelling many hours by bus. In 75th anniversary of the Master's historic
Songkhla, Amatu'l-Baha met with the visit to North America .. .. Mr. Sears, who
Deputy Governor who, "like all Thai offi- attended most of the Convention sessions
cials", she wrote, "was courteous, cordial and who is to be present 27 June at the
and interested''. The Hand of the Cause Souvenir Picnic in Teaneck, New Jersey,
addressed an audience of more than 700 at urged his audience to appreciate the glorious
the Sirnakron Wirot University at a peace privilege of living in this day, and to seize
conference sponsored jointly by the Univer- the opportunity now to follow the example
sity and the Baha'i community, sharing the of 'Abdu'l-Baha and carry the Message of
platf01w with a professor of sociology. For Baha'u'llah to every corner of this country
joint consultations with the three Spiritual and around the world. (From The American
Assemblies Amatu'l-Baha was joined by the Baha'i, June)
t\vo Counsellors. The meetings included
Auxiliary Board members and their assis- May
tants, and members of national teaching CANADA: Dr. Varqa attended a Unity
conm'littees. She was able also to make a trip Conference held in Kingston, Ontario, in
to an active Baha'i community on Tua Wa May, "contributing greatly to the love and
Island before leaving the southern region. inspiration" felt by the 200 who gathered for
Cl1iengmai, in the far north near Bmwa and the meeting. (From report in Bahiz 'i Canada,
Laos, is an important city with an active August 1987)
Baha' i community. There Amatu'l-Baha met
with the Vice-Governor, was cordially May/June
received by the president of a teacher AFRICA: In the months of May and June,
training college, and was invited to address the Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featl1erstone,
students of a comparative religions class. She accompanied by Mrs. Featherstone, travelled
also met local Baha'is and friends at a large to eight countries of Africa, visiting Baha'i
gathering, and addressed local dignitaries at a communities and inspiring the friends "in his
luncheon. On leaving Thailand, Amatu'l- usual lively and informative way", in the
Baha noted that in this "immensely promis- words of an Auxilia1y Board member,
ing area", pioneers can make an effective recording the visit. Going first to Mauritius
contribution. (Based on a telex from the for the National Convention on 1 May,
Hand of the Cause received 26 January) Mr. Featherstone was able also to make a
three-minute TV news recording while there,
April and to visit the communities of Flacq, Camp
UNITED STATES: The 78th Baha'i de Masque (where they celebrated his
National Convention, held 23-26 April 1987 74th birthday), Mare d' Albert, and Plaint
within the sacred precincts of the Mother Magnien. He also gave a press conference.
Temple of the West in Wilmette, Illinois, On 8 May the Featherstones went to
was imbued with a maturity of deliberation Zimbabwe, where meetings were held in
and a sense of purpose perhaps unprece- Harare and Bulawayo. In Bulawayo they
dented in the 11.istory of the American Baha'i called on the Deputy Mayor and presented a
conmmnity .... This year's Convention was copy of Th e Promise of World Peace; and
blessed by the presence of the Hand of the in the evening at the Baha'i Centre, whose
Cause of God William Sears, who delivered rooms were filled to capacity, about
the closing address Sunday morning, exhort- 80 Baha'is attentively and gratefully listened
ing the friends to follow in the hallowed to Mr. Featherstone's discourse on the greatfootsteps of ' Abdu 'l-Baha and to emulate ness of the Cause and the blessings of
642 THE BAHA'i WORLD

The Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone, and Mrs. Madge Featherston e,
with friends gathered for the National Convention in Mauritius; I May 1987.

servmg it. Malawi believers gave heartfelt areas, and some had walked as far as 80 kilothanks for the gift of Mr. Featherstone's metres to see the Hand of the Cause. As the
four-day visit, beginning on 15 May. Meet- Featherstones stepped from the plane, the
ings at the centre brought eager believers joyful crowd rushed toward them and
from the north and centre of the counhy to flanked them, touched them, shook hands
hear his talks on the institutions and on pro- with them and showed them their heartfelt
gressive revelation, both illustrated by chaiis. love and appreciation." In Lusaka, Zambia,
A talk on Bible prophecy had the believers Mr. Featherstone talked to Rotarians, and
busy taking notes. Mrs. Featherstone gave an was interviewed on radio and television. The
inspired talk on the role of women in the five-minute programme in which he talked
world today. Choirs from several communi- of world peace, removal of prejudice, and
ties entertained at the meetings, to the progressive revelation was shown after his
Featherstones' great delight. To Mwinilunga, departure from Zambia. After eight days of a
Zambia, a remote but fertile and receptive tight schedule which took them to four provarea in the heart of Africa, the Featherstones inces, the Featherstones left Zambia, " their
were taken in an aircraft cha1iered by the exemplary, dedicated and tireless service to
National Assembly. "As the plane canying the Faith ofBaha'u ' llah an inspiration to the
the Hand of the Cause approached the air friends in Zambia'', as reported in Afi'ican
sháip'', Afi'ican Highlights for June relates, Highlights. On 27 May in Tanzania, the
"the huge crowd of Baha'is colourfully Hand of the Cause met with the National
dressed, started to dance. It was an unforget- Spiritual Assembly, the Auxiliary Board memtable view. They were welcomed by almost bers and assistants. At a public meeting on
400 adults and over 100 children who had peace held on 30 May, Mr. Featherstone
dressed most colourfully and were happy and addressed a full hall and answered many
excited to see their distinguished guests. questions. He shared the platform with a
These Baha'is had come from 19 Assembly speaker from the United Nations Development
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAI-IA'U'LL;\H 643
Programme. In Kenya, on 31 May, he was bounty of meeting in the Shrine hallowed by
met by all members of the National Spiritual the presence and the prayers of 'Abdu ' l-
Assembly. He visited the towns of Kusumu, Bahi The Francophone group noted the
Chango (meeting with 451 Baha'is), and presence "in spirit" of the Hand of the Cause
Kakamega. In Uganda on 5 June, the Amatu'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum, who, in a
Featherstones were met at the border by cable, appealed to the Quebec believers to
Mrs. Vi Gilbert, a member of the Auxiliary arise and vindicate the unique position of the
Board, and taken to Tororo where she first place where the Faith was established in
teaches at a school for girls. The next day Canada in 1902. She recalled her mother's
they went to Kampala where they stayed in great love for the French-speaking people
the former home of the Hand of the Cause and her wish to see the French-Canadians
Musa Banani which later became the home embrace and serve the Cause ofBaha'u'llah.
of the Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga. On (From Baha'i International News Service,
7 June they visited the House of Worship for No . 169, August- September 1987)
morning service and met with the believers HUNGARY: A number of Baha'is particiin the I:Ia'.?iratu'l-Quds in the afternoon. pated in a scientific conference organized by
On 10 June the F eatherstones arrived in the International Society for General
Ethiopia where Mr. Featherstone met many Systems Research in Budapest, Hungary,
believers in the course of several days . from 1- 5 June 1987. At the request of the
Mrs . Featherstone spoke to the women on Universal House of Justice, Amatu'l-Baha
many occasions and also addressed general Rul;iyyih Khanum headed the Baha'i
gatherings of the friends. (Compiled from delegation which included Mrs. Violette
various reports received through July) Na~avani and Dr. Janet Khan from Haifa,
and Dr. Ingeborg Franken and Dr. Udo
June Schaefer from Germany. The conference,
CANADA: Two Hands of the Cause, held in a city visited by ' Abdu'l-Baha and
Dr. ' Ali Mu~ammad Varqa and Mr. John much admired by Him, attracted some of the
Robarts, were present in Montreal for three foremost systems scientists from Eastern
days in June when 60 Baha ' is from all parts Europe and the West. They were drawn
of French Canada met in a Francophone from such disciplines as mathematics, phys-
Policy Conference to consult on two themes ics, engineering, economics, management,
put forward by the National Assembly: and the biological and social sciences. A
teaching the Faith and building the Baha ' i featured speaker was the President of the
conummity in the Province of Quebec. They Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. At
spoke with the friends assembled at the the conclusion of the conference, the Baha'i
Baha'i Sluáine (the Maxwell Home) during delegation met info1mally with some of the
the two evenings of the Conference. members of Dr. Lazlo's Research Group to
Dr. Varqa told of the period of the Ten Year discuss subjects of mutual interest. As a
Crusade after the passing of the Guardian result of this meeting, Dr. Laszlo requested
when the Hands of the Cause executed that materials on aspects of the Baha'i Faith
his Plan. He encouraged the study of the be sent to all members of his Group. (From
Tablets of the Divine Plan, written by report received 11 June from Dr. Janet Khan)
'Abdu ' l-Baha after His visit to North Ame1ica. UNITED STATES: More than 1,000 Baha'is
Mr. Robarts spent precious moments recall- and their guests gathered on 27 June 1987 at
ing happy memories of 1948 when he the Wilhelm properties in Teaneck, New
was elected to the first National Spiritual Jersey, to conm1emorate the 75th anniver-
Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada. He sary of the Unity Picnic hosted there by
reminded the assembled friends of the 'Abdu' l-Baha during His historic visit to
644 THE BAHA'I WORLD

North America in 1912. The day-long event Bahiz 'i International News Service, No . 169,
was but one of about 1,500 such picnics held August- September 1987)
across the country at the request of the Hand
of the Cause William Sears, whose presence August:
greatly blessed this one. The keynote UNITED KINGDOM: Dr. Giachery attended
address was presented by Mr. Sears, who the landmark Youth Conference held at
presented a plaque to Mayor Bernard E. Manchester University 111 the United
Brooks of Teaneck for his work in promot- Kingdom in August, with 1,300 participants
ing unity among all the people in that city. from 42 countries. 'The Conference has
(From Balui 'i News , August) been greatly blessed by the presence of our
UNITED STATES: As part of its commem- beloved Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo
oration of the 75th anniversary of the first Giachery. His sacrificial participation in
Souvenir Picnic in Teaneck, the Baha' i view of ill health has been a tremendous
Public Information Office of Northern New source of inspiration." (From report from the
Jersey produced a video recording including participants received 15 September)
live narration and original still photographs ITALY: Reports from events emiched by
of the first picnic which was hosted by the attendance of Hands of the Cause
'Abdu'l-Baha. The Hand of the Cause include the 26th annual Summer School of
William Sears agreed to narrate the video. Its Northern Italy, attended by Mr. Fun'.Jtan who
premiere showing took place during the Dia- gave the 440 friends present a "new vision
mond Jubilee picnic in Teaneck on 27 June. of the great horizons of the historic fourth
(From The American Baha 'i, August) epoch of the Faith". (From telex received
30 August from the participants)
July GERMANY: Participants in the German
FINLAND: Summer School 1987 held in Summer School at Kastel! Windsor held
Salo on 10-18 July was honored by the visit from 2-9 August telexed their loving
of Mr. Featherstone, one of the principal appreciation of the participation of Mr. and
speakers who inspired the school sessions . Mrs. Furutan. During the school, hand-
Attendance came to 224 adults, youth, and crafted items made by the children were sold
children. Public outreach was a main feature to provide three scholarships for the Anis
of this school: a public meeting advertised in Zunuzi School in Haiti. (From telex received
the newspaper, Baha' i participation in a con- 12 August from the participants)
cert of international songs and a second CANADA: The Hand of the Cause William
public meeting held at the school. (From Sears visited all ten provinces of Canada and
report received 18 August from the National two territories in just eleven days, from
Spiritual Assembly of Finland) 30 August to 9 September- the period
SWEDEN: Three Hands of the Cause of corresponding to Abdu ' l-Baha 's sojourn in
God were present at the Scandinavian Baha' i Canada seventy-five years ago. The ttáip was
Summer School which opened in Sweden on a "matchless tour de force of love, inspira-
19 July and marked the 25th anniversary of tion and encouragement", as reported in
the establishment of the separate National Baha'i Canada for November. In spite of
Spiritual Assemblies of the Scandinavian poor health, Mr. Sears journeyed from coast
countries and Finland. The Hands of the to coast and through the n01ihern territories,
Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery, ' Ali Akbar "a living demonstration of the capacity of
Fun'.1tan, and H. Collis Featherstone partici- the spirit to triumph over physical limitapated in the gala event with 500 believers tions." Some highlights of the 11 days were:
from Scandinavia and many other counttáies firesides in Montreal, in French and English,
of Europe, the Americas and Africa. (From where Mr. Sears shook the hand of each
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA ' U' LLAH 645
child present and gave each one a souvenir; on Oahu, visited Maui on 14 September, the
nightly firesides in Halifax and throughout Big Island of Hawaii on the 15th, and
Nova Scotia; Baha'is from the entire province returned to Oahu on the 16th to meet over
of Winnipeg gathered at the new Baha ' i dinner with the Chinese Teaching Commit-
Centre; over 1,000 attending the Calgary tee and to give an interview to the religion
event; a moving meeting in Vancouver in editor of the Star-Bulletin. This resulted in a
which the friends were urged to become more ten-inch a1iicle in the Saturday edition. (From
heroic, more saintly, and appreciate their Hawaii Baha 'i News for October-November)
station as Baha'is; a presentation to the Hand
of the Cause by children of Whitehorse in October
which they gave their in1pressions of 'Abdu'l- CANADA: In late October and early
Baha in prose and poeh-y; and a two-day November, Amatu ' l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum
conference for the Northwest Tenitories; visited Canada, speaking to the friends in
two new believers embracing the Faith in Montreal and Toronto while she was there.
Toronto during the visit of the Hand of the On 1 November, the Hands of the Cause of
Cause. (From Bahti 'i Canada for November) God John Roba1is and Dr. 'Ali-Mu~ammad
Varqa joined more than 250 Baha' is from the
September Montreal area, Quebec City and Ottawa at
CANADA: "Kaa-Taan" or "Strong Man" the Montreal Centre to greet Rlil)iyyih
was the tribal name given to the Hand of the Khanum, who spoke to the friends in English
Cause William Sears by a small band of and French about the need for teaching the
Tlingit Indians during his visit to Lake La Faith, and the education of Baha'i children.
Berge near Whitehorse, on 6 September In Toronto, she spoke on the same subjects
1987. Hazel Lovelace, who served as on 5 November... . (From Bahti 'i Canada ,
spokesman for the Eagle and Raven Tribes, Vol. 9, No. 11, January)
expressed her feelings about the consultation UNITED STATES: "Let's All Get Involved"
that proceeded the presentation. "We wanted was the theme, and the Hand of the Cause of
to shower our love on Mr. Sears ... but we God William Sears the featured speaker, at a
didn ' t have anything to offer him. Nothing regional mini-youth conference held from
but our love. So we decided to adopt him 30 October to 1 November 1987 in Tucson
and give him a Tlingit name." As tradition and sponsored by the District Youth Comdictated, Laurie Hill of the Raven Tribe was mittee of Southern Arizona. Mr. Sears met
chosen to am1ounce the name tluáee times, each of the 50 young people from Arizona,
with the audience repeating the name, Colorado, New Mexico and California, all of
thereby acknowledging their affirmation and whom agreed that the event was helpful in
acceptance. Mr. Sears was also presented deepening their understanding of the Faith
with an Eagle vest and wool lap blanket by through talks and workshops. (Based on
his new tribal family. Jens Lyberth chanted report in The American Bahti 'i, April)
and played a traditional Eskimo drum as pati
of the ceremony. (Based on repmi in Alaska November
Baha 'i News, January 1988) FRANCE: The Hand of the Cause
HAWAIIAN ISLAN DS: The Hand of the Amatu ' l-Baha Rul~iyyih Khanum's visit to
Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone and France was primarily undertaken in memory
Mrs. Featherstone, continuing a journey that of her mother, May Maxwell, who estabbegan in April and took in 18 countries, lished the Faith there and was the first
arrived in Honolulu on 12 September. In a Baha ' i in Europe. Arriving on 11 November
five-day stay, Mr. Featherstone addressed a 1987, during her 33-day tour she visited
capacity crowd at the National Baha' i Centre 17 communities, attending a two-day National
646 THE BAH1\'i WORLD

Teaching Conference held in Paris; seven Minister of France. Madame Delagard was
regional gatherings throughout the country; in charge of Religious Affairs. She was ve1y
and a National Youth Conference in Lyon. intelligent, very agreeable, and evidently
She gave all of her talks in French. Tluáough- had little knowledge of the Faith, but was
out France the Baha'is took full advantage very interested in the material Amatu'l-Baha
of Amatu'l-Baha's visit to invite friends and was able to show her, and particularly to
relatives who were not Baha'is to attend note that the Baha' i International Commuspecial meetings and receptions; as a result a nity had recently joined the Conservation
number of those already interested accepted and Religion Network of the World Wide
the Faith. On her arrival in Paris, accompa- Fund for Nature. Another in1portant engagenied by Mrs. Violette Na!s!!javani, all nine ment in Paris was with Madame Simone
members of the National Spiritual Assembly Veil, representative of the Republic of France
met Amatu' l-Baha at the airport, where she in the European Parliament and forn1erly its
had a three-hour stopover en route to Nice, President. On that body she had raised her
the first place she visited. On successive voice publicly in defense of the persecuted
weekends, Regional Teaching Conferences Baha'is of Persia and was keenly interested
were held in Nice and Marseille, with more in events affecting the Faith in that country.
than 140 attending from 21 localities in She was ve1y interested to hear from
Nice, and 80 friends from 11 places in RuJ:iiyyih Khanum the history of the rela-
Marseille. Coverage by the media in France tionship of the Faith with the State oflsrael.
is difficult to obtain; however, in Marseille, A National Teaching Conference took place
Amatu' l-Baha had a press interview with a in Paris 28 and 29 November, the largest of
well-known columnist published in one of its kind ever held. Between 450 and 500 peothe big papers of southern France. This was ple attended from all parts of France and
followed by a number of other artic les other cow1tries, including the Counsellor,
published in different cities . The third Dr. Agnes Ghaznavi, and a number of Board
Regional Conference was in Annecy on the members. In addition to talks given by
Swiss border; over 200 friends participated, Amah1 ' l-Baha, the gathering was addressed
mostly from Switzerland. A social evening by Counsellor Ghaznavi and by members of
and concert concluded the events, attended the French National Spiritual Assembly, all
by the Deputy Mayor of Annecy and his of whom underlined the needs of the Six
wife. His remarks to the gathering were Year Plan. There was a remarkable sense of
cordial and full of pra ise for the teachings oneness and enthusiasm, to which, undoubtand objectives of the Baha'is. A meeting fo r edly, the spirit of the many Baha'i youth
the friends in the Chambery district took present contributed. The Paris Local Spiriplace in the home of a believer in Chapareil- tual Assembly, after ente1iaining Rul:iiyyih
lan. From Annecy, Rul:iiyyih Khanum went Khanum at lunch, touchingly commemoto Lyon to address a National Youth Confer- rated her visit by going to the Eiffel Tower
ence attended by more than 100 people from for a photograph in the same place where,
all parts of France, Switzerland, and Belgium; 75 years ago, the beloved Master had been
many excellent questions were asked. A photographed. Also in Paris, Amatu ' l-Baha
meeting and dinner also took place with and Mrs. Na!s!!javani were able to attend the
45 Baha' is from Lyon and neighbouring meeting in the J::la ~ iratu ' l-Qud s commemocommunities. The National Assembly had rating the Ascension of 'Abdu ' l-Baha.
arranged fo r the Hand of the Cause to have a About 200 of the friends were present at the
number of interviews with officials in Paris. beautifully conducted meeting. The National
Madame Albanel Delagard met with Spirihial Assembly rented a hall in Paris for
Rtil:iiyyih Khanum on behalf of the Prime a general meeting which about 100 p eople
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA°U'LLAH 647
attended. After Amatu'l-Baha's talk many the local government of the Department of
questions were asked. On another occasion, Alsace. She spent a long time with Rul.iiyyih
about 80 Baha'i youth had an evening meeting Khanum, showing a lively interest in the
with Amatu ' l-Baha following a dinner with Faith. The other interview was with
her at the National Centre. In addition to all Mr. Hoeffel, a Senator, who is also the
the Paris activities, RuJ:iiyyih Khanum was President of the Conseil General of the Basable to have two meetings with communities Rhin District. After introductions, he said to
near Paris . In Rouen, a very active and RuJ:iiyyih Khanum, "What can I do for
devoted group of friends, many of them you?" "Do for me?", she asked. "I didn't
refugees from Iran, entertained her and all come here to have anything done for me ; I
the friends at lunch. In La Celle-Saint- don't want anything." He looked absolutely
Cloud, some 50 people gathered in the home astonished; he had evidently thought he had
of one of the believers to greet the Hand of an appointment with somebody who had
the Cause. After the eventful days in Paris, some kind of a demand, or a petition, or a
Amatu'l-Baha Rul.iiyyih Khanum left for complaint. Rul.iiyyih K.hanum went on: "I
Bordeaux where the small but active have come here to pay my respects to you as
community had arranged an interview with a member of the Government; I haven' t
the Mayor, Jacques Chabon Delmas, who come to ask for anything; I don' t want anyhad previously been Prime Minister of thing at all." He was really taken aback and
France, and who then was Speaker of the said, "Well, won't you sit down?" They had
House of Representatives. They met in his a worthwhile and pleasant chat about the
private office at City Hall, where Amatu'l- Faith and mention was made of the persecu-
Baha was able to introduce Mr. Delmas to tion of the Baha'is in Iran. Amatu'l-Baha
the Faith. He had, however, heard of the spent two nights in Sháasbourg, where the
persecutions in Iran, which he strongly local Baha'is held a dinner in her honour in
deplored. He was also interested to learn their Baha' i Centre on the first evening,
that the Baha'i International Community had followed by an informal and happy meeting
just been accepted, on an equal basis with with all the friends. On the second night,
other world religions, into the WWF Network over 200 friends from France, Germany,
on Conservation and Religion. It was an Luxembourg, Belgium, and Switzerland,
extremely cordial interview. After Bordeaux, gathered.... Returning to Paris, Amatu'l-
RuJ:iiyyih Khanum went to Nantes to partici- Baha had a long meeting with the National
pate in the fifth Regional Conference, which Spiritual Assembly during which she not
had about 100 friends attending from I I local- only commented on her trip and experiences
ities. In Nantes, she was deeply touched to in France, but expressed her deep conviction
meet a member of the Auxiliary Board from that it was the time to push forward as never
Niger, whom she and Mrs. Na~avani had before with teaching the Faith, as there was
met on their African safari, and who had new receptivity stirring in the land. The next
come all the way from Niger just to see her day, the entire National Spiritual Assembly
again. From Nantes RuJ:iiyyih Khanum went saw her off most lovingly at the airpori, just
to Rennes , the capital of Brittany. Then, as they had greeted her so lovingly on her
crossing the country once again, she went to arrival. (Based on repori from the Hand of
Sháasbourg, the seat of the European Parlia- the Cause received 2 February 1988)
ment, which was the last of her engagements UNITED STATES: A crowd of 1,000 or
in France. Two interviews with officials had more Baha'is gathered on 29 November
been arranged for her in Strasbourg. The 1987 in the auditorium of the Los Angeles
first was with Madame Knorr, who was in Center to greet the Hand of the Cause
charge of religious affairs and education in William Sears, who had promised that he
648 THE BAHA'I WORLD

would be present to celebrate the triumphant the room with his humor and inspired his
march of the Los Angeles teaching cam- hearers to a new and deeper resolve to
paign "even if he had to be carried in on a conquer the hearts of the populace of the
stretcher." Mr. Sears had come from his City of the Angels. (From The Los Angeles
sick-bed, but despite his discomfort he lit up Baha'i Journal, January)

1988

January promises of victory. A giant fireside teach-
AUSTRALIA: From every State in Australia, ing event hosted by the National Teaching
360 youth went to Perth in January to attend Committee was held in the National Center
a national youth conference, a highlight of on the evening of30 January and the Baha'is
which was the participation of the Hand were invited to bring interested seekers to
of the Cause Collis Featherstone. Proclama- hear this beloved guest-speaker. Major
tion activities and favourable media coverage newspapers of both Kauai and Oahu interwere specially noted in the report, the Youth viewed the Hand of the Cause. (From telex
Year of Service was said to be gaining reports received from the National Spiritual
momentum, and a teaching team set out Assembly of Hawaii through 6 March)
from the conference to visit most parts of
W estem Austráalia. (From Bahti 'i Interna- February
tional News Service, No. 174, February) UNITED STATES: Mr. Sears addressed the
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: A capacity audience 25th Anniversary Council Fire in Tucson,
that included virhially every active Baha'i Arizona, on 26-28 February. Six hundred
on the island of Kauai joyously greeted the were in attendance for the meeting to
Hand of the Cause of God William Sears commemorate the Great Council Fire held in
and Marguerite Sears... on the evening of southern Arizona in 1963. Mr. Sears' talk
15 January. Mr. Sears' stay in the Islands emphasized the references to American
produced wonderful results in the Hawaiian Indians in the Writings of 'Abdu ' l-Baha and
Balla' i community and inspired the Shoghi Effendi and spoke of Baha'u'llah's
deliberations of the Continental Board of promises of victory for all Baha'i teachers.
Counsellors for Austráalasia and the National (From telex received 6 March report from
Spiritual Assembly of Hawaii, both bodies the National Spiritual Assembly of the
receiving the benefit of his vision of the United States)
grandeur of the Cause of God and the maj- AUSTRALIA: The Hand of the Cause H.
esty of its institutions. Mr. Sears' separate Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Featherstone
meetings with each were followed by a joint visited the Erriba Community development
meeting of the Counsellors and the National experiment in Tasmania, Australia, in Feb-
Spirihial Assembly, which exemplified the ruary to officially open the Albert Benson
growing collaboration between institutions Memorial Cottage, a hospitality centráe
characteristic of the. Fomih Epoch. The named after one of the founding members of
National Assembly praised the behind-the- the N.W. Tasmania Baha'i community. The
scenes Baha'i workers in Kauai who helped presence of the Hand of the Cause and the
to make the weekend with the Hand of the stráength and assurance in his addresses
Cause "dynamic, inspiring, joyous, and kept his audiences inspired and spellbound.
radiant with overpowering spirit" In Oahu, Approximately 80- 100 people attended the
on 23 January, in an informal meeting, ceremony.... (From Baha 'i International
Mr. Sears inspired the Baha'is with News Service, No. 175, March 1986)
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LL.\H 649
April ingly encouraged the Austrian community to
GERMANY: About 1,200 believers gath- teach with greater effort and awareness, and
ered in Stuttgart on 9 April at a special to live the Baha' i life.
conference honouring the presence of the On 9, 10 and 17 April, a most festive
Hand of the Cause of God Amatu' l-Bahci commemoration to mark the 75th anniver-
Rul.iiyyih Khanum. Also present were sary of 'Abdu' l-Baha 's visit to Budapest
member of the International Teaching Centre, was held in that city with Amatu ' l-Baha
Counsellor Anneliese Bopp, Continental attending. (From telex received 18 April
Counsellor Ursula Muhlschlegel, and from the National Spiritual Assembly of
members of the National Spiritual Assembly. Austria)
The conference, the largest national Baha'i PAKISTAN: The Hand of the Cause of God
conference ever held in Germany, took place H. Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Featherstone
during the festivities related to the 75th anni- were present for the joyful inauguration of a
versary of the Master's visit to that country. National Teaching Conference in Hyderabad,
The participation of the Hand of the Cause, Sind, Pakistan, on 15 April. Counsellor $abir
in particular her address to the Baha' is in AJaqi, members of the National Spiritual
the German language, stirred the entire Assembly, and three members of the Auxilcommunity. The candid, challenging eluci- iary Board also gathered with Baha' is from
dations relating to "how to present the 36 different centres in Pakistan. The confer-
Teachings of Baha'u'llah to the public"; ence participants reviewed the achievements
"our Baha'i life"; and "our dedication to the of the first phase of the Six Year Plan and
Cause", inspired the audience with new consulted on second-phase goals to be
insights and the awareness that "enhy by announced at the forthcoming National Controops" needs to incorporate changes in the vention. (Telex received 18 April from
current approach to presenting the Faith. conference participants)
Nearly 900 friends and guests gathered on
10 April at the historic Kurhaus in Bad July
Cannstatt, Stuttgart, for the gala event Cl-ONA: On 19 July, Amatu' l-Baha Rul)iyyih
commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Khanum, accompanied by Mrs. Violette
visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to Germany .... In her Na~avani , left the Holy Land for a longceremonial address Amatu'l-Baha Rul)iyyih anticipated, private visit to China. Beginning
Khanum lovingly recalled the time she spent in Canton, they travelled to Urumqi, Beijing,
in Gern1any in 1936- 37 and the early Shanghai, Suzhou, Guilin, and finally refollowers of Baha'u ' llah in that land. Coun- turned to Canton. (From report received
sellor Anneliese Bopp, Dr. Massoud Berdjis, October from the Hand of the Cause)
and Werner Gollmer spoke of the life,
teachings and travels of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Press August
conferences were attended by major news- HONG KONG: Following her trip to China,
papers and broadcast services. (From telex Amatu'l-Baha travelled to Hong Kong for
received 12 April from the National five days where she held a press conference;
Spirihrnl Assembly of Germany) a private interview with a Baha'i reporter
AUSTRIA: On 16 April the Austrian from the South China Post newspaper; an
community celebrated the 75th anniversary interview with a columnist for the Hong
of 'Abdu'l-Baha 's visit to Vienna in the Kong Tattler; and a large meeting at which
presence of Amatu ' l-Baha Rw:Uyyih Khanum, she addressed the Baha'is of both Hong
Counsellors Ursula Miihlschlegel and Leo Kong and the adjacent New Territories,
Niederreiter, and friends from many parts of stTessing the supreme importance of
Austria and Europe. Rul.iiyyih Khanum lov- teaching the Faith. She also met with the
650 THE BAHA'I WORLD

devoted travelling teachers from Malaysia, visit was the official opening of the Baha'i
of Chinese background, who were very school called School of the Nations, which
actively engaged in the teaching work. At a occupies the entire second floor of a large
luncheon given by the National Spiritual modern building. Although it had been in
Assembly, at which Counsellor Bijan Farid, operation for the past few months , the
and some Auxiliary Board members were friends took the opportunity of her visit to
present, Amatu'l-Baha again spoke of the hold a reception in the School and officially
urgency of teaching. and ceremoniously inaugurate the institu-
The highlight of Amatu'l-Baha's visit to tion. Many prominent and influential
Hong Kong was a large, formal banquet members of the public were among the
the Spiritual Assembly gave in honour of invited guests. In her speech, Amatu'l-Baha
the passage by the Hong Kong Legislative spoke of the important role of the teacher in
Council of "the Baha'i Ordinance" to society, as stressed by the Baha' i teachings,
incorporate the Faith by act of Parliament. and the great importance of moral and
The guests of honour- in addition to spiritual education for children. She stressed
Amatu'l-Baha Rul~iyyih Khanum- were the point that while the School is rnn by
Mr. Desmond Lee Xu Tai, a member of the Baha' is, and spiritual and moral concepts
Legislative Council who proposed the vote will be taught, the Baha'is will never force
in favour of the Baha'is, other Hong Kong their beliefs on the children or try to change
notables , and a number ofBaha' is, including the children' s religious convictions. In
a member of the National Spiritual Assem- addition to the above events, there was a
bly of Japan. The occasion opened with a well-attended press conference. (Based on a
traditional Chinese ceremony, followed by report from Mrs. Na!shjavani)
speeches by Amatu'l-Baha and two Council TAIWAN: Ever since the exciting news of
members, music, and a memorable Chinese "entry by troops" in Taiwan, Amatu' l-Baha
dinner. Amatu'l-Baha was presented with a had longed to see for herself what was
beautiful painted porcelain plate, designed happening there. She therefore arranged a
by a very well-known Chinese artist. After five-day visit to some of the new teaching
dinner a videotape of the San Francisco areas. The Counsellors in Asia took advan-
Peace Conference was shown on well- tage of her visit and called a three-day
placed television sets throughout the dining conference for their Auxiliary Board memhall; it attracted much praise and admiration bers and assistants. Tluáee of the Counsellors
from everyone, particularly the guests . particularly concerned with this area were
(From report received October from the able to attend: Mr. Ruhu'llah Mumtazi,
Hand of the Cause) Mr. Bijan Farid, and Mrs. Shantha Sundram.
MACAU: During a three-day visit to At this conference Amatu'l-Baha strongly
Macau, Amatu '1-Baha officially opened a emphasized that nothing must be allowed to
newly acquired Baha'i Centre in one of slow down the dynamic spiritual impetus of
the most densely populated areas. This joy- mass teaching. In Taipei, Amatu ' l-Baha was
ous event was preceded in the traditional received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Chinese way, by a lion dance, with its amus- Mr. Lien Chan. She presented him with an
ing antics accompanied by a terrifying exquisite copy of the Hidden Words in
explosion of firecrackers in the public street. Chinese and English, in a special box of silk
Amatu ' l-Baha also met with all the Baha ' is brocade. He was very impressed by it and
in a large meeting and spoke to them about astonished to hear that the book was prothe imp01iance of teaching in Macau and duced in Taiwan by the Baha'i Publishing
the influence this would have on the Trust! She also presented him with a special
neighbouring areas. The highlight of her copy of the Peace Statement, in Chinese.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 651
During the very cordial interview she to the Yasothon Hotel. After an evemng
stressed that Baha'is are non-political and with the local Baha'is, Mr. Featherstone preobedient to their governments. When sented the Peace Statement to the Governor
Amatu'l-Baha thanked hin1 for the generous with an information folder on the Baha'i
time he had given her, he said, "It is I who Faith, both in the Thai language. During the
must thank you to have honoured me with same day two talks were given; one at a
this audience." Amatu'l-Baha had a long school and one to a gathering of Baha ' is.
interview on a feature programme on the The following day, before returning to
national radio, and two press conferences- Bangkok to take the flight to Vientiane,
one in Taipei and one in a new teaching area Laos, they visited Kunu1gen Village and
in the south, Taitung. She also had a long, were shown the skillful weaving of the local
dynamic and enlightening meeting with the craftspeople and were showered with the
National Spiritual Assembly. It had been loving hospitality of the community. (Based
nine years since her previous visit to on report from the Hand of the Cause
Taiwan; it rejoiced her heart to see so many received 2 October)
old friends, particularly in the large meeting
with the Taipei Baha'is. Among the happiest September
events of this short visit were her meetings LAOS: Two Auxiliary Board members,
with the friends-most of them new eight members of the Spiritual Assembly of
Baha'is-in the communities of Keelung, Laos, members of the Local Spiritual
Chiayi, and Taitung. These are all areas of Assembly of Vientiane, and other members
mass teaching. In Keelung, prior to the of the Laos Baha ' i community made up the
warm official greeting by the Mayor of the enthusiastic group which welcomed Hand of
city, amid music and firecrackers, she was the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone and
received by the local Baha' is in their Centre Mrs. Featherstone with bouquets of red
and given a delicious dinner provided by roses at the Vientiane airport on 1 Septemall the friends. In Taitung, the Magistrate of ber. After the first evening meeting with
the county, who is also the Mayor, officially members of the Auxiliary Board and the
welcomed her and highly praised the Spiritual Assembly, Mr. Featherstone began
Baha'is in his county. The joy, the excite- a series of deepenings on many different
ment, and the encouragement Amatu'l- topics to capacity audiences in the National
Baha poured into these meetings created Cenháe, and Mrs. Featherstone spoke on the
great hope and promise for the inlmediate vital role of women to the progress of the
future of the Faith in Taiwan. (Based on Cause. Humorous stories from the widelyreport from the Hand of the Cause received tráavelled visitors punctuated each session
October) and Mr. Featherstone often supplemented
THAILAND: The Hand of the Cause H. his talks with illustrated charts, photographs,
Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Featherstone brochures, photocopies of newspaper cutundertook a two-and-a-half-month-long trip tings, and underlined passages from Baha'i
through Asia starting in August. They spent books. Four senior government officials of
the first three weeks visiting schools, local Sikhottabhong Disháict expressed their open
dignitaries, and Baha'is in refugee camps appreciation for the deepening session they
and commtmities throughout Thai land. After attended, 111 which Mr. Featherstone
their arrival in the country on 26 August, explained the Baha'i teachings on loyalty
two days were spent meeting with the to government and the Faith's involvement
Baha'is of Bangkok. From there they flew to in United Nations Non-Governmental Orga-
Ubon Ratchathani , in southeast Thailand, nization activities through the Baha'i
before travelling 100 kilometres by bus International Conummity. On 5 September
652 THE BA HA'I WORLD
the Baha'is of Ban Nonsavanh (formerly and article about the Faith were published.
Ban Hongsouphaph), a village eight kilome- During the same day a meeting was arTanged
tráes east of Vientiane, stood to greet their with the Deputy-Governor of Chiang Mai
special guests as they entered the local Province. He responded very favourab ly to
Baha ' i Centre. Mr. Featherstone spoke about the presentation of an information folder on
the principles of the Faith and the paramount the Faith and the Peace Statement, both in
importance of teaching the Cause in order the Thai language, and remembered warmly
to see these principles realized. He also his meeting with Amatu ' l-B aha Rul)iyyih
emphasized the value of presenting the Khanum in the past. (From report received
Peace Statement to government officials and 2 October from the Hand of the Cause)
leaders of thought. Local officers attended
this meeting and Mr. Featherstone again November
explained the Baha ' i teachings on loyalty to CANADA: One hundred and thirty Baha ' is
government and the Faith's involvement fro m all parts of the French-speaking provwith United Nations NGO activities. The ince of Quebec gathered at a conference for
permission given for the Hand of the Cause unity, protection, and teaching. The conferand Mrs. Featherstone's visit to Ban Nonsa- ence was inspired by the Hand of the Cause
vanh was of great significance as this area of God 'Ali-Mul)ammad Varqa .. . (From
is usually firmly barred to foreigners. The Bahri 'i International News Service, No. 189,
report concludes, "The incomparable husband December 1988)
and wife teaching parhiers left Vientiane on JAPAN/KO REA/TAIWAN/MALAYSIA: The
8 September, garlanded by a group of Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone and
fri ends". (From report received on 23 Nov- Mrs. Featherstone returned to Austráaiia on
ember from the Spiritual Assembly) 9 November after spending the last month of
THA ILAND: Returning to Thailand on their visit to the Asian Baha'i communities,
10 September, the Featherstones were taken in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan,
to a refugee camp, the population of which and Malaysia. Throughout their busy
was approximately 180,000 people, mainly sojourn in Korea, Mr. and Mrs. Featherstone
Cambodians. They met with the Local presented talks at the National Teaching
Sp iritua l Assembly and the Baha' i commu- Conference, were interviewed by the press,
nity in this camp. At another meeting a short and presented the Peace Statement to the
distance away, a translator fac ilitated for the Chancellor of Kyung Hee Univers ity.
Khmer, Vietnamese, and Chinese speaking Mr. Featherstone met with Counsellor Kim
audience. At a meeting on the fo llowing day, Myung Jung and members of the Auxi liary
in a different camp, which had just fo1111ed Board, and when speaking at the many gathits Loca l Spiritual Assembly, 100 people erings with the Baha ' is, always stressed the
gathered to listen to the visitors. At the importance of teaching. In Taiwan Mr. and
opening of the I:Ia'.?iratu ' l-Quds in the after- Mrs. Featherstone spoke at firesides, particinoon the Hand of the Cause read a message pated in a conference at the university in
from the Universal House of Justice. After Taichung, and uplifted the friends at many
visiting the refugee camps the Featherstones gatherings before making a short visit to
travelled to Chiang Mai in the north of Malaysia en route to their home in Australia.
Thailand. As a result of a meeting with the (From report received 29 December from
owner of a newspaper, a large photograph the Hand of the Cause)
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAl-IA ' U' LLAH 653

Amatu 'l-Bahti Ruf;iyyih Khanum presents a copy of the Peace Statement to the
Governor of Macau during her visit to that territory in April 1989.

The Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giache1y with Mrs. Lilian Alai (left) and
Tosi Maliatoa (right) during the National Convention held in Apia, Western
Samoa, in April 1989.
654 THE BAHA'I WORLD

1989
February "Honoured by the presence of our much
UNITED STATES: The Hand of the Cause loved and cherished Amatu'l-Baha RUJ:iiyyih
of God William Sears lent brilliant support to Khanum, ... eight of the nine delegates and
the "Vision to Victory" conferences spon- 131 believers participated, among them Harry
sored by the National Spiritual Assembly. He Yim, the first Chinese believer of Macau;
was among the distinguished speakers who Counsellor Bijan Farid; some early pioneers
addressed the gathering held at Pasadena and guests from other countries.
City College which attracted an audience of "The Convention was preceded by two
approximately 2,000. (From The American highly significant events. One, the presenta-
Bahti 'i, March) tion by Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum of
the Peace Statement to the Governor of
April Macau. The other, a formal dinner.. .honouring
SAMOA: The Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum and the
Giachery arrived in Western Samoa on inaugural election of the Spiritual Assembly
16 April to a moving, formal welcome by of Macau, attended by the Chief of the
the Head of State, His Highness Malietoa Cabinet of the Governor of Macau, who was
Tanumafili II. "His Highness walked a long the Governor's representative; officials of the
distance to the plane while a very large Xinhua News Agency ... and other Governcrowd of arriving and departing passengers ment officials and community leaders. The
and their friends watched ... . Accompanying Chief of the Cabinet expressed high regard
His Highness was the acting Prime Minister, for the Faith and support for our ideals and
the Minister of Justice, who also extended a work.
wa1m welcome to Dr. Giachery and placed a "We are confident that the fo1mation of
garland of flowers upon him. the first ... Assembly of the Baha'is of Macau
"Dr. Giachery was immediately ushered has infused a new spirit into the entire
to the royal limousine which was awaiting community and lent greater impetus to the
him. Scores of Balla' is lined the road of exit new challenges and opportunities that face
from the VIP area waving ... as the limousine us at the present time, particularly in the
passed slowly by." The Malietoa expressed field of teaching." (Report received from the
deep gratitude for the honour bestowed on Convention 1 May)
him and the people of Samoa by the visit of UNITED STATES: The Hand of the Cause
Dr. Giachery, and the acting Prime Minister of God William Sears participated in the
referred to the occasion as touching and 80th annual Convention of the National
unforgettable. (From report received through Spiritual Assembly of the United States,
Continental Board of Counsellors 18 April) sharing with his "unfailing spirit" remem-
MACAU: Amatu '1-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khamun brances of the exemplary lives of service of
represented the Universal House of Justice on former member of the Universal House of
the occasion of the formation of the first Justice Mr. H. Borrah Kavelin, and the late
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Macau. Mrs. Edna M. True. (From report received
Three representatives of the "mother" 30 April from the National Assembly)
Assembly of Hong Kong, Steven Townsend, GERMANY: This year's National Conven-
Meena Datwani Tsui, and Choy Choong tion was emiched by the participation of the
Yew also participated, as did a representa- Hand of the Cause 'Ali Akbar Furutan, who
tive of the National Assembly of Australia, spoke one evening about the needs of the
Phillip Hinton; of Japan, Abbas Katirai; and Fund. (From rep01i received 2 May from the
of Malaysia, Lilly Ong. National Spiritual Assembly)
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 655
CANADA: The atmosphere of the Kong and back to Macau. During this sec-
Canadian National Convention was lifted by ond visit to Macau, Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih
the presence and participation of the Hands Khanum was very active, meeting with the
of the Cause Dr. 'Ali Mul:iammad Varqa, new Spiritual Assembly and with other
William Sears, and John A. Robarts. (From believers . While in Macau she also had the
report received 4 May from the Convention) opportunity to "modestly participate a few
times in the mass teaching activities which
May/June have been so successful in Macau. This suc-
CHINA/MONGOLIA/HONG KoNGIMACAU : cess is largely due to the hard-working task
Following the Convention m Macau, force teams' effo1is." The Hand of the Cause
Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum made an also met twice with the Spiritual Assembly
historic trip to mainland China, where she of Hong Kong to discuss plans for their
was met with great comiesy. In Beijing, teaching work. (From reports from the Hand
Amatu' l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum showed of the Cause of God received 15 June and
slides from her "Green Light Expedition" to 4 July)
27 prominent Chinese guests. One of these UN ITED STATES: The following are
distinguished persons invited her to his home excerpts from a book review of Run to Glory!
for lunch, and showed sincere friendliness by the Hand of the Cause of God William
towards her. Beginning 15 May, she spent Sears, recently published by Naturegraph:
one week in Ulaan Baatar, capital of the "The newest book from the gifted pen of the
People 's Republic of Mongolia. She had Hand of tl1e Cause... is a heartwam1ing and
been invited to give lectures about her travels hilarious adventure tale filled with drama,
and about world peace to students of English suspense, and excitement. While it is not a
at a university. "Mongolians are a singularly book that makes specific reference to the
fine, very in1pressive, talented and upright, Baha'i Faith, it is filled with the spirit of the
distinguished people'', she said. On 22 May, revelation." The book draws upon some of
Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum travelled to Mr. Sears ' own background and childhood
Shanghai where she stayed for five nights. experiences. "This is a book to be read aloud
There, she dined in the home of the Dean of and enjoyed by the whole family ... ".
the Department of Foreign Languages of a AUSTRALIA: The Hand of the Cause of
prominent university. While in Shanghai she God Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Madge
also attended a concert where one of China's Featherstone attended the first intensive
best-known artists perfo1med. After the teaching institute ever held for Aboriginal
concert the Hand of the Cause met the singer, and Islander people in Ausháalia. There were
whom she was happy to meet again during regularly scheduled talks and activities , with
another part of her journey. From Shanghai, the indigenous friends taking an active part
Amatu'l-Baha Rul;iyyih Khanum visited as a and asking many questions. Altogether
tourist the beautiful lake city of Hangzhou 55 people attended the institute, of whom
for three nights, then spent four nights in 25 were of Aboriginal and Islander descent,
Xi'an. On 3 June she returned to Beijing, and while the remainder included Indians ,
on 4 June serious troubles began in that city. Persians, and Maoris, as well as other
However, Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum Australians. "The friends left with the desire
did not experience any difficulties. On 6 June for more such gatherings." (From report
the Hand of the Cause flew to Dalian, where from the National Spiritual Assembly)
she again showed the slides of her "Green
Light Expedition" and met with a number of July
prominent people of the area. She stayed in WORLD CENTRE: Deeply grieved loss val-
Dalian until 14 June, then flew to Hong iant, indefatigable, dearly loved distinguished
656 THE BAHA ' I WORLD
Hand Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery. His passing recognition his unique position, splendid serin course historic visit Samoa adds fresh vices. (Message from the Universal House of
laurels to crown already won during Justice to all National Assemblies 7 July)
ministry beloved Guardian, and reinforces WESTERN SAMOA: The Hand of the
spiritual distinction vast Pacific region, Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery was laid to
already blessed by inte1ment four other rest at noon on Wednesday 5 July in Tiapap-
Hands. His magnificent accomplishments as ata, Apia, Western Samoa, at a beautiful
Member at Large of International Baha'i spot overlooking the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar and
Council in connection raising superstructure the blue Pacific Ocean. His interment
Shrine of the Bab, which prompted Guardian followed a deeply moving service at the
to name one of the doors of that noble edifice Ancillary Building near the House of
after him, his painstaking efforts in promoting Worship . The Head of State of Samoa, His
on the local, national and international levels, Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II, attended
paramount interests of the Faith, his notable the funeral services, as did the Prime Minisachievement in establishment Italo-Swiss ter, four Ministers of Cabinet, and many
National Spiritual Assembly on eve launch- other non-Baha'i dignitaries. Also present
ing Ten Year Crusade, his outstanding were four Counsellors, five Auxiliary Board
qualities of zeal, fidelity, dete1mination and members, representatives of six national
perseverance, which characterized imperish- communities of the Pacific, and more than
able record his arduous labours-all combine 200 believers from many parts of Samoa.
to richly adorn annals Faith over periods his The Samoan Baha'i community exerted
superb, assiduous exertions , and undoubtedly every effort to ensure that the beauty, digassure him bountiful reward in Kingdom on nity and high quality of the service were
High. Advise all National Spiritual Assem- befitting of the exalted rank of the dearly
blies hold befitting memorials gatherings his loved Hand of the Cause of God. Counsellor
name, particularly in Mashriqu'l-Adhkars in Suhayl Ala'i, in an eloquent and loving

Th e Hand of the Cause H. Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Madge Featherstone
with friends at the Aboriginal Baha 'i Institute in Forsayth, Australia. June 1989.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 657
eulogy, spoke of Dr. Giachery's unique believers. During the conference a banquet
relationship with the growth of the Faith in was offered to local notables, which was
Samoa. Prayers were read in Italian, Persian, attended by the Vice-Governor, the Mayor,
English, Maori, Tongan, Fijian, and Samoan, and others. On another occasion the Goverand the Temple choir provided inspiring nor visited RuJ:iiyyih Khanum, welcoming
music. (From report received July from the her wa1mly and praising the Baha'is . The
National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa) visit to a Baha' i conference in Cagayan de
UNITED STATES: The Hand of the Cause Oro, Mindanao, was equally successful.
of God William Sears and Mrs. Marguerite Both the Governor of the State and the
Sears have recorded a story about the pets Mayor of the City received the Hand of the
in their lives, along with many humorous Cause very kindly, and a large press conferaccounts of their experiences serving the ence was held with 27 journalists and
Faith. Read by Mr. and Mrs. Sears, this set publishers attending. This meeting lasted
of four cassette tapes is a "tribute to all of tluáee hours and included an exceptionally
the four-legged, feathered, and finned friendly discussion of the Faith. RuJ:iiyyih
friends of the Baha' i world-those 'servants Khanum visited Kisolon village 111
of the servants ' who have brought love, Mindanao, whose Baha'i Vice-Mayor
warn1th, and enthusiasm into the lives of received her officially in the Municipal
pioneers and Baha 'is eve1y where." The set Offices. This reception was followed by a
of four tapes, called "Tokoloshe! '', is being meeting, entertainment and lunch in the
distributed by the Hawaiian Baha'i National small, beautiful local Baha'i Centre in
Library. (From Saha 'i International News Kisolon. Following these three days in
Service, No. 204, 31 July 1989) Mindanao, Rul:iiyyih Khanum visited Cebu
PHILIPPIN ES: Hand of the Cause Amatu'l- City for three days, where the third Baha'i
Baha Ru l:iiyyih Khanum made a 33-day visit conference was held. In Cebu City she was
to the Philippines as part of her extended trip cordially received by the Governor of the
to the Far East. The tour, which began on State, as well as by the young Mayor of
8 July, was organized by the National Cebu City who accepted the courtesy call in
Spiritual Assembly, in consultation with spite of his obvious preoccupation and
Counsellor Vicente Samaniego. The itiner- exhaustion. The Baha'is felt sony for the
ary "reached saturation point in exploiting Mayor and prayed for him during their
every single possibility, whether media, conference. The Hand of the Cause inadve1tmeetings with highest officials, lectures at ently mentioned this in her press conference
universities, or the five Baha' i Regional and it was reported in the newspapers, along
Conferences". Of these five conferences, with other favourable articles on the Faith.
attended by over 1,000 believers from The fourth Baha'i conference was held in
almost 100 localities, the first, in San Jose, Baguio, in the mountains of the Philippines .
Mindoro, was the most dramatic. There, In spite of the monsoon season, and a hmripolice and military personnel on motorcy- cane that had preceded her anival, the visit
cles escorted the Hand of the Cause from the by Ru!Jiyyih Khanum to this area was happy
airpmt, where she had been met by about and eventful. Again she met the Governor,
100 Baha'is , directly to the office of the the Mayor, the Vice-Mayor, and other offi-
Mayor of San Jose. RuJ:iiyyih Khanum was cials. A small but friendly press conference
introduced to the Mayor who along with the produced good publicity for the Faith ... .
Vice-Mayor, and a crowd of believers and As Manila is the pivotal airport city in the
bystanders received her most cordially. Philippines, Rul_iiyyih Khanum spent about
Some hill tribesmen attended the Regional two weeks in the capital. On 9 July, the day
Conference in Mindoro, as did many local after her anival in the country, she was one
658 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Visit by the Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis Feath erstone and his wife to
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in August 1989.

of the key speakers at the Philippine World the Featherstones paid a courtesy call on
Peace Congress . Her talk on "Peace and Chow Pramoolpol, President of the Private
Ecology" was well received. In both Manila School Teachers' Association of Thailand
and Baguio, the Hand of the Cause gave a and member of the International Task Force
number of talks at various promine.nt on Literacy. This visit initiated efforts by
women's societies and many universities. Baha'is to co-operate with other non-govern-
Although her subject was usually "Peace'', mental organizations in Thailand to fulfil
inevitably it was possible to give highlights goals set for the United Nations' Internaof the Baha ' i Faith and its teachings. In tional Year of Literacy. Mr. Featherstone
Manila, a very important meeting was held also addressed the Baha'i friends who had
with the Chief Justice of the Philippines, gathered for a special meeting at the Baha ' i
Marcello Fernan, who received Rul~iyyih Centre. "We are very grateful and long to
Khanum in his chambers. Another important welcome them once again." (From report
visit was with the Speaker of the Senate, received 17 August from the Spiritual
Jovito Salonga, who received the Hand of Assembly of Thailand)
the Cause in his office in the Senate building. VIETNAM: On 17 August, the Hand of the
(From reports received 16 and 21 August from Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone and
the Hand of the Cause and received 14 August Mrs. Featherstone flew to Ho Chi Minh City
from the Spiritual Assembly of Macau) for a historic series of meetings with the
Baha'is there. No Baha'is from the West
August have been able to visit Vietnam for many
THAILAND: The Hand of the Cause of God years , and the friends of that country were
H. Collis Featherstone, and Mrs. Madge filled with joy by the contact. About
Featherstone, visited the Baha'i community 50 Baha'is from Ho Chi Minh City and other
of Thai land 15- 16 August. With Thailand's provinces gathered enthusiastically each day
Spiritual Assembly member Siriporn Pillay, to hear the inspiring talks by the Hand of the
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA ' U'LLAH 659

Cause. Mr. Featherstone shared news of dedication to the Cause of the Blessed
progress of the Faith around the world, and Beauty, and especially to his beloved Shoghi
presented the Baha'is of Vietnam with Effendi. (From report received 18 Septemcopies of letters from United Nations' ber from the National Spiritual Assembly)
offices officially addressed to the Baha'i TAIWAN: The Hand of the Cause of God
International Community. He showed them Amatu ' l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum made a
photographs of the plans for the Arc on five-week-long tour of Taiwan, after her
Mount Ca1mel, and extended to them the love arrival there on 9 August from the
of the Universal House of Justice. Some of Philippines. During her stay she travelled
the Baha'is in Vietnam are school teachers, about 2,000 kilometres, driving around the
and Mr. Featherstone talked with them about entire island to visit key centres of intensive
the help they could give with plans for the Baha' i teaching activity. The Hand of the
United Nations International Year of Liter- Cause spent an average of three nights in
acy in 1990. The Hand of the Cause also each of six cities on Taiwan: Taichung,
read parts of the Baha' i pamphlet entitled Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taitung, Chiai, and
"Disarmament and Peace", and spoke about Hualien. Meetings were also held in Tsaotun
the Lesser Peace to come in the future . The and Keelung; and in local Baha' i Cenháes in
Baha' is of Vietnam were deeply grateful for these cities she met many new Baha ' is ,
the guidance and encouragement given them some of whom had only been Baha ' is for a
by the Hand of the Cause. The Featherstones few weeks, or a few days, or even a few
stayed in Ho Chi Mihn City for one week, hours! In each of the six cities she visited,
leaving on 25 August. (From report received as well as in the capital city of Taipei ,
5 September from the Hand of the Cause) Rul)iyyih Khanum was cordially received
UNITED KINGDOM: The Hand of the by the Mayors in their offices. She also
Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar Funitan visited the called upon a number of high Government
Baha'i community of the United Kingdom officials, each of whom she presented with a
during the month of August. He spoke first beautiful Chinese-English edition of the
at the "Peace Moves ' 89" youth conference, Hidden Words and a Chinese edition of the
held in Sheffield from 4- 8 August, then met Peace Statement. Of her meetings, perhaps
with Baha ' is across the country. Mr. Funitan the most important were the interviews the
talked with hundreds of the friends during Hand of the Cause had with the Minister of
separate meetings in London, Liverpool, and the Interior for Taiwan, and with the Secretary-
Edinburgh. He addressed two vital subjects: General of the National House of Representa-
I:Iuququ'llah, and the privilege and obliga- tives . Rul:iiyyih Khanum also held six press
tion of every Baha ' i to teach the Faith. "TI1is conferences during her stay, which resulted
he did with so much love, encouragement, in fa vourable publicity for the Faith. Upon
and his unique brand of humour.... His words her arrival in Taipei, a special meeting was
penetrated our hearts and moved us to begin held for the Hand of the Cause with about
the process of personal transfo1mation in 400 Baha'is, including 35 háavelling teachers
order that we may fulfil the vision of the from abroad who were very enthusiastic
Universal House of Justice of us as the spiri- about their teaching experiences in Taiwan.
tual conquerors of this blessed continent." At the end of her visit a similar meeting took
Mr. Funitan also attended the national memo- place, as well as a gathering attended by
rial service for the late Hand of the Cause, most of Taiwan 's pioneers. Taiwan has a
Dr. Ugo Giachery, held in Manchester on large native háibal population on the east
20 August. He shared some of his personal coast of the count1y near Taitung. Baha' i
memories of Dr. Giachery, illustrating pioneers live in the village of the Beinan
Dr. Giache1y 's spirit of devotion and total háibe, and Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum
660 TH E BAHA'f WORLD
spoke with these people in their community Green Lake Baha'i Conference, held in
hall. She told them of the great importance Green Lake, Wisconsin, from 15-17 Septhe Baha ' i Faith places on the preservation tember 1989. On a stage set to look like a
of cultural identity for minority peoples, and living room to which all had been invited,
of how a list of all tribes represented in Mr. Sears shared stories about teaching and
the Faith is carefully kept at the Baha'i about early believers. The theme of the
World Centre. On another occasion, Rul~iyyih conference was "Coming of Age: Rights of
Khanum met three deaf Baha'is during an Passage". On the final day of the gathering,
outdoor meeting. She invited them, with an Mr. Sears gave an address citing the prominterpreter in sign language, to come to the ises of victory given by the Central Figures
hotel in which she was staying and they all of the Baha'i Faith. (From Bahri 'i fnternaspent a happy evening together. In Tainan, tional News Service, 30 September)
the Hand of the Cause visited and prayed at
the graves of Mr. and Mrs . Suleimani, long- October
standing and devoted pioneers to Taiwan. CH INA : On 16 October, the Hand of the
Each evening, meetings were held in their Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih
home which is now a Baha'i Centre. Toward Kllanum ended a 17-day visit to China-her
the end of her visit, Rul:llyyih Khanum fourth journey to this country. During this
attended the two-day Baha' i Summer School tour, she travelled with Native American
in Taiwan. Counsellor Bijan Farid was Baha 'i Kevin Locke and his daughter who
present, as were about 140 participants of were in China to present a series of perforwhom about 53 were new Baha'is. In all, mances of traditional Native American hoop
Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanurn met about dances. Ru l~iyyih Khanum flew first to
1,700 Baha'is during her tour of Taiwan, Chongqing, where the Lockes were schedwith almost 100 new believers being en- uled to dance for five consecutive nights.
rolled on the joyous occasions of her meetings. The Hand of the Cause was received by the
(From reports rece ived 21 and 29 September Vice-Mayor, who welcomed her to the city
from the Hand of the Cause) on behalf of its 14,000,000 inhabitants.
From Chongqing, Ru~iyy ih Khanum
September travelled to Chengdu, then flew to Guiyang,
HONG KONG : Following her visit to in Guizhou Province, where she spent seven
Taiwan, Amatu ' l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum nights. Upon her arrival at the airport for
went to Hong Kong, where she spent two Guiyang, situated 30 kilometres from the
weeks . During her visit there she met with city, she was met by two officials of the
the Spiritual Assembly of Hong Kong and city's Cultural Bureau. Guizhou Province is
was the guest of honour at a large and happy largely a tribal area, and the Hand of the
meeting with the local believers . She visited Cause was taken by officials of the Cultural
a number of centres in the New Territories, Bureau to visit an ethnic museum, a batik
meeting Local Assembly members and many factory, a dance studio, and an art institute.
new believers. In Hong Kong, She had two She was also taken on an all-day excursion
radio interviews, and shared the platform to a town where Buyi and Miao tribal people
with the Head of the Office of the United live. The Lockes perfo1med their hoop
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees dances for the tribal people, who, in turn,
during a celebration of International Day performed their traditional dances for the
of Peace. (From reports received 21 and visitors. A highlight of R1i~iyyi h Khanum ' s
29 September from the Hand of the Cause) visit to Guiyang was a gathering of about
UN ITED STATES: The Hand of the Cause 25 prominent people who went to meet her
William Sears was the special guest at the at her hotel. Among those present were the
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA°U 'LLA l-I 661
Chief of the Art Section of Guiyang's Cul- of the Union of Philosophy and Social
tural Bureau; the Manager of the Society of Science of Guizhou Province; the Director
Calligraphers and Chinese Traditional Paint- of Guizhou ' s Cultural Bureau and Chairman
ers of Guizhou; the Chief of the Academy of of the Board for Arts Planning in Guizhou;
Traditional Chinese Paintings and Research and a member of the Council of the Chinese
of Old Calligraphy; the Deputy Director of Traditional Opera Society. The meeting was
the Society of Education, Department of the ve1y cordial. On leaving China, the Hand of
Guizhou Provincial Museum; a member of the Cause returned to Macau before continuthe Council of the Artists' Association of ing on to Hong Kong on her return journey
China ; the Director of the Guiyang Foreign to the Holy Land. (From repo1t received
Affairs Office; the Executive Vice-Chairman 22 October from the Hand of the Cause)

1990
January the road as they came toward her car. Soon
NEW ZEALAND: The Hand of the Cause she and her company were engulfed by the
H . Collis Featherstone and Mrs. Madge friends. Singing, dancing and embracing
Featherstone attended the Pacific Baha'i her, they had gathered from many distant
You th Conference in Auckland. Addressing communities on the third day of a special
the Conference, Mr. Featherstone sháessed "campaign" to welcome Rt'.11:Jiyyih Khanum,
the importance of teaching. Twenty-three named by them, "Chi-I-Shi" (the Morning
youth arose to volunteer a year of service to Star). In the mornings, the Hand of the
the Faith and more than 60 offered to háavel Cause joined the Toba friends under the
and teach. (From report dated 4 January shade of the trees to study the prayers from a
from the Hand of the Cause) newly published translation into the Toba
TONGA/FIJI: After the Pacific Baha ' i language of the "Words of God", which they
Youth Conference in New Zealand, Mr. and learned by heart. At these meetings with
Mrs. Featherstone flew to Tonga and Fiji Baha'is and their friends, eight souls
where they both addressed the believers, tell- embraced the Cause of Baha'u ' llah. In the
ing them of the greatness of Baha'u ' llah 's evening the meetings were large gatherings
Revelation and the importance of this of 150- 200 people and lasted well beyond
present time . They told of the urgency of the midnight. Amatu'l-B aha spoke to them on
teaching work and shared with the friends many subj ects , including their place in the
the exciting news of the large-scale emol- Faith, future civilization, women, children
ment now taking place in a number of and youth, Baha'i Centres, and sociolocations around the world. (From report economic development. An exchange of
dated 4 January from the Hand of the Cause) gifts expressed the love to and from the
Toba people. Praying, singing and tribal
Febr uary dancing linked together the hearts of the
ARGENTINA: As a prelude to her partici- Toba Baha ' is, their friends and Amatu ' lpation in the conference commemorating Baha Rul~i yyih Khanum. (From report
the 50th anniversary of the passing of her through the International Teaching Cenháe
martyr-mother, May Bolles Maxwell, received 27 February)
Amatu ' l-Baha Rul_iiyyih Khanum visited the WORLD CENTRE: DEEPLY GRIEVED
Toba communities in Chaco, Argentina, ANNOUNCE PASSING STAUNCH TIRELESS PRO-
from 17- 20 February. Upon her arrival in MOTER FAITH HAND CAUSE GOD JALAL KHAZEH.
Camp Medina, Toba Indian Baha' is choked HIS STRENUOUS ENDEAVOU RS CRA DLE FAITH
662 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Amatu 'l-Bahil Ruhiyyih Khanum meeting Argentina's President, Dr. Carlos
Menem, during the 'Uniting the Americas' conference. 26 February 1990.
HOLY LAND LATIN AMERICA AND WORLDWfDE Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly
TRAVELS AFTER PASSING BELOVED GUARDIAN of Canada, offered remarks at the service,
SET SHINING EXAMPLE OF UNSHAKEABLE which was attended by approximately 200 to
DEDICATION AND COURAGE, OF UNDEVIATING 250 people. Following the grave-side
LOY AL TY AND PERSEVERANCE. IMPERISHABLE service many friends remained to greet
RECORD HIS STERLING SERVICES AS GIFTED Mr. K.Mzeh's daughter, Nura, and other
TEACHER DEFENDER CAUSE NEVER TO BE members of the family. On the same evening
FORGOTI'EN. HIS NOBLE SPIRIT NOW ABHA at 8:00 P.M. a memorial service for
KINDGOM WILL UNDOUBTEDLY INTERCEDE Mr. Khazeh was held in a large auditorium
BEHALF PERSIAN BAHA'I COMMUN ITY WHOSE at the Ontario Science Centre attended by
VITAL INTERESTS HE SERVED WITH SUCH HIGH some 500 people. Music, both performed
DISTINCTION OVER SEVERAL DECADES. FER- and recorded, was played throughout the
VENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES FOR PROGRESS memorial service. Also heard were taped
HIS ILLUMINED SOUL IN REALMS ON HIGH. excerpts from two speeches given by the
ADVISE FRJ.ENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD BEFITTING Hand of the Cause which accompanied a
MEMORJAL GATHERINGS HIS HONOUR PARTICU- series of slides showing Mr. Khazeh at
LARLY ALL HOUSES OF WORSH IP. (Cable from different times during his later life. (From
the Universal House of Justice to all National report received 11 March from the National
Spiritual Assemblies 25 February 1990) Spiritual Assembly)
CANADA: The Hand of the Cause of God
Jalal Khazeh passed away in Toronto, March
Ontario, on 21 February. His funeral and AUSTRIA: The Hand of the Cause of God
subsequent interment were held at 1:00 P.M. 'Ali-Akbar Furutan travelled to Austria from
on 27 February in Toronto. Prayers were 7-16 March to attend a joint meeting of
recited in both French and English and the National Spiritual Assembly and its
chanted in Persian. Dr. Hossain Danesh, Teaching Committees for Eastern Europe.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 663
Detailed consultation was held on teaching, Russia.'" Mr. Fm-Utan and his group visited
and everyone was very enthusiastic. Eleven Ashqabad, Tashkent, Dushanbe, Samarkand,
youth who had recently accepted the Faith Mary, Moscow, Leningrad, and Murmansk.
in Eastern Europe made a special trip to A total of 15 days were spent in Ashqabad,
Vienna to be with Mr. Funitan. The Hand of where 25 meetings were held with the
the Cause of God met with them twice, and a friends, including three especially for youth.
young lady who had accompanied them The Minister of Religious Affairs attended
from Hungary accepted the Faith. On one meeting. Mr. Furutan also visited the
10 March, Mr. Funitan spoke to 250 friends site of the Mashriqu 'l-Adhkar several times,
gathered from all over Austria about the and said prayers at the resting place of the
importance of teaching, especially at this first martyrs of Ashqabad, Nabil-i-Akbar,
crucial time. (From report received 30 April Aqa Shaykh MulJanunad-' Ali, Jinab-ifrom the Hand of the Cause) Gulpaygani and others. In Tashkent, the
Hand of the Cause visited two elderly Baha'i
March/April women and their non-Baha'i families.
SOVIET UNION: On 16 March the Hand Family members accepted literature about
of the Cause 'Ali-Akbar Funitan left Austria the Faith from him, promising to study it. In
to visit the Baha'is in the Soviet Union. Dushanbe from 27- 30 March, Mr. Furutan
Before his departure, Mr. Funitan said, "My met with about 25 Baha 'is and gave a lecture
heartfelt wish for many years has been that in Persian on psychology at the University
once again my eyes might behold the vast of Dushanbe. About 400 people heard
rich land of Russia, especially because in him explain the principles of the Faith. On
1930 I received a letter from the beloved 30 March the Hand of the Cause went to
Guardian which he penned himself, stating Samarkand, where he remained until the
the following: 'It is my hope that you will, in first day of April. The friends in this historic
the future, be able to render great services in city, who are mostly from very old Baha'i

Th e Hand of th e Caus e Mr. 'Ali-Akbar Funitan is shown in Dushanbe, Tajikistan,
Soviet Union, visiting with members of the Mamedoff amily in March 1990.
664 TH E BAHA'I WORLD
families, are very spiritual and dedicated 25th, ten teachers were invited to hear about
to Baha'u' llah. There are about 25 of them. the Baha' i teachings on education. In
Two youth from Baku went to visit Murmansk on the 26th, an announcement on
Mr. Funitan. He was able to spend a long television news welcomed "a great personaltime with them and explain the teachings in ity of the Baha' i Faith, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan",
detail. In Moscow on 19 April, Mr. Funitan and suggested the viewers watch for an
was interviewed by an official of Soviet interview at a later date. The next day,
Television for a half-hour programme about Murmansk television and Radio sent reportthe Baha' i Faith. Also in Moscow, the ers to interview the Hand of the Cause, and
directors of the Progress Publishing House all discussion was about the Faith.
offered to translate and publish Mr. Furutan's Mr. Furutan was invited to address the
book Moth ers, Fathers and Children into Murmansk Institute of Pedagogy, the school
Russian and Asiatic languages. Mr. Furutan of Marxist-Leninist studies on 28 April.
wanted to visit Moscow University, where Faculty members and trainee teachers were
he had studied in his youth . The student who enabled to hear about Baha'i education for
acted as his host and guide liked him so more than one and a half hours. On the
much he suggested that he attend a seminar Ninth Day of Ric;lvan, he attended a happy
to be held at the Institute of Psychology and gathering held in Moscow which included a
Pedagogy. Mr. Funitan was prepared to see performance by a prize-winning cellist.
about 30 people but found over 300 students Mr. Funitan and his patty arrived in Vienna
gathered. He addressed the group on the on 30 April, and on 1 May about 200 friends
relationship of psychology to religion from a from all over Austria met for a happy
scientific point of view. In addition he was reunion with him before his return to the
able to speak for some 20 minutes directly Holy Land. (From reports received
on the Faith. A woman in the audience 30 April and 7 May from the Hand of the
whose particular interest was the connection Cause)
of science and religion asked to interview
him later in order to write an article for a May
journal. The highlight of his visit was the CANADA / UNITED STATES / AUSTRALIA:
election of the Local Spiritual Assembly of The Hands of the Cause of God Dr. 'Ali-
Moscow in the presence of 30 friends. The Mu~ammad Varqa, William Sears and H.
following message was telephoned to the Collis Featherstone attended the National
National Spiritual Assembly of Germany on Conventions of Canada, the United States
24 April and relayed to the Universal House and Australia, respectively.
of Justice by electronic mail: "After
60 years, the Local Spiritual Assembly of August/September
Moscow has been reformed in the presence SPAIN: The Hand of the Cause of God
of the Hand of the Cause of God ' Ali-Akbar Amatu' l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum left the
FurUtan .. ..the Local Spiritual Assembly was Holy Land at the end of August for a trip
honoured to meet with the Hand of the which included attendance at two confer-
Cause and Counsellor Polin Rafat. Heavy ences. The first was a women' s conference
agenda and great responsibilities await us. held in Madrid, Spain, from 30 August to
Yours in His service, the Local Spiritual 3 September. Counsellor Agnes Ghaznavi
Assembly of the Baha ' is of Moscow." On attended as did over 400 Baha' is from
24 April in Leningrad, Mr. Funitan spoke to 20 countries. By the end of the conference,
36 members of the Society for the Advance- five people had declared their belief in
ment of Peace. The audience seemed most Baha' u' llah. The second conference took
interested and asked many questions . On the place from 7- 9 September in Bastia,
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA' U'L LAH 665

Corsica, and welcomed about 500 attendants Saturday morning, 29 September 1990, in
from 15 countries. Counsellors Agnes Ghaznavi Kathmandu, Nepal. At the time of his passand Louis Henuzet were present. In Bastia ing, Mr. Featherstone was on an extensive
the large and handsome Municipal Theatre trip he had undertaken on behalf of the
was placed at the disposal of the Baha' is. Faith. He had left his home in Australia
During the three evenings of the conference, on 14 September, accompanied by his wife,
cultural entertainment was well attended by Mrs. Madge Featherstone. They were to
many visitors. During the conference three attend a youth conference in Lahore,
people embraced the Faith. Publicity for the Pakistan, spending a few days in New Delhi,
Faith was unprecedented in both countries. Rawalpindi and Karachi en route. Their plan
In Spain, Amatu' l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum had been to visit Baha'i communities in
was received by the Deputy Governor of the Bangladesh and Malaysia on their way back
Province of Madrid, Signore Vincente Tudor, to Australia, where they were due to arrive
for a most cordial interview. In Corsica, the in mid-November. Mr. Featherstone was
Mayor of Bastia, who is also the Corsican buried in a peaceful spot overlooking rice
member of the French Parliament, gave a fields and surrounded by mountains in
reception at the municipality for the Baha'i northeast Kathmandu. Mrs. Featherstone,
delegation to the conference. (From reports their son, three daughters and two sons-inreceived 10 September from the National Wo- law were able to attend the funeral, as were
men's Committee of Spain and an individual) representatives of the National Spiritual
Assemblies of Australia, India, Nepal, and
September Thailand, and more than 50 Nepalese Baha'is.
WORLD CENTRE: DEEPLY GRIEVED AN- For the first time media- both English and
NOUNCE PASSING VALIANT HAND CAUSE GOD Nepalese newspapers- published a1ticles on
COLLIS FEATHERSTONE WH ILE VISITING KATH- the Faith in relation to the passing and
MAN DU, NEPAL COURSE EXTENSIVE JOURNEY funeral of the Hand of the Cause of God.
AS IA. HIS NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS (From Baha 'i International New Service,
STAUNCH, FEARLESS DEFENDER COVENANT, No. 232, 31 September 1990)
HIS UNCEASING COM MITMENT PROPAGATION ASIA: During the last week of September,
CAUSE ALL PARTS WORLD, ESPECIALLY PACIFIC the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu 'l-Baha
REG ION, HI S UNREM ITTING PERSEVERANCE RuJ:iiyyih Khanum visited Sakhalin Island in
FOSTERING ESTABLISHMENT LOCAL, NATIONAL the Soviet Union as part of an extensive
INSTITUTIO S ADMINISTRA T!VE ORDER, HIS journey through Asia. During the first week
EXEMPLARY DEVOTION TO WRITINGS FAITH, of October she visited Tibet. From Tibet,
HIS OUTSTANDING PERSONAL QUALITIES UN- Amatu 'l-Baha travelled to Beijing, China,
SWERV ING LOY AL TY, ENTHUSIASM, ZEAL AND then went on to Dalian, in the northeastern
DEDICATION, DISTINGU ISH HIS MAN IFOLD SER- region, to visit the Baha'is there. Next she
VICES THROUGHOUT MANY DECADES. OFFERING went to Tianjin and gave a lecture at Nankai
PRAYERS HOLY SHR INES BOUNTIFUL REWARD University, where both Martha Root and
HIS RAD IANT SOUL ABHA KING DOM. ADVISE Agnes Alexander had spoken. After these
FRIENDS EVERYWH ERE HOLD BEFITTING MEMO- visits, RuJ:iiyyih Khanum spent four days in
RIAL GATl-IERINGS, PARTICULARLY IN MASHRJQU'L- Hainan, the southernmost province of China.
ADH KAR, RECOGN ITION HIS MAGNIFICENT She went to both ends of Hainan Island and,
ACH IEVEMENTS. (Message from the Universal as the Governor himself was away at the
House of Justice to all National Spiritual time, she established cordial relations with
Assemblies) the Deputy Governor, who gave a dinner in
N EPAL: The Hand of the Cause of God her honour. Travelling n01th again, she spent
H. Collis Featherstone passed away on three days in Guangzhou (Canton) where
666 THE BAHA'I WORLD

she held continuous meetings for two nights buildings of the Arc will play in the process
with the believers who, she found, are of the maturation of institutions, the intene-
"famly rooted in the Faith and eager and latedness of the various agencies at the
devoted". Leaving mainland China, Amatu'l- Baha'i World Centre, and the urgency of
Baha held meetings with the Spiritual increasing the number of adherents of the
Assemblies of both Macau and Hong Kong, Faith. Counsellor Fred Schechter travelled to
as well as with various local Baha'i comnm- several of the conununities to help welcome
nities. She had radio and press interviews, and introduce the Hand of the Cause of God.
and attended a large banquet in Hong Kong (From report received 17 December from the
which was held to celebrate the Birthday of National Spiritual Assembly)
Baha' u'llah on 12 November. (From report On 22 November, Dr. Varqa went from
received 14 November from the Hand of the southern California to Tucson, Arizona,
Cause) where he joined the Hand of the Cause of
God William Sears at the third annual Desert
November Rose Baha'i School. The School was
UN ITED STATES: The Hand of the Cause sponsored by the Local Spiritual Assembly
of God Dr. 'Ali-Mul~ammad Varqa visited of North Pima County, and was attended by
several Baha'i communities in southern 738 Baha'is from 20 states, as well as from
California in November at the invitation of Canada, England, Guatemala, Jamaica, and
the National Spiritual Assembly. In his talks Mexico. The School this year was dedicated
Dr. Varqa explained the significance of the to the Hand of the Cause of God H. Collis
times and the importance of achieving the Featherstone, and the devotional opening
goals of the Six Year Plan. Dr. Varqa also was dedicated to Counsellor Hidayatu ' llah
spoke to Baha'is in Los Angeles, San Diego, Al~adiyyih. Each of the Hands in atten-
Irvine, and Oceanside about the role the dance addressed the friends on several

Th e Hands of the Cause of God Dr. 'Ali-Muhammad Varqci and William Sears
surrounded by many of the children and youth who attended the Desert Rose
Baha 'i School held in Tucson, Arizona, in November 1990.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 667
occasions, and two public meetings were report received 13 December from the
held in conjunction with the School. (From Desert Rose Baha' i School)

1991
April gave to the Convention in the Russian
ROMANIA: Amatu'l-Baha RW:liyyih Khanum language, he related some of his early experepresented the Universal House of Justice riences in Moscow; spoke about the spiritual
at the Convention in Romania .. .. Arrange- importance of the election of a National
ments for a 40-minute-long national television Spiritual Assembly for the largest country of
programme covering the Convention activi- the world; reflected the high expectations of
ties included an interview with the Hand of the beloved Guardian concernmg the
the Cause. A dynamic press conference was progress of the Faith in the Soviet Union;
held with 24 journalists and media represen- and prepared the delegates for their heavy
tatives. There were also interviews with responsibility. "Mr. Furutan also read, in
two impmiant journalists. Accompanied by Russian, the message from the Universal
Mr. Soluáab Youssefian and Mrs. Violette House of Justice to the Baha'is of the USSR
Na!sbjavani, Amatu'l-Baha was received by for Ri<;lvan 1991. "On the eve of the Ninth
both the Minister for Religious Affairs and Day of Ri<;lvan ... Mr. Furutan gave a special
Director General, responsible for Baha'i affairs address, followed by a banquet given by
who was very cordial. Rlil)iyyih Khanum the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany
was also received by the Mayor of Bucharest to which close friends of the Faith and
and had a pleasant and informative interview journalists were invited. (Excerpts from a
with him. A sumptuous banquet offered by report by the National Spiritual Assembly of
the Baha'is was attended by about 60 peo- Germany)
ple, including the Ambassador to Romania CZECHOSLOVAKJA: "In one chorus of
from Venezuela, and many government offi- universal jubilation the 110 participants
cials, prominent professors, intellectuals, and drawn from 13 countries and from the length
writers . It was a great success. Following and breadth of Czechoslovakia, gathered in
the Convention, Amatu ' l-Baha Rlil)iyyih Prague ... for the frrst annual National Con-
Khan um visited the grave of Queen Marie of vention of the Baha' is of Czechoslovakia,
Romania with the Counsellor and National extend to you on this auspicious occasion
Spiritual Assembly members. (From repori their profound love and deepest appreciation
received 2 May from the Hand of the Cause for your unfailing guidance.
of God) "Blessed beyond measure by the inestima-
SOVIET UNION: "The Convention was ble presence of 'our beloved, precious Hand
greatly blessed and emiched by the presence of the Cause of God, Dr. ' Ali-Mul)ammad
of the Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar Varqi..we have witnessed, here in the soul
Furutan as the official representative of the of Central Europe, with overwhelming feel-
Universal House of Justice who, more than ings of joy and thanksgiving to the Blessed
60 years after his exile from Moscow, wit- Beauty for the continued outpourings of His
nessed with his own eyes the historic abundant grace, the birih of the child of this
election and formation of the fust 'Spiritual Convention- the first National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha' is of the Soviet Assembly of Czechoslovakia." (From repmi
Union ' . "In the three major addresses he received 30 April from the participants)
668 TH E BAHA ' i WOR LD

/ I /'"J I ,,,,

Th e Hand of the Cause of God William Sears meeting with the ji-iends in
Worcester, Massachusetts, in October 1991 , to encourage them to fill their
goals for the Six Year Plan. Mr. Manny Reimer is seated left.
June CANA DA : The Hand of the Cause of God
WORLD CENTRE : WITH SADDENED HEARTS John Robarts passed away on Tuesday
ANNOUNCE PASSING MUCH-LOVED STAUNCH afternoon, 18 Jw1e 1991, in Quebec, Canada.
PROMOTER FAITH, KN IGHT OF BAI-li\'U'LLAl-1, Mr. Robarts was buried oi1 22 June in
HAND CAUSE JOHN ROBAR TS. HIS DISTINGUI SHED Rawdon-a small French Canadian town
ADMIN ISTRATIVE TEAC HING, PIONEERING n01ih ofMonuáea l. Between 250 and 300 p eo-
ACTIV ITIES IN HIS NATIVE CANADA, IN AFRICA ple were pre sent at the grave-side" as well as
AN D EUROPE, DURING MIN ISTRY BELOVED at the g athering l ater in a local hall. (From
GUARD IAN AND SUBSEQUENTLY ON WORLD Baha'i International News Service, No. 250,
SCALE THROUGH HIS INTERNATIONAL TRAVELS 30 June 1991)
WERE SOURCE ABUNDANT INSPIRATION COUNT-
LESS FRIENDS MANY LANDS. HIS RELIANCE AND November
EMPHASIS ON PRAYER IN ALL EFFORTS PROMO- UNITED STATES: In mid-November, the
TION CAUSE AND HIS SUSTAINED SERVI CES PATH Hand of the Cause of God William Sears
LOVE FOR BLESSED BEAUTY WERE CHARACTER- concluded a historic tour of five areas
IZED BY SPIRIT CERTITUDE, SELF-EFFACEMENT chosen b y the National Spiritual Assembly
AND VIGOUR WHICH SET A STANDARD OF as among the most prominent cenuáes of
STEWARDSHIP THAT HAS ENRI CHED ANNALS teaching activity in the counh-y: Boca Raton,
FAITH. HE HAS ASSUREDLY EARNED BOUNTIFUL Florida; Worcester, Massachusetts; Tolle-
REWARD ABHA KINGDOM. PRAY ING HOLY son , Arizona; San Francisco, California; and
SHRINES PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL. ADV ISE Portland, Oregon . The unifying theme of his
HOLD BEF ITTING MEMORIA L GATHERING S IN HIS tour was the spiritual as sistance available to
HONOUR THROUG HOUT WORLD INCLUDING ALL all those who arise to teach the Cause of
HOUSES WORSHIP. (Message from the House God. Surveying the century-and-a-half of
of Justice to all National Assemblies 19 Jw1e) almost uninterrupted divine guidance enjoyed
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAI-IA'U'LLAH 669
by the Faith since its inception, Mr. Sears the Exhibition, alongside original paintings,
recalled the promises of victory given by the drawings and models of buildings, was a
Bab and Baha'u'llah, by 'Abdu'l-Baha and professionally made, finely detailed model
Shoghi Effendi, and by the Universal House of the Shrine of the Bab.
of Justice. "With all this guidance at our Following the exhibition opening
disposal, and with the sure promises of Amatu'l-Baha cabled: OPENING LAST NIGHT
assistance from our Lord, we should be able AT MONTREAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS OF THE
to work miracles in the teaching field," he EX HIBITION OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF EDWARD
said. (Report from The American Bahri 'i for AND W.S. MAXWELL BY GOVERNOR I-INA TYSHYN
January 1992) AND ATTENDED BY APPROXIMATELY 600- 700
INVITED GUESTS WAS FOLLOWED BY MUSEUM
December BANQUET FOR ABOUT 70 SPECIAL GUESTS, ALL
CANADA: On 10 December, Amatu ' l- GREAT SUCCESS.
Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum was an honored (From report received 11 December from
guest at a banquet which accompanied the the Hand of the Cause)
private opening of the Exhibition of the BERMUDA: The Hand of the Cause of
Architecture of Edward and W. S. Maxwell, God Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum spent
in the presence of His Excellency, The Right 12 days in Be1muda, from 21 December to
Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn, Gover- 1 January. Her visit included a " ... happy
nor General of Canada. Sponsored by the reunion at the National Centre with the
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, it was island community ... and a meeting with its
opened to the public on 13 December. It mature and harmonious National Spiritual
remained in Montreal for three months, and Assembly was rewarding in every way."
then travelled to several other locations (From report received 13 January from the
across Canada. Among the items included in Hand of the Cause)

1992
January . I felt a strong determination to win Canada's
CANADA: From Be1muda, Amatu'l-Baha goals and raise the standard of victory. This
flew to Canada on 2 January. There she had now highly multiracial and ethnic Canada
two meetings with the friends in Toronto- must surely hold unique possibilities for
o.ne meeting on 2 January and the other on becoming a showpiece for the pattern for
3 January-which she described as " ... out- futurn -society designed by Baha'u'llah, and
standing in warmth and enthusiasm. I feel I hope she will fulfil the destiny ' Abdu'lthe Canadian Baha'i community is united, Baha foresaw for her in The Tablets of the
consecrated, and alert to winning its goals Divine Plan .... " (From report received
with a dynamic spirit that cheers my heart. 13 January from the Hand of the Cause)
The promises and hopes of'Abdu'l-Baha for
my native and much-loved land are begin- March
ning to bear fruit and this harvest will WORLD CENTRE: OUR HEARTS DEEPLY
undoubtedly enrich the entire Baha'i world. SADDENED, BAHA'i WORLD GREATLY DEPRIVED,
The first meeting [in Toronto], ostensibly BY PASSING HAND CAUSE GOD WILLIAM SEARS,
á for the Persian speaking friends, was VIBRANT, CONSECRATED, STOUT-HEARTED
attended by over 1,000 and the following STANDARD-BEARER FAITH BAI-IA'U'LLAl-l. HIS
night 2,000 came. There was an unusually MORE THAN HALF-CENTURY UNBROKEN
joyous warm feeling on both occasions and SERVICE MARK.ED BY UNFLINCHING DEVOTION
670 TH E BAHA'I WORLD
TO BELOVED GUARDIAN, INFECTIOUS ENTH USI- guests from an estimated 34 countries. "At
ASM FOR TEACHING, GALVA NIZING SENSE the Convention, we had the honour of the
DRAMA, DISARM ING HUMOUR, SPECIAL LOV E presence of the representative of the Univer-
FOR CHILDREN, UN FLAGGING DETERMINATION sal House of Justice, the Hand of the Cause
IN FACE DIFFICU LTI ES. HE WILL EVER BE of God Amatu ' l-Baha Rul)iyyih Khanun1,
REMEMBERED FOR DEDICATING FULL RANGE HI S who, through her talks and advice, attracted
CREATIVE AND ENERGETIC CAPACITIES AS our attention to what is essential for the
WRlTER, EDITOR, LECTURER, RADIO AND development of our young Baha'i commu-
TELEVISION PROGRAMME DIRECTOR, TO HIS nity in Poland." (From Convention reports)
VARIED SERVICES AS TRAV ELLING TEACHER TO BALTIC STATES: One hundred Baha'is
NUMEROUS COUNTRIES PARTICULARLY IN THE from the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia,
AMERICAS, AND AS PIONEER TO AFRICA WHERE Lithuania, and 10 other countries attending
HE WAS MEMB ER OF AUXILIARY BOARD AND the historic first Convention (25- 26 April) ...
TH E NATIONA L SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY SOUTH announce with uplifted hearts and gratitude,
AND WEST AFRICA WHEN IN 1957 HE WAS the formation of the first Regional Spiritual
ELEVATED RANK HAND CAUSE. I-IE LATER Assembly of the Bahit'is of the Baltic States.
SERVED AS MEMBER, BODY !-!ANDS HOLY LAND. The Convention was blessed with the partic-
HIS LOSS ACUTELY FELT JN NORTH AM ERICA ipation of the Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali
WHERE HE EXPEN DED LAST MEASURE HIS Akbar Furutan whose message of love and
EBBING STRENGTH PROMOTIO 1 TEACHING encouragement from the Universal House of
ACTIVITIES. DYNAMIC EFFECTS HIS WORK Justice emphasized the spiritual significance
ENDURE THROUGH HIS MANY BOOKS AND of the formation of this pillar of the adminis-
RECORDINGS. GEN ERATIONS TO COME WILL háative order of Baha' u' llah on the tlU"eshold
REJOICE IN RICH LEGACY LEFT TH EM THROUG H of the Holy Year. Mr. Fun'.1tan spoke in the
HI S HISTORIC ACCOMPLI SHM ENTS. FERVENTLY Russian language when conveying the love
PRAY ING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS and greetings of the Supreme Body to the
ILLUSTRIOUS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. ADVISE friends. The Convention was held in Tallinn,
FRIENDS THROUGHOUT WORLD COMM EMO RATE Estonia, on the shores of the Baltic Sea. The
HIS PASSING. REQUEST BEFITTING MEMORIAL beautifully decorated hall with the Greatest
SERVICES IN HIS HONOUR ALL HOUSES WORSHIP. Name and a portrait of 'Abdu'l-Bahit grac-
(Message from the Universal House of ing the walls was filled to capacity despite
Justice to all National Spiritual Assemblies) the freezing cold and snow. (From Baha 'i
UN ITED STATES : The Hand of the Cause International News Service, No. 270, 15 May
of God William Sears passed away on 1992)
Wednesday, 25 March 1992, in Tucson, GREENLAND: The Hand of the Cause of
Arizona, and was buried on 28 March in God Dr. 'Ali-Mul_m1U11ad Varga attended
Tucson. The funeral procession was over the first National Convention of Greenland
one mile long, with about 330 Baba ' is and on 25 April. Seventy-six years after the
other friends joining his family at the grave- revelation of The Tablets of the Divine Plan,
side. (From Baha 'i International News the desire of the Beloved Master concerning
Service, No. 267, 31March1992) the rise of the call of God in the "icy regions
of far North", was fulfilled by the establish-
April ment of that National Spiritual Assembly.
POLAND: Poland's first National Conven- (From Baha 'i International News Service,
tion was an "immense success" . Held in No. 270, 15 May 1992)
Warsaw from 24 to 26 April, it was attended BULGARIA: Amatu'l-Baha Rw:Uyyih Khanum
by more than 150 friends including almost represented the Universal House of Justice
the whole Polish Baha'i conmmnity and at the first National Convention of Bulgaria,
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLA.H 671

The Hand of the Cause Dr. 'Ali-Mu~iammad Varqa with Bahd 'i children in
Nuuk, Greenland, in April 1992.

held in Sofia from 1 to 3 May .. .. During Convention was held on 1 and 2 May, with
the Convention's last evening, Rul:iiyyih about 150 to 170 friends attending including
Khanum spoke with the friends about some 70 Hungarians and Baha'i friends
Shoghi Effendi. The meeting opened with from 19 countries all over the world. "The
music and ended with music, highlighted by Hand of the Cause of God A. A. Furutan
violin and accordion beautifully played by inspired the Convention with his unique
new Gypsy Baha 'is .... "We are extremely talks, and the love and guidance of the
grateful for the inspiration and encourage- Universal House of Justice was always felt."
ment so generously shared by your much (From Bahd 'i fnternational News Service,
loved representative, Amatu 'l-Baha Rw:iiyyih No. 270, 15 May 1992)
Khanum. She enabled us to visualize the UKRAI NE: The first Convention of the
brilliant future of the Faith in this country, Baha'is of the Ukraine, Belarus and
which is already so richly blessed by the sac- Moldova, which took place in Kiev on
rifices made by Georg Adam Benke and 1 May, was held in an atmosphere of devo-
Marion Jack." (From Bahd 'i fnternational tion and dedication.... "The momentous
News Service, No. 270, 15 May 1992) message of the Supreme Body uplifted the
HUNGARY: "With our hearts full of joy hearts and inspired the friends with greater
we send you our deepest love and admira- awareness of their responsibilities for the
tion from our first National Convention in tasks that lay ahead." The message was
Budapest, blessed by the presence of the followed by comments from the Hand of the
Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali Akbar Cause of God Dr. 'Ali-Mul:iammad Varqa,
Furutan, Counsellor Louis Henuzet, and who represented the Universal House of
representatives of the National Spiritual Justice. (From Bahd 'i International News
Assembly of the Baha'is of Austria." The Service, No. 270, 15 May 1992)
THE BAHki WORLD

3. HANDS OF THE CAUSE WHO REPRESENTED THE
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE AT CONVENTIONS FOR THE
ELECTION OF NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

Listed below are the Hands of the Cause who represented the Universal House of Justice
at inaugural Conventions held in the period 1986- 1992, the name of the new National
Spiritual Assembly, its seat, the parent or sponsoring National Assembly, and the dates of
the Conventions.

RrpvAN 1989

Amatu'l-Bahi Ru~iyyih Khinum
Macau- Macau (Hong Kong) April 29- 30

RrpvAN 1991

Amatu'I-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum
Romania- Bucharest (Germany) April 26- 29

'Ali-Akbar Furutan
USSR-Moscow (Ge1many) Apri l 26- 29

'Ali-Mu~ammad Varqa
Czechoslovakia- Prague (Austria) April 27- 28

R1pvAN 1992

Amatu'l-Baha RU.~iyyih Khinum
Poland-Warsaw (Ge1many) April 24- 26
Bulgaria- Sofia (Germany) May 1- 3

'Ali-Akbar Furutan
Baltic States-Tallinn, Estonia (Commonwealth oflndependent States,
Baltic States, and Georgia) April 25- 26
Hungary-Budapest (Austria) May 1- 2

'Ali-Mu~ammad Varqa
Greenland-Nuuk (Denmark) April 25- 26
Ukraine, Belams and Moldova- Kiev (Commonwealth oflndependent States,
Baltic States, and Georgia) May 1- 2
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH

4. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE
INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE AND THE
CONTINENTAL BOARDS OF COUNSELLORS

21JUN E 1968 (Trustee, Continental Fund), Chellie
REJOI CE ANN OUNCE MOMENTOUS DECISION Sundram.
ESTABLISH ELEVEN CONTINENTAL BOARDS Northeast Asia
COUNSELLORS PROTECTION PROPAGATION FAITH Rulm'llah Mumtazi (Trustee, Continental
THREE EACH FOR AFRI CA AMERICAS ASIA ONE Fund), Vicente Samaniego.
EACH FOR AUSTRALAS IA EUROP E.. Australasia
The Universal House of Justice Suhayl 'Ala'i, Howard Harwood, Thelma
Perks (Trustee, Continental Fund).
24 JUNE 1968 Europe
... those who have been appointed to the Erik Blun1enthal, Dorothy Ferraby (Trustee,
first Continental Boards of Counsellors for Continental Fund), Louis Henuzet.
~le Protection and Propagation of the Faith: The Universal House of Justice
Northwestern Afi'ica
I:Iusayn Ardikani (Trustee, Continental 24 JUNE 1968
Fund), Mul:i.ammad Kebdani, William ... The number of Auxiliary Board mem-
Maxwell. bers to be assigned to each continental zone
Central and East Africa is as follows:
Oloro Epyeru, Kolonario Oule, Isobel Protection Propagation
Sabri, Mihdi Samandari, 'Aziz Yazdi AFRICA
(Trustee, Continental Fund). Northwestern 3 6
Central and East 4 7
Southern Africa Southern 2 5
Seewoosumbur-Jeehoba Appa, Shidan 9 I8
Fatl:i-i-A'~am (Trustee, Continental Fund), AMERICA
Bahiyyih Ford. North 4 9
North America Central 2 8
South 3 IO
Lloyd Gardner, Florence Mayberry, Edna 9 27
True (Trustee, Continental Fund). ASI A
Central America Western 4 IS
Carmen de Burafato, Artemus Lamb, Southeastern 2 7
Northeastern 7
Alfred Osborne (Trustee Continental Fund).
7 29
South America
Athos Costas, Hooper Dunbar (Trustee, AUSTRALAS IA 2 7
Continental Fund), Donald Witzel. EUROPE 9 I8
Western Asia
Masil:i Farhangi, Mas'ud Khamsi, I:Iadi The Universal House of Justice
RaJ:imani (Trnstee, Continental Fund),
Mamichihr Salmanpur, Sankaran-Nair
Vasudevan. 10 JULY 1969
South east Asia With great joy we announce that we have
Yan Kee Leong, Khudaral:un Payman decided to increase the total number of
674 THE BAHA'I WORLD

members of the Continental Boards of 8 JUNE 1973
Counsellors for the Protection and Propaga- The number of zones has been raised to
tion of the Faith to thirty-eight by adding twelve by . .. the new zone of South Central
John McHenry III to the Continental Board Asia ... ' The number of Counsellors is now
of Counsellors in No1ih East Asia and raised to fifty-seven by the appointment
Mas'ud Khamsi to the Continental Board of of Mr. Friday Ekpe and Mr. Dhikru ' llah
Counsellors in South America ... Ka?'.imi in Northwestern Africa, Mr. Hu-
We also rejoice to announce the appoint- shang 'Ahdiyyih and Mr. Peter Vuyiya in
ment of Mrs. Shirin Boman to the Central and East Africa, Dr. Sarah Pereira
Continental Board of Counsellors of West- and Mrs. Velma Sherrill in North America,
ern Asia to fill a vacancy on that Board ... Mr. Rowland Estall and Mr. Paul Lucas in
The Universal House of Justice Central America, Mrs. Leonora Armstrong,
Mr. Peter McLaren and Mr. Raul Pavon
R IQVAN 1970 in South America, Mr. Dipchand Khianra
... IN VIEW EFFECTNE REINFORCEMENT THIS and Mrs. Zena Sorabjee in South Central
NOBLE WORK BY ABLE DEDICATED CONTINEN- Asia, Mr. Firaydtin Mi!Qaqiyan in South-
TAL BOARDS COUNSE LLORS THEIR AUXILIARY eastern Asia, Mr. Richard Benson and Miss
BOARDS TOGETH ER WITH GROWING NEED AND Elena Marsella in North-eastern Asia and
EXPANSION WORLD COMMUNITY ANNOUNCE Miss Violet Hoehnke m Australasia.
AUGMENTATION VITAL INST ITUTION THROUGH Dr. William Maxwell who has been render-
APPOINTMENT THREE ADDITIONAL COUNSEL- ing distinguished service as a member of the
LORS !RAJ AYMAN WESTERN ASIA ANNELIESE Continental Board of Counsellors in North-
BOPP BETTY REED EUROPE AND AUTl-IORJZATION western Africa has been obliged to return to
APPOINTMENT FORTY FNE ADDITIONAL AUXIL- the United States ...
IARY BOARD MEMBERS NINE AFRICA SIXTEEN The Universal House of Justice
ASIA TWO AUSTRALASIA EIGHTEEN WESTERN
HEMISPHERE .. 7 OCTOBER 1973
The Universal House of Justice . .. the number of Auxiliary Board members throughout the world is to be raised to
5 JUN E 1973 two hundred and seventy, of whom eighty-
ANNOUNCE ESTAB LI SHMENT HOLY LAND one will serve on the Auxiliary Boards for
LONG ANTICIPATED INTERNAT IONAL TEACH ING the Protection of the Faith and one h1mdred
CENTRE DESTINED EVOLVE INTO ONE THOSE and eighty-nine will serve on the Auxiliary
WORLD SHAKING WORLD EMBRACING WORLD Boards for the Propagation of the Faith.
DIRECTING ADMIN ISTRATI VE INSTIT UTIONS In all there will be fifty-four Auxiliary
ORDAINED BY BAHAULLAH ANTI CIPATED BY Board members in Africa, eighty-one in the
ABDULBA I-IA ELUCIDATED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI. Wes tern Hemisphere, eighty-one in Asia,
MEMBERSHIP THIS NASCENT INSTITUTION COM - eighteen m Australasia and thirty-six in
PRJSES ALL HANDS CAUSE GOD AND INITIALLY Europe.
THREE COUNSE LLORS WHO WITH HANDS PRE- The Universal House of Justice
SENT 1-IOL Y LAND WILL CONSTITUTE NUCLEUS
ITS VITAL OPERATIONS. CALLING UPON HOOPER 30 SEPTEMBER 1974
DUNBA R FLORENCE MAYBERRY AZIZ YAZDI ... Mrs. Salisa Kermani was appointed by
PROCEED 1-IOL Y LAND ASSUME THIS HIGJ-IL Y the House of Justice to the Board of Coun-
MERITOR IOUS SERVICE ... sellors for South Cenháal Asia in place or
The Universal House of Justice Mr. Vasudevan who is presently furthering
his education in the United States. Mr. John
McHenry . .. has returned to the United States
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 675
... He has tendered his resignation as a throughout the world has been raised from
Counsellor... 288 to a new total of 378, 117 of which are
International Teaching Centre for protection and 261 for propagation ...
International Teaching Centre
6 JANUARY 1975
... The decision has been taken, therefore, 24 MARCH 1976
after consultation with the International ... the Universal House of Justice has
Teaching Centre, to break the present zone authorized the appointment of ninety more
of North-western Africa into two separate Auxiliary Board members ...
zones of Northern and Western Africa, to On behalf of the Universal House of Justice
each of which will be tráansfeITed paiis of the
Central and East African zone ... 31OCTOBER1976
Because of the creation of a new Board 1 The Universal House of Justice announces
for No1ihern Africa, the Counsellors in this with pleasure that it has appointed three new
and the one for Wes tern Africa must be Counsellors as follows: Dr. Peter Khan-to
regrouped, new appointments made to the the Continental Board of Counsellors in
Northern Board, and the number of Auxil- Ausháalasia Dr. Hidayatu 'll::ih Abmadiyyih
iary Board members increased. We decided, -to the Continental Board of Counsellors in
therefore, that the Board for Northern Central America Mr. Angus Cowan-to the
Africa will consist of Mr. Mul:iammad Continental Board of Counsellors in North
Kebdani, already serving as a Counsellor, America.
Mr. Mul:iammad Mu:;;~afa , and Mr. 'Imad On behalf of the Universal House of Justice
S::ibiran. The Board for Western Africa will
consist or Mr. I:Iusayn Ardik::ini (Trustee), 24 MARCH 1977
Mr. Friday Ekpe, Mr. Dhikrn 'll::ih K::i~imi, ANNOUNCE AUTHORJZATION INCREASE MEM-
and Dr. Mihdi Samandari (háansfeITed from BERSHrP BOARDS BY 297 RAISING TOT AL TO 675
the Central and East African Board). OF WHICH 279 ARE AUXILIARY BOARD MEMBERS
We are also increasing the number of FOR PROTECTION AND 396 FOR PROPAGATION OF
Auxiliary Board members in Africa, adding FAITH ..
9 members to the Board for Protection, and On behalf of the Universal House of Justice
9 to that for Propagation, bringing the totals
for that continent to 27 and 45 respective- 29 AUGUST 1977
ly ... KINDLY CABLE MR IMBUM CHINN IAH ...
The Universal House of Justice QUOTE INFOR.Ivl YOU WITH PLEASURE YOUR
APPOINTMENT CONTINENTAL BOARD COUNSEL-
17 MARCH 1976 LORS SOUTH-EASTERN AS IA..
The membership of six of the Boards of The Universal House of Justice
Counsellors has been increased by the
appointrnent of one additional Counsellor 29 JUNE 1979
in each case, as follows: Western Africa, ... MOMENT PROPITIOUS ANNOUNCE DURATION
Mrs. Thelma Khelghati; Southern Africa, TERMS SERVICE MEMBERS CONTINENTAL BOARDS
Mr. William Masehla; South Cenháal Asia, COUNSELLORS AS ANTICIPATED IN ANNOUNCE-
Mr. Burh::ini'din Afshin; North-eastern Asia, MENT ESTABLISHM ENT THAT INSTITUTION AND
Mr. Hideya Suzuki; Ausháalasia, Mr. Owen IN CONSTITUTION UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUS-
Battrick; Europe, Mr. Adib Taherzadeh. TICE, DECISION NOW TAKEN THAT TERMS WILL
'The number of Auxiliary Board members BE OF FIVE YEARS STARTING DAY COVENANT
26 NOVEMBER 1980 .. .
Ra isin g the total to thirteen. The Universal House of Justice
676 THE BAHA ' I WORL D

4 J ULY 1979 Epyeru, Mr. Shidan Fat'he-Aazam,
JOYFULLY ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT COUN- Mr. Zekrollah Kazemi, Mr. MuQammad
SELLOR ANNELIESE BOPP TO MEMBERSHIP Kebdani, Mrs. Thelma Khelghati,
INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE Mr. William Masehla, Mr. MuQammad
The Universal House of Justice Mu~tafa, Mr. Kolonario Oule, Mrs. Isobel
Sabri, Dr. Mihdi Samandari, Mr. Peter
7 FEBRUARY 1980 Vuyiya, Mrs. Bahiyyih Winckler.
... DEEPLY GRIEVED UNTIM ELY PASSING The Americas: Dr. Hidayatu ' llah AJ:ima-
DEVOTED COWORKER INPERAJU CHINN IAH .. diyyih, Dr. Farzam Arbab, Mrs. Carmen
The Universal House of Justice de Burafato, Mr. Athos Costas, Mr. Angus
Cowan , Mr. Lloyd Gardner (Trustee of the
20 OCTOBER 1980 Continental Fund), Mr. Mas'ud Khamsi,
HEARTS SADDENED PASSING DISTINGUISHED Mrs. Lauretta King, Mr. Artemus Lamb,
COUNSELLOR LEONORA STIRLING ARMSTRONG .. . Mr. Peter McLaren, Mr. Raul Pavon,
The Universal House of Justice Dr. Sarah Pereira, Mrs. Ruth Pringle,
Mr. Fred Schechter, Mrs. Ve lma Sherrill,
3 NOVEMBER 1980 Mr. Donald Witze l.
... we have decided that the time is ripe Asia: Mr. Burhani 'd-Din Afshin, Mrs. Shirin
for a further step in the development of the Boman, Dr. MasiQ Farhangi, Dr. John
institution itself that will , at one and the Fozdar, Mr. ZabiQu' llah GulmuQamrnadi,
same time, accord greater discretion and Mr. Aydin Gi.iney, Mr. Dipchand Khianra,
freedom of action to the Continental Boards Mr. RuQu'llah Murntazi, Mr. S. Nagaratof Counsellors in the can-ying out of their narn , Mr. Khudaral:irn Payman (Trustee of
duties, and widen the scope of each Board to the Continental Fund), Mr. Manuchihr
embrace an entire continent. In accordance Salmanpur, Mr. Vicente Samaniego,
with this deci sion, the zo nes of the Conti- Mrs. Zena Sorabjee, Dr. Chellie Sundrarn,
ne ntal Boards of Counsellors wil l, from the Mr. Hideya Suz uki , Mr. Yan Kee Leong.
Day of the Covenant of the year 137 Australasia: Mr. Suhayl 'A la'i, Mr. Ben
[26 November 1980] be as follows: Ayala, Mr. Owen Battrick (Trustee of the
1. Africa, comprising the areas of the four Continental Fund), Mr. Richard Benson,
present zo nes on that continent. Mrs . Tinai Hancock, Dr. Peter Khan,
2. The Americas, comprising the present Mr. Lisiata Maka.
zones ofN01ih, Central and South America. Europe: Mr. Erik Blumenthal, Mrs. Dorothy
3. Asia, comprising the present zo nes of Ferraby, Dr. Agnes Ghaznavi, Mr. Hart-
Western, South Central and Southeastern mut Grossmann, Mr. Louis Henuzet
Asia, together with the present zone of (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mrs.
North-eastern Asia without the Hawaiian Ursula Mi.ihlschlegel, Dr. Leo Niederreiter,
Is lands and Micronesia. Mrs. Betty Reed, Mr. Adib Taherzadeh.
4. Australasia, comprising the present zo ne A number of friends who have rendered
of Australasia plus the Hawaiian Is lands highly valued services as Counsellors are
and Micronesia. not being reappointed for the coming term,
5. Europe. and we wish to express here our profound
Those who are now appointed as Coun- gratitude for the devoted labours they have
sellors to serve on these Continenta l Boards rendered and are rendering in the path of
for the ne xt five years are: the Cause. These dearly-loved believers are:
Africa: Dr. Hushang Ahdieh (Trustee Mr. Seewoosurnbur-Jeehoba Appa, Dr. Iraj
of the Continental Fund), Mr. I:Jusayn Ayman, Mr. Rowland Esta ll , Mr. Howard
Ardekani, Mr. Friday Ekpe, Mr. Oloro Harwood, Miss Violet Hoehnke, Mrs. Salisa
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 677

Kermani, Mr. Paul Lucas, Miss Elena Mar- Afaqi to the Continental Board of Counselsella, Mr. Alfred Osborne, Miss Thelma Perks, lors in Asia to replace Dr. Masil:i Farhangi,
Mr. Hadi RaJ:unani, Mr. 'Imad Sabiran, Miss who was martyred last year.
Edna True ... On behalf of the Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice
19MAY1983
For ten years the International Teaching
14 NOVEMBER 1980 Centre has rendered invaluable services at
The Universal House of Justice has the World Centre of the Faith, and it is with
requested that we infmm the Boards that the great joy that we now announce a number of
number of Auxiliary Board members allot- major steps in the evolution of this vital
ted to each continent is as follows: institution of the Administrative Order of
Protection Propagation Baha'u'llah.
Africa8 1 99 Since the tragic death of Mr. Paul Haney
Americas54 117 there have been only two Hands of the
Asia99 117
Australasia! 8 27
Cause residing in the Holy Land. We have
EuropeI!_ 36 therefore decided to call upon Dr. 'Ali
Totals279 396 Mul:iammad Varqa and Mr. Collis Feather-
International Teaching Centre stone to participate in the discharge of the
special duties of the Hands of the Cause
27 NOVEMBER 1980 residing in the Holy Land when the occasion
In consideration of the extension of the requires, as for example, in dealing with
area of the Continental Board of Counsellors matters of Covenant-breaking. They will be
for Australasia we have decided to increase able to perform these functions either by
the number of Auxiliary Board members correspondence or by periodic sojourns at
allocated to that continent by nine on each the World Centre.
Board, raising the totals to twenty-seven We have decided to raise the number
Protection Board members and thirty-six of resident members of the International
Propagation Board members . .. ' Teaching Centre to nine. For reasons of
The Universal House of Justice health Mrs . Florence Mayberry is leaving
the World Centre, bringing to an end her
24 JUNE 1981 highly valued services on this institution.
... ANOTHER FO UR DISTINGUISHED BELIEV ERS Four new Counsellor members have there-
NOW GATH ERED ABHA KINGDOM ON BE!NG fore been appointed: Dr. Magdalene Camey,
MARTYRED ... DR. MASII-1 FARHANG I MEMB ER Mr. Mas'ud Khamsi, Dr. Peter Khan and
BOARD COUNSELLORS ASLA ... Mrs. Isobel Sabri, whom we now call upon
On behalf of the Universal House of Justice to transfer their residences to the Holy Land,
where they will join the Hands of the Cause
17 A UGUST 1981 of God, Amatu ' l-Baha R11l:iiyyih Khanum
... DEE PLY GRJ EV ED PASSING EMINENT DIST!N- and 'Ali-Akbar Furutan and Counsellors
GUISHED SERVANT BLESSED BEAUTY MEMBER Anneliese Bopp, Hooper Dunbar and 'Aziz
BOARD COUNS ELLORS AFRlCA MU HAMMA D Yazdi.
MUSTAFA .. We have further decided, as foreshad-
The Universal House of Justice owed in previous announcements, to institute
a five-year term for the Counsellor members
13 M AY 1982 of the International Teaching Centre. Each
The Universal House of Justice announces te1m will sta1i on 23 May immediately folwith pleasure the appointment of Dr. $abir lowing the International Baha' i Convention,
678 THE BAHA'I WORLD

and the current term will end on 23 May regional and global, for the approval of the
1988. Should circumstances prevent the Uni- Universal House of Justice.
versal House of Justice from making new • To direct the work of the Continental
appointments at the end of any five-year Pioneer Committees.
term, the Counsellors will remain in office • To administer the expenditure of the
until such time as new appointments can be International Deputization Fund.
made. • To administer an annual budget that
With the rapid growth of the Faith, its will be provided from the Baha' i Internaemergence from obscurity, and the diversifi- tional Fund, allocating therefrom to the
cation of the activities that the believers Continental Boards of Counsellors monies
in many lands must undertake in such fields for special teaching projects and literature
as education, rural development, radio subvention, and, when necessary, contriand public relations- matters which must butions to the Continental Funds ...
increasingly occupy the attention of the Uni- In the near future the International Teachversal House of Justice- we have decided ing Centre will be moving into its new
that the time is ripe to devolve increased offices near the House of the Master, in the
responsibility upon the International Teach- building which served for several decades as
ing Centre, in the fields of protection and the Western Pilgrim House, later as the seat
propagation of the Faith. The duties of the of the International Baha'i Council and, for
International Teaching Centre, including the past twenty years, as that of the Univerthose announced previously and those now sal House of Justice. Now, most befittingly,
being assigned to it, are as follows: it will serve as the office of the International
Teaching Centre until the pe1manent build-
• To assume full responsibility for coor- ing for that mighty institution can be raised
dinating, stimulating and directing the on Mount Carmel in close proximity to the
Continental Boards of Counsellors, acting Universal House of Justice.
also as liaison between them and the The Universal House of Justice
Universal House of Justice.
• To be fully inforn1ed of the situation of
the Cause in all parts of the world and, 27 J UNE 1983
from this knowledge, to make reports and The Universal House of Justice announrecommendations to the Universal House ces with pleasure the appointment of the
of Justice and give advice to the Continen- following Continental Counsellors:
tal Boards of Counsellors. Jn Aji-ica: Mr. Gila Michael Bahta
• To watch over the security and ensure Mr. Kassimi Fofana
the protection of the Faith of God. Jn th e Americas:Mr. Shapoor Monadjem
• To be alert to possibilities for the Jn Aus tralasia: Mrs. Joy Stevenson
extension of the teaching work and the The Universal House of Justice
development of economic and social life
both within and without the Baha'i 4 AU G UST 1983
community, and to draw the attention of DEEPLY MOURN LOSS OUTSTAN DING PRO-
the Universal House of Justice and the MOTER FAITH WILLI AM MASEHLA.
Continental Boards of Counsellors to such The Universal House of Justice
possibilities, making recommendations for
action. 24 O CTOBER 1983
• To determine and anticipate needs for DEEPLY DEPLORE LOSS ZEA LOUS SERVANT
literature, pioneers and travelling teachers CAUSE BA HA 'U' LLAH RAUL PAVON DI ST IN -
and to work out teaching plans, both GU IS HED PROMOTER FAITH AND IN DEFATI GABLE
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 679
WORKER IN TEACHING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES The membership of the Continental
LATIN AMERICA. Boards of Counsellors as now appointed is:
The Universal House of Justice Africa ( 18 Counsellors):
Mr. Hushang Ahdieh (Trnstee of the
6 DECEMBER 1983 Continental Fund), Mr. I:Iusayn Ardekani,
.. .announces with pleasure the appoint- Mrs. Beatrice 0. Asare, Mr. Gila Michael
ment of the following Continental Coun- Bahta, Mr. Friday Ekpe, Mr. Oloro
sellors: Epyern, Mr. Shidan Fat'he-Aazam,
Jn Africa:Mr. Mabuku Wingi Mr. Kassirni Fofana, Mr. Zekrollah Kazemi,
Jn the Americas: Mrs. Isabel P. de Calderon. Mr. MuJ:tammad Kebdani, Mrs . Thelma
The Universal House of Justice Khelghati, Mr. Roddy Dharma Lutchmaya, Mr. Daniel Ramoroesi, Dr. Mihdi
Ru;ivAN 1984 Samandari, Mrs. Edith Senoga, Mr. Peter
.. .The International Teaching Centre, Vuyiya, Mrs. Lucretia Mancho Warren,
operating from its world seat, has provided Mr. Mabuku Wingi.
loving and wise leadership and direction The Americas (17 Counsellors):
to the Boards of Counsellors. Its sphere of Dr. Hidayatu' llah AJ:tmadiyyih, Mr. Eloy
service has been immensely extended by the Anello, Dr. Farzam Arbab (Trnstee of the
assignment of new responsibilities and Continental Fund), Dr. Wilma Brady,
by raising the number of its Counsellor Mrs. Isabel P. de Calderon, Mr. Rolf von
members to seven. The dedicated services of Czekus, Mr. Robert Harris, Mrs. Lauretta
the Counsellors in all the continents, ably King, Dr. Peter McLaren, Mr. Shapoor
supported by the Auxiliary Board members , Monadjem, Mrs. Ruth Pringle, Mr. Donald
have been invaluable in fostering the 0 . Rogers, Mr. Fred Schechter, Dr. Arturo
spiritual health and integrity of the world- Serrano, Mr. Alan Smith, Dr. David R.
wide community. To develop further this Smith, Mr. Rodrigo Tomas .
vital organ of the Administrative Order, it Asia ( 19 Counsellors):
has been decided to establish a te1m of five Dr. $abir A.faqi, Mr. Burhani'd-Din Afshin,
years ' service for those appointed to the Dr. Iraj Ayman, Mr. Bijan Fareed, Dr. John
Auxiliary Boards, commencing November Fozdar, Mr. Zabil:iu'llah GulmuJ:tammadi,
26, 1986 ... Mr. Bharat Koirala, Mr. RuJ:tu'llah Mum-
The Universal House of Justice tazi, Mr. S. Nagaratnam, Dr. Perin Olyai,
Mrs. Rose Ong,. Mr. KhudaraJ:tm Payman
7 MARCH 1985 (Trustee of the Continental Fund), Mr. Masih
DEEPLY GRIEVED UNTIMELY PASSING Rawl:iani, Mr. Vicente Samaniego, U Soe
-ESTEEMED LLOYD GARDNER STALWART DE- Tin, Dr.Illian Sezgin, Mrs. Zena Sorabjee,
FENDER INTERESTS FAITH AMERICAS. Dr. Chellie J. Sundram, Mr. Michitoshi
The Universal House of Justice Zenirnoto.
Australasia (9 Counsellors):
24 OCTOBER 1985 Mr. Suhayl 'Ala'i, Mr. Ben Ayala, Justice
It gives us great happiness to announce the Richard Benson, Dr. Kanrran Eslrraghian,
membership of the Continental Boards of Mrs. Tinai Hancock, Mr. Lisiate Maka,
Cow1sellors as from the Day of the Covenant, Mrs. Gayle MoITison, Dr. Sims Naraqi,
26 November 1985. The number of Counsel- Mrs. Joy Stevenson (Trnstee of the Contilors has been increased from 63 to 72 and nental Fund).
adjustments have been made in their geo- Europe (9 Counsellors):
graphical distribution in consonance with the Dr. Agnes Ghaznavi, Mr. Hartmut Grossdevelopment of the Faith around the world. mann, Mr. Louis Henuzet (Tmstee of the
680 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Continental Fund), Mrs. Ursula Miihlschle- 1 JANUARY 1986
gel, Dr. Leo Niederreiter, Mrs. Polin Rafat, The presentation of the condition of the
Mr. Adib Taherzadeh, Mr. Adam Thome, Baha'i International Fund at the Counsel-
Mr. Sohrab Youseffian. lors' Conference has precipitated many
The following nineteen devoted believers requests for information ...
who are now being relieved of the onerous It is essential that the friends throughout
duties of membership on the Boards of the world be educated in the importance of
Counsellors, wi ll , as distinguished servants the funds: loca l, national, continental and
of the Cause, continue through their out- international... Such education can be
standing capacities and experience to be greatly assisted by the Counsellors and their
sources of stimulation and encouragement to Auxil iary Boards, and should be adapted to
the friends. the conditions of every Baha'i community ...
Mr. A. Owen Battrick, Mr. Erik Blumenthal, The Universal House of Justice
Mrs. Shirin Boman, Mrs. Carmen de
Burafato, Mr. Athos Costas, Mr. Angus 2 JANUARY 1986
Cowan, Mrs. Dorothy Ferraby, Mr. Aydin The eager expectation with which we
Gi.iney, Dr. Dipchand Khiama, Mr. Artemus welcomed to the World Centre, on
Lamb, Mr. Kolonario Oule, Dr. Sarah 27 December, sixty-four Counsellors from
Pereira, Mrs. Betty R. Reed, Dr. Manu- the five continents to discuss, with the Interchi hr Salmanpur, Mrs . Velma Sherrill, national Teaching Centre, the challenges
Mr. Hedeya Suzuki, Mrs. Bahiyyih Win- and opportunities facing the Baha'i world
ckler, Mr. Donald Witzel, Mr. Yan Kee community, has, at the conclusion of their
Leong. historic conference, been transmuted into
We express to each and every one of fee lings of deepest joy, gratitude and love.
these dear friends our heartfelt gratitude and 'Graced by the presence of the Hands of
assure them of our prayers in the Holy the Cause Amatu ' l-Baha RuDiyyih Khanum ,
Shrines for the confirmation of their highly Ugo G iachery, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan, 'Alimeritorious and self-sacrificing services to M uDammad Yarqa and Collis Featherstone,
the Cause of Baha ' u ' llah. the Conference was organized and managed
The Universal House of Justice with admirable foresight and efficiency by
the International Teaching Centre ...
24 OCTOBER 1985 The beloved Counsellors, strengthened
At this time when the Baha ' i world is and enriched by their experience in the Holy
facing the challenge of the International Land, will, as early as possible, consult
Year of Peace, on the point of completing with all National Spiritual Assemblies on
the Seven Year Plan and standing on the measures to conclude triumphantly the
thresho ld of a new Six Year Plan, we have current Plan, and on preparations to launch
fe lt it impo1iant to call upon the Counse llors the Six Year Plan. In anticipation of those
from a ll the continents to gather at the World consu ltations, National Spiritual Assem-
Centre for a conference to deliberate on the blies wi ll receive the full announcement of
tasks and opportunities of the years immedi- the aims and characteristics of that Plan, so
ately ahead. This conference will take place that together with the Counsellors they may
from 27 December 1985 through 2 January formulate the national plans which will, for
1986 and is yet one more sign of the rapid each community, establish its pursuit of the
advance and consolidation of the institutions overall objectives.
of the Cause of God. This new process, whereby the national
The Universal House of Justice goals of the next Plan are to be largely formulated by National Spiritual Assemblies
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LL<\H 681

and Boards of Counsellors, signalizes the ASIA
Protection 99 0 99
inauguration of a new stage in the unfold-
Propagation 117 9 126
ment of the Administrative Order. Our AUSTRALASIA
beloved Guardian anticipated a succession Protection 27 9 36
of epochs during the Formative Age of the Propagation 36 9 45
Faith; we have no hesitation in recognizing EUROPE
Protection 36 0 36
that this new development in the maturation
Propagation 36 0 36
of Baba 'i institutions marks the inception of
the fourth epoch of that Age. TOTAL 702 54 756
The Universal House of Justice Protection 297 27 324
Propagation 405 27 432
MARCH 1986
HEARTS GIUEFSTRICKEN PASSING OUTSTAND- This further expansion of the institution
ING PROMOTER CAUSE ANGUS COW AN. of the Auxiliary Boards reflects the recent
The Universal House of Justice increase of the number of Continental Counsellors from 63 to 72 and is required by the
25 MAY 1986 marked growth in the size of Baha'i commu-
... On the Day of the Covenant, nities, a growth which it is confidently
26 November 1986, a new term of five years expected will accelerate during the Six Year
will begin for those appointed to the Auxil- Plan as the impact of the Faith's emergence
iary Boards. In preparation for that event, we from obscurity begins to make itself evident
find it propitious to announce the following in a growing interest in its teachings by
decisions. people in all walks of life.
As from last Ric:lvan, Turkey has been The Universal House of Justice
transferred from the area of responsibility of
the Continental Board of Counsellors in 18 MAY 1988
REJOICE ANNOUNCE APPOINTMENT COUN-
Asia to that of the Continental Board of
SELLOR MEMBERS INTERNATIONAL TEACHING
Counsellors in Europe. Counsellor Ilhan
CENTRE FOR FIVE-YEAR TERM BEGINNING 23 MAY
Sezgin is, therefore, a member of the Euro-
1988: DR. FARZAM ARBAB, DR. MAGDALENE CAR-
pean Board of Counsellors. It has also been
NEY, MR. HARTMUT GROSSMANN, MR. MAS ' UD
decided to increase the size of the European
Kl-IAMS!, MRS. LAURETTA KING , MR. DONALD
Auxiliary Board for the Protection of the
ROGERS, MRS ISOBEL SABRI, MRS. JOY STEVEN-
Faith to 36 members, which is the same as
SON, MR. PETER VUYIY A. VIEW SUPREME IMPOR-
the number currently authorized for the
TANCE ACCELERATION TEACHING WORK THIS
Propagation Board in the continent.
STAGE FORMATIVE AGE NUMBER COUNSELLOR
In view of the growth of the Baha'i com-
MEMBERS NOW RAISED TO NINE. EXPRESS
munity and its emergence from obscurity,
PROFOUND GRATITUDE MR. 'AZIZ YAZDI AND
we have decided to make the following fur-
MISS ANNELIESE BOPP FOR THEIR ASSIDUOUS
ther changes in the number of members of
the Auxiliary Boards, to be effective from DEVOTED SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICES TEACHING
CENTRE OYER SO MANY YEARS.
26 November 1986:
Present Added New The Universal House of Justice
Number N umber N umber
AFIUCA 30 MAY 1988
Protection 81 9 90 The burgeoning potential for immediate
Propagation 99 9 108
AMERICAS
progress in the field of teaching, affim1ed by
Protection 54 9 63 the expectant and resolute spirit displayed at
Propagation 117 0 117 the Sixth International Convention, and the
682 THE BAHA'I WORLD

The members of the Universal House ofJustice, five Hands of the Cause of God, and
Counsellor members of the International Teaching Centre join members of the Continental
Boards of Counsellors after the International Convention in Haifa, Israel, in May 1988.

Counsellor Beatrice Asare being welcomed by member of the Universal of Justice Peter
Khan to a special reception held for Counsellors at the Seat of the International Teaching
Centre during the sixth International Convention! in Haifa, Israel, 1988.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA°U'LLA.H 683

From left to right: the Hands of the Cause of God Dr. 'A li-Muhammad Varqa, William
Sears, Amatu 'l-Baha Rilhiyy ih Khanum, 'A li-Akbar Furutan and H. Collis Featherstone
visit the Mansion in Mazra 'ih as part of the Counsellors Conference in May 1988.

Counsellors Robert Harris and Arturo Serrano consult with Counsellor member of the
International Teaching Centre Magdalene Carn ey during the Post Convention Counsellors
Conference. Haifa, Israel, May 1988.
684 THE BAHA'I WORLD

awakening of a new consciousness among In the matter of protection, the cunent
the believers as to the unusual possibilities procedure should be maintained by which
and urgency of the times compel a further the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy
thrust in the development of the capacity of Land, together with the two non-resident
the International Teaching Centre to can)' Hands designated to participate in their
out its indispensable, sacred functions. Thus, work, have the responsibility of deciding on
with the benefit of recent consultations with questions of Covenant-breaking, or of the
the Hands of the Cause of God residing in reinstatement of Covenant-breakers, for the
the Holy Land, we have reached the deci- ultimate approval of the Universal House of
sion, as announced in our message of Justice.
18 May 1988 to the Bah a 'is of the world, to These important adjustments in the operraise the number of Counsellor members of ation of the International Teaching Centre,
the Teaching Centre to nine. This is one of a while affording the Hands of the Cause
number of related steps responding to the greater freedom from administrative duties,
necessity for new modes of action on the preserve their prerogatives in influencing the
part of the Universal House of Justice and of development of the institution, and also
the Hands of the Cause in relation to the make for a deeper exploration and wider
work of the Teaching Centre, at this time of manifestation of its functions, as amplified
new opportunities and new challenges for in our letter of 19 May 1983 addressed to the
the Cause of God occasioned by the growing followers of Baha'u'llah throughout the
maturation of the Administrative Order and world.
rapidly accelerating change in the conditions The Universal House of Justice
of mankind.
The regular work of the Teaching Centre 16 JUN E 1988
will be decided upon through consultative Recent events have given rise to eleven
action of the Counsellors; and since corpo- vacancies in the membership of the Contirate action is fundamental to the direction of nental Boards of Counsellors. Mr. Adib
the Teaching Centre, it will be necessary for Taherzadeh has been elected to the Univera quorum of five Counsellors to be present at sal House of Justice; Dr. Farzam Arbab,
the World Centre at all times ... Mr. Harmut Grossmann, Mrs. Lauretta
Released from the confining, day-to-day King, Mr. Donald Rogers, Mrs. Joy Steveninvolvement in the administration of the son and Mr. Peter Vuyiya have been
work of the International Teaching Centre, appointed as Counsellor members of the
the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land can International Teaching Centre.
concenháate to a greater degree on the unique In addition, ill health has sadly made it
services that they alone can render and, from impossible for Dr. Chellie Sundram to conthe knowledge and perspective which over tinue his services as a Counsellor for Asia,
30 years of unintenupted service at the Dr. Iraj Ayman and Mrs. Thelma Khelghati
World Centre have given them, be able to have been compelled by circumstances
advise the International Teaching Centre and beyond their control to leave, respectively,
the Universal House of Justice on those the continents of Asia and Africa in which
matters in which they feel that the work of they were serving, and Mr. Adam Thorne
the Teaching Cenháe and the Counsellors has had to resign, for personal reasons, from
throughout the world needs direction and the Continental Board of Counsellors for
development. In this regard, the Hands of Europe. We wish first to express our prothe Cause may request reconsideration by found appreciation of the contributions these
the International Teaching Centre of a dear friends have made to the advancement
decision it has made. of the Cause of God during their years of
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA 'U' LLAH 685

The members of the International Teaching Centre in front of the Seat of the Universal
House ofJustice in June 1988. Left to right: Mrs. Joy Stevenson, Mr. Hartmut Grossmann,
Mrs. Lauretta King, Mr. Mas 'ud Khamsi, the Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar
Furutan, Dr. Magdalene Carney, the Hand of the Cause of God Amatu 'l-Baha Riihiyyih
Khcinum, Mr. Donald Rogers, Mr. Peter Vuyiya, Dr. Farzam Arbcib, Mrs. Isobel Sabri.

service as Counsellors, and we pray that the Continental Fund in the Americas, and
blessings of Baha'u'llah will surround them Counsellor Ben Ayala to be Trustee in
in all they undertake in the future. Australasia.
We now have great happiness in The Universal House of Justice
announcing the appointment of the following believers as Continental Counsellors: 16 JUNE 1988
Africa: Mr. George Allen and WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS CONVEY TO THE

Mr. Hizzaya Hissani FOLLOWERS OF BAHA ' U' LLAH THROUGHOUT
The Americas: Mr. Gustavo Correa, WORLD JOYFUL NEWS FIRST MEETING NEWLY

Mrs. Jacqueline Delahunt APPOINTED INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE.

and Dr. William Roberts. ON MORNING OF FRIDAY THIRD JUNE THE
Asia: Dr. Kim Myung-Jung and HA N DS OF THE CAUSE AMATUL-BAHA RUH IYYIH
Mrs. Shantha Sundram KHANUM AND ALI AKBAR FURUTAN , THE MEM-
Australasia: Mrs. Violette Haake BERS OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE AND
Europe: Mr. Patrick O'Mara, THE NINE COUNSELLOR MEMBERS OF THE INTER-

Mrs. Elisabeth Milhlschlegel NATIO NAL TEACHING CENTRE GATHERED IN
and Dr. Shapoor Rassekh. BAHJI AND ENTERED THE MOST HOLY SHRINE
Furthermore, as two of the Counsellors FOR PRAYERS BEFORE PROCEED ING TO THE

now appointed to the International Teaching MANS ION OF BAHA'U ' LLAH WHERE THE IR FIRST
Centre had been Trustees of their respective JOI NT MEETTNG WAS HELD IN ROOM ASSOCIATED
Continental Funds, we now appoint Coun- W ITH SHOGI-11 EFFENDI. ALL WERE ACUTELY
sellor Peter McLaren to be Trustee of the CONSC IOUS OF THE INESTIMABLE BLESSING OF
686 THE BAHA'i WORLD

INITIATING THEIR CONSULTATIONS IN THESE Mr. Zekrollah Kazemi, Mr. Mu!;iammad
SACRED PRECINCTS. IN THJS AND SUBSEQUENT Kebdani, Mr. Daniel Ramoroesi, Mr. Gilbert
CONSULTATIONS DURING THE DAYS WHICH FOL- Robert, Mrs. Edith Senoga, Mrs . Lucretia
LOWED, TI-IE TASKS OF TI-IE INTERNATIONAL M. Warren, Mr. Mabuku Wingi.
TEACHING CENTRE IN FACE OF TI-IE TREMEN- The Americas (17 Counsellors):
DOUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHING NOW Mr. Eloy Anello, Mr. Gustavo Correa,
BEFORE TI-IE BAI-IA'! WORLD WERE REVIEWED, Mr. Rolf von Czekus, Mrs. Jacqueline
AND NEW PATTERNS OF OPERATION WERE Delahunt, Dr. Wilma M. Ellis, Dr. Peter
FORMULATED. REJOICE NEW VISTAS OPENIN G McLaren (Trustee of the Continental Fund),
FOR YI CTORJOUS PROMOTION CAUS E GOD. Mr. Shapoor Monadjem, Mrs. Linda Neu-
The Universal House of Justice feld, Mrs. Ruth Pringle, Dr. William
Robe1ts, Mrs. Isabel de Sanchez, Mr. Fred
30 OCTOBER 1989 Schechter, Mr. Errol Sealy, Dr. Arturo
The untimely passing of Mr. Roddy Serrano, Mr. Alan Smith, Dr. David R.
Lutchmaya on 25 September 1989 left a Smith, Mr. Rodrigo Tomas.
vacancy on the Continental Board of Coun- Asia ( 17 Counsellors):
sellors in Africa. By the appointment of Mr. Dr. Sabir Afaqi, Mr. Burharn'd-Din Afshin,
Gilbert Robert of Reunion to membership of Mr. Fai;lil Ardikani, Mr. Jabbar Eidelthat Board we have now filled this vacancy.' khani, Mr. Bijan Farid, Dr. John Fozdar,
The Universal House of Justice Mr. David Huang, Mr. 'Abbas Katirai,
Dr. Kirn Myung Jung, Mrs. Lee Lee Lud-
29 AUGUST 1990 her, Mr. S. Nagaratnam, Dr. Perin Olyai,
PROFOUNDLY DEPLORE TRAGIC C IRCUM- Mrs. Rose Ong, Mr. Vicente Samaniego,
STANCES SUDDEN PASSING DEARLY LOYED, Mrs. Kimiko Schwerin, Mrs. Zena Sorab-
WI-IOLL Y DEVOTED , INDEFATIGABLE SERVANT jee, Mrs. Shantha Sundram (Trustee of the
BAI-IA'U'LLAI-1 I-IEDAYATOULLAH AI-IMAD- Continental Fund).
IYEI-1 . .. . Australasia (10 Counsellors):
The Universal House of Justice Mr. Ben Ayala, Mrs. Beatrice Benson,
Mr. Afemata Moli Chang, Dr. Kamran
25 OCTOBER 1990 Eshraghian (Trustee of the Continental
It gives us great pleasure to announce the Fund), Mrs. Violette Haake, Mrs. Tinai
membership of the Continental Boards of Hancock, Mrs. Betra Majmeto, Mrs. Gayle
Counsellors as from the Day of the Cove- Morrison, Dr. Sin.ls Naraqi, Mr. Bruce
nant, 26 November 1990. The number of Saunders.
continental Counsellors remains at 72, but Europe (10 Counsellors):
adjustments have been made in their geo- Mr. Louis Henuzet, Mr. Foad Kazemzadeh,
graphical distribution in consonance with the Mrs . Elisabeth Miihlschlegel, Mr. Patrick
development of the Faith around the world. O'Mara (Trustee of the Continental Fund),
The membership of the Continental Boards Mr. Nabil Perdu, Mrs. Polin Rafat,
of Counsellors as now appointed is: Dr. Shapour Rassekh, Mr. Paul Semenoff,
Africa (18 Counsellors): Dr. Ilhan Sezgin, Mr. Sohrab Y oussefian.
Dr. Hushang Ahdieh (Trustee of the
Continental Fund), Mr. George Allen, The following eighteen devoted believers
Mrs. Beatrice 0. Asare, Mr. Gila Michael who are now being relieved of the onerous
Bahta, Mr. Kiser Barnes, Mrs . Parvin duties of membership on the Boards of
Djoneidi, Mr. Mehraz Ehsani, Mr. Friday Counsellors will, as distinguished servants
Ekpe, Mr. Shidan Fat'he-Aazam, Mr. Kas- of the Cause, continue through their outsimi Fofana, Mr. Hizzaya Hissani, standing capacities and experience to be
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 687
sources of stimulation and encouragement to We are calling upon the Counsellors from
the friends . all continents to gather at the World Centre
Mr. Suhayl Ala'i, Mr. Husayn Ardekani, from 28 December 1990 through 3 January
Justice Richard Benson, Mrs. Isabel de 1991 for a conference to deliberate on the
Calderon, Mr. Oloro Epyeru, Dr. Agnes tasks and opportunities of the years immedi-
Ghaznavi, Mr. ZabiDu'llah GulmuDammadi, ately ahead, as we approach the end of the
Mr. Robert Harris, Mr. Bharat Koirala, Six Year Plan and the observance of the
Mr. Lisiate Maka, Mr. Rouhollah Momtazi, Holy Year marking the Centenary of the
Mrs. Ursula Mi.ihlschlegel, Dr. Leo Ascension ofBaha'u'llah and of the inaugu-
Niederreiter, Mr. KhudaraQm Payman, ration of His Covenant.
Mr. MasiD Rawl~ani, Dr. Mihdi Samandari, It is our fervent hope that from this Con-
U Soe Tin, Mr. Michitoshi Zenimoto. ference will flow a stream of guidance and
We express to each and every one of inspiration to the followers ofBaha'u'llah in
these dear friends our heartfelt gratitude and every land, reinforcing a hundredfold their
assure them of our prayers in the Holy endeavours to achieve the triumph of the
Shrines for the confirmation of their highly Cause of God.
meritorious ~nd self-sacrificing services to The Universal House of Justice
the Cause ofBaha ' u' llah.
Throughout all the continents the RIQVA N 1991
influential and energetic services of the ... We are delighted and encouraged
Counsellors have demonstrated the progres- beyond measure by the vigorous beginning
sive development of their essential sphere of which the Boards of Counsellors have made
operation. The effective manner in which as they entered the new term of their
they inspire both the believers and institu- indispensable and highly appreciated
tions with a greater sense of vision and services to the Baha' i world. The fresh
direction; the extensive consultations they initiatives to which, with the whole-hearted
carry out with National Spiritual Assemblies encouragement and splendid support of the
in the prosecution of the objectives of the International Teaching Centre, they now
Six Year Plan; the part they play in the bend their energies, augur well for a gratifyvanguard of believers addressing the needs ing completion of the Six Year Plan. May
of the supplementary Two Year Plan in their exertions be greatly bolstered by the
Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union, Mongolia increase, as of the Day of the Covenant this
and China; the widespread support they year, in the number of Auxiliary Board
offer to the consolidation efforts at the grass members to 846-90 more than exist at
roots of the communities through the dedi- present. The world-wide community will
cated untiring effotis of their Auxiliary Board certainly welcome the strength which this
members and their assistants; the steady action will bring to the scope and quality of
encouragement they lend to both the enro l- the spiritual duties assigned to the Auxiliary
ment and deepening of youth and children; Board members and their assistants, whose
the generous assistance they extend to the operation at the grass roots is a guarantee of
teaching work through the allocation of the continued expansion and consolidation
subvention funds to special projects and the of our glorious Faith.
publication and dissemination of Baha' i litera- The Universal House of Justice
ture and aud io-visual materials-in all these
activities we witness the manifold evidences 14 MAY 1991
of the vital ro le exercised by these high- Wel l nigh four decades have elapsed
ranking officers of the Faith in the protection since the beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi,
and propagation of the Cause of God. asked the Hands of the Cause of God
688 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Africa in 1991. Seated, left to right:
Parvin Djoneidi, Friday Ekpe, Lucretia Warren, Edith Senoga, Muhammad Kebdani,
Beatrice Asare, Gilbert Robert. Standing, left to right: Shidan Fat 'he-Aazam, Kassimi
Fofana, Mehraz Ehsani, Mabuku Wingi, Kiser Barnes, George Allen, Daniel Ramoroesi,
Zekrollah Kazemi, Gila Michael Bahta, Hushang Ahdieh.

I I

Members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Americas in 1991. Front row,
left to right: Jacqueline Delahunt, Isabel de Sanchez, A Ian Smith, Eloy Anello, Wilma Ellis,
Ruth Pringle, Rodrigo Tomas. Middle row: Linda Neufeld, David Smith, Errol Sealy,
William Roberts, Arturo Serrano. Back row: Fred Schechter, Peter McLaren, Rolf von
Czekus, Shapoor Monadjem, Gustavo Correa. (Top left is Mr. Robert Henderson.)
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 689

residing outside the Holy Land to appoint, in 7 OCTOBER 1991
each continent, resident Baha'is who would We are happy to a1111ounce the appointserve as members of an Auxiliary Board, ment of Dr. Payman Mohajer as a new
referred to by him as a "vital and indispens- member of the Continental Board of Counable organ of the embryonic and steadily sellors in Asia.
unfolding Baha' i Administrative Order" .... He is replacing Mr. S. Nagaratnam who,
In addition to the qualities usually sought due to ill health and personal circumstances,
in members of the Auxiliary Board, a pri- found it necessary to resign from the Board
mary characteristic called for at this time is a of Counsellors. His resignation was regretwillingness to approach their work in a style fully accepted and his many years of
and manner that will truly arouse and release dedicated service in his capacity as a
the power that resides in the believers, thus Counsellor are warmly remembered.
enabling them to arise and serve the Cause The Universal House of Justice
with fervour and devotion reminiscent of the
dawn-breakers of the Heroic Age .... 10 O CTOBER 1991
It is awe-inspiring to contemplate the DEEPLY GRIEVED SUDDEN PASSING STAL-
invigorating actions that will devolve upon WART MAIDS ERVANT BAHA'U'LLAH MEMBER
our arm of the Administrative Order in INTERNATIONAL TEACHfNG CENTRE MAGDALENE
connection with the forthcoming festivities, M. CARNEY. HER WELL NIGH THREE DECADES
UNBROKEN SERVICE CAUSE GOD EXERTED
commemorations, and celebrations of the
IMMENSE INFLUENCE TEACHING WORK SOUTHERN
Holy Year; also to realise that soon after the
REGION UNITED STATES, INVOLVED THIRTEEN
conclusion of these momentous events, the
YEARS MEMBERSHIP NATIONAL SPIRITUAL
International Baha'i Convention will take
ASSEMBLY THAT COUNTRY UNTIL HER APPO INT-
place during Ric;!van 1993 and a new chapter
MENT IN 1983 TO INTERNATIONAL TEACHING
in the prosecution of the Tablets of the
CENTRE. INDOM ITABLE FAITH, UNSWERV ING
Divine Plan will be opened. Considering the DEVOTION COVENANT, SELFLESS SP IRIT, OPEN
implications of these events for our institu- CANDOUR, WHOLEHEARTED COMMITM ENT
tion, we have decided to request you to call, EDUCATION CHILDREN AND YOUTH ARE AMONG
on our behalf, special conferences in regions QUALITIES THAT WILL EVER BE ASSOCIATED
of your continent for the members of the WITH GOLDEN MEMORIES HER HIGHLY ACTIV E
Auxiliary Boards sometime during Janua1y LIFE. ARDENTLY PRAY ING HOLY THRESHOLD
and February 1992. A member of the Inter- PROGRESS HER STERLING SOUL THROUGHOUT
national Teaching Centre will join you and DIVfNE WORLDS. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL SER-
participate in these gatherings, which we VI CES HER HONOUR ALL HOUSES WORS HIP AND
envision may take up to five days . .. fN BAHA'I COMMUNITLES THROUGHOUT WORLD.
As we contemplate the transition from the The Universal House of Justice
days in 1954 when thirty-six Auxiliary Board
members were assigned for the entire Baha'i 16 APRJL 1992
world, to today when eight hundred and The members of the International Teachforty-six have been allocated and thousands ing Centre returned from the Auxiliary Board
of assistants appointed, we bow our heads conferences filled with admiration for the
in wonder at the developments in the Cause magnificent services that Auxiliary Board
that have generated this tremendous increase. members and their assistants are rendering
This fact bolsters our eagerness to reflect and to the Cause everywhere ....
consult with you on ways to make ever more In each conference the greater part of the
effective and efficient the operation of this consultation revolved around the imperative
vital agency of the Administrative Order. to translate high ideals and ardent love into
International Teaching Centre action. We have no doubt that the Auxiliary
690 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Asia in 1991. Seated, left to right:
$izbir Afaqi, Lee Lee Ludher, 'Abbas Katirai, Kimiko Schwerin, Fa<f,il Ardikani, Jabbar
Eidelkhani. Standing: S. Nagaratnam, Shantha Sundram, Kim Myung Jung, Perin Olyai,
David Huang, Rose Ong, Bijan Farid, Zena Sorabjee, John Fozdar, Burhizni 'd-Din Afshin.

Members of the Continental Board of Counsellors for Australasia in 1991. Seated, left to
right: Ben Ayala, Violette Haake, Sinls Naraqi, Tinai Hancock, Kamran Eshraghian.
Standing, left to right: Beatrice Benson, Gayle Morrison, Bruce Saunders, Afemata Moli
Chang, Betra Majmeto.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 691

Members of the Continental Board of Couns ellors for Europe in 1991 . From left to right:
Polin Rafat, Sohrab Youssefi.an, Shapour Rassekh, Nabil Perdu, Paul Semenoff, Louis
Henuzet, Ilhan Sezgin, Foad Kazemzadeh, Patrick 0 'Mara, Elisabeth Miihlschlegel.

Board members and their assistants will and their auxiliaries, backed by a reinforced
be instrumental during the Holy Year in cre- and vigorous International Teaching Centre,
ating an atmosphere that will generate assured to the Spiritual Assemblies, whom
manifold activities to emblazon the Name of they are charged to stimulate and advise, a
Baha'u 'llah throughout every region. We buttressing indispensable to the welfare of
ardently hope that the momentum gained the entire system; while the extension of the
during the Holy Year will usher the Baha 'i span of activities of the National and Local
conununity into a period of unprecedented Spiritual Assemblies, themselves charged
victories during the Three-Year Plan . ... with guiding the destinies of their communi-
International Teaching Centre ties, significantly broadened the base of that
system. Collaterally, the work of these
RIDVAN 1992 institutions has facilitated and boosted the
... The advances in the consolidation of evolution of the Administrative Order. Even
the Baha'i administrative system are evident more: they have demonstrated a creative
from the marked improvement in the inter- energy that bodes well for their continued
nal development and collaborative efforts of maturation.
its two arms .... The growth in confidence The Universal House of Justice
and strength of the Boards of Counsellors
692 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In Suriname,
Counsellor Jacqueline
Delahunt (left) consults with Mrs. Terry
Madison during the
National Convention
held in Paramaribo
in April 1990.

In Czechoslovakia, '
Counsellor Riihu 'llah
Mumtazi (standing
right) visits friends
in Prague in
December I 986.

In Ha waii, Counsellor
Gayle Morrison
(standing fifth fi'om
right) attending a joint
meeting between the
National Spiritual
Assembly of the
Hawaiian Islands and
the Local Assembly of
Honolulu held in
February 1987.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 693

In Korea, Counsellor
Kim Myung Jung
(standing third Ji-om
right) joins in celebrating the Seventieth
Anniversary of the
Introduction of the
Faith in Korea during
an event held in Seoul
on 18Feburary 1992.

Jn Guatemala, members of the Continental
Board of Counsellors
for the Americas and
some Auxilimy Board
members meeting with
members of the
National Spiritual
Assemblies in Central
America; 1990.

Jn Bophuthatswana,
Counsellor member of
the International
Teaching Centre Dr.
Magdalene Carney
(front left) meets
joyful co-workers
Counsellor Daniel
Ramoroesi and Lally
Warren (front) and
A uxilimy Board members Enos Makhele
(back left) and Sohail
Rowhani; l 989.
III
THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL
ASSEMBLY

1. INTRODUCTION

f N this Day a great festival is taking place in the Realm above.for whatsoever was promised
in the sacred Scriptures hath been fulfilled. This is the Day ofgreat rejoicing. 1

The primary mission of the Baha ' i Faith is National Spiritual Assemblies are among
the establishment of a Divine Civilization-the the pillars of the evolving edifice of the
Kingdom of God on earth. "For Baha'u'llah," Baha'i World Order and were first elected
Shoghi Effendi wrote, in response to a letter written by Shoghi
Effendi on 12 March 1923 to the followers
... has not only imbued mankind with a
of Baha'u'llah throughout America, Great
new and regenerating Spirit. He has not
Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy,
merely enunciated certain universal princi-
Japan and Australasia:
ples, or propounded a particular philosophy,
however potent, sound and universal ... it is of vital importance that in every
these may be. In addition to these He, country, where the conditions are favoras well as 'Abdu'l-Baha after Him, has, able and the number of the friends has
unlike the Dispensations of the past, grown and reached a considerable size,
clearly and specifically laid down a set such as America, Great Britain and
of Laws, established definite institutions, Germany, that a "National Spiritual
and provided for the essentials of a Assembly" be immediately established,
Divine Economy. These are destined to representative of the friends throughout
be a pattern for future society, a supreme that country. Its immediate purpose is
instrument for the establishment of the to stimulate, unify and coordinate by
Most Great Peace, and the one agency for frequent personal consultations, the manithe unification of the world, and the proc- fold activities of the friends as well as the
lamation of the reign of righteousness and local Assemblies; and by keeping in close
justice upon the earth. 2 and constant touch with the Holy Land,
initiate measures, and direct in general
the affairs of the Cause in that country. It
serves also another purpose, no less
Baha' u' llah, Tablets of Baha 'u '//ah Revealed essential than the first, as in the course of
After the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Haifa: Baha 'i World time it shall evolve into the National
Centre, 1978), p. 78. House of Justice (referred to in ' Abdu'l-
Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Ba ha 'u 'I/ah, Baha's Will as the "secondary House of
Selected l etters (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing
Justice"), which according to the explicit
Trust, 1982), p. 19.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 695
text of the Testament will have, in incorporated. It is this model document which
conjunction with the other National is printed below.
Assemblies throughout the Baha'i world, Baha'i administration is an evolving
to elect directly the members of the structure, however, as Shoghi Effendi coun-
International House of Justice, that Sup- selled the friends in a letter written on
reme Council that will guide, organize 21March1930:
and unify the affairs of the Movement
throughout the world. 2 It should also be borne in mind that the
machinery of the Cause has been so fash-
The response to the Guardian's direction ioned, that whatever is deemed necessary
was immediate. The National Spiritual to incorporate into it in order to keep it in
Assemblies of the British Isles, Germany the forefront of all progressive moveand Austria, and India and Burma were rec- ments, can, according to the provisions
ognized by him in 1923 as having fulfilled made by Baha'u'llah, be safely embodied
the electoral requirements for formation. therein. 3
The first National Assembly of Egypt and
Sudan was formed in 1924, and the National That the Spiritual Assemblies of today
Assemblies of the Caucasus, Turkistan, and will be replaced in time by the Houses
the United States and Canada were estab- of Justice, and are to all intents and purlished in 1925. poses identical and not separate bodies, is
In 1927, the members of the National abundantly confirmed by 'Abdu'l-Baha
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Himself.. .. For reasons which are not
United States and Canada adopted a Decla- difficult to discover, it has been found
ration of Trust, with its attendant by-laws, advisable to bestow upon the elected
which was recognized under common law representatives of Baha'i communities
to give substance and character to the throughout the world the temporary appelinstitution and the administrative processes lation of Spiritual Assemblies, a term
embodied in the Baha'i teachings. This which, as the position and aims of the
Declaration of Trust became the model to be Baha'i Faith are better understood and
followed, with adaptions as local laws and more fully recognized, will gradually be
circumstances required, by other National superseded by the permanent and more
Spiritual Assemblies. appropriate designation of House of
The years following the election of the Justice. Not only will the present-day
Universal House of Justice witnessed a great Spiritual Assemblies be styled differently
increase in the number of National Spiritual in future, but they will be enabled also
Assemblies (from 56 in 1963 to 165 by to add to their present functions those
Ric;lvan 1992) and the House of Justice itself powers, duties, and prerogatives necessiprovided a model document, largely based tated by the recognition of the Faith of
on the one devised by the National Spiritual Baha'u'llah, not merely as one of the
Assembly of the United States, to be recognized religious systems of the world,
followed as closely as possible by all new but as the State Religion of an indepen-
National Spiritual Assemblies as they become dent and Sovereign Power. 4

2 3
Shoghi Effendi , Bahn 'i Administration (Wilmette: The World Order of Bahn 'u 'llah, pp. 22- 23.
Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1960), p. 39. 4
ibid., pp. 6- 7.
THE BAHA'I WORLD

2. A MODEL DECLARATION OF TRUST AND BY-LAWS
FOR A
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

FOREWORD

THE 1926-27 National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States and Canada
completed a task which, while pertaining to the outer and more material aspects of the
Cause, nevertheless has a special significance for its spirit and inward sacred purpose. This
task consisted in creating a legal form which gives proper substance and substantial character to the National Spiritual Assemblies and the administrative processes embodied in the
Baha' i teachings by a fom1 of incorporation recognized under common law. This Declaration of Trust, with its attendant By-Laws, became the model to be followed, with
adaptations as local laws and circumstances required, by other National Spiritual
Assemblies. The years following the election of the Universal House of Justice witnessed a
great increase in the number of National Spiritual Assemblies (from 57 in 1963 to 135 by
Ric;lvan 1983) and the House of Justice itself provided a model document, largely based on
the one devised by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, to be followed as
closely as possible by all new National Spiritual Assemblies as they became incorporated,
which they were required to do under the Nine Year Plan.
Careful examination of the Declaration and its By-Laws will reveal the fact that this
document contains no arbitrary elements nor features new to the Baha'i Cause. On the contrnry, it represents a most conscientious effort to reflect those very administrative principles
and elements already set forth in the letters of the Guardian, Shoghi Effendi, and already
determining the methods and relationships of Baha'i collective association. The provision
both in the Declaration and in the By-Laws for amendments in the future will permit the
National Spiritual Assemblies to adapt this document to such new administrative elements
or principles as may at any time be given forth. The Declaration, in fact, is nothing more nor
less than a legal parallel of those moral and spiritual laws of unity inherent in the fullness of
the Balla ' i Revelation and making it the fulfilment of the ideal of religion in the social as
well as spiritual realm. Because, in the Balla 'i Faith, this perfect correspondence exists
between spiritual and social laws, the Baha ' is believe that administrative success is identical
with moral success, and that nothing less than the hue Baha'i spirit of devotion and sacrifice
can inspire with effective power the world-wide body of unity revealed by Baha'u' llah.

DECLARATION OF TRUST
By the NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA ' iS
OF ..

WE,
duly chosen by the representatives of the Baha' is of ... at the Annual Meeting held at ... , on
... , to be the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is of ... , with full power to establish a
Trust as hereinafter set forth, hereby declare that from this date the powers, responsibilities,
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 697
rights, privileges and obligations reposed in said National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is
of .. . by Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Baha' i Faith, by 'Abdu 'l-Baha, its Interpreter and
Exemplar, by Shoghi Effendi, its Guardian, and by the Universal House of Justice, ordained
by Baha 'u 'llah in His sacred Writings as the supreme body of the Baha'i religion, shall be
exercised, administered and carried on by the above-named National Spiritual Assembly and
their duly qualified successors under this Declaration of Trust.
The National Spiritual Assembly in adopting this form of association, union and fellowship, and in selecting for itself the designation of Trustees of the Baha'is of ... , does so as the
administrative body of a religious community which has had continuous existence and
responsibility for ... In consequence of these activities the National Spiritual Assembly is
called upon to administer such ever-increasing diversity and volume of affairs and properties
for the Baha'is of ... , that we, its members, now feel it both desirable and necessary to give
our collective functions more definite legal fo1m. This action is taken in complete unanimity
and with full recognition of the sacred relationship thereby created. We acknowledge in
behalf of ourselves and our successors in this Trust the exalted religious standard established
by Baha'u'llah for Baha'i administrative bodies in the utterance: Be ye Trustees of the
Merciful One among men; and seek the help of God and His guidance in order to fulfil that
exhortation.
(Signatures of the nine members)
Date

ARTI CLE I
The name of said Trust shall be ' the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of ... '

ARTICLE II
Sharing the ideals and assisting the efforts of our fellow Baha' is to establish, uphold
and promote the spiritual, educational and humanitarian teachings of human brotherhood,
radiant faith, exalted character and selfless love revealed in the lives and utterances of all the
Prophets and Messengers of God, Founders of the world's revealed religions-and given
renewed creative energy and universal application to the conditions of this age in the life and
utterances ofBaha 'u'llah-we declare the purposes and objects of this Trust to be to administer the affairs of the Cause ofBaha' u'llah for the benefit of the Baha'is of ... according to
the principles of Baha 'i affiliation and administration created and established by
Baha'u 'llah, defined and explained by 'Abdu ' l-Baha, interpreted and amplified by Shoghi
Effendi, and supplemented and applied by the Universal House of Justice.
These purposes are to be realized by means of devotional meetings; by public meetings
and conferences of an educational, humanitarian and spiritual character; by the publication
of books, magazines and newspapers; by the construction of temples of universal worship
and of other institutions and edifices for humanitarian service; by supervising, unifying,
promoting and generally administering the activities of the Baha'is of ... in the fulfilment of
their religious offices, duties and ideals; and by any other means appropriate to these ends,
or any of them.
Other purposes and objects of this Trust are:
a. The right to enter into, make, perform and carry out contracts of every sort and kind for
the furth erance of the objects of this Trust with any person, firm, association, corporation, private, public or municipal or body politic, or any state, territory or colony
thereof, or any foreign government; and in this connection, and in all transactions
698 TH E BAHA' I WORLD

under the terms of this Trust, to do any and all things which a copartnership or natural
person could do or exercise, and which now or hereafter may be authorized by law.
b. To hold and be named as beneficiary under any trust established by law or otherwise or
under any will or other testamentary instrument in connection with any gift, devise, or
bequest in which a trust or trusts is or are established in any part of the world as well as
in .. .; to receive gifts, devises or bequests of money or other property.
c. All and whatsoever the several purposes and objects set forth in the written utterances
of Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu ' l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, and enactments of the Universal
House of Justice, under which certain jurisdiction, powers and rights are granted to
National Spiritual Assemblies.
d. Generally to do all things and acts which in the judgement of said Trustees, i.e. , the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of ... , are necessary, proper and advantageous to promote the complete and successful administration of this Trust.

ARTICLE III
SECTION I . All persons, firms, corporations and associations extending credit to, contracting with or having any claim against the Trustees, i.e., the National Spiritual Assembly, and
the members thereof, of any character whatsoever whether legal or equitable and whether
arising out of contract or tort, shall look solely to the funds of the Trust and to the property
of the Trust estate for payment or indemnity, or for payment of any debt, damage, judgement
or decree or any money that may otherwise become due or payable from the Trustees, so that
neither the Trustees nor any of them, nor any of their officers or agents appointed by them
hereunder, nor any beneficiary or beneficiaries herein named shall be personally liable
therefor.
SECTI ON 2. Every note, bond, proposal, obligation or contract in writing or other agreement

or instrument made or given under this Trust shall be explicitly executed by the National
Spiritual Assembly, as Trustees, by their duly authorized officers or agents.

ARTICLE IV
The Trustees, i.e., the National Spiritual Assembly, shall adopt for the conduct of the
affairs entrusted to them under this Declaration of Trust, such by-laws , rules of procedure or
regulations as are required to define and cany on its own administrative functions and those
of the several local and other elements composing the body of the Baha' is of .. ., not inconsistent with the terms of this instrument and all in accordance with the instructions and
enactments of the Universal House of Justice.

ARTICLE V
The central office of this Trust shall be located in ....

ARTI CLE VI
The seal of this Trust shall be circular in fom1, bearing the following inscription: National
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is of ....

ARTICLE VII
This Declaration of Trust may be amended by majority vote of the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Baha' is of .. . at any special meeting duly called for that purpose, provided
that at least thirty (30) days prior to the date fixed for said meeting a copy of the proposed
amendment or amendments is mailed to each member of the Assembly by the Secretary.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 699
BY-LAWS OF THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

ARTICLE I
THE National Spiritual Assembly, in the fulfilment of its sacred duties under this Trust,
shall have exclusive jurisdiction and authority over all the activities and affairs of the Baha'i
Cause throughout .. ., including paramount authority in the administration of this Trust.
It shall endeavour to stimulate, unify and coordinate the manifold activities of the Local
Spiritual Assemblies (hereinafter defined) and of individual Baha' is in .. . and by all possible
means assist them to promote the oneness of mankind. It shall be charged with the recognition of such Local Assemblies, the scrutiny of all membership rolls, the calling of the
Annual Meeting or special meetings and the seating of delegates to the Annual Meeting and
their apportionn1ent among the various electoral districts. It shall appoint all national Baha'i
committees and shall supervise the publication and distribution of Baha'i literature, the
reviewing of all writings pertaining to the Baha' i Cause, the construction and administration
of the Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar and its accessory activities, and the collection and disbursement
of all funds for the carrying on of this Trust. It shall decide whether any matter lies within its
own jurisdiction or within the jurisdiction of any Local Spiritual Assembly. It shall, in such
cases as it considers suitable and necessary, entertain appeals from the decisions of Local
Spiritual Assemblies and shall have the right of final decision in all cases where the qualification of an individual or group for continued voting rights and membership in the Baha'i
body is in question. It shall furthermore represent the Baha' is of ... in all their co-operative
and spiritual activities with the Baha 'is of other lands, and shall constitute the sole electoral
body of ... in the election of the Universal House of Justice provided for in the sacred
Writings of the Baha'i Cause. Above all, the National Spiritual Assembly shall ever seek to
attain that station of unity in devotion to the Revelation ofBaha'u'llah which will attract the
confirmations of the Holy Spirit and enable the Assembly to serve the founding of the Most
Great Peace. In all its deliberation and action the National Assembly shall have constantly
before it as Divine guide and standard the utterance ofBaha'u' llah:
It behooveth them (i.e., members of Spiritual Assemblies) to be the trusted ones of the
Mercifitl among men and to regard themselves as the guardians appointed of God for all
that dwell on earth. It is incumbent upon them to take counsel together and to have regard
. for the interests of the servants of God, for His sake, even as they regard their own interests,
and to choose that which is meet and seemly.

ARTI CLE II
The Baha 'is of ... for whose benefit this Trust is established shall consist of all persons of
the age of 15 years or over resident in ... who are accepted by the National Spiritual Assembly as possessing the qualifications of Baha'i faith and practice required under the following
standard set forth by the Guardian of the Faith:

Full recognition of the station of the Bab, the Forerunner; of Baha ' u' llah, the Author; and of' Abdu'I-Baha,
the True Exemplar of the Baha'i religion ; unreserved acceptance of, and submi ssion to, whatsoeve r has been
revealed by their Pen; loyal and steadfast adherence to every clause of 'Abd u' l-Baha's sacred Will ; and close
associati on with the spirit as well as the form of Baha'i Administration throughout the world.

Those residing in the area of jurisdiction of any Local Spiritual Assembly recognized by
the National Assembly may declare their faith to, and be emolled by, the Local Spiritual
Assembly; those living outside any such area oflocal Baha'ijurisdiction shall be emolled in
such manner as shall be prescribed by the National Assembly.
700 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Upon attaining the age of21 years, a Baha'i is eligible to vote and to hold elective office.

ARTICLE III
The National Assembly shall consist of nine members chosen from among the Baha ' is of
... , who shall be elected by the said Baha'is in manner hereinafter provided, and who shall
continue for the period of one year, or until their successors shall be elected.

ARTICLE IV
The officers of the National Spiritual Assembly shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as may be found necessary for the
proper conduct of its affairs. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the entire
membership of the Assembly taken by secret ballot.

ARTICLE V
The first meeting of a newly-elected National Assembly shall be called by the member
elected to membership by the highest number of votes or, in case two or more members have
received the same said highest number of votes, then by the member selected by lot from
among those members; and this member shall preside until the permanent Chairman sha ll be
chosen. All subsequent meetings shall be called by the Secretary of the Assembly at the
request of the Chaim1an or, in his absence or incapacity, of the Vice-Chairman, or of any
three members of the Assembly; provided, however, that the Annual Meeting of the Assembly shall be held at a time and place to be fixed by a majority vote of the Assembly, as
hereinafter provided.

ARTICLE VI
Five members of the National Assembly present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum,
and a majority vote of those present and constituting a quorum shall be sufficient for the
conduct of business , except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, and with due regard
to the principle of unity and cordial fellowship involved in the institution of a Spiritual
Assembly. The transactions and decisions of the National Assembly shall be recorded at each
meeting by the Secretary, who shall supply copies of the minutes to the Assembly members
after each meeting, and preserve the minutes in the official records of the Assembly.

ARTICLE VII
Whenever in any locality of ... , the number ofBaha'is resident therein recognized by the
National Spiritual Assembly exceeds nine, these shall on April 21st of any year convene and
elect by plmality vote a local administrntive body of nine members, to be known as the
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of that community. Every such Spiritual Assembly shall
be elected amrnally thereafter upon each successive 21st day of April. The members shall
hold office for the term of one year or until their successors are elected and qualified.
When, however, the number ofBaha'is in any authorized civil area is exactly nine, these
shall on April 21st of any year, or in successive years, constitute themselves the Local Spiritual Assembly by joint declaration. Upon the recording of such declaration by the Secretary
of the National Spiritual Assembly, said body of nine shall become established with the
rights, privileges and duties of a Local Spiritual Assembly as set forth in this instrument.

SECTION I. Each newly-elected Local Spiritual Assembly shall at once proceed in the
manner indicated in Articles IV and V of these By-Laws to the election of its officers, who
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 701
shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, and such other
officers as the Assembly finds necessary for the conduct of its business and the fulfilment of
its spiritual duties . Immediately thereafter the Secretary chosen shall transmit to the Secretary of the National Assembly the names of the members of the newly-elected Assembly and
a list of its officers.
SECTION 2. The general powers and duties of a Local Spiritual Assembly shall be as set
forth in the writings ofBaha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, and as laid down by
the Universal House of Justice.
SECTION 3. Among its more specific duties, a Local Spiritual Assembly shall have full
jurisdiction of all Baha'i activities and affairs within the local community, subject, however,
to the exclusive and paramount authority of the National Spiritual Assembly as defined
herein.
SECTION 4. Vacancies in the membership of a Local Spiritual Assembly shall be filled by
election at a special meeting of the local Baha'i community duly called for that purpose by
the Assembly. In the event that the number of vacancies exceeds four, making a quorum of
the Local Assembly impossible, the election shall be held under the supervision of the
National Spiritual Assembly.
SECTION 5. The business of the Local Assembly shall be conducted in like manner as
provided for the deliberations of the National Assembly in Article VI above .
SECTION 6. The Local Assembly shall pass upon and approve the qualifications of each
member of the Baha' i community before such members shall be admitted to voting membership; but where an individual is dissatisfied with the ruling of the Local Spiritual Assembly
upon his Baha'i qualifications, such individual may appeal from the ruling to the National
Assembly, which shall thereupon take jurisdiction of and finall y decide the case.
SECTION 7. On or before the 1st day of November of each year the Secretary of each Local
Assembly shall send to the Secretary of the National Assembly a duly certified list of the
voting members of the local Baha'i community for the information and approval of the
National Assembly.
SECTION 8. All matters arising within a local Baha'i community which are of purely local
interest and do not affect the national interests of the Cause shall be under the prima1y jurisdiction of the Spiritual Assembly of that locality; but decision whether a particular matter
involves the interest and welfare of the national Baha'i body shall rest with the National
Spiritual Assembly.
SECTION 9. Any member of a local Baha'i community may appeal from a decision of his
Spiritual Assembly to the National Assembly, which shall dete1mine whether it shall take
jurisdiction of the matter or leave it to the Local Spiritual Assembly for reconsideration. In the
event that the National Assembly assumes jurisdiction of the matter, its findings shall be final.
SECTION 10. Where any dissension exists within a local Baha'i community of such character that it cannot be remedied by the efforts of the Local Spiritual Assembly, this condition
shall be referred by the Spiritual Assembly for consideration to the National Spiritual
Assembly, whose action in the matter shall be final.
SECTION 11 . All questions arising between two or more Local Spiritual Assemblies, or
between members of different Baha'i communities, shall be submitted in the first instance to
the National Assembly, which shall have original and final jurisdiction in all such matters.
SECTION 12. The sphere of jurisdiction of a Local Spiritual Assembly, with respect to
residential qualification of membership, and voting rights of a believer in any Baha' i community, shall be the locality included within the recognized civil limits.
All differences of opinion concerning the sphere of jurisdiction of any Local Spiritual
702 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Assembly or concerning the affiliation of any Baha'i or group of Baha'is in ... shall be
referred to the National Spiritual Assembly, whose decision in the matter shall be final.

ARTICLE VIII
The members of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be elected at an annual meeting to
be known as the National Convention of the Baha'is of ... This Convention shall be held at a
time and place to be fixed by the National Assembly. The National Convention shall be
composed jointly of representatives chosen by the Baha'is of each ... under the principle of
proportionate representation, and the members of the National Spiritual Assembly.
Notice of the annual meeting shall be given by the National Assembly sixty days
in advance in the Convention Call which sets forth the number of delegates assigned to the
various electoral units in proportion to the number ofBaha'is resident in each such unit, to a
total of ... delegates for the Baha'is of ....

SECTION I. All delegates to the Convention shall.be elected by plurality vote. Baha'is who
for illness or other unavoidable reasons are unable to be present at the election in person
shall have the right to transmit their ballots to the meeting by mail. The meeting held in each
... for the election of delegates shall be called by the National Spiritual Assembly and conducted by the Baha' is present under whatever procedure may be uniformly laid down by
said body. Immediately after the meeting a certified report of the election containing the
name and address of each delegate shall be transmitted to the National Spiritual Assembly.
SECTION 2. All delegates to be seated at the Convention must be recognized Baha'is and
residents of the ... represented by them.
SECTION 3. The rights and privileges of a delegate may not be assigned nor may they be
exercised by proxy.
SECTION 4. The recognition and seating of delegates to the National Convention shall be
vested in the National Spiritual Assembly.
SECTION 5. Delegates unable to be present in person at the Convention shall have the right
to transmit their ballots for election of the members of the National Assembly under whatever procedure is adopted by the National Assembly.
SECTION 6. If in any year the National Spiritual Assembly shall consider that it is impracticable or unwise to assemble together the delegates to the National Convention, the said
Assembly shall provide ways and means by which the annual election and the other essential
business of the Convention may be conducted by mail.
SECTION 7. The presiding officer of the National Spiritual Assembly present at the
Convention shall call together the delegates, who after roll call shall proceed to the permanent organization of the meeting, electing by ballot a Chairman, a Secretary and such other
officers as are necessary for the proper conduct of the business of the Convention.
SECTION 8. The principal business of the annual meeting shall be consultation on Baha'i
activities, plans and policies, and the election of the nine members of the National Spiritual
Assembly. Members of the National Assembly, whether or not elected delegates, may take a
full part in the consultation and discussion but only delegates may pa11icipate in the election
of Convention officers or in the annual election of the members of the National Assembly.
All action by the delegates, other than the organization of the Convention, the transmission
of messages to the World Centre of the Baha'i Faith, and the election of the National Assembly, shall constitute advice and recommendation for consideration by the said Assembly,
final decision in all matters concerning the affairs of the Baha'i Faith in ... being vested
solely in that body.
TH E WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U 'L LAH 703
SECTION 9. The general order of business to be taken up at the Annual Convention shall
be prepared by the National Spiritual Assembly in the form of an agenda, but any matter
pertaining to the Baha'i Faith introduced by any of the delegates may upon motion and vote
be taken up as part of the Convention deliberations.
SECTION Jo. The election of the members of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be by
plurality vote of the delegates recognized by the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly, i.e.,
the members elected shall be the nine persons receiving the greatest number of votes on the
first ballot cast by delegates present at the Convention and delegates whose ballot has been
transmitted to the Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly by mail. In case, by reason of
a tie vote or votes, the full membership is not detem1ined on the first ballot, then one or more
additional ballots shall be taken on the persons tied until all nine members are elected.
SECTION J J. All official business transacted at the National Convention shall be recorded
and preserved in the records of the National Assembly.
SECTION 12. Vacancies in the membership of the National Spiritual Assembly shall be
filled by a plurality vote of the delegates composing the Convention which elected the
Assembly, the ballot to be taken by correspondence or in any other manner decided upon by
the National Assembly.

ARTICLE IX
Where the National Spiritual Assembly has been given in these By-Laws exclusive and
final jurisdiction, and paramount executive authority, in all matters pertaining to the activities and affairs of the Baha'i Cause in ... , it is understood that any decision made or action
taken upon such matters shall be subject in every instance to ultimate review and approval
by the Universal House of Justice.

ARTICLE X
Whatever functions and powers are not specifically attributable to Local Spiritual Assemblies in these By-Laws shall be considered vested in the National Spiritual Assembly, which
body is authorized to delegate such discretionary functions and powers as it deems necessary
and advisable to the Local Spiritual Assemblies within its jurisdiction.

ARTICLE XI
In order to preserve the spiritual character and purpose of Baha ' i elections, the practice of
nominations or any other electoral method detrimental to a silent and prayerful election shall
not prevail, so that each elector may vote for none but those whom prayer and reflection
have inspired him to uphold .
Among the most outstanding and sacred duties incumbent upon those who have been
called upon to initiate, direct and co-ordinate the affairs of the Cause as members of Local or
National Assemblies are:
To win by every means in their power the confidence and affection of those whom it is
their privilege to serve, to investigate and acquaint themselves with the considered views,
the prevailing sentiments and the personal convictions of those whose welfare it is their
solemn obligation to promote, to purge their deliberations and the general conduct of their
affairs of self-contained aloofness, the suspicion of secrecy, the stifling atmosphere of
dictatorial assertiveness and of every word and deed that may savour of partiality,
704 THE BAHA'l WORLD

self-centredness and prejudice; and while retaining the sacred right of final decision in their
hands , to invite discussion, ventilate grievances, welcome advice and foster the sense of
inter-dependence and co-partnership, of understanding and mutual confidence between
themselves and all other Baha'is.

ARTICLE XII
These By-Laws may be amended by majority vote of the National Spiritual Assembly
at any of its regular or special meetings, provided that at least fourteen days prior to the date
fixed for the said meeting a copy of the proposed amendment or amendments is mailed to
each member of the Assembly by the Secretary.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA ' U'LLA!-1

3. A PROCEDURE FOR THE CONDUCT OF THE ANNUAL
BAHA'i CONVENTION

ARTICLE VIII of the Model Declaration • Election of the Chaim1an and Secretary
of Trust and By-Laws of a National Spiritual of the Convention, and such other officers as
Assembly (see pp.702-703) presents the may be required, by plurality vote in a secret
essential elements which govern the elec- ballot of the assembled delegates from among
tion, functions and authority of a National their own number.
Baha 'i Convention, the body which consti- • Adoption of the Agenda of Convention
tutes the electoral college for the National (see below).
Spiritual Assembly of its country. •Reading of any message from the Uni-
The purpose of consultation at the Annual versal House of Justice.
Convention is threefold: to arrive at full and
complete knowledge of the current condi- The remaining business of the Convention
tions, problems and possibilities of the Faith follows the order of the Agenda which is
in the country; to give the incoming National adopted, and includes the following elements,
Assembly the benefit of the collective wis- some of which are distributed throughout the
dom, guidance and constructive suggestions period of the Convention.
of the assembled delegates; and to contribute •Presentation of the Annual Report of the
to the unity, in spirit and in action, of the National Spiritual Assembly, including its
entire Baha' i community. financial report, supplemented by the annual
Over the years, national Baha 'i communi- reports of its Committees. It is desirable for
ties have evolved procedures which are these reports to be supplied to the delegates
followed at their National Conventions, and in writing in advance so that only supplewhich vary according to the size of the Con- mentary reports need to be given orally at
vention and the conditions of the country in the time of the Convention. Among these
which it is held. The following is an outline reports, presentations may be made on speof the elements of a typical procedure. cial subjects by well-qualified members or
representatives of the National Assembly or
ORDER OF BUSINESS its Committees or by non-Baha 'i experts
The initial business of the Convention whose exposition is necessary or desirable
follows an order dictated by the priorities of for the information of the delegates.
the business: •Election of the members of the National
• Call to order by the Presiding Officer of Spiritual Assembly. This, in accordance
the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly with the express desire of the Guardian of
(this is usually the Chairman, but could be the Faith, should take place approximately
any member of the Assembly designated by midway during the Convention sessions so
it for the purpose). that the delegates will have the opportunity
• Prayer and devotional readings provided to consult with both the outgoing and incomby the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly. ing Assemblies.
• Opening of the Convention by the Pre- • Approval of any messages from the Considing Officer of the National Spiritual vention to the Universal House of Justice and
Assembly. other institutions, agencies or persons.
• Roll call of the delegates by the Secre- • Consultation on the affairs of the Baha'i
tary of the National Spiritual Assembly. Faith both national and international. Referring
706 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Counsellor Ursula
Miihlschlegel was
among the participants in the National
Convention held in
Athens, Greece, on
25 and 26 April 1987.

to the role of the members of the National delegates. However, the Convention may, by
Spiritual Assembly in this consultation, majority vote, omit or add items, change the
Shoghi Effendi has written: order, or even adopt an entirely new agenda.
Banishing every vestige of secrecy, of
undue reticence, of dictatorial aloofness, CONDUCT OF BUSINESS
from their midst, they should radiantly Every deliberative body, to fulfil its funcand abundantly unfold to the eyes of the tions , must conduct its deliberations in
delegates, by whom they are elected, their accordance with some established rules of
plans, their hopes, and their cares. They order. The procedure here set forth for the
should familiarize the delegates with the National Convention is based upon the provarious matters that will have to be con- cedure aheady adopted for meetings of Local
sidered in the current year, and calmly and Assemblies and communities. It accordingly
conscientiously study and weigh the opin- extends to sessions of the Annual Convenions and judgements of the delegates .... tion the same procedure under which the
delegates, in their other Baha'i activities, are
AGENDA FOR CONSULTATION accustomed to conduct discussions and con-
An agenda for the sessions of the Con- sultation.
vention is usually prepared beforehand by The freedom of each and every delegate
the outgoing National Spiritual Assembly, to take part in discussion and to initiate
including the various matters of national motions is untrammelled save as the undue
Baha'i importance which it feels demand the activity of one delegate might hamper the
attention of the delegates. This agenda will rights of the others. Any necessary limitainclude the items mentioned above and below tion to be placed upon individual discussion
at appropriate times during the Convention. shall be determined by the Chaiiman in the
The Reports of National Committees are absence of any specific motion duly carried
often presented at the times during the con- by majority vote of the delegates themsultation when related subjects are to be selves. It is the duty of the Chaiiman to
discussed. encourage general consultation and make
TI1is agenda should be presented to the possible the active pa1ticipation of the
Convention immediately after the election greatest possible number of delegates.
of the Convention Officers and is usually The Chaiiman has the same power and
adopted by majority vote of the assembled responsibility for discussion and voting upon
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 707
motions as do other delegates. Members of their ballot-papers, the Chairman calls
the outgoing and incoming National Spir- upon the Secretary to collect the ballots.
itual Assembly who are not delegates may 2. The Convention Secretary calls the roll of
participate in the consultation but not vote, delegates , whereupon each delegate in
as is also the case with any representative of turn places his or her ballot in the ballotthe Continental Board of Counsellors who box; and as names are called, those
may have been deputed to attend on behalf ballots received by mail are also placed in
of the Board. the ballot-box by the Secretary of the
Any other person may be given the right National Spiritual Assembly.
to address the Convention, by majority vote 3. When all ballots are cast, the ballot-box is
of the delegates present. But care must be handed to the tellers, who retire from the
taken that such pe1mission is not abused, Convention hall to count the votes and
since the delegates have limited time at their determine the result of the election.
disposal to engage in their vital deliberations. 4. The result of the balloting is reported by
The Chairman shall call for votes by a the tellers to the Convention, and the tellshow of hands or similar means . ers' report is accepted by vote of the
The transactions of the Convention shall Convention.
be recorded by the Secretary, and when 5. A tie vote for the ninth place may be
certified by the Convention officers, shall be broken by a revote between the persons
given to the National Spiritual Assembly. tied, canied out by secret ballot of the
delegates present at the Convention.
ANNUAL ELECTION 6. If a member duly elected to the National
The outgoing National Spiritual Assem- Spiritual Assembly submits his resignably provides the Convention officers with a tion to the National Assembly and his
roll of elected delegates, ballot-papers, a resignation is accepted, his place must be
ballot-box and tellers' report fom1s . filled by a ballot of all the delegates, not
The election is conducted by the Conven- merely those present in the Convention
tion, but delegates unable to attend have the hall. If all delegates are present, then
right to vote by mail. such a by-election can be held while the
The policy governing the appointment Convention is still in session.
of tellers, like other details of Convention 7. The ballots, together with the tellers'
procedure which are not defined in the Con- report, certified by all the tellers, are
stitution of the National Spiritual Assembly, given to the National Spiritual Assembly.
is within the discretion of the National
Assembly to decide. The usual practice is TH E CONVENTION RECORD
for the National Assembly either to ask the The permanent record of each successive
Convention Chairman to appoint the tellers, National Baha' i Convention consists of the
or to appoint them itself. Tellers may be following:
appointed from among the assembled dele- 1. Convention Call as issued by the National
gates or from among Balla ' is who are Spiritual Assembly.
present but are not delegates. 2. List of accredited delegates.
Th e electoral method is as follows: 3. Annual Reports of the National Spiritual
Assembly and of its Conm1ittees.
1. After a period of prayer, the Convention 4. Messages sent to and received from the
Chairman calls upon the delegates to Baha ' i World Centre and other institurecord their votes, during which time tions , agencies and persons.
silence is observed. When all delegates 5. Resolutions and other transactions of the
have had reasonable time to complete assembled delegates.
708 THE BAHA'I WORLD

6. The result of the election of the National the conditions of the Cause in his region and
Spiritual Assembly. with the views of the Baha ' is whom he is
elected to represent.
DUTIES OF D ELEGATES OUTS ID E THE After the Convention each delegate should,
CONVENTION SESSIONS as far as possible, share his experiences and
The National Convention is not a continu- impressions of the Convention with the
ously functioning institution, but the delegates Baha'is in his area.
do have tluáee duties to perfom1 before and During the year, if there is a need for a
after the Convention sessions. by-election to the National Spiritual Assem-
Before the Convention each delegate bly, the delegates will be called upon to vote
should do his best to familiarize hin1selfwith to fill the vacancy.

4. NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1989

The National Spiritual Assembly of Guinea-Bissau. Counsellor Husayn Ardekani is seen
standing on the far left; Counsellor Rolf von Czekus is standing on the far right.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 709

NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1989

The Spiritual Assembly ofMacau. Amatu 'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum is seated centre;
Counsellor Bijan Farid is seated third from right.

1991

The Spiritual Assembly of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
710 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1991

The National Spiritual Assembly of Romania. Amatu 'l-Baha Ril~iyyih Khaman is seated in
the centre.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Czechoslovakia. The Hand of the Cause of God
Dr. 'Ali-Muhammad Varga is standing thirdfi'om right.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 711

NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1991

The National Spiritual Assembly of the West Leeward Islands. Counsellor Ruth Pringle is
seen standing on the far left; Counsellor William Roberts is on the far right.

1992

The National Spiritual Assembly of Angola.
712 THE BAHA'I WORLD

NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baltic States. Th e Hand of the Cause of God
'Ali-Akbar Furutan is seated centre; Counsellor Polin Rafat is standing third ji-om right.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Albania.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U 'LLA H 713

NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1992

The National Spiritual Assembly of Hungmy.

The National Spiritual Assembly of Poland. Amatu 'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khanum is seated
secondfiáom left.
714 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1992

The Regional Spiritual Assembly of the Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, with the Hand of
the Cause Dr. 'Ali-Muhammad Varqa (front row) and Counsellor Paul Semenoff (back row
second from right).

Th e National Spiritual Assembly of Greenland (one member absent). The Hand of the
Cause of God Dr. 'Ali-Muhammad Varqa is seated centre.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 715

NEW NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1992

The National Spiritual Assembly of Bulgaria.

R E-ESTABLISH ED NATIONAL SPIRITU AL ASSEMBLIES

1987

The National Spiritual Assembly of Zaire; re-established 1987.
716 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

RE-ESTABLISHED NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1992

The National Spiritual Assembly of Azerbaijan, re-established 1992. Counsellor Mas 'ud
Khamsi is seen standing centre.

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Congo Republic; re-established 1992. Counsellor
George Allen is seen standing on the far left.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U' LLAH 717
RE - ESTABL.ISHED NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

1992

The National Spiritual Assembly of Niger; re-established 1992.

The Regional Assembly of Central Asia; re-established 1992 (one member absent).
IV
THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

1. INTRODUCTION

SHOGHI Effendi likened the Baha' i Admin- from estrangement and must manifest in
istrative Order to the monument marking the themselves the Unity of God, for they are
resting place of the Greatest Holy Leaf, 1 on the waves of one sea, the drops of one
Mount Carmel. A letter written on his behalf river, the stars of one heaven, the rays of
to an individual believer in Persia, dated one sun, the trees of one orchard, the
6 March 1945, states: flowers of one garden. Should harmony
of thought and absolute unity be non-
The steps of her holy resting-place repreexistent, that gathering shall be dispersed
sent Local Spiritual Assemblies .... The
and that assembly be brought to naught.
columns, that is the pillars, are like the
The second condition: -They must
National Spiritual Assemblies, while the
when coming together turn their faces to
dome, which is raised following the placing
the Kingdom on High and ask aid from
of the columns, symbolizes the Universal
the Realm of Glory. They must then pro-
House of Justice which, in accordance
ceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy,
with the Master's Will and Testament
dignity, care and moderation to express
must be elected by the secondary Houses
their views. They must in every matter
of Justice, that is, the National Spiritual
search out the truth and not insist upon
Assemblies of East and West. 2
their own opinion, for stubbornness and
The Local Assemblies, then, are the base persistence in one's views will lead
of the edifice of the Baha'i World Order. ultimately to discord and wrangling and
During the Ministry of 'Abdu '1-Baha, the truth will remain hidden. The honored
local Assemblies and boards of consultation members must with all freedom express
had been initiated in Persia, Turkistan, the their own thoughts, and it is in no wise
Caucaus, Egypt, India and Burma, England, permissible for one to belittle the thought
France, Germany, and the United States.3 of another, nay, he must with moderation
'Abdu'l-Baha wrote that the obligations set forth the truth, and should differences
incumbent upon the members of consulting of opinion arise a majority of voices must
councils included the following: prevail, and all must obey and submit to
the majority. It is again not pern1itted that
The first condition is absolute love and
any one of the honored members object to
harmony amongst the members of the
or censure, whether in or out of the meetassembly. They must be wholly free
ing, any decision arrived at previously,
though that decision be not right, for such
Bahiyyih Khanum, the daughter of Baha ' u'llah .
2 criticism would prevent any decision
Bahiyyih Kluinum, Th e Greatest Holy l eaf (Haifa:
Baha'i World Centre, 1982), p. 92. from being enforced. In short, whatsoever
3 Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By (Wilmette: Baha'i thing is arranged in harn1ony and with
Publishing Trust, 1987), p. 268-69. love and purity of motive, its result is
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLf\H 719

light, and should the least trace of Baha'is around the world arose to the
estrangement prevail the result shall be summons, "in complete unison, and despite
darkness upon darkness .... If this be so the great diversity in their outlook, customs
regarded, that assembly shall be of God, and languages, the double task of establishing
but otherwise it shall lead to coolness and and of consolidating their local counalienation that proceed from the Evi l cils ... "3 Shoghi Effendi was pleased, but felt
One .... compelled to remind the friends that " ... all
Discussions must all be confined to these administrative activities, however harspiritual matters that pertain to the train- moniously and efficiently conducted, are but
ing of souls, the instruction of children, means to an end, and should be regarded
the relief of the poor, the help of the as direct instruments for the propagation of
feeble throughout all classes in the world, the Baha'i Faith." 4 As further guidance, on
kindness to all peoples, the diffusion of 27 February 1929, Shoghi Effendi wrote to
the fragrances of God and the exaltation the members of the National Spiritual Assemof His Holy Word. Should they endeav- bly of the Baha'is of the United States and
our to fulfill these conditions the Grace of Canada:
the Holy Spirit shall be vouchsafed unto
... the administration of the Cause is to be
them, and that assembly shall become the
conceived as an instrument and not a subcenter of the Divine blessings, the hosts
stitute for the Faith ofBaha'u'llah, that it
of Divine confirmation shall come to their
should be regarded as a channel through
aid, and they shall day by day receive a
which His promised blessings may flow ,
new effusion of Spirit. 1
that it should guard against such rigidity
Shoghi Effendi formalized the creation as would clog and fetter the liberating
of Local Spiritual Assemblies, calling for forces released by His Revelation .... the
their election in a letter to the followers of whole machinery of assemblies, of com-
Baha'u'llah throughout America, Great Britain, mittees and conventions is to be regarded
Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Japan as a means, and not an end in itself; that
and Australia dated 12 March 1923: they will rise or fall according to their
capacity to further the interests, to coordi-
And, now that this all -important Work
nate the activities, to apply the principles,
may ... function vigorously and continuto embody the ideals and execute the
ously in every part of the Baha'i world;
purpose of the Baha'i Faith. 5
that the unity of the Cause of Baha' u ' llah
may remain secure and inviolate, it is of In November, 1931, the New York
the utmost importance that in accordance Baha'i community drafted a document
with the explicit text of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, containing by-laws for Baha'i local assemthe Most Holy Book, in every locality, be blies which Shoghi Effendi accepted as a
it city or hamlet, where the number of pattern for local Baha' i communities. This
adult (21 years and above) declared became the basis for the model document
believers exceeds nine, a local "Spiritual provided by the Universal House of Justice
Assembly" be forthw ith established. To it and printed below.
all local matters pertaining to the Cause
must be directed and immediately referred
ibid. , p. 3 7.
for full consultation and decision. 2 God Passes By, p. 330.
Baha 'i Administration , p. I 03 .
1 5
Shoghi Effendi, Bafia 'f Ad111i11istratio11 (Wilmette: Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Baha 'u '//ah
Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 1960), p. 22-23. (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 9.
720 THE BAHA'i WORLD

2. BY- LAWS OF A LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

WE, the undersigned members of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is of..., desiring to
incorporate this body do hereby adopt the following By-Laws:

ARTICLE I
The Tmstees, i.e., the members of the Spiritual Assembly, recognize that this action has
been taken in full unanimity and agreement. They acknowledge for themselves and on
behalf of their successors the sacred meaning and universal purpose of the Baha'i Faith, the
teachings and principles of which fulfil the divine promise of all former revealed religions.

ART ICLE II
In administering the affairs of the Baha'i religion under this Corporation for the benefit of
the Baha'is of... in accordance with the religious teachings and administrative principles of
this Faith, the Spiritual Assembly shall act in conformity with the functions of a Local Spiritual Assembly as defined in the By-Laws adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly and
published by that body for the information and guidance of Baha' is throughout... 1

ARTI CLE III
The Spiritual Assembly, in the fulfilment of its obligations and responsibilities under this
Corporation, shall have exclusive jurisdiction and authority over all the local activities and
affairs of the Baha'i community of ... , including paramotmt authority in the adminisháation of
this Corporation. It shall be responsible for maintaining the integrity and accuracy of all
Baha'i teaching, whether written or oral, tmdertaken throughout the local community. It
shall make available the published literature of the Faith. It shall represent the community in
relationship to the National Spiritual Assembly, the Universal House of Justice, other local
Baha'i communities and the general public in .... It shall be charged with the recognition of
all applicants requesting membership in the local Baha'i community. It shall pass upon the
right of any and all members of the community whose membership is in question to retain
their status as voting members of the community. It shall call the meetings of the community, including the Baha' i Anniversaries and Feasts, the Meetings of consultation, and the
Annual Meeting at which the members of the Assembly are elected. It shall appoint and
supervise all committees of the Baha'i community. It shall collect and disburse all funds
intended for the maintenance of this Corporation. It shall have full and complete custody of
the headquarters or meeting place of the Baha'i conununity. It shall have exclusive authority
to conduct Baha'i marriage ceremonies and issue Baha' i marriage ce1tificates within the
area of its jurisdiction. It shall report to the National Spiritual Assembly annually, or when
requested, the membership roll of the Baha'i community, for the information and approval
of the National Assembly. The Spiritual Assembly, however, shall recognize the authority
and right of the National Spiritual Assembly to declare at any time what activities and affairs
of the Baha'i community of ... are national in scope and hence subject to the jurisdiction
of the National Assembly. It shall likewise recognize the right of any member of the

Name of country or region.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LL.\1-1 721
community to appeal to the National Assembly for review and decision of any matter in
which the previous decision of the Local Spiritual Assembly is felt by the member to be
contrary to the explicit teachings of the Baha'i Faith or opposed to its best interests. It shall,
on the other hand, have the authority and right to appeal from the decision of the National
Assembly to the Universal House of Justice for review and final decision of any matter
related to the Faith in ....

ARTICLE IV
The Spiritual Assembly, in administering this Corporation, shall ever bear in mind the
idea ls upheld in the sacred Writings of the Baha'i Faith respecting the relationships of a
Spiritual Assembly to its Baha' i community, respecting the relations of Baha'is to one
another in the community, and the relationships ofBaha'is to all non-Baha'is, without prejudice of race, creed or nationality. The Assembly shall therefore above all recognize its
sacred duty to maintain full and complete unity throughout the Baha'i community, to relieve
and comfort the sick and distressed, to assist the poor and destitute, to protect the orphans,
the crippled and the aged, to educate the children of Baha ' is according to the highest
religious and intellectual standards, to compose differences and disagreements among
members of the community, to promulgate the principles of Divine Civilization revealed
by Baha'u'llah, and to promote in every way possible the Baha' i aim of the oneness of
mankind. It shall faithfully and devotedly uphold the general Baha'i activities and affairs
initiated and sustained by the National Spiritual Assembly. It shall co-operate wholeheartedly
with other Local Spiritual Assemblies throughout... 2 in all matters declared by the National
Spiritual Assembly to be of general Baha ' i importance and concern. It shall rigorously
abstain from any action or influence, direct or indirect, that savours of intervention on the
part of the Baha' i body in matters of public politics and civil jurisdiction. It shall encourage
intercourse between the Baha'i community of ... and other recognized Baha' i communities,
issuing letters of introduction to Baha'is travelling from .. . and passing upon letters of introduction issued by other Baha'i Assemblies. It shall regard its authority as a means of
rendering service to Baha'is and non-Baha' is and not as a source of arbiháary power. While
retaining the sacred right of final decision in all matters pertaining to the Baha ' i community,
the Spiritual Assembly shall ever seek the advice and consultation of all members of the
community, keep the community informed of all its affairs, and invite full and free discussion on the part of the community of all matters affecting the Faith.

ARTI CLE V
The Baha'is of ... for whose benefit this Corporation has been established shall consist of
all persons of the age of 15 years or over resident in ... who are accepted by the National
Spiritual Assembly as possessing the qualifications of Baha ' i faith and practice required
under the following standard set forth by the Guardian of the Faith:
Full recognition of the station of the Bab, the Forerunner; ofBaha 'u'llah, the Author; and
of 'Abdu ' l-Baha, the True Exemplar of the Baha ' i religion; unreserved acceptance of, and
submission to, whatsoever has been revealed by their Pen; loyal and steadfast adherence to
every clause of 'Abdu ' l-Baha 's sacred Will; and close association with the spirit as well as
the form of Baha' i Administration throughout the world.
Upon attaining the age of21 years, a Baha'i is eligible to vote and to hold elective office.

Name of cou ntry or region.
722 THE BAHA ' I WORLD
ARTICLE VI
The Spiritual Assembly shall consist of nine Trustees chosen from among the Baha'is
of..., who shall be elected by these Baha'is in a manner hereinafter provided and who shall
continue in office for the period of one year, or until their successors shall be elected.

ARTICLE VII
The officers of the Spiritual Assembly shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chai1man,
Secretary and Treasurer, and such other officers as may be found necessary for the proper
conduct of its affairs. The officers shall be elected by a majority vote of the entire membership of the Assembly taken by secret ballot.

ARTICLE VIII
The first meeting of a newly-elected Assembly shall be called by the member elected to
membership by the highest number of votes or, in case two or more members have received
the same said highest number of votes, then by the member selected by lot from among
those members; and this member shall preside until the permanent Chairman shall be chosen. All subsequent meetings shall be called by the Secretary of the Assembly at the request
of the Chairman or, in his absence or incapacity, of the Vice-Chairman, or of any three
members of the Assembly; provided, however, that the Annual Meeting of the Assembly
shall be held on April 21, in accordance with the administrative principles recognized by all
Baha ' i Assemblies.
SECTION I. Five members of the Assembly present at a meeting shall constitute a quornm,
and a majority vote of those present and constituting a quorum shall be sufficient for the
conduct of business, except as otherwise provided in these By-Laws, and with due regard to
the principle of unity and cordial fellowship involved in the institution of a Spiritual Assembly. The transactions and decisions of the Assembly shall be recorded at each meeting by the
Secretary, who shall have the minutes adopted and approved by the Assembly, and preserve
them in the official records of the Assembly.
SECTION 2. Vacancies in the membership of the Spiritual Assembly shall be filled by
election at a special meeting of the local Baha'i community duly called for that purpose by
the Assembly. In the event that the number of vacancies exceeds four, making a quorum of
the Spiritual Assembly impossible, the election shall be under the supervision of the
National Spiritual Assembly.

ARTICLE IX
The sphere of jurisdiction of the Spiritual Assembly, with respect to residential qualification of membership, and voting rights of a believer in the Baha'i conununity, shall be the
locality included within the civil limits of...

ARTICLE X
SECTION I. In the event that any decision of the Assembly is unacceptable to any member
or members of the community, the Assembly shall, after endeavouring to compose the
difference of opinion, invite the said member or members to make appeal to the National
Spiritual Assembly and notify that body of the condition of the matter and the readiness of
the Assembly to become party to that appeal.
SECTION 2. In the same manner, if any difference arises between the Assembly and
another Local Assembly, or Assemblies, in ... 3 , the Assembly shall report the matter to the
3 Name of country or region .
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAl-I 723
National Assembly and inform that body of its readiness to make joint appeal together with
the other Assembly or Assemblies.
SECTION 3. If, however, the result of such appeal is unsatisfactory to the Spiritual Assembly, or the Assembly at any time has reason to believe that actions of the National Spiritual
Assembly are affecting adversely the welfare and unity of the Baha'i community of... ,
it shall, after seeking to compose its difference of opinion with the National Assembly in
direct consultation, have the right to make appeal to the Universal House of Justice.
SECTION 4. The Assembly shall likewise have the right to make complaint to the National
Spiritual Assembly in the event that matters of local Baha'i concern and influence are
referred to the national body by a member or members of the local community without
previous opportunity for action by the Local Assembly.

ARTICLE XI
The Annual Meeting of the Corporation at which its Trustees shall be elected shall be
held on April 21 , at an hour and place to be fixed by the Assembly, which shall give not less
than fifteen days ' notice of the meeting to all members of the local Baha'i community.
SECTION I. The Assembly shall accept those votes transmitted to the Assembly before the
election by members who by reason of sickness or other wrnvoidable reason are unable to be
present at the election in person.
SECTION 2. The election of members to the Spiritual Assembly shall be by plurality vote.
SECTION 3. All voting m embers of the local Baha' i community are eligible for election as
members of the Spiritual Assembly.
SECTION 4. The Assembly shall prepare an agenda for the Annual Meeting in which shall
be included reports of the activities of the Assembly since its election, a financial statement
showing all income and expenditure of its fund , reports of its conunittees and presentation of
any other matters pertaining to the affairs of the Baha'i community. The Assembly, both
preceding and following the annual election, shall invite discussion and welcome suggestions from the community, in order that its plans may reflect the community mind and heart.
SECTION 5. The result of the election shall be reported by the Spiritual Assembly to the
National Assembly.

ARTICLE XII
In addition to the Ammal Meeting, the Assembly shall arrange for regular meetings of the
Baha' i community throughout the year at intervals of nineteen days, in accordance with the
calendar incorporated in the teachings of the Baha'i Faith.

ARTICLE XIII
The seal of the Corporation shall be circular in fo1m, bearing the following inscription:
The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of... ..

ARTICLE XIV
Alternative 'A '
These By-Laws may be amended by majority vote of the Spiritual Assembly at any of its
regular or special meetings, provided that at least fourteen days prior to the date fixed for the
said meeting a copy of the proposed amendment or amendments is mailed to each member
of the Assembly by the Secretary.
724 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

Alternative 'B'
These By-Laws may be amended only by majority action of the National Spiritual
Assembly, which, in making amendments, does so for the By-Laws of all Local Spiritual
Assemblies throughout.... 4
Name of country or region.

Seven members of the
Local Spiritual Assembly in Loja, Spain,
elected in October
1986. Th e majority of
Assembly members
are Roma.

The Local Spiritual
Assembly of Ashkhabad, Turkm en S. S.R.,
re-formed in 1989 after
a lapse of fif ty years.

Th e Local Spiritual
Assembly of the
Baha 'is of District 10
in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam, elected at
Ri<j.van 1990.
THE WORLD ORD E R OF BAHA'U ' LLAl-l 725

Members of the
Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha 'is of
Johann esburg, South
Africa, consulting during a meeting in 1988.

Children gathered
for Baha 'i classes in
the Local Haziratu 'l-
Quds in Dzitya,
Yucatan , Mexico,
in 1987.

Members of local
youth committees
meeting with the
National Youth Committee of Germany to
cons ult on the Six Year
Plan. Mainz, Germany
March 1987.
726 THE BA HA' i WORLD

A Nineteen Day Feast
being held at the Khaoi-Dang Annex Reji1gee
Camp in Thailand,
in 1987.

Roslyn Buie (in the
wheelchair) reading a
prayer during the
devotional part of the
Naw-Riiz celebrations
held in Port Vila,
Vanuatu, on
21March1992.

Children of Ambano,
Madagascar, singing
during the Naw-Ruz
celebrations held in
their community on
21March1991.
TH E WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAl-I 727

Friends enjoying
the Ayyam-i-Ha celebrations sponsored by
the Local Spiritual
Assembly of San Jose,
California, USA, in
February 1988.

A social activity held
as part of a Weekend
Bahiz 'i School in
Macau in January
1988.

Youngfi-iends providing entertainment
during the Naw-Ruz
celebration held in
Paramaibo, Suriname,
on 2 1 March J988.
v
THE INSTITUTION OF THE
MASHRIQU'L-ADHKAR

1. FOREWORD
BY HORACE HOLLEY

Blessed is he who, at the hour of dawn, centring his thoughts on God, occupied with
His remembrance, and supplicating His forgiveness, directeth his steps to the
Mashriqu 'l-Adhkar and, entering therein, seateth himself in silence to listen to the
verses of God, the So vereign, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Say: The Mashriqu 'l-
Adhkar is each and every building which hath been erected in cities and villages for
the celebration of My praise. Such is the name by which it hath been designated before
the throne ofgl01y, were ye of those who understand.
Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas
MANY discerning minds have testified it into a dynamic striving for unity. The
to the profoundly significant change which Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, when clearly w1derhas taken place during recent years in the stood, gives the world its most potent
character of popular religious thinking. Reli- agency for applying mystical vision or idealgion has developed an entirely new empha- istic aspiration to the service of humanity. It
sis, more especially for the layman, quite makes visible and concrete those deeper
independent of the older sectarian divisions. meanings and wider possibilities of religion
Instead of considering that religion is a which could not be realized until the dawn
matter of turning toward an abstract creed, of this universal age.
the average religionist today is concerned The tern1 "Mashriqu'l-Adhkar" means litwith the practical applications of religion erally, "Dawning-place of the praise of God".
to the problems of human life. Religion, in To appreciate the signficiance of this
brief, after having apparently lost its influ- Baha'i institution, we must lay aside all cusence in terms of theology, has been restored tomary ideas of the churches and cathedrals
more powerfully than ever as a spirit of of the past. The Mashriqu 'l-Adhkar fulfils
brotherhood, an impulse toward unity, and the original intention of religion in each disan ideal making for a more enlightened pensation, before that intention had become
civilization tluáoughout the world. altered and veiled by hwnan invention and
Against this background, the institution belief
of the Masluáiqu'l-Adhkar stands revealed as The Mashriqu'l-Ad.h.kar is a channel
the supreme expression of all those modern releasing spiritual powers for social regenerreligious tendencies animated by social ation because it fills a different function than
ideals which do not repudiate the reality of that assumed by the sectarian church. Its
spiritual experience but seek to transform essential purpose is to provide a conummity
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLA.H 729

meeting-place for all who are seeking to Integral with the Temple are its accessory
worship God, and achieves this purpose by buildings, without which the Mashriqu'linterposing no man-made veils between the Adhkar would not be a complete social inworshipper and the Supreme. Thus, the stitution. These buildings are to be devoted
Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar is freely open to people to such activities as a school for science, a
of all Faiths on equal terms, who now realize hospice, a hospital, an asylum for orphans.
the universality of Baha'u'llah in revealing Here the circle of spiritual experience at last
the oneness of all the Prophets. Moreover, joins, as prayer and worship are allied
since the Baha'i Faith has no professional directly to creative service, eliminating the
clergy, the worshipper entering the Temple static subjective elements from religion and
hears no sermon and takes part in no ritual laying a foundation for a new and higher
the emotional effect of which is to establish type of human association.
a separate group consciousness.

2. THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE MASHRIQU'L-ADHKAR

A LETTER FROM SHOGHI EFFENDI

IT should be borne in mind that the central man-made creeds, each bent, according to
edifice of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, round his way, to observe his rites, recite his
which in the fullness of time shall cluster prayers, perform his ablutions, and display
such institutions of social service as shall the particular symbols of his faith within
afford relief to the suffering, sustenance to separately defined sections of Baha' u' llah's
the poor, shelter to the wayfarer, solace to Universal House of Worship. Far from the
the bereaved, and education to the ignorant, Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar offering such a spectacle
should be regarded apart from these depen- of incoherent and confused sectarian
dencies, as a house solely designed and observances and rites, a condition wholly
entirely dedicated to the worship of God incompatible with the provisions of the
in accordance with the few yet definitely Aqdas and irreconcilable with the spirit it
prescribed principles established by inculcates, the centrnl House of Baha ' i
Baha 'u ' llah in the Kitab-i-Aqdas . It should worship, enshrined within the Mashriqu'lnot be inferred, however, from this general Adhkar, will gather within its chastened
statement that the interior of the central walls, in a serenely spiritual atmosphere,
edifice itself will be converted into a con- only those who, discarding forever the
glomeration of religious services conducted trappings of elaborate and ostentatious cerealong lines associated with the traditional mony, are willing worshippers of the one
procedure obtaining in churches, mosques , true God, as manifested in this age in
synagogues, and other temples of worship. the person of Baha' u'llah. To them will
Its various avenues of approach, all converg- the Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar symbolize the fundaing towards the central hall beneath its mental verity underlying the Baha' i Faith,
dome, will not serve as admittance to those that religious truth is not absolute but relasectarian adherents of rigid fornrnlae and tive, that Divine Revelation is not final but
730 THE BAHA'i WORLD

progressive. Theirs will be the conviction himself, much less to humanity in general,
that an all-loving and ever-watchful Father unless and until translated and transfused
Who, in the past, and at various stages in the into that dynamic and disinterested service
evolution of mankind, has sent forth His to the cause of humanity which it is the
Prophets as the Bearers of His Message and supreme privilege of the dependences of
the Manifestations of His Light to mankind, the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar to facilitate and
cannot at this critical period of their civili- promote. Nor will the exertions, no matter
zation withhold from His children the how disinterested and strenuous, of those
guidance which they sorely need amid the who within the precincts of the Mashriqu'ldarkness which has beset them, and which Adhkar will be engaged in administering the
neither the light of science nor that of human affairs of the future Balla' i commonwealth,
intellect and wisdom can succeed in fructify and prosper unless they are brought
dissipating. And thus having recognized in into close and daily communion with those
Baha'u'llah the source whence this celestial spiritual agencies centring in and radiating
light proceeds, they will irresistably feel from the central shrine of the Mashriqu 'lattracted to seek the shelter of His house, Adhk<ir. Nothing short of direct and constant
and congregate therein, unhampered by interaction between the spiritual forces emaceremonials and unfettered by creed, to ren- nating from this House of Worship centring
der homage to the one true God, the Essence in the heart of the Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar, and
and Orb of eternal Truth, and to exalt and the energies consciously displayed by those
magnify the name of His Messengers and who administer its affairs in their service to
Prophets Who, from time immemorial even humanity can possibly provide the necessary
unto our day, have, under divers circum- agency capable of removing the ills that
stances and in varying measure, mirrored have so long and so grievously afflicted
forth to a dark and wayward world the light humanity. For it is assuredly upon the conof heavenly guidance. sciousness of the efficacy of the Revelation
But however inspiring the conception of of Baha'u'llah, reinforced on one hand by
Baha'i worship, as witnessed in the central spiritual communion with His Spirit, and on
edifice of this exalted Temple, it cannot be the other by the intelligent application and
regarded as the sole, nor even the essential, the faithful execution of the principles and
factor in the part which the Mashriqu ' l- laws He revealed, that the salvation of a
Adhkar, as designed by Baha'u 'llah, is des- world in travail must ultimately depend.
tined to play in the organic life of the Baha' i And of all the institutions that stand associcommunity. Divorced from the social, human- ated with His Holy Name, surely none save
itarian, educational and scientific pursuits the institution of the Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar can
centring around the dependencies of the most adequately provide the essentials of
Mashriqu ' l-Adhk:ar, Baha'i worship, how- Baha 'i worship and service, both so vital to
ever exalted in it conception, however the regeneration of the world. Therein lies
passionate in fervor, can never hope to the secret of the loftiness, of the potency,
achieve beyond the meagre and often transi- of the unique position of the Mashriqu'ltory results produced by the contemplations Adhkar as one of the outstanding institutions
of the ascetic or the communion of the conceived by Baha'u'llah.
passive worshipper. It cannot afford lasting
satisfaction and benefit to the worshipper 25 October 1929
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH

3. THE DEDICATION OF THE FIRST MASHRIQU'L-ADHKAR
OF THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT AND THE INTERNATIONAL
TEACHING CONFERENCE NEW DELHI, INDIA
23 -2 7 DECEMBER 1986

A. REPORT OF THE DEDICATION AND CONFERENCE
NA YSAN $AHBA

Preliminary Activities A silver casket holding dust gathered from
the blessed Shrines of Baha'u'llah and the
Well I dreamed Bab was to be placed into the crown of the
That stone by stone I rear 'd a sacred Jane Prayer Hall arch facing the direction of
A temple, neither Pagod, Mosque, 'Akka, symbolically consummating the prepnor Church, arations that would sustain the next day's
But loftier, simpler, always open door'd dedication of the Temple. Amatu'l-Bah:i
To every breath ji-om heaven, and Truth and ascended the specially erected nine-metre-
Peace and Love and Justice came and high stage to place the casket, contained in
dwelt therein a marble box, in a niche under the apical
(and then despairingly) marble slab of the arch.
I watched my son Rul;iyyih Kh:inum spoke of the signifi-
And those that fo llow 'd loosen cance of the sacred dust, the gift of the
stone Fam stone Universal House of Justice. Then, after the
All my fair work, and Fam the ruins arose chanting of prayers, the friends moved to
The shriek and curse of trampled millions the library in the ancillary building, where
even as in the time before; Amatu'l-Baha presented the architect with
but while I groan 'd an inscribed plaque on behalf of the Indian
From out the sunset pour 'd an alien race Spiritual Assembly, expressing their admira-
Who fitted stone to stone again, tion and appreciation for his work. Finally,
and Truth, Peace, Love and Justice came the group proceeded to the main gate of the
and dwelt therein. Temple lands which was then officially des-
-Alji-ed Lord Tennyson ignated as the Dr. Muh:ijir Gate in tribute to
Hand of the Cause of God Dr. Ral)matu ' llah
On the morning of 23 December 1986, Muh:ijir's great love and services for India.
Amatu ' l-Baha Ri.'il)iyyih Kfoinum entered The events that morning anticipated the
the first Mashriqu'l-Aclhkar of the Indian remarkable five-day convocation of over
sub-continent for the first time since its eight thousand believers gathered in New
completion. The friends present on that Delhi to celebrate the completion of the first
occasion included the Hands of the Cause Bah:i' i House of Worship of the Indian subof God Mr. William Sears and Mr. Collis continent and to behold its dedication to
Featherstone; the Continental Board of public worship by Amatu'l-Baha, the repre-
Counsellors for Asia; the members of the sentative of the Universal House of Justice.
National Spiritual Assembly of India; the Nine months before, the National Assembly
architect, Mr. Fariburz $ahb:i, and his work of India had announced the momentous
team; and a few other invited guests. event in a letter to the Baha ' i world:
732 TH E BAl-IA'i WORLD

The Dedication of the Mother Temple of the Asian Continent, in New Delhi, India,
on 24 December 1986.

Under the loving and inspiring guid- of all who would come. The cornn1ittee
ance of the Universal House of Justice, relied on the invaluable and sacrificial assisthe collective and sacrificial efforts of tance of hundreds of volunteers from around
the Baha'is of India together with their the world to manage all aspects of the preparbrothers and sisters all over the world, ations. With the commencement ofregistration
have drawn nigh the blessed hour of the on 19 December, hundreds of participants
triumphant completion of this mighty edi- stepped forward to offer their services in
fice in the very first year of the new Six various capacities for the events. Thus, the
Year Plan. It is, therefore, with a feeling stage was set.
of profound ecstasy and a deep sense
of gratitude, that we joyfully convey the Welcoming Ceremony
Supreme Body's auspicious announcement to hold the dedication of the Mother FOREVER IN BLOOM
Temple in December 1986. A new flower has blossomed in Asia
But work on the event had begun even And everyone's coming to see
before the announcement. The Dedication For itsji-agrance has perfi1med the planet
Committee had been appointed in 1984, Setting hearts and souls eve1ywhere ji-ee a
immediately procuring the Indira Gandhi symbol of hope for the future
Indoor Stadium-the largest of its kind in A symbol of peace for mankind
Asia-for the conference, reserving accom- In silence rejoicing and quietly voicing
modation for attendees of what was to be the Its praises of all things divine
largest assemblage ofBaha'is ever gathered Forever in bloom, this hea venly flower
on that sub-continent, preparing the pro- A lotus of love, and life-giving power
grarnn1e with all of its subsidiaries, and Beseeching the dead to come forth from
seeing to every logistic detail in order to their tomb
ensure the comfort and fruitful participation And witness the wonder, forever in bloom
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LL..\H 733
So come, and behold now the beauty expansion of the Faith over the Seven Year
Give ear to the unspoken call Plan had been simply a statistical success
For the sweet songs of life-everlasting recorded in reports. That success was
Are now being sung for us all imbued with the breath of life as it unfolded
Let those who are deaf come and listen itself in the coliseum. The participants repre-
Let all who are blind come and see sented 114 nations, with the Indian attendees
As man now commences to transcend providing a microcosm of their subhis senses continent's diversity with delegates from
And learns what it means to be fi"ee every state and territory present. Old friends
were re-united and new friendships were
Forever in bloom, this heavenly flower
kindled as believers shared their unique
A lotus of love, and life-giving power
stories of teaching, service, toil, and sacri-
Beseeching the dead to comeforthfi"om
fice, inspiring each other until the call of
their tomb
welcome drew their attention to the stage,
And witness the wonder, forever in bloom
beautifully designed for the occasion.
Let none then be hindered fi"om coming This opening session was co-chaired by
For who could be sad or forlorn Mrs. Shirin Boman and Counsellor Iraj
Wh ere God and mankind come together Ayman. After their words of greetings and
And faith in the future is born the devotions, the chairman of the National
Let all then rejoice in the vision Assembly of India, Mr. Kishen Khemani,
For darkness is destined to cease gave a stirring welcoming address on behalf
And mankind shall notice the sweet-scented of his hosting community. The special
lotus guests, the Hands of the Cause of God
Proclaiming the promise ofpeace Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Kh:inum, Mr. William Sears, and Mr. Collis Featherstone,
Forever in bloom, this heavenly flower
were introduced and invited to the stage,
A lotus of love, and life-giving power
much to the joy and honour of an audience
Beseeching the dead to comeforthfi"om
that dearly remembered the services rentheir tomb
dered by them and the debt the entire Baha' i
Come witness the wonder,
world owed to them for their leadership in
Forever in bloom
both the promulgation and protection of the
- Tom Shoemaker Cause. In the presence of these precious
Hands, the "Roll Call of the Nations" was
In a letter to the National Spiritual Assembly taken. As each country was announced, a
of India, the Universal House of Justice had representative of that nation came to the
am10unced the theme of the conference that stage. The friends looked on with wonderwould augment the dedication as "The Baha'i ment as believers of every background and
House of Worship dedicated to the Unity race gathered around the seated Hands of the
of God, the Unity of His Prophets, and the Cause. A thunderous applause filled the hall
Unity of Mankind". This conference was as the colourful assemblage on stage was
inaugurated in the Indira Gandhi Stadium on finally completed.
23 December. The precious friends of Iran, unable to
The atmosphere in the stadium was send a representative to the dedication due
charged with profound feelings of pride and to the persecutions in their land, sent a
joy as all gathered together for the first time stirring message and 204 red roses to the
and saw about them the massive strength assemblage, in memory of the 188 friends
that lies in the unity of the Baha'i interna- martyred and the 16 souls still missing at
tional community. For most, the numerical that time. The. flowers , bought through the
734 THE BAHA'i WORLD

contributions of the prisoners and families of professionals who assisted with tlre conthe martyrs, were reverently displayed in struction work, including the hundreds of
two exquisite silver-gilt urns inside the devoted, unskilled labourers who toiled in tlre
Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar. The beautiful letter true spirit of worship.
read, in part: "With overjoyed hearts and
tearful eyes, in utmost joy and anxiety, we
offer sincere greetings to Amatu'l-Bah3 and The Dedication Ceremony
others present in that conference. By this
At times only a whisp, a breath, a comma,
token we feel ourselves spiritually present...
separates us from the world we seek.
Although we are far away over the moun-
We have no need of disguises here,
tains and oceans, we are close to you in heart
may abandon the false limp that solicits pity
and soul."
and walk with head erect, our minds
111e conference was officially inaugurated
unstockinged,
by Amatu ' l-Bah3, who read tlre message of
allowing the unquestioning light
the Universal House of Justice. (For the full
to escort us charitably into the stillness
text of the message please see p.740)
where, though we die with our distinctions,
Rul~iyyih Khanum then addressed the conwe are unjudged and undiminished.
ference herself, sharing spirited words of
It is truth 's way to be disinterested
praise, wisdom, warning, and encouragement,
and death-ah, we will live to die again.
inspiring fmiher delight and enthusiasm into
the hearts of the friends , for both the dedi- What matters is our willingness
cation at hand and their own long-term to lose our ordinary use of eyes,
dedication to the service and teaching work to have our hearts catch fire,
of the Cause. to run forward blind and eager
To familiarise the friends with the physical with our hearts ' ashes driftingjiáom our
surroundings and the intricate structure of hands.
the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, a slide programme Only the purest gesture will suffice.
with running commentary was presented,
Arriving will be wonde1fulcovering the history of the Temple 's conlike being in the cool plush centre of a
strnction and explaining the dimensions and
flower
layout of the Prayer Hall and its ancillary
and becoming its fiáagranc e
buildings.
broadcast in indiscriminate opulence
At this point, Mr. Fariburz $ahba was
intoxicating the lovers
introduced and welcomed to the stage. In a
leading crazed Majniln ecstatically to his
heartfelt speech of praise and tlrnnksgiving,
Layli.
the architect reviewed the incredible story
of the building of the House of Worship, - Roger White
remembering the many precious souls and
institutions that assisted in the complicated The entire day of 24 December 1986, was
process. He expressed his particular indebt- devoted to the dedication of the Mother
edness to his wife, Mrs. Golnar $ahb3, Temple of India. Three consecutive services
whose loving support and spirit as botlr were held in order to accommodate all of the
spouse and working partner was invaluable beloved friends. Amatu'l-Baha Ru~iyyih
in allowing him to carry forward his services Khanum, who was to offer the dedicatory
towards the raising of the Mashriqu'l- speech on behalf of the Universal House of
Adhkar. A wave of applause was raised as Justice, graced all three gatherings with her
he asked her to share the stage with him. presence, offering that Supreme Body's
Mr. $ahba went on to refer to the many words of dedication to all.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAl-I 735
The first service was particularly notable Justice, I have the great honour of dedias about 400 special guests from around cating this Mother Temple of the Indian
the world witnessed the dedication in the sub-continent to public worship. Conpresence of Mr. Sears and Mr. Featherstone ceived in the hearts of a handful of early
-such people as the Lieutenant-Governor Bah:i'is in Bombay, in 1920, who petiof Delhi, India's Foreign Secretary, the tioned 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Head of their
Ambassadors of Canada, Denmark, and the Faith, the son of its Founder, Bahi'u'llah,
United States of America, the First Secretary that a Temple be raised in His name in
of the Embassy of the Union of Soviet India; blessed from its very inception,
Socialist Republics, the ranking representa- almost 70 years ago, by 'Abdu'l-Bahi,
tive of the Vatican Mission to India, high Who prayed that by the Will of God
ranking officials from the Embassy of a majestic Mashriqu 'l-Adhkar-literally
China, judges of the Indian High Court, "the Dawning Place of the mention of
representatives of the project's consultants God"-should be erected in one of the
and contractors, and many others. central cities of India; confirmed in this
The service opened with a beautiful selec- mighty enterprise by the Guardian of the
tion of devotions. Amatu'l-Bahi then spoke Baha'i Faith himself, who stipulated that
words of dedication. Her brief speech and this Temple must be erected in New
selection of Writings, partially based on the Delhi, and made the purchase of its site
message prepared by the Guardian for the one of the goals of his world-encompassdedication of the House of Worship in ing Crusade; initiated through a message
Wilmette, included the only comment made of the Universal House of Justice to the
to the friends in the Prayer Hall: Baha'is of the world in 1974, conveying
the glad tidings that the construction of
On behalf of the Supreme Body of the this historic House of Worship in this part
Baha'i Faith, the Universal House of of Asia would be commenced during the

I I I

The three Hands of the Cause of God present at the Dedication of the Temple in India:
William Sears, Amatu '!Bahri Riihiyyih Khanum, and H. Collis Featherstone.
736 THE BAHA'I WORLD

coming five years, and all the preliminar- the guidance and salvation of all mankind."
ies and initial excavations be completed The assemblage then rose as Amatu'l-Bahci
within that period; reared through the shared brief but stitTing selections from the
sacrificial and loving contributions not Prayers and Meditations ofBahci'u 'llah.
only of the Indian Baha'is but their fellow Next, selections from the Sacred Scripbelievers from every country, telTitory, tures of the world were eloquently shared in
and major island of the globe, now this English, Persian, Hindi, and Sanskrit. These
glorious marble lotus, this exquisite sym- were interspersed with music provided by
bol of the purity, beauty, perfection, and choirs made up of more than one hundred
mercy that comes to all men from their people who had come together from various
Creator, enfolds us tenderly in her breast, parts of the world to help make the dedicabidding us unite in peace, welcoming tion services unique and unforgettable. Baha'is
within her doors peoples of all creeds, all and non-Baha' is, professionals and amateurs
races, all nations and all classes, and joined the English, Hindi or Persian choir,
proclaiming to all men that this Temple is the three bodies singing separately, in unidedicated to the three fundamental verities son, and in various combinations. The
animating and underlying the Baha'i English and Persian choirs were conducted
Faith-the unity of God, the unity of His by Mr. Tom Price and Mr. Bijan Khadem-
Prophets, the unity of mankind. Missagh respectively. The Hindi choir holds
She concluded by saying, "I greet and a special place in the Temple's history because
welcome you within these walls on behalf of of its connection to one of the world's noted
the Universal House of Justice, and invite classical musicians and India's greatest sitaryou to share with us the words recorded in ist, Pandit Ravi Shankar. His is one of the
the Sacred Scriptures which we believe to be Temple ' s love stories.
repositories of the eternal and fundamental Pandit Shankar had been approached
truths revealed by God in various ages for several months before the dedication by the

Three choirs p e1forming during the services of worship inaugurating the Moth er Temple of
the Indian Sub-Continent at New Delhi, 24 December 1986.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 737
members of the committee, requesting him fountains, and gardens. In a cable to the
to consider playing the sitar at one of the Baha'i World Centre, Amatu'l-Baha expressed
conference sessions . He declined the invita- her feelings of the " .. .Inestimable privilege
tion to play at the stadium, but upon hearing attend all three packed services heart our
of the purpose of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, lotus Temple". Indeed, she was so inspirited
the principles of unity that went into its lotus by the choirs' performance that she persondesign, and upon seeing photographs of the ally invited the singers to the conference hall
Temple, he told the friends that he felt the in the ancillary building, sharing her feelings,
prayer hall was imbued with a special and saying, "Today in this House of Worship I
beautiful spirit, the unifying attributes of can begin to appreciate the meaning of
which he felt he could capture through a Baha'i choir and the true value of having
combination of his music, the Sacred Scrip- only the human voice in the Prayer Hall in
tures, and the bringing together of singers the Baha'i Temples. I am grateful to each
from around the world. Had they asked him one of you. It was truly a heavenly perforto play at the Temple, he said, he would mance." She requested that her gratitude be
have gladly accepted. The friends were then forwarded to Pt. Shankar as well.
faced with the dilemma of having such a No soul attending the functions of that
wonderful offer and yet having to inform day could have asked for anything more.
Pt. Shankar that only a capella music can Attendants, volunteers, organisers, guests;
be used in the Prayer Hall of a Baba' i House all left the tráanquil grounds revitalised and
of Worship, when the musician suddenly emboldened, prepared to celebrate this latest
expressed that, in his opinion, only the voice victory of the Faith with two days of orations,
of man should be used to praise God in such drama, and music. Those who attended the
a spiritual place! final session of dedication had the added
Pt. Shankar visited the Mashriqu'l-Adh- p1ivilege of witnessing the Mashriqu '1-Adhkar
kar shortly thereafter-a visit that confirmed in full illumination- breathtaking and awardthe importance of the task at hand for him. winning lighting that created the ethereal
He became completely enamoured with the effect of a blooming flower floating on
beauty and purpose of the Temple, whole- water. It was a symbolically apt coincidence
heartedly setting to work on the music and that the close of the day's dedicatory obserexpecting to conduct the choir, too. Alas, vances saluted the beginning of the com-
Pt. Shankar suffered a severe heart attack memoration of the Birth of Christ. It was
shortly before the week of the dedication .. To undoubtedly a Christmas Eve that the friends
the ceaseless gratitude and admiration of would always cherish.
the friends, however, he composed the final
passages of the music in his hospital bed, The International Teaching Conference
because of the great importance he attached
to the Temple and its dedication. Mr. Asit Oh lotus in the heart!
Desai, Pt. Shankar's personal assistant, Growing up ji-om the soil
conducted the Hindi choir with great suc- Of mother India,
cess. The three choirs raised their voices in Drawing deep springs
glorious notes, melting the hea1is and setting Up ji-om the depths of Asia,
ablaze the souls of all those present. Rising a mighty fountain
Tears of joy and thanksgiving flowed as Of mystic power unseen
the beloved friends were imbued with the Felt, almost heard,
total effect of the transcendent Writings, the As it over flows
celestial music, and the majestic tabernacle From petals clasped in prayer
itself, with its serene surroundings of pools, To cany the voices
738 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Of the singers praising God The progress of the Cause in the world, in
To be scattered far and wide Asia, and in India was carefully assessed by
By the scattering angels- three members of the Continental Board of
Armfuls ofprayer they cany Counsellors ; Dr. Peter Khan, Mr. Vicente
Like panniers of invisible flowers Samaniego, and Mrs. Zena Sorabjee, respec-
Scattering the Words of God tively. Counsellor Burhani'd-Din Afshin
Scattering His Glorious Words spoke stirringly on the essential role of sacri-
Up to the snow clad Himalayas fice in Baha'i service.
Down to the lapping edge of the seas At the first session of the conference the
A rain ofperfi1me secretary of the National Assembly oflndia,
A rain of blessing Mr. Ramnik Shah, introduced representaft seeps into eve1y crevice tives of the tribal people of the sub-continent
Showers every jungle who spoke eloquently of what the Faith of
Spatters the deserts ' sands God meant to them and to their peoples. The
Passes above every meadow Continental Pioneer Committee for Asia
Blows into every cave! presented its goals in an informative address
The scattering angels by Mr. Kueh Lip Kuang.
Rank on rank, file on file, All of these conference talks were ac-
Deploying the promise cented by cultural performances presented
Of their Lord the Almighty. by artists from around the world. Every state
-Amatu'l-Baba Ru~iyyih Khanum of India was represented through indigenous
folk or classical dances , songs, and drama;
The two-day conference was both lively and devotional programmes were given by the
enlightening. The sessions were chaired by children attending the conference; the youth
Mrs. Shirin Fozdar, Dr. Singara Velum, oflndia and Malaysia were specially featured
Mr. Douglas Martin, Judge James Nelson, at one session. Prominent Baha' i recording
and Mr. Bharat Koirala, all of whom skil- a1tists entertained the friends with their music.
fully wove together the diverse programme Throughout the days of the conference,
of serious discussion and light cultural extra-sessional activities occupied the friends
presentations . and provided them with opportunities to
All three of the blessed Hands of the give and share the joy and exuberance they
Cause were again present at the conference. imbibed from the dedication.
Amatu ' l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum spoke fur- A complete tent city had been erected
ther on the theme of the dedication and the near the Temple grounds, accommodating
significance of Asia 's House of Worship. four thousand of the believers who had come
Mr. Sears shared an endearing presentation to attend the sessions. This unique complex
on the infallible station of the Universal played host to an outdoor cultural evening of
House of Justice and that sacred Body's colourful performances by a variety of
influence upon the world. Mr. Featherstone ethnic groups. It also gave rise to numerous
elevated the minds of the delegates with a teaching opportunities as people were atpenetrating talk on spiritual values. racted by the unity shown amongst the
A touching highlight of the conference Baha'is of different backgrounds.
was the sharing of the message of the late A children's conference ran parallel to the
Hand of the Cause of God, Mr. Dhikru 'llah plenary sessions, from 23 to 26 December,
Khadim, by his wife, Mrs. Javidukht providing a full-time forum for the youngest
Khadim. Mr. Khadim, who was to have been Baha'is attending the dedication. Their proa keynote speaker at the conference, passed gramn1e included a special dedicatory service
away just five weeks before the dedication. at the House of Worship on 26 December.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 739
Prior to the dedication, on 22 December, by mid-day, it seemed that the curiosity and
Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum had ad- wonderment of the public could not be condressed the media at a press conference held tained any longer. Thousands of people,
at New Delhi's finest hotel. All the leading many of whom lived in the vicinity of the
newspapers of India had been represented, Temple and had witnessed the beautiful
resulting in at least two features, stories, or events of the days gone by, gathered at the
photographs appearing in each paper. The Dr. Muhajir Gate and around the perimeter
electronic media present for the dedication of the Temple lands until such a multitude
events included All India Radio, the British had amassed that could be contained no
Broadcasting Corporation's Radio and Tele- longer. The gathering was let in and large
vision, and other news service agencies groups were infom1ed of the purpose of
whose materials were disseminated world- the Temple. The surprised visitors passed
wide. A group of Baha' i media professionals through the Prayer Hall with the greatest of
from Australia and the United States volun- respect, astonishing the friends with their
teered and excelled in dealing with the media, reverence and their innate awareness of the
giving invaluable support to the dedication sanctity of that precious Fane.
committee. During the evening of the 27th, a public
On 27 December the friends who could meeting and cultural programme was held,
remain in New Delhi experienced a number chaired by Mrs. Meherangiz Munsiff and
of unique events that once again accented including an introduction to the Faith by
the remarkable functions of the preceding Mr. P.N. Mishra. The entertai11111ent included
days. The day began with dawn prayers at a ballet, an indigenous American dance, a
the Mashriqu' l-Adhkar, drawing the friends multi-media presentation on The Promise of
to that cherished House for one final offer- World Peace, classical Indian dances, pering of prayer before the gates were opened formances by American composers, and the
to the public of India and the world. And yet singing of the theme song of the conference.

@=!!!!jil

BAHAI HOUSE OF
Amatu 'l-Baha Ruhiyyih Khtinum on 23 December 1986, addressing the opening session of
the International Teaching Conference held in Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, India.
740 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Once again, the friends joined hearts, enjoying Delhi prepared themselves for an entirely new
their final moments together before returning phase of Baha'i service, the glories of which
to their respective homes and sharing the would only be manifest in the months and
spirit of those precious days with the rest of years ahead. That-still unbelievable-service
the Baha' i world. began when the Lotus ofBahapur blossomed
The remaining days of 1986 passed silently out to public worship on New Year' s Day,
for India's mother Temple. The fri ends ofNew 1987. And thus it remains, forever in bloom.

B. MESSAGE OF THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE

With feelings of intense joy and humble embarked upon major national teaching
gratitude we hail congregation followers plans as parts international enterprise, these
Baha' u' llah assembled in thousands from achievements now crowned with signal viceast and west on this memorable occasion tory completion Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in Delhi
inauguration Mother Temple Indian Sub- from which praise of God will resound
continent. Thi s magn ificent ed ifi ce raised throughout world, confer particular blessing
Asiatic continent, cradle principal religions continent Asia , which has for so many years
mankind, just dedicated for public worship, been deprived of this divine institution.
is befitting tribute to Baha' u' ll ah, Glory of These successive victories bestowed upon
God, testifying to His unfa iling promises, smal l but vigorous Baha' i community, animanifold bless ings and abiding protection mated by Holy Spirit, assured of unbounded
vouchsafed generations His devoted fo llow- confirmations from on high and motivated
ers who responded His call, toil ed in H is by love of Beloved of the world and Desire
vineyard , offered their li ves in path His love, of the nations, will be step nearer glorious
sacrifi ced the ir comfort, wealth and position future presaging still greater triumphs
to promote His Cause, establish His institu- Baha'i community which will draw upon its
tions and unfurl His banner of uni ty and hidden and great potential in promoting
tranquility amongst mankind. Faith and conferring immortal fame servants
Outstanding achievements recent past Blessed Beauty. We earnestly renew our ferwhen, thanks to courage, steadfastness and vent plea to those participating this festive
self-abnegation Baha' i community land its occasion as well as to all Baha'is around
birth, Faith Baha'u'llah has dramatically world to arise in thanksgiving, consecrate
attracted worldwide attention , when com- themselves to arduous but eternally rewardmunities Greatest Name have resolutely ing services to Cause God and concentrate
crossed threshold fourth epoch Formative their efforts and resources to execution and
Age Baha ' i Dispensation, when National triumphant conclusion projected historical
Spiritual Assemblies, as ev idence their mat- venture during critical brief years separating
uration have, for first time, devised and us from centenary Ascension Baha'u' llah.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA°U 'LLA H 741

The Lotus of
Bahapur...

" ... exquisite symbol of the purity, beauty,
pe1fection, and mercy that comes to all men
from their Creator .. . "

The Mother Temple
of the Indian Sub-
Continent.
The Dawning Place
of the Mention of
God.
742 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In the heart of
New Delhi, the
Baha'i Temple offers
an oasis of silence
and peace.

Like a lotus flow er
glimmering on a
tranquil pond, the
Mashriqu 'l-Adhkar
was designed to
represent that
ancient symbol
ofpurity.

Part of the
Temple's beauty lies
in its simplicity, with
water and light being
the only elements of
ornamentation.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH

4. THE TEMPLE OF BAHAPUR AS SILENT TEACHER
ELIZA RA S IWAL A

IN the heart of New Delhi, the bustling construction activity at Bahapur. The inscrucapital of India, a lotus-shaped outline has table wisdom of the Almighty had ordained
etched itself on the consciousness of the the site of the "Dawning Place of the
city's inhabitants, capturing their imagination, Remembrance of God" to be named Bahapur
fuelling their curiosity, and revolutionising - "Abode of Light"-long before its acquithe concept of worship . This is the Baha' i sition by the National Spiritual Assembly of
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, better known as the India.
"Lotus Temple". With the break of every new
day, an ever-rising tide of visitors surge to Paradise of Abba
its doorsteps to savour its beauty and bask in In a land renowned for its temple architecits serenely spiritual atmosphere. ture, Mr. Farfburz ~ahba, the architect of the
From its dedication to public worship in Baha' i Temple of Bahapur, was faced with
December 1986 to the end of the Six Year a tremendous challenge-"to design a tem-
Plan in April 1992, this Mother Temple of ple which would reflect the rich cultural
the Indian sub-continent saw more than heritage of India, and, at the same time be
thirteen million people cross its threshold, compatible with the cardinal principle of the
making it the most visited edifice in India in Baha' i Faith, that is, the unity of religions".
a short span of five years- surpassing even The challenge also provided him with
the number of visitors to the Taj Mahal. "a most unusual and remarkable chance of
From its high-perched pedestal, this "Lotus" witnessing the power ofBaha ' u ' llah 's Revecast its benevolent glance over vast green lation". After prayers and an avid search
lawns and avenues covering an expanse throughout India for two years, he was
of twenty-six acres of land. Its soothingly guided towards a concept. As an evocative
quiet Prayer Hall and tranquil surroundings symbol of beauty and purity, representative
touched the hearts of its numerous visitors, of divinity, the lotus flower remains unsurawakening in them a desire to trace its inspi- passed in the Indian iconography. Rising up
rational source and capture a bit of its peace pure and unsullied from stagnant water, the
for themselves. lotus represents the Manifestation of God.
The saga of this House of Worship on the Undoubtedly inspired by the Spirit of the
Indian sub-continent began in 1953 , when Greatest Name, the architect used this
five adjacent plots of land were acquired at ancient Indian symbol to create a design of
the behest of the beloved Guardian of the ethereal beauty and apparent simplicity,
Faith, Shoghi Effendi, through the sacrificial belying the complex geometry underlying its
contributions of one of the lovers of the execution in concrete form.
Blessed Beauty, Baha'u'llah. Not until 1976, Twentieth century architecture has been
however, were plans made in earnest to raise characterised by a high degree of technologa Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in the "Name of the ical prowess; however, it has been, by and
Lord of Revelation". The edifice itself came large, unexceptional in aesthetic value. The
into existence through the universal partici- Lotus Temple provides one of the rare
pation and sacrifices of Baha' is from every exceptions with its remarkable fusion of
comer of the world. The period from April ancient concept, modern engineering skill
1980 to December 1986 witnessed intense and architectural finesse, making it the focus
744 THE BAHA'I WORLD

of attention amongst engineers and archi- magnificent Seat of the Universal House
tects the world over. of Justice on Mount Carmel. The same
The 27-petaled flower, which has an Pentelikon marble, quarried in Greece, was
enormous expanse of exposed concrete used for the outer surface of the concrete
surface-approximately 20,000 square petals. Ten thousand square metres of it was
metres- is clad in gleaming white marble on transported all the way to Italy to be cut by
the outside with a brush-hammered inner the renowned firn1 of Industria dei Marrni
surface executed manually, dispensing with Vicentini into designed sections, to a prethe need for plaster or paint. A discerning cision which allowed perhaps only a
eye would perceive that there is not a single millimetre of leeway for the curved smface
straight line in the lotus stmcture. The thin of the petals. The complete confidence in the
concrete shells of the petals all have curved skill of the firm for such work was not
surfaces. The innermost bud of nine petals misplaced; it was the same company which,
rises to an elevation of 34.3 metres above back in 1955, had been entrusted by the
the inner podium. Each outer leaf is 15.4 Guardian with the dressing of the marble for
metres wide and rises up to 22.5 metres, the International Archives Building.
whilst the entrance leaf is 18.2 metres wide The architect, Mr. $ahba, who doubled
at the entrance and 7.8 metres high. Despite as Project Manager during the construction
its massive dimensions, from afar it appears phase, was ably supported by a team of
as fragile as a fresh bloom. assistants, engineers, and workers, Baha 'i as
Awe-inspiring as these proportions are, well as non-Baha'i, during the different
the inside of the structure evokes no less phases of the project. The highly reputed
awe. Spanning a diameter of 35 metres, the firm of Flint and Neill, of London, collabo-
Central Hall, serving as the sanctum sanc- rated as stmctural consultants. The main
torum of the Temple, with a seating capacity contractors were Messrs. Larsen and Toubro,
of 1,300, is adorned with nine arches placed and the ECC Conshuction Group of India
at angular intervals of 40 degrees which bear (the two companies later merged), with their
almost the entire load of the superstmcture. team of 40 engineers and supervisors.
The interior dome is designed similarly to Together with other contractors and departthe i1me1most pattern of the flower, to facili- mental labourers, about 800 workers toiled day
tate natural light to filter in. and night to construct the House of Worship.
Circling the flower on the outside are Without the use of sophisticated equipnine pools of limpid water closely emulating ment, the extremely complex design called
the floating green leaves of the lotus, for the highest order of engineering ingenuity
enhancing the Temple's beauty and provid- and traditional workmanship. No wonder
ing natural ventilation for its interior. then, that the Lotus Temple, as a symbol of
Glittering as a jewel at night in its specially faith and human endeavour expended in the
designed external illumination, it gives one path of God, became the recipient of
the feeling of a lotus afloat on water and not accolades and world-wide acclaim. The first
anchored to its foundations. With water and international distinction came its way soon
light the only elements of ornamentation, after completion, when the International
part of this edifice's beauty lies in its Federation for Religious Art and Architecsimplicity. ture, based in the United States, conferred
The thought of Pentelikon marble con- upon Mr. $ahba the award for "excellence in
jures up a vision of the Parthenon, the religious art and architecture for 1987".
Temple of Athena, which was so greatly In 1988, the edifice received its second
admired by the beloved Guardian, Shoghi international award, this time for its struc-
Effendi. It conjures up a vision of the hual design from the Institute of Shi.1ctural
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 745

Engineers of the United Kingdom. The cita- and Central America, Europe, Africa, Austion award reads: "For producing a building tralia, and Western Samoa each reflect the
so emulating the beauty of a flower and pristine beauty and freshness of the Faith
so striking in its visual impact". When and attract spiritual energies. This flowering
Mr. James Arn1strong, the President of the of Baha 'i architecture was fmiher perpetu-
ISE, visited the Temple in 1990, he ated by the blossoming of the 'Lotus of
remarked that in retrospect their award Bahapur'.
seemed inadequate for so sublime a building. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in New Delhi,
In 1988, the Illuminating Engineering Society however, occupies a unique position. Not
of North America conferred its international only does it embody the spiritual aspirations
award on the Temple for the excellence of its and basic beliefs of the world-wide Baha'i
outdoor illumination. In 1990, the American community, but significantly, in a land of
Concrete Institute awarded the Temple for myriad religions, it has begun to be seen as
being one of the finest concrete structures built. providing a unifying link, bringing divergent
The value of beauty and symmetry in thoughts into harmony by virtue of its princiarchitecture by itself is not sufficient to im- ple of oneness-of God, religion, and mankind.
imortalize a building. What is important is This perhaps is the secret of its unabated
the response the structure evokes in the popularity.
hearts of the people. Ravi Shankar, the sitar The formal dedication of the House of
maestro, was "so deeply moved visiting this Worship by Amatu'l-Baha RUJ.llyyih Khanum
great beautiful place that I find no words saw 8,000 Baha'is from all over the world
to express my feelings". All that Dizzy gathered together in New Delhi. (See also
Gillespie, the cherished Baha'i and jazz musi- p.731.) Their colour and diversity were recian could exclaim was, "I still can't believe flective of the variety and beauty of flowers
it! It is God's work". An Indian diplomat was blossoming in the gardens of the Temple.
moved to describe the Temple as a "symbol Their example set a precedent for the forthof spiritual refinement of mankind". Indeed, coming years when millions of visitors of all
the construction of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar hues would throng to the Temple from every
of Bahapur was another significant chapter paii of the globe.
in the making of Baha'i history on the Indian Against the backdrop of a religious milieu
sub-continent. which encourages the fragmentation of the
Supreme Reality into innumerable gods and
Divine Sanctuary goddesses each personifying a specific attri-
Be obedient to the command ofBaha'u'llah, bute of the Almighty, the Baha'i Temple,
enshrined in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, "O people with its total absence of idols, elicits beof Creation, build ye houses as perfect as wilderment as well as favourable response.
can be built on earth in the Name of Him When the Dr. Muhajir Gate (main entrance)
who is the Lord of Revelation ... ", BaM' is was first opened to the general public on
have endeavoured to their utmost to build 1 January 1987, visitors flocked to the "Lotus
Houses of Worship as beautiful and distinc- Temple" out of sheer curiosity. The vast
tive as possible. They have been inspired by lawns, the massive white structure, the highthe divine outpourings from the Pen of the ceilinged Central Auditoriun1 and a Temple
Ancient Beauty and the beloved Master and without idols standing so near to the ancient
by the noble example set by the Guardian of "Kalkaji Temple" aroused the interest of all.
the Faith who initiated the process of raising The Indian visitors, from the most urbane
up the magnificent edifices of the Adminis- to the most simple rural folk, expressed
trative Order of Baha'u'llah on God's Holy pe1plexity at the absence of any deity. It
Mountain. The Houses of Worship in North became a challenge to explain to them the
746 THE BAHA'I WORLD

all-pervasive nature of the Creator which their souls began to respond to the gentle
defies deification. Many times guides helping nudgings of the ineffable atmosphere prevato maintain decmum inside the Prayer Hall lent in the Temple, and the visitors from
were startled into action by the astonished these countries began to respond to the
exclamations of visitors wondering aloud Teachings of the Blessed Perfection.
where the object of adoration was. Some of Altogether, a remarkable number of dignithem, in their simplicity, paid obeisance to taries were received at the House of Worship
the lectern, suneptitiously placing a flower between December 1986 and April 1992. If
or two-an amusing as well as a touching a list were to be compiled, it would read like
sight! A wed by the beauty and grandeur of a directory of prominent people of the world:
the edifice, they struggled to grasp the spir- Heads of State, Government Ministers,
itual significance of this material structure. Ambassadors, Heads of foreign missions,
As understanding dawned, a typical Heads of the Armed Forces, diplomats, leadrefrain became: "Few temples radiate the ers of religion, scholars, academicians, and
atmosphere of sublimity, peace and calm artists.
so necessary to elevate a devotee spiritually No matter what the identity of the visias the Baha ' i House of Worship". Other tors, from the Orient or the Occident, from
repeated comments included: "where there North or South, of humble origins or exalted
is silence, the spirit is eloquent..." and positions, all have been unanimous in their
" ... one feels one is at last entering into the appreciation of the physical grandeur as well
estate of the soul, the state of stillness and as the lofty purpose of the House of Worpeace". The visitors were aided in their ship. One of the visitors commented: "The
efforts by the serenity of the Prayer Hall and most beautiful experience. Its magnificence,
tl1e assistance of volunteer guides and staff charm and glamour are awe-inspiring. It
who explained to them the raison-d 'etre of reflects the dream of all humanity to bring
the Temple. The innate sense ofreverence of together a new civilisation for all people."
the Indian for the Omnipresence often mani- One of the renowned visitors from India
fested itself in the act of reverently touching opined "Architecturally, ariistically, ethically,
the steps leading into the Prayer Hall. the edifice is a paragon of perfection .... "
The visitors from the West often came The Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar is so impressive,
to critically appraise a structure which had both materially and spiritually, that it serves
gained fame as a marvel of 20th century to enhance the authority, dignity, and meaning
architecture. For them it was sometimes of the Cause of God. It effectively creates
a grudging, sometimes a spontaneous reali- an atmosphere of openness, preparing the
sation that the phenomenon called faith visitor to hear its message ... "My visit has
transcends logic and that the universal ethic aroused great interest in the teachings of
of 'love ' envelops all. They too were Baha'u'llah. That harmony is the primary
humbled at this altar of faith and love. purpose of religion is the teaching that has
As the Temple's fame began to spread, it impressed most." "I am deeply impressed
gained prominence in Indian official circles by the humanism and universalism of the
as well as amongst officials of several diplo- Baha'i religion."
matic missions based in Delhi, particularly The aura of silence sunounding the Prayer
the Embassies of the Soviet Union, Vietnam, Hall instills reverence. Some were moved
and China, which gradually included the by what they termed as 'eloquent silence ';
Temple on the itinerary of visiting dignitar- others said that the 'divine atmosphere'
ies. Primarily, their interest was focused on inside touched the heart. All were affected in
the beautiful edifice with sceptical disregard various degrees by the peace and beauty of
for its spiritual significance. But slowly, the sanctum.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U 'LLAH 747

The British High
Commissioner in Delhi,
Sir David Goodall,
being shown a booklet
about the Faith during
his visit to the Balui 'i
House of Worship in
New Delhi, India, in
Janua1y 1989.

The Patriarch of the
Romanian Orthodox
Church, His Holiness
Theoctist, being
escorted to the Temple
for an official visit in
January 1989.

Th e Assistant
Permanent Representative of Haiti to the
United Nations,
Mr. á Roger Ravix,
visiting the Temple on
17 February 1989.
748 THE BAHA'I WORLD

The Prime Minister
of Sri Lanka,
Mr. R. Pramadasa,
visiting the
Mashriqu 'l-Adhkar
in March 1988.

The Ambassador of
the United States to
India, Mr. John
Dean, and his wife,
Martine, visiting the
Temple during its
Dedication services
in December 1986.

The Ambassador of
Thailand to India,
Mr. Nikorn Praisaengpetch, with his family
and a Baha'i guide
(seen right), during a
visit to the House of
Worship in April 1990.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 749
The political events which began to unfold on the cheek of eternity". Considering that
in the beginning of 1990 impelled many to the Baha'i House of Worship is an affirmaseek answers for the intractable problems of tion and a celebration of man's love for his
the world generated by divisive ideologies. Creator and not a mausoleum, the Lotus
The principles of the Faith, with their stress Temple could be described as "a dewdrop on
on the unity of mankind, touched a respon- the brow of eternity".
sive chord in many of the visitors. The The widely-read newspaper, Indian Exsentiment that "with the conditions prevail- press, in its issue of 20 November 1986,
ing in the world today, it is very necessary pointedly referred to the fact that "while the
that the teachings of the Baba 'i religion Taj is an expression of deep personal love,
MUST spread" was echoed by many, while for the Baha'is the Temple symbolizes love
the realisation that "if we could spare a few between Man and God".
moments of our precious time in this Tem- Saturday Times, a Times oflndia publicaple, we will derive much solace in our life" tion, announcing the approaching dedication
became apparent to many others. For one of the House of Worship, printed the
student, a visit to this Temple "has given me headline "Baha'i Temple: Nine day wonder"
peace of mind and mental security and satis- and then began the article with "The Baha'i
faction . I have decided to work for some Faith has engineered an architectural mastergood purpose, for the good of mankind". piece in Kalkaji, New Delhi ...".
During the Six Year Plan, more than two
Source of Great Interest to the Media hundred magazines and double that number
One reason for the immense popularity of of the most widely read newspapers featured
the House of Worship ofBahapur is the fact articles and photographs highlighting the Temthat media attention, both Indian and foreign, ple's architecture and lauding its purpose.
focused on it even before its completion. As a result, in the words of the Universal
Construction News, a technical journal from House of Justice, "its fame as an architecthe United Kingdom, was the first to give tural wonder spread with speed as did its
the Lotus Temple the epithet of 'Taj Mahal spiritual influence" and the principles of the
of the 20th Century' in its April 1986 issue, a Faith associated with it. Headlines ranged
description that has been subsequently used from "A Magnificent Lotus In Bloom For All"
by many other publications . The comparison to "Jewel in the Indian Night", "A Unique
brings to mind the words of the famous Lotus Temple", "Relevance of Baha'u' llah
Indian poet and philosopher, Rabindranath to India'', "A Message of Peace", and "The
Tagore, who described the Taj as "a teardrop Baha' i Way- Rich, Radiant Expositions".

Th e Vice-Minister of
the Chinese Ministry
of Broadcasting, Film
and Television,
HE. Wang Feng,
visiting the Temple
on 20 October 1990.
750 THE BAHA'I WORLD

That the Temple's renown rests squarely Express Weekend, a Saturday supplement of
on its successfully capturing the universalist the Indian Express, carried the following:
themes of the Baha'i Faith can be gauged "Despite persecution in the country of its
from the following excerpts from articles. In origin, the Baha'i Faith preaches a message
the September 1989 issue of Day After, an of universal brotherhood and love-a coninternational news magazine published from cept embodied in their exquisite new Lotus
New Delhi, an article says, "Apart from its Temple in Delhi."
outer architectural beauty, the intrinsic beauty The Temple attracted significant media
and spiritual value conveyed by this great attention in Russia and China. A beautiful
edifice is of immense significance... The photograph of the Temple, illuminated at
universal religion established by Baha'u'llah night, appeared on the cover of the popular
can certainly provide the much-needed unity magazine, Soviet Women, in January 1990.
among the divisive forces in Indian society It had been taken by a press photographer of
fighting against each other." Gala, a German the U.S.S.R. Information Department in
magazine which carried an eight-page article Delhi, who had especially been assigned this
with stunning colour photographs of the task. Subsequently, officials and journalists
Temple, concluded its coverage with: "Five from Izvestia, Novosti Press, and the Tass
million people who call themselves Baha'is Agency visited the House of Worship
have taken for themselves a new purpose. It expressing their desire to write and publish
is founded on the conviction of the oneness articles on the Temple and the Baha'i Faith.
of God, oneness of religion and oneness of Thirty-three representatives from the Soviet
mankind. Perhaps the Baha'is will succeed Encyclopaedia Publishing House, Internain making of this world that place long tional Department, spent considerable time
promised to the blessed. It could well look at the Temple garnering info1mation on tl1e
like the Temple in Delhi." Faith which they said would be included in
L 'A rca, Italy's international magazine of the section on Philosophy and Religion in
architectural design and visual communica- the Russian Encyclopaedia. A Russian jourtions, said in its February 1988 issue: nalist, who had been very impressed during
"Religion must be the cause of unity and his first visit to the House of Worship,
harmony among men, states the fourth returned at the end of March 1991 to inter-
Baha'i principle. And on the evidence of this view two Russian volunteers serving at the
temple .. .it seems to have fully succeeded." Temple. His interest was in their religious
Articles also threw light on the perse- background and how and when they
cution of this religious minority in Iran. accepted the Faith.

A delegation of Soviet
film artists in Delhi
in January 1989 to
attend an International Film Festival
visiting the "Lotus of
Bahapur".
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 751
It was in April 1990 that the first am sure one day the whole world will
delegation of officials from the Chinese become Baha'i".
media-headed by the director of the News- "Right now the most popular religion in
paper Department, the Press and Publication the Soviet Union is the Baha'i Faith" was
Administration of China-visited the Temple the extraordinary remark of an official of
and spent two hours seeking detailed .infor- Soviet Television and Radio during his visit
mation on the Faith. Later, high officials to the House of Worship. Similar sentiments
from Xinhua News Agency sought answers were reiterated by other Russian tourists as a
to questions about the main aims of the result of the officially televised presentation
Baha'i Faith, how the Baha'is obtain funds, on the House of Worship all over the Soviet
the Baha'i administrative system, how the Union in the month of January 1991, a
teachings are spread, and how unity will programme which had succeeded remarkcome about. Of course, questions about details ably in capturing the beauty and purpose of
of the Temple's architecture also figured the Temple. By the end of the year, another
prominently. film crew, this time from the Central Studio
The Temple's first exposure on television of Documentary Films, spent three days
occurred in January 1987 when footage from capturing the Temple for its film "Gate to
its dedication was broadcast on the Indian Heaven". The director of the film was cerprogramme entitled Doordarshan. Later a tain that this Gate began from the Baha'i
number of television programmes featuring Lotus Temple.
the Temple appeared in India, Russia, and
China. "Essence of the Lotus", a film on the The Army of Light
House of Worship, which also dealt with the The Mashriqu 'l-Adhkar could not have
social and economic development projects served as the most effective "Silent Teacher"
being operated in India and the effect of the of the Indian sub-continent without the Baha'i
Faith on the lives of its followers, was volunteers who came from far and near,
produced by Doordarshan and telecast on willingly giving their time, sacrificing their
the national network on 5 November 1989. means, fired with the love of the Blessed
In November 1988, a camera crew of the Beauty, to voice abroad His teachings to
China Central Television, Beijing, went millions of thirsting souls. This "Army of
twice in one day to film the Temple for a Light" was the channel through which the
documentary on India to be telecast for radiance of Truth was reflected from this
viewing by the Chinese people during the most divine Institution. What the spirit is to
visit of the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Raj iv the physical body of man, so these volun-
Gandhi, to China. One of the members of the teers, the servants of Baha'u'llah, were to
television crew wrote in the Temple's the material structure of the Temple.
Visitors' Book: "Hope, in China we see the The House of Worship, in tum, reciprosame Baha'i (Faith)". During the same cated by becoming instrumental in effecting
month, a Chinese delegation led by a senior a transformation in all the Baha'is who came
correspondent for Radio Beijing visited the to serve selflessly at its threshold, providing
House of Worship in New Delhi. Again in a practical opportunity to implement the
July 1990, another team from China Central Teachings of the Blessed Perfection in their
Television came to film the House of W or- own lives. The New World Order, as envisship, followed by the visit of the Vice- aged by Baha 'u 'llah, requires of man the
Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Broad- transcendence of prejudices of all kinds,
casting, Film and Television. The team whether racial, geographical, intellectual,
leader was so touched with the Baha'i teach- religious or of the sexes, which form a
ings that he said to his Indian counterpart, "I barrier to the realisation of the truth, The
752 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Th e Ethiopian Minister
of Labour and Social
Welfare, HE. Shimblis
Adugna, and his wife,
visiting the Bahri 'i
House of Worship on
4 Janumy 1990.

earth is but one count1y and mankind its Temple, the lack of prejudice in the interaccitizens. Service at the Temple provided for tion of these volunteers with the visitors, the
many the cmcible in which these prejudices respectful acceptance of the religious beliefs
were melted away. The glorious bounty that of others, the attitude of equanimity disthe volunteers carried back home with them played when conversing with those clain1ing
was this benediction of the Ancient Beauty: to be atheists, agnostics, and materialists,
My glory be with thee, 0 thou that callest earned for the Baha' is and the Baha'i Faith
upon My Name, whose eyes are directed the appreciation and respect of the people.
towards My court and whose tongue uttereth
the praise of thy Lord, the Beneficient. Teaching the Cause of God
The Baha ' i youth serving as guides In His Will and Testament, 'Abdu ' l-Baha
created enthusiasm in their contemporaries wrote "Of all the gifts of God, the greatest is
with the Message of the Faith through their the gift of Teaching". The "Army of Light"
freshness and spiritual vitality and impressed at the Temple of Bahapur was bountifully
their seniors in age by their wisdom and endowed with this gift.
maturity. The senior Baha'is brought their Besides the interaction with volunteer
knowledge and experience to bear on their guides from different parts of the world
service, enkindling the light of faith in many speaking varied languages, the visitors were
hearts. But perhaps the most potent impact enlightened through a number of organized
on the visitors was created by the presence of activities at the House of Worship. Regular
Baha'is from such diverse places as Australia, prayer services, during which the Creative
Bangladesh, Canada, the Commonwealth of Word of God revealed through the different
Independent States (former U.S.S.R.), Ger- Holy Scriptures was read or chanted, heightmany, Holland, Hong Kong, lhdia, Japan, ened the spiritual experience at the Temple.
Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, The domed structure of the Prayer Hall lent
Poland, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and itself perfectly to the melodious singing of
the United States of America. They showed, the Temple choir which succeeded in
in effect, that the proclamation ofBaha'u ' llah, elevating many a listener's soul to spiritual
Ye are the fruits of one tree and the leaves of heights. In the basement of the Temple, an
one branch .. . is not just a pious enunciation, audio-visual presentation of the principles of
but a practical reality. the Faith titled "Century of Light" and
The warm welcome accorded to every illuminating exhibits evoked many very
individual who entered the portals of the positive responses.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 753
Great efforts went into the dissemination The Library, with its selection of literaof The Promise of World Peace and "Baha'i ture ranging from Baha'i history to the Holy
Message" in most of the major languages of Writings of the Faith and a selection of
the world. The stock of free literature was scriptures from other religions, provided the
constantly being updated, reprinted, and ideal place for a study of the Baha'i Faith.
replenished. Imagine the delight of travellers, All these served as potent tools in sharing
thousands of miles away from their homes, the Cause of God.
who came to this Temple in India and unexpectedly received information brochures in Homage
their own languages , be they Norwegian, The physical sun, resplendent in its halo of
Croatian, Pushtu, Bahasa, Polish, Dutch, light, has traversed the expanse of heaven
Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean from east to west in its fiery chariot. As it
or Spanish! This generated a lot of warmth pauses awhile on the horizon before plungand goodwill in the visitors. Equally impor- ing out of sight, it casts its luminous shadow
tant was the dissemination of"The Principles on a white ' Lotus', standing majestically on
of the Faith" in the regional languages oflndia. its red pedestal, giving it a warm glow.
Books about the Faith and Baha'i prayers There is an intangible aura of fulfilment
in various Indian and foreign languages surrounding it. Ark-l ike, it had ridden the
were available for sale to allow visitors waves of people swirling around it during
to acquaint themselves with the Baha'i the day with composure. The last ripples are
teachings in some detail in the privacy of slowly moving away, casting their longing
their homes. Postcards and calendars of the glances behind at the 'Lotus ' as if beseech-
Temple were also eagerly sought as souve- ing it to take them back into its fold.
nirs. These were the only exceptions made A lone figure stands, surveying the scene,
to the rule of no commercial activity in the feeling the Temple's silent reassurance that
Temple premises. In fact, all services at the it will be there a thousand years hence to
Temple, including guided tours around the welcome them back at the break of every
House of Worship, were free of cost-a fact dawn. She wonders at the mysterious attrachighly appreciated by the visitors. tion of this monumental 'Lotus' which is the
One of the most effective means of ex- Dawning Place of the Remembrance of God.
tending the healing message of Bahi' u'llah Impelled by an inner urge to ponder over the
to the people visiting the Temple was profound statement of Baha' u' llah, "This
through talks given by Temple guides to (Baha ' i) Revelation is endowed with such
groups of people in the ancillary building' s power that it will act as a lodestone for all
Conference Hall. Tourist, student, profes- the nations and kindreds of the earth'', she
sional, and family groups were all invited to realises that the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, as one
hear about the House of Worship and the of the Central Institutions of the Faith, is
reason for its existence. Depending upon the endowed with a power and potency that no
interest of these visitors, the briefing ses- other material structure can ever hope to
sions lasted from fifteen minutes to more possess. As she recalls the Prophetic Words,
than an hour. Often, opp01tunities arose to "no place is there nor can there be, for anyclarify misconceptions or misinformation, and one to flee to", her soul is uplifted on the
the visitors left with a better appreciation of wings of certitude.
their visit to the Baha'i House of Worship.
VI
THE NON-POLITICAL CHARACTER OF
THE BAHA'i FAITH

EXCERPTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF SHOGHI EFFENDI

THE Baha'i principles clearly define and Manifestation of His Essence, and the
explain the non-political character of the observance of whatsoever He chooseth to
Faith, and serve as a guide for conduct in the prescribe unto you, did ye but know it.
relations of Baha'is with one another, with Say: Let truthfulness and courtesy be
their fellow men, and in their relations with your adorning. Suffer not yourselves to be
different departments of the civil govern- deprived of the robe of forbearance and
ment. A brief summary of excerpts from the justice, that the sweet savours of holiness
Baha'i Writings will show that non-partici- may be wafted from your hearts upon all
pation in political affairs is one of the basic created things. Say: Beware, 0 people of
axioms of Baha'i action. Baha, lest ye walk in the ways of them whose
The keynote to this theme may be found in words differ ji-om their deeds. Strive that ye
the Writings ofBaha'u'llah. He has stated: may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of
That one indeed is a man who, today, the earth the signs of God, and to mirror
dedicateth himself to the service of the entire forth His commandments. Let your acts be a
human race. Th e Great Being saith: Blessed guide unto all mankind, for the professions
and happy is he that ariseth to promote the of most men, be they high or low, differ ji-om
best interests of the peoples and kindreds of their conduct. It is through your deeds that
the earth. Jn another passage He hath pro- ye can distinguish yourselves from others.
claimed: It is not for him to pride himself Through them the brightness of your light
who loveth his own country, but rather for can be shed upon the whole earth .. .2
him who loveth the whole world. The earth The aim of the faith is to produce the realis but one count1y, and mankind its citizens. 1 ity of vi1tue in souls and evolve institutions
Sow not the seeds of discord among men, capable of dealing with social matters justly,
and refrain ji-om contending with your in the light of the revealed truths . This is
neighbour... Open, 0 people, the city of entirely distinct from the province filled by
the human heart with the key of your partisan civil institutions.
utterance .... 'Abdu'l-Baha counselled the Baha'is from
That which beseemeth you is the love the early beginnings of the American Baha'i
of God, and the love of Him Who is the community not to discuss political affairs.

Gleaningsji'om the Writings ofBahir'u '/lirh ,
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1976) p. 250. ibid. , pp. 303-305.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LL..\H 755
... All conferences (i.e., all consultation initiate and supervise; or in their official and
and discussion) must be regarding the public deliberations; or in the posts they
matters of benefit, both as a whole and occupy and the services they render; or in the
individually, such as the guarding of all in communications they address to their fellowall cases, their protection and preservation, disciples; or in their dealings with men
the improvement of character, the training of eminence and authority; or in their
of children, etc. affiliations with kindred societies and organi-
If any person wishes to speak of govern- zations, it is, I am firmly convinced, their
ment affairs, or to interfere with the order of first and sacred obligation to abstain from
Governors, the others must not combine any word or deed that might be construed as
with him because the Cause of God is a violation of this vital principle. Theirs is
withdrawn entirely from political affairs; the the duty to demonstrate, on one hand, their
political realm pertains only to the Rulers of unqualified loyalty and obedience to whatthose matters; it has nothing to do with the ever is the considered judgment of their
souls who are exerting their utmost energy respective governments.
to harmonizing affairs, helping character 'Let them refrain from associating themand inciting (the people) to strive for perfec- selves, whether by word or by deed, with the
tions. Therefore no soul is allowed to political pursuits of their respective nations,
interfere with (political) matters, but only in with the policies of their governments and
that which is commanded.3 the schemes and programmes of parties and
With the development of a world-wide factions . In such controversies they should
administrative structure within the Baha'i assign no blame, take no side, further no
Faith, institutions have been set up in national design, and identify themselves . with no
and local areas which assure the unity and system prejudicial to the best interests of
integrity of the Faith. In unfolding these ad- that worldwide Fellowship which it is their
ministrative institutions Shoghi Effendi has aim to guard and foster. Let them beware
reiterated the importance of the non-political lest they allow themselves to become the
character of the Baha'i teachings in a letter tools of unscrupulous politicians, or to be
written 21March1932 to the Baha' is of the entrapped by the treacherous devices of the
United States and Canada: plotters and the perfidious among their
' .. .I feel it, therefore, incumbent upon me countrymen. Let them so shape their lives
to snáess, now that the time is ripe, the impor- and regulate their conduct that no charge of
tance of an instruction which, at the present secrecy, of fraud, of bribery or of intimidastage of the evolution of our Faith, should be tion may, however ill-founded, be brought
increasingly emphasized, irrespective of its against them. Let them rise above all
application to the East or to the West. And particularism and partisanship, above the
this principle is no other than that which vain disputes, the petty calculations, the
involves the non-participation by the adher- transient passions that agitate the face, and
ents of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, whether in engage the attention, of a changing world. It
their individual capacities or collectively as is their duty to strive to distinguish, as
local or national Assemblies, in any form of clearly as they possibly can, and if needed
activity that might be interpreted, either with the aid of their elected representatives,
directly or indirectly, as an interference in the such posts and functions as are either
political affairs of any particular government. diplomatic or political from those that are
Whether it be in the publications which they purely administrative in character, and
which under no circumstances are affected
Bahri 'i World Faith, (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing by the changes and chances that political
Trust, 1976) p. 407. activities and party government, in every
756 THE BAHA'i WORLD

land, must necessarily involve. Let them Let them proclaim that in whatever country
affnm their unyielding determination to they reside, and however advanced their
stand, firmly and umeservedly, for the way institutions, or profound their desire to
of Baha'u'llah, to avoid the entanglements enforce the laws, and apply the principles,
and bickerings inseparable from the pursuits enunciated by Baha' u'llah, they will, unhesof the politician, and to become worthy itatingly, subordinate the operation of such
agencies of that Divine Polity which incar- laws and the application of such principles
nates God's immutable Purpose for all men. to the requirements and legal enactments of
'It should be made unmistakably clear their respective governments. Theirs is not
that such an attitude implies neither the the purpose, while endeavoring to conduct
slightest indifference to the cause and inter- and perfect the administrative affairs of their
ests of their own country, nor involves any Faith, to violate, under any circumstances,
insubordination on their part to the authority the provisions of their country's constituof recognized and established governments. tion, much less to allow the machinery
Nor does it constitute a repudiation of their of their administration to supersede the
sacred obligation to promote, in the most government of their respective countries.
effective manner, the best interests of their 'It should also be borne in mind that the
government and people. It indicates the very extension of the activities in which we
desire cherished by every true and loyal are engaged, and the variety of the commufollower ofBaha'u'llah to serve, in an unself- nities which labor under divers forms of
ish, unostentatious and patriotic fashion, the government, so essentially different in their
highest interests of the country to which standards, policies, and methods, make it
he belongs, and in a way that would entail absolutely essential for all those who are the
no departure from the high standards of declared members of any one of these
integrity and truthfulness associated with the communities to avoid any action that might,
teachings of his Faith. by arousing the suspicion or exciting the
'As the number of the Baha'i communi- antagonism of any one government, involve
ties in various parts of the world multiplies their brethren in fresh persecutions or
and their power, as a social force, becomes complicate the nature of their task. How
increasingly apparent, they will no doubt else, might I ask, could such a far-flung
find themselves increasingly subjected to the Faith, which transcends political and social
pressure which men of authority and influ- boundaries, which includes within its pale so
ence, in the political domain, will exercise great a variety of races and nations, which
in the hope of obtaining the support they will have to rely increasingly, as it forges
require for the advancement of their aims . ahead, on the good-will and support of the
These communities will, moreover, feel a diversified and contending governments of
growing need of the good-will and the the earth-how else could such a Faith sucassistance of their respective governments in ceed in preserving its unity, in safeguarding
their efforts to widen the scope, and to con- its interests, and in ensuring the steady and
solidate the foundations, of the institutions peaceful development of its institutions?
committed to their charge. Let them beware 'Such an attitude, however, is not dictated
lest, in their eagerness to further the aims of by considerations of selfish expediency, but
their beloved Cause, they should be led is actuated, first and foremost, by the broad
unwittingly to bargain with their Faith, to principle that the followers of Baha'u'llah
compromise with their essential principles, will, under no circumstances, suffer themor to sacrifice, in return for any material selves to be involved, whether as individuals
advantage which their institutions may or in their collective capacities, in matters
derive, the integrity of their spiritual ideals. that would entail the slightest departure from
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLA.H 757
the fundamental verities and ideals of their citizens are in duty bound to vote in public
Faith. Neither the charges which the unin- elections) implies certain reservations. He,
formed and the malicious may be led to therefore, lays it upon the individual conbring against them, nor the allurements of science to see that in following the Master's
honours and rewards, will ever induce them instruction no Baha'i vote for an officer nor
to surrender their trust or to deviate from Baha'i participation in the affairs of the
their path. Let their words proclaim, and Republic shall involve acceptance by that
their conduct testify, that they who follow individual of a programme or policy that
Baha'u'llah, in whatever land they reside, contravenes any vital principle, spiritual or
are actuated by no selfish ambition, that they social, of the Faith.' The Guardian added to
neither thirst for power, nor mind any wave this letter the following postscript: 'I feel it
of unpopularity, of distrust or criticism, incumbent upon me to clarify the above
which a strict adherence to their standards statement, written in my behalf, by stating
might provoke. ' 4 that no vote cast, or office undertaken, by
And again: 'The Baha' i Faith as it forges a Baha'i should necessarily constitute
ahead throughout the western world and acceptance, by the voter or office holder, of
particularly in lands where the political the entire programme of any political party.
machinery is corrupt and political passions No Baha'i can be regarded as either a
and prejudices are dominant among the Republican or Democrat, as such. He is,
masses, should increasingly assert and above all else, the supporter of the principles
demonstrate the fact that it is non-political in enunciated by Baha'u' llah, with which, I am
character, that it stands above the party, that firmly convinced, the programme of no
is it neither apathetic to national interests political party is completely harmonious.' 6
nor opposed to any party or faction, and that In a letter dated 16 March 1933, the
it seeks through administrative channels, Guardian sent these further details:
rather than through diplomatic and political 'As regards the non-political character of
posts to establish, beyond the shadow of a the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi feels that
doubt, the capacity, the sane patriotism, the there is no contradiction whatsoever between
integrity and high-mindedness of its avowed the Tablet (to Thornton Chase, referred to
adherents. This is the general and vital prin- above) and the reservations to which he has
ciple; it is for the National Representatives referred. The Master surely never desired
to apply it with fidelity and vigour. ' 5 the friends to use their influence towards the
These instructions raised the question realization and promotion of policies conwhether Baha'is should vote in any public trary to any of the principles of the Faith.
election. A Tablet revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha The friends may vote, if they can do it, withto Mr. Thornton Chase was sent to the out identifying themselves with one party or
Guardian, and the following reply was another. To enter the arena of party politics is
received, dated 26 January 1933 : surely detrimental to the best interests of the
'The Guardian fully recognizes the Faith and will hatm the Cause. It remains for
authenticity and controlling influence of this the individuals to so use their right to vote as
instruction from ' Abdu'l-Baha upon the to keep aloof from party politics, and always
question. He, however, feels under the bear in mind that they are voting on the
responsibility of stating that the attitude merits of the individual, rather than because
taken by the Master (that is, that American he belongs to one party or another. The
matter must be made perfectly clear to the
Shoghi Effendi , Th e World Order of Bahn 'u 'l/nh , individuals, who will be left free to exercise
(Wilmette: Baha' i Publihsing Trust, 1982)
pp. 63- 67.
U.S . Bahn 'i News, December 1932. 6
U.S. Bahil 'i News, April 1933.
758 THE BAHA'I WORLD

their discretion and judgement. But if a fatherland, and every fatherland a foreign
certain person does enter into party politics land." For their citizenship, it must be rememand labours for the ascendancy of one party bered, is in the Kingdom of Baha'u'llah.
over another, and continues to do it against Though willing to share to the utmost the
the expressed appeals and warnings of the temporal benefits and the fleeting joys
Assembly, then the Assembly has the right which this earthly life can confer, though
to refuse him the right to vote in Baha'i eager to participate in whatever activity that
elections.' 7 conduces to the richness, the happiness and
That this principle, as do all Baha'i prin- peace of that life, they can, at no time, forget
ciples, has world-wide application is made that it constitutes no more than a transient, a
clear by Shoghi Effendi in a letter dated very brief stage of their existence, that they
11March1936. who live it are but pilgrims and wayfarers
'The Faith ofBah:i'u'llah has assimilated, whose goal is the Celestial City, and whose
by virtue of its creative, its regulative and home the Countty of never-failing joy and
ennobling energies, the varied races, nation- brightness.
alities, creeds and classes that have sought its 'Though loyal to their respective governshadow, and have pledged unswerving fealty ments , though profoundly interested in
to its cause. It has changed the hearts of its anything that affects their security and
adherents, burned away their prejudices, welfare, though anxious to share in whatever
stilled their passions, exalted their concep- promotes their best interests, the Faith with
tions, ennobled their motives, co-ordinated which the followers of Baha'u'llah stand
their effotis, and transfotmed their outlook. identified is one which they firmly believe
While preserving their patriotism and safe- God has raised high above the storms, the
guarding their lesser loyalties, it has made divisions, and controversies of the political
them lovers of mankind, and the determined arena. Their Faith they conceive to be
upholders of its best and truest interests. essentially non-political, supra-national in
While maintaining intact their belief in the character, rigidly non-partisan, and entirely
Divine origin of their respective religions, it dissociated from nationalistic ambitions,
has enabled them to visualize the underlying pursuits, and purposes. Such a Faith knows
purpose of these religions , to discover their no division of class or of party. It subordimerits, to recognize their sequence, their nates, without hesitation or equivocation,
interdependence, their wholeness and unity, every particularistic interest, be it personal,
and to acknowledge the bond that vitally regional, or national, to the paramount
links them to itself. This universal, this interests of humanity, firmly convinced that
transcending love which the followers of the in a world of inter-dependent peoples and
Baha'i Faith feel for their fellow-men, of nations the advantage of the part is best to be
whatever race, creed, class or nation, is reached by the advantage of tl1e whole, and
neither mysterious nor can it be said to that no abiding benefit can be confened
have been artificially stimulated. It is both upon the component parts if the general
spontaneous and genuine. They whose heatis interests of the entity itself are ignored or
are warmed by the energizing influence of neglected. 8
God's creative love cherish His creatures for The unity of Baha'i action throughout the
His sake, and recognize in every human face world is fu1iher emphasized in a letter from
a sign of His reflected glory. Shoghi Effendi to the Baha'is of Vienna,
' Of such men and women it may be truly written in 1947 through his secretary, in
said that to them "every foreign land is a which he said in part:

7 8
ibid., January 1934. Th e World Order of Bahii 'u 'I/ah , pp. 197- 198.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 759
' ... We Baha' is are one the world over; we the ones, as individual Baha'is, to judge our
are seeking to build up a new world order, government as just or unjust-for each
divine in origin. How can we do this if every believer would be sure to hold a different
Baha'i is a member of a different political viewpoint, and within our own Baha'i fold a
party-some of them diametrically opposite hotbed of dissension would spring up and
to each other? Where is our unity then? We destroy our unity. We must build up our
would be divided because of politics, against Baha'i system, and leave the faulty systems of
ourselves and this is the opposite of our the world to go their way. We cannot change
purpose. Obviously if one Baha'i in Austria them through becoming involved in them;
is given freedom to choose a political party on the contrary, they will destroy us.' 11
and join it, however good its aims may be, Another application of this principle conanother Baha'i in Japan or America, or India, cerns the right, propriety or usefulness of
has the right to do the same thing and he exerting Baha'i influence for the enactment
might belong to a party the very opposite in of legislative measures reflecting more or
principle to that which the Austrian Baha'i less the purpose of some Baha' i principle or
belongs to. Where would be the unity of the teaching. For example, should a Baha'i com-
Faith then? These two spiritual brothers munity, local or national, lend the name of
would be working against each other because the Baha'i Faith to support legislation which
of their political affiliations (as the Chris- seeks to abolish race and religious discrimitians of Europe have been doing in so many nation in matters of industrial employment,
fratricidal wars). The best way for a Baha'i or intervene when measures concerning
to serve his country and the world is to work military training of youth are before a
for the establishment ofBaha'u'llah's World legislature?
Order, which will gradually unite all men The National Spiritual Assembly of the
and do away with divisive political systems Baha'is of the United States has stated that,
and religious creeds .. .' 9 'as a general policy subject to the Guard-
In the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l- ian's specific direction in special cases,
Baha the Baha'is are instructed to obey and Baha'is and their administrative institutions
be the well-wishers of the governments of should not feel obligated to adopt a "Baha'i"
the land, regard disloyalty unto a just king attitude or course of action on matters of
as disloyalty to God Himself and wishing civil legislation. Our teachings and basic
evil to the government a transgression of the principles speak for themselves. These we
Cause of God. 10 In explanation of this state- can always declare and set forth with all
ment, the Guardian wrote, in a letter dated possible energy whenever occasions arise.
3 July 1948: But a truth which is sundered from its
'Regarding your question about politics sustaining spiritual Source, lifted out of its
and the Master's Will: the attitude of the organic relationship to the Baha'i commu-
Baha'is must be twofold, complete obedi- nity, broken off from the other truths, and
ence to the government of the country they made subject to the storm and stress of
reside in, and no interference whatsoever secular controversy, is no longer a truth with
in political matters or questions. What the which we can usefully have concern. It has
Master's statement really means is obedience become an enactment to be carried out by
to a duly constituted government, whatever institutions and groups committed to other
that government may be in form. We are not enactments, other aims and purposes and
methods not in conformity with the "Divine
U.S. Bahn 'i News, Apri l 1949. Polity" entrusted to those alone who give full
Shoghi Effendi , Bahn 'f Administration (Wilmette:
Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1960), p. 4. U.S. Bahn 'i News, January 1949.
760 THE BAHA'I WORLD

loyalty to Baha'u'llah. Far better for us to their innermost belief, they [the Baba'is] are
strive to mirror forth radiantly the individual convinced, and are unhesitatingly prepared
and community virtues of a new era than to to vindicate by their life-blood the sincerity
hope that others than believers will achieve of their conviction, that no power on earth,
the holy mission of the Faith. We Baha'is neither the arts of the most insidious adverhave in reality accepted a world order and sary nor the bloody weapons of the most
not merely a new decalogue of truths or tyrannical oppressor, can ever succeed in
commands. On the other hand, obedience extorting from them a word or deed that
to civil government is an obligation laid by might tend to stifle the voice of their con-
Baha'u'llah upon every Baha'i. " 2 science or tarnish the purity of their faith. 13
Shoghi Effendi points out, as a guiding ' Small wonder if by the pen of
principle of Baha'i conduct, that ' in connec- Baha'u'llah these pregnant words, written in
tion with their administrative activities, no anticipation of the present state of mankind,
matter how grievously interference with them should have been revealed: It is not for him
might affect the course of the extension of the to pride himself who loveth his own counfly ,
Movement, and the suspension of which does but rather for him who loveth the whole
not constitute in itself a departure from the world. The earth is but one country and
principle of loyalty to their Faith, the consid- mankind its citizens. And again, That one
ered judgement and authoritative decrees indeed is a man who today dedicateth himissued by their responsible rulers must, if self to the service of the entire human race.
they be faithful to Baha' u'llah's and 'Abdu 'l- Through the power released by these exalted
Baha 's express injunctions, be thoroughly words, He explains, He hath lent a fresh
respected and loyally obeyed. In matters, how- impulse, and set a new direction, to the birds
ever, that vitally affect the integrity and honour of men 's hearts, and hath obliterated every
of the Faith ofBaha'u'llab and are tantamount trace of restriction and limitation from
to a recantation of their faith and repudiation of God's Holy Book.' 14

12 13
The Bahir á;World, vo l. X, (Wilmette: Baha ' i Pub- Baha 'i Administration , p. 162.
li shing Committee, 1949) pp. 278- 279. Th e World Order of Baha 'u '//irh, p. 198.
VII
RELATIONSHIP TO GOVERNMENT

1. LOYALTY TO GOVERNMENT

WHEN a great social crisis sweeps through rectitude of conduct, straight-forwardness
a civilization, moral values become impaired and harmony with all the kindreds and peoand moral issues confused. In the crisis of ples of the world. We must obey and be the
our time, members of the Baha ' i Faith go on well-wishers ofthe governments ofthe land. .. 4
record as fomly upholding the principle of The followers ofBaha'u'llah are exhorted
loyalty to government. to be 'good citizens' .5 The Baha'i teachings
Baha'u'llah, the Founder of the Baha'i foster in the individual adherent an appre-
Faith, laid upon His followers this sacred ciation of authority and an intelligent and
obligation: 'Jn eve1y countly where any ofthis balanced patriotism. The Baha'i is encourpeople (Baha'is) reside, they must behave aged to 'serve in an unselfish, unostentatious
towards the government of that countly with and patriotic fashion, the highest interests of
loyalty, honesty and t1áuthfulness. 1 The the country to which he belongs, and in a
Baha'i Writings state fu1iher, 'The essence of way that would entail no departure from the
the Baha 'i spirit is that in order to establish high standards of integrity and truthfulness
a better social order and economic condi- associated with the teachings of his Faith. ' 6
tion, there must be allegiance to the laws and Allegiance to government, far from being
principles of government. ' 2 Should a Baha'i a concept to which the Baha'i gives lip
act contrary to the laws of the government his service, is a spiritual obligation reinforced
conduct would be considered reprehensible by and inseparable from those teachings of
before God, for members of this community Baha'u'llah's on which His followers pat-
'should at all times manifest ... tláuthfulness tern their individual spiritual development.
and sincerity' and 'be constant in ... faithful- 'Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all
ness and trustworthiness. >3 thine acts,' 7 Baha'u' llah enjoins.
In elucidation of this cardinal spiritual Without integrity of character in its
and social principle 'Abdu' l-Baha, the citizens and without loyalty to government, a
authorized Interpreter of the Faith, has writ- nation will find itself torn asunder and unable
ten: 'According to the direct and sacred to function as an organic society. Not only
command of God we (the Baha'is) are for- do the Baha'i teachings obligate members
bidden to utter slander, are commanded to to be loyal to their government-they also
show forth peace and amity, are exhorted to specifically forbid them from taking part in
subversive political and social movements.
Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Bahri 'u 'l/ah revealed after
the Kitab-i-Aqdas, (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre,
1978) p. 22- 23. 4
'Abdu ' l-Baha, Th e Will and Testa111e11t of 'Abdu '/-
'Abdu 'l-Baha, Th e Promulgation of Universal Bahri, (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1968) p. 8.
Peace, (Wi lmette: Baha'i Publihsing Trust, 1982) 5
Selections, p. 319.
p. 238. 6 Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Bahri 'u 'I/ah,
'Abdu'l-Baha, Selectionsfro111 the Writings of (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1982) p. 65.
'Abdu '/-Bahri, (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1978) Gleanings fro111 th e Writings of Bahri 'u '/lah, (Wilp. 294. mette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1976) p. 285.
762 THE BAHA'i WORLD

2. THE BAHA'i VIEW OF PACIFISM

IN a letter published in U.S. Baha'i News, neither suppresses the individual nor does it
January 1938, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian exalt him to the point of making him an antiof the Baha'i Faith wrote through his Secre- social creature, a menace to society. As in
tary: everything, it follows the "golden mean".
'With reference to the absolute pacifists The only way society can function is for the
or conscientious objectors to war: their atti- minority to follow the will of the majority.
tude, judged from the Baha'i standpoint, is 'The other main objection to the consciquite anti-social and due to its exaltation of entious objectors is that their method of
the individual conscience leads inevitably to establishing peace is too negative. Non-coopdisorder and chaos in society. Extreme paci- eration is too passive a philosophy to become
fists are thus very close to anarchists, in the an effective way for social reconstruction.
sense that both of these groups lay an undue Their refusal to bear aims can never establish
emphasis on the rights and merits of the peace. There should first be a spiritual reviindividual. The Baha'i conception of social talization which nothing, except the Cause
life is essentially based on the subordination of God, can effectively bring to every man's
of the individual will to that of society. It heart.'

3. SUMMARY OF THE GUARDIAN'S
INSTRUCTIONS ON THE OBLIGATIONS OF BAHA'is
IN CONNECTION WITH MILITARY SERVICE.

l:MMEDIATELY prior to World War II offer their services to their country in any
the Baha' i position on military training and field of national service which is not specifiservice, and the obligation of individual cally aggressive or directly military. Such
Baha'is to apply for and maintain a non- forms of national work as air raid precaution
combatant status when this is possible under service, ambulance corps, and other humanithe laws of their country, were clearly stated tarian work or activity of a non-combatant
by the Guardian of the Faith. On 27 Novem- nature, are the most suitable types of service
ber 1938 he instructed his secretary to write the friends can render, and which they
to the National Spiritual Assembly of the should gladly volunteer for, since in addition
British Isles: 'He has noted your Assembly's to the fact that they do not involve any
request for his advice as to what fmms of violation of the spirit or principle of the
national service the friends may volunteer Teachings they constitute a form of social
for in times of emergency. While the believ- and humanitarian service which the Cause
ers, he feels, should exert every effort holds sacred and emphatically enjoins.'
to obtain from the authorities a permit ex- A further query from that National Spirempting them from active rniliary service in itual Assembly dated 9 May 1939 evoked the
a combatant capacity, it is their duty at the following reply on 4 June 1939, in amplifisame tin1e, as loyal and devoted citizens, to cation of the above principles:
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U ' LLAH 763
'His instructions on this matter, conveyed Faith, to apply for such exemption, even
in a letter addressed to your Assembly dur- though there may be slight prospect of their
ing last November, were not intended for obtaining the consent and approval of the
that particular occasion, but were meant for authorities to their petition.'
present conditions, and for any such emer- After the war, on 20 July 1946, the
gencies as may arise in the immediate future. National Spiritual Assembly of the United
'It is still his firm conviction that the States enquired of the Guardian whether the
believers, while expressing their readiness existence of the United Nations in its present
to umeservedly obey any directions that the form changed the attitude of the Baha'is
authorities may issue concerning national toward military duties which might require
service in time of war, should also, and while the taking of human life. The Guardian's
there is yet no outbreak of hostilities, appeal reply, written by his secretary, was:
to the government for exemption from active 'As there is neither an International
military service in a combatant capacity, Police Force nor any immediate prospect of
stressing the fact that in doing so they are one coming into being, the Baha'is should
not prompted by any selfish considerations, continue to apply, under all circumstances,
but by the sole and supreme motive of for exemption from any military duty that
upholding the Teachings of their Faith, which necessitates the taking of life. There is no
make it a moral obligation for them to desist justification for any change of attitude on
from any act that would involve them in our part at the present time.'
direct warfare with their fellow-humans of The Guardian therefore has made it clear
any other race or nation. that it is obligatory and not an optional mat-
'The Baha' i Teachings, indeed, condemn, ter for all Baha'is to apply for and maintain
emphatically and unequivocally, any form a non-combatant status if this is possible
of physical violence, and warfare in the bat- under the law. Where such a law exists,
tlefield is obviously a fmm, and perhaps the Baha'is cannot voluntarily enlist in any
worst form which such violence can assume. branch of the armed forces in which they
'111ere are many other avenues through which would be subject to orders to engage in the
the believers can assist in times of war by enlist- taking of human life.
ing in services of a non-combatant nature- The Universal House of Justice amplified
services that do not involve the direct shedding this later statement:
of blood-such as ambulance work, anti-air 'There is no objection to a Baha'i enlistraid precaution service, office and adminis- ing voluntarily in the aimed forces of a
trative works, and it is for such types of country in order to obtain a training in some
national service that they should volunteer. trade or profession, provided that he can do
'It is immaterial whether such activities so without making himself liable to underwould still expose them to dangers, either at take combatant service.
home or in the front, since their desire is not 'There is likewise no objection to a
to protect their lives, but to desist from any Baha 'i seeking or continuing a career in
acts of wilful murder. the armed forces, provided that he can do so
'The friends should consider it their without making himself liable to undertake
conscientious duty, as loyal members of the combatant service.'
VIII
BAHA'i CALENDAR, FESTIVALS AND
DATES OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

1. FOREWORD
Excerpt from Baha 'u 'llah and the New Era by Dr. J.E. Esslemont

AMONG different peoples and at different to adjust the calendar to the solar year. The
times many different methods have been Bab named months after the attributes of
adopted for the measurement of time and God. The Baha'i New Year, like the ancient
fixing of dates, and several different calen- Persian New Year, is astronomically fixed,
dars are still in daily use, e.g., the Gregorian commencing at the March equinox (21 March),
in Western Europe, the Julian in many coun- and the Baha'i era commences with the year
tries of Eastern Europe, the Hebrew among of the Bab 's declaration (i.e., 1844 A. O.,
the Jews and the Mu~ammadan in Muslim 1260 A .H.).
countries. In the not far distant future it will be
The Bab signalized the impo1tance of the necessary that all peoples in the world agree
dispensation which He came to herald by on a common calendar.
inaugurating a new calendar. In this, as in It seems, therefore, fitting that the new
the Gregorian calendar, the lunar month is age of unity should have a new calendar free
abandoned and the solar year is adopted. from the objections and associations which
The Baha 'i year consists of 19 months of make each of the older calendars unacceptable
19 days each (i.e., 361 days), with the addi- to large sections of the world's population,
tion of certain ' intercalary days' (four in and it is difficult to see how any other
ordinary and five in leap years) between the arrangement could exceed in simplicity and
eighteenth and nineteenth months in order convenience that proposed by the Bab.

2. BAHA'i FEASTS, ANNIVERSARIES
AND DAYS OF FASTING

• Feast ofRi~van (Declaration of • Ascension ofBaha'u' llah, 29 May 1892.
Baha'u' llah), 21 April- 2 May 1863. • Martyrdom of the Bab, 9 July 1850.
• Feast ofNaw-Ruz (New Year), 21 March. • Ascension of ' Abdu 'l-Baha,
• Declaration of the Bab, 23 May 1844. 28 November 1921.
• The Day of the Covenant, 26 November. • Fasting season lasts 19 days beginning
• Birth ofBaha' u' llah, 12 November 1817. with the first day of the month of ' Ala ',
• Birth of the Bab, 20 October 1819. 2 March- the Feast ofNaw-Ruz
• Birth of 'Abdu ' l-Baha, 23 May 1844. follows immediately after.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U 'LL.\H 765

3. BAHA'i HOLY DAYS ON WHICH WORK
SHOULD BE SUSPENDED

• The first day of Ri<;lvan, • The anniversary of the birth of the Bab,
• The ninth day of Ri<;lvan, • The anniversary of the ascension of
• The twelfth day of Ri<;lvan, Baba 'u 'llah,
• The anniversary of the declaration • The anniversary of the martyrdom of
of the Bab, the Bab,
• The anniversary of the birth ofBaha'u'llah, • The feast ofNaw-Ruz.

NOTE:
' Abdu'l-Baha, in one of His tablets addressed to a believer ofNayriz, Persia, has written the
following: Nine days in the year have been appointed on which work is forbidden. Some of
these days have been specifically mentioned in the Book. The rest follow as corollaries to the
Text ... Work on the Day of the Covenant (Fete Day of 'Abdu'l-Baha), however, is not prohibited. Celebration of that day is left to the discretion of the friends. Its observation is not
obligatmy. The days pertaining to the Abha Beauty (Baha 'u'llah) and the Primal Point (the
Bab), that is to say these nine days, are the only ones on which work connected with trade,
commerce, industry and agriculture is not allowed. In like manner, work connected with any
form of employment, whether governmental or otherwise, should be suspended.
As a corollary of this Tablet it follows that the anniversaries of the birth and ascension of
' Abdu 'l-Baha are not to be regarded as days on which work is prohibited. The celebration of
these two days, however, is obligatory.
Baha'is in East and West, holding administrative positions, whether public or private,
should exert the utmost effort to obtain special leave from their superiors to enable them to
observe these nine holy days.

4. ADDITIONAL MATERIAL GLEANED FROM NABiL'S
NARRATIVE REGARDING THE BAHA'i CALENDAR

THE Badi' Calendar (Baha'i Calendar) has as the beginning of the Badi' Calendar.' The
been taken by me from the Kitab-i-Asma , Declaration of the Bab took place on the
one of the works written by the Bab. As I evening preceding the fifth day of Jamhave observed in these days that certain adiyu' 1-A vval, of the year 1260 A.H. It has
believers are inclined to regard the year in been ordained that the solar calendar be
which Baha'u 'llah departed from Bag!!dad to followed and that the vernal equinox, the day
Constantinople as marking the beginning of ofNaw-Ruz, be regarded as the New Year's
the Badi' Calendar, I have requested Mirza Day of the Badi' Calendar. The year sixty,
Aqa Jan, the amanuensis of Baha'u'llah, to in which the fifth day of Jamadiyu 'l-Avval
ascertain His will and desire concerning this coincided with the sixty-fifth day after Nawmatter. Baha'u'llah answered and said: 'The Ruz, has accordingly been regarded as the
year sixty A.H. 1 (1844 A.D.), the year of the first year of the Badi' Calendar. As in that
Declaration of the Bab, must be regarded year, the day of Naw-Ruz, the vernal equinox, preceded by sixty-six days the date of
(i.e., 1260 A.H. ) the Declaration of the Bab, I have therefore,
766 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

throughout my history, regarded the Naw- of Malik, in that city, He commanded me to
Ruz of the year sixty-one A.H. (the Naw-Ruz transcribe the text of the Badi' Calendar and
immediately following the Declaration of to instruct the believers in its details. On the
the Bab) as the first Naw-Ruz of the Badi' very d<!Y in which I received His command,
Calendar. I have accordingly considered the I composed, in verse and prose, an exposi-
Naw-Ruz of this present year, the year 1306 tion of the main features of that calendar and
A.H., which is the 47th solar year after the presented it to Him. The versified copy, being
Declaration of the Bab, as the 46th Naw-Ruz now unavailable, I am herein transcribing
of the Badi' Calendar. the version in prose. The days of the week
Soon after Baha'u'llah had left the for- are named as follows:
tress of 'Akka and was dwelling in the house
Days Arabic Nam e English Name Translation
1st Jalal Saturday Glory
2nd Jamal Sunday Beauty
3rd Kamal Monday Perfection
4th Fi9al Tuesday Grace
5th 'Idal Wednesday Justice
6th Istijlal Thursday Majesty
7th Istiqlal Friday Independence

The names of the months , which are the same as the days of each month, are as follows:

Month Arabic Name Translation First Days
1st Baha Splendour March 21
2nd Jalal Glory April 9
3rd Jamal Beauty April 28
4th 'A~amat Grandeur May 17
5th Nur Light June 5
6th Rahmat Mercy June 24
7th Kalimat Words July 13
8th Kamal Perfection August 1
9th Asma' Names August 20
10th 'Izzat Might September 8
11th Mashiyyat Will September 27
12th 'Ilm Knowledge October 16
13th Qudrat Power November4
14th Qawl Speech November 23
15th Masa'il Questions December 12
16th Sharaf Honour December 31
17th Sultan Sovereignty January 19
18th Mulk Dominion February 7
19th 'Ala' Loftiness March 2
Ayyam-i-Ha (Intercalary Days) 26 February to 1 March inclusivefour in ordinary and five in leap years.
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 767
The first day of each month is thus the have to be celebrated on the following day.
day of Bah:i, and the last day of each month The Bab has, moreover, in His Writings
the day of ' Ala'. revealed in the Arabic tongue, divided the
The Bab has regarded the solar year, of years following the date of His Revelation
365 days, 5 hours, and 50 odd minutes, as into cycles of 19 years each. The names of
consisting of 19 months of 19 days each, the years in each cycle are as follows:
with the addition of certain intercalary days. 1. Alif A.
He has named the New Year's Day, which is 2.Ba' B.
the day ofNaw-Ruz, the day ofBah:i, of the 3. Ab Father.
month of Bah:i. He has ordained the month 4. Dal D.
of 'Ala' to be the month of fasting, and has 5. Bab Gate.
decreed that the day of Naw-Ruz should 6. Vav V.
mark the termination of that period. As the 7. Abad Eternity.
Bab did not specifically define the place for 8. fad Generosity.
the four days and the fraction of a day in the 9. Baha Splendour.
Badi' Calendar, the people of the Bayan 10. I:Iubb Love.
were at a loss as to how they should regard 11 . Bahhaj Delightful.
them. The revelation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in 12. Javab Answer.
the city of 'Akka resolved this problem and 13. Al_lad Single.
settled the issue. Baha'u'llah designated 14. Vahhab Bountiful.
those days as the Ayyam-i-Ha and ordained 15. Vidad Affection.
that they should immediately precede the 16. Badi Begim1ing.
month of 'Ala', which is the month of fast- 17. Bahi Luminous.
ing. He enjoined upon His followers to 18. Abh:i Most Luminous.
devote these days to feasting, rejoicing, and 19. Va~id Unity.
charity. Immediately upon the termination Each cycle of 19 years is called V al_lid.
of these intercalary days, Bah:i'u'llah Nineteen cycles constitute a period called
ordained the month of fasting to begin. I Kull-i-Shay' . The numerical value of the
have heard it stated that some of the people word Va~id is 19, that of Kull-i-Shay' is
of the Bayan, the followers of Mirza Yal)ya, 361. V:il.iid signifies unity, and is symbolic
have regarded these intercalary days as com- of the unity of God.
ing immediately after the month of ' Ala', The Bab has, moreover, stated that this
thus terminating their fast five days before system of His is dependent upon the accepthe day of Naw-Ruz. This, notwithstanding tance and good-pleasure of ' Him Whom God
the explicit text of the Bayan which states shall make manifest'. One word from Him
that the day of Naw-R1iz must needs be the would suffice either to establish it for all
first day of the month ofBaha, and must fol- time, or to annul it forever.
low immediately after the last day of the For instance, the date of the 21st of April,
month of' Ala'. Others, aware of this contra- 1930, which is the first day of Ri~van, and
diction, have started their fasting on the fifth which according to the Kitab-i-Aqdas must
day of the month of 'Ala', and included the coincide with the 'thirteenth day of the secintercalary days within the period of fasting. ond Baha 'i month, ' and which fell this year
Every fourth year the number of the inter- (1930) on Monday, would, according to the
calary days is raised from four to five. The system of the Badi ' Calendar, be described
day of Naw-Ruz falls on the 21st of March as follows:
only if the vernal equinox precedes the setting 'The day of Kamal, the day of Qudrat, of
of the sun on that day. Should the vernal equi- the month ofJalal, of the year Bahhaj, of the
nox take place after sunset, Naw-Ruz will fifih Vahid, of the first Kull-i-Shay '.'
THE BAHA ' I WORLD

5. HISTORICAL DATA GLEANED FROM NABIL'S
NARRATIVE REGARDING BAHA'U'LLAH

Works Revealed Houses Occu-
During This Period pied During
This Period

A.BAGHDAD
-
Arrival latter part Jamadiyu '!b_-Thani, Ku llu 't-Ta'am House of !:Jaji
1269 A.H. 'Ali-Madad
12 March- 10 April 1853 A.O. in old Bagb.dad)
Departure for Sulaymaniyyih on House of
Wednesday, 10 April 1854 A.D.- Su layman-
Rajab 12, 1270 A.H. i-Ghannam
-

B. SULA YMANiYYlH Prayers
Before reaching Sulaymaniyyih, He lived Qa~idiy-i-Varqa' iyyih
for a time on the Sar-Galu mountain .
During H is absence from Bagb_dad Hi s
fam ily transferred their residence Saq i-Az-Ghayb-ifrom House of l:Iaji 'Ali-Madad to Baqa
that of Sulayman-i-Ghannam.
Nabi l arrived at Bagb.dad 6 months after
Baha ' u' llah's departu re for
Sulaymani yy ih .

C. BAGHDAD
-
Tafs ir-i-I:Iuru fat-i-
Muqatta'ih
Arrived from Sulaymaniyy ih on Sal~ffiy -i- S h a triyyih
Wednesday, 19 March 1856 A.O.- Haft-Vadi
Rajab 12, 1272 A.H. (Seven Valleys)
Departure from Bagb.dad for Tafsir-i-Hu
Constantinople, Wednesday Lawh-i-IJuriyyih
afternoon (fi rst day of Ri9van), Javah iru ' 1-Asrar
22 April 1863 A.O.- Kitab-i-iqan
Dhi'l-Qa'dih 3, 1279 A.H. Ka limat-i-Maknunih
(Hidden Words)
Subhana-Rabbiya' l-A ' la
Shikkar-S- hikan-Shavand
- -
I:Iur-i-'Ujab
Halih-Halih-Ya Bisharat
-
Ghulamu ' l-Khu
- -
ld
Az-Bagb.- i-llahi
Baz-Av-u-Bidih-Jami
Short stay in Mazra' i y-i-Va_0sha~ Ma ll al~u ' l -Qud s
during above period to celebrate (Holy Mariner)
Naw-Ruz ended with departure on
Thursday, 26 March 1863 A. D.-
Shavval 5, 1279 A.I-I .
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 769

Works Revealed Houses Occu-
During This Period pied During
C. BAGHDAD (continued) This Period

Arrival at Garden ofNajibiyyih (Garden Suri y-i-$abr revealed
ofRi<;lvan), 22 April 1863 A. D.- on first day of Ri<;lvan
Dhi ' l-Qa'dih 3, 1279 A.I-I.

Arrival ofBaha' u' llah 's Family at
Garden of Ri<;lvan on eighth day after
first of Ric;!van .

Departure from Garden of Ri<;lvan for
Constantinople last day ofRi<;lvan at
noon on Sunday, 3 May 1863 A.D.-
Dhi ' l-Qa'di h 14, 1279 A.I-I.

Length of overland journey from
Garden of Ridvan to Samsun on
Black Sea: 110 days

Firayjat (arrived early afternoon- stayed l~lasan-Aqa,
seve n days) arrived on Sunday, 3 May Mardin
1863 A.D.- Dhi ' l-Qa 'dih 14, 1279 A.H. Diyar-Bakr,
(F irayjat is about 3 miles distant from Ma ' dan-Mis,
Bagb.dad) Kharput (stayed 2 or 3 days),
Judaydih, Ma'dan-Nuqrih,
Dili-'Abbas , Dilik-Tash,
Qarih-Tapih, Sivas,
Sala~iyyih (stayed 2 nights), Tuqat
Dust-Khu rmatu, Amasia (stayed 2 days),
Tawuq, llahiyy ih (while approaching Samsun,
Karkuk (stayed 2 days) , 'Lawl~-i-Hawdaj ' was revealed),
lrbi l, (last day of overland journey),
Zab River, Samsun (stayed 7 days) , Black Sea port;
Bartallih, sai led in a Turkish steamer about sunset
Mosul (stayed 3 days) , for Constantinople,
Zakhu, Sinope (arrived next day about noon) ,
Jazirih, Black Sea port: stayed for a few hours,
Nu~aybin Anyabuli (arrived next day)

D. CONSTANTINOPLE Works Revealed Houses Occupied
During This Period During This Period Duration

Arriva l at noon on Sunday, Subl~anaka-Y a-Hu House of Shamsi Big I month
16 August 1863 A. O.- Lawh-i- ' Abdu ' I- (near the mo sq ue of
Rabi ' u ' l-Av va l I, 1280 A.H. ' Aziz Va-Vuka la Kh irqi y-i-Sharifh)
770 Tl-IE BAl-IA ' i WORLD

D. CONSTANTINOPLE (continued) Works Revealed Houses Occupied
During This Period During This Period Duration

Length of sea voyage House of Yisi Pasha 3 months
from Samsun to (3 storey, near Sultan
Constantinopl e: Mul)ammad Mosque)
3 days.

Length of journey from
Constantinople to
Adrianople : 12 days.

I. Kuchik-Chakmachih (3 hours from Constantinople- spent one night)
2 . Buyuk-Chakmachih (arrived about noon)
3. Salvari
4. Birkas
5. Baba-Iski

E. ADRIANOPLE Works Revealed Houses Occupied
During This Period During This Period Duration

Arrival on Saturday, Suriy-i-A~l)ab I. Khan-i- ' Arab 3 nights
-
12 December I 863 A. D. (caravanserai, two-
-Rajab I , 1280 A.H. Lawh-i-J:Iaqq I storey, near house of
'Izzat-A.qa)

Length of stay: 4 years,
8 months, 22 days.
Lawl)-i-tiaqq II

Kitab-i-Badi' 2. House in I week
Suriy-i-Muluk Muradiyyih
(Tablet of the quarter, near
Kings) Takyiy-i-Mawlavi

Departure from Suriy-i-Amr 3. House in I week
Adrianop le on Suriy-i-Damm Muradiyyih quarter,
Wednesday, 12 August A lval)-i-Lay latu ' I- near house (2)
1868 A.D.- Quds
Rabi-'u '!b_-Thani 22, Munaja.thay-i-$iyam 4. Khaniy-i-Amru ' ll ah
1285 A.H. (Prayers for Fasting) (several storeys, near
Su ltan -Salim Mosque[)

Lawl;-i-Sayyah 5. House ofRic;la Big I year

Lawh-i-Napu lylin l 6. House of Amru'llal) 3 months?
(First Tablet to (3-storey, north of
Napo leon TIT) Su ltan-Salim Mosque

Lawh-i-Su ltan 7. House of ' Izzat-Aq a 11 months
(Tablet to the Shah
of Persia)
Lawh-i-Nuqtih
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 771

I. Uzun-Kuprf
2. Kashanih (arrived about noon, Lawl!-i-Ra'is [Tablet of Ra'is] was revealed in this place)
3. Gallipoli (length of journey from Adrianople to Gall ipoli about 4 days)
(after a few days' stay sailed before noon in Austrian steamer for Alexandria, Egypt)
4 . Madelli (arrived about sunset-left at night)
5. Smyrna (stayed 2 days, left at ni gh t)
6. Alexandria (arrived in the morning, trans-shipped and left in the morning of the
following day for Haifa)
7. Port Said (arrived morning, left the same day at night)
8. Jaffa (left at midnight)
9. Haifa (arrived in the morning, landed and after a few hours left on a sailing vessel for ' Akka)

F. ' AKKA Works Revealed Houses Occupied
During This Period During This Period Duration

Arrival on Monday, Kitab-i-Aqdas I. Barracks 2 years,
31August1868 A.O.- Lawh-i-Napulyun [I 2 months,
Jamadfyu ' l-Avval 12, (Second Tablet to 5 days
l285A.H . Napoleon III)
Lawl!-i-Malikih 2. House of Malik 3 months
(Tablet to Queen 3. House ofRab"ih
Victoria)
LawJ:i-i-Malik-i-Rus 4. House ofMan~ur 2 or 3
Purest Branch died on (Tablet to the Czar) months
Thursday, 23 June Suriy-i-Haykal
1870 A.0.-Rabf' u ' I- Lawl!-i-Burhan 5. House of'Abbud
Avval 23 , 1287 A. H. Lawh-i-Ru'ya (where Kitab-i-Aqdas
Lawl1-i-Ibn-i-Dhi ' b was revealed)
(Epistle to the Son 6. Mazra'ih
of the Wolf)
LawJ:i-i-Pap 7. Qa~r
Passed away 29 May (Tablet to the Pope) (Mansion, where He
1892 A.O. passed away)
THE BA HA' i WORLD

6. DATES OF HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN
THE RISE OF THE BAH A'i FAITH

Birth ofBaha'u'llah ........ 12 November 18 17 Arri va l of the first group of Western pilgrims
Birth of the Bab .. ........ ........ 20 October 1819 in 'Akka ..................... 10 December 1898
Declaration of the Mission of the Bab in Arriva l of the Bab 's remains in the Holy
Shiraz ........ .............. ............. 23 May 1844 Land ............ .... ........ .. .... . 21 January 1899
Birth of' Abdu ' l-BahL ............ 23 May 1844 Rei ncarceration of'Abdu ' l-Baha in 'AkkL
Departure of the Bab on His pilgrimage to ......................................... 20 August 1901
Mecca ............................. September 1844 Commencement of the construction of the
Arrival of the Bab in Mah-Ku, Adhirbayjan Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar of ' Ishqabad .... .. .... .. ..
........................................ .. .. Summer 1847 ............ ........................ 28 November 1902
Incarceration of the Bab in Chihriq, Adhir- Release of ' Abdu'l-Baha from His incarcerbayjan .... ........................ ........ .. Ap ril 1848 ation .. .... .. ............ ...... ...... September 1908
Conference of Badasht ................. June 1848 Interment of the Bab 's remains on Mt. Carmel
Interrogation of the Bab in Tabriz, Adhir- .......................................... 2 1 March 1909
bayjan ........................ ...... ......... .July 1848 Opening of the first American Baha' i Con-
Martyrdom of the Bab in Tabriz, Adhir- vention .............................. 2 1 March 1909
bayjan ........ .................. .......... 9 July 1850 'Abdu ' 1-Baha 's departure from Egypt.. ........
Attempt on the li fe of Na~i ri 'd-Di n Shah .... .. .. .. .............................. September 1910
........ ...... .. .. .. .................. .. 15 August 1852 'Abdu ' l-Baha's arrival in London ............... .
Imp1isonment ofBaha'u'llah in the Siyah-Chal .. .... .. .. .... .... ................... 4 September 1911
ofTi hran .............................. August 1852 'Abdu ' l-Baha's arrival in America ............. ..
Banishment of Baha' u' ll ah to Bagl:!dad ... .. .. .. .... .. .. .............................. 11 April 19 12
.... .... .................. .. ............ 12 January 1853 Layi ng of the corner-stone of the Mashriqu'l-
Withdrawal of Baha'u'llah to Kurdi stan .. Ad hkar in Wilmette, Ill., by 'Abdu' l-Baha
........................................ .... 10 April 1854 .. .... .... ..................................... I May 19 12
Return of Baha'u'llah from Kurdistan. Second vis it of ' Abdu'l-Baha to Europe and
.................... .. ........ .. .......... l9March 1856 tour through the United Kingdom, France,
Declaration of the Mission ofBaha' u' ll ah ... Germany, Hungary and Austria ... .......... ..
............................................ 22 April 1863 .. .................. December 19 12 to June 19 13
Arrival of Baha'u'llah in Constantinople. 'Abdu' l-Baha's return to the Ho ly Land .......
......................................... 16 August 1863 .. ........... .................... .... 5 December 1913
Arrival of Baha' u' llah in Adri anople ... Unve iling of the Tab lets of the Divine Plan ..
........ .... ............ .. ......... 12 December 1863 .. .............................. .. .............. . April 1919
Depa1ture ofBaha 'u' llah from Adrianople .. Passi ng of'Abdu' l-Baha 28November 1921
.... .... ............ ........ ............ . 12 August 1868 Verdi ct of the Islamic Court in Egypt pro-
Arriva l ofBaha'u'llah in 'Akka .................. . nounci ng the Fa ith to be an independent
...... .. ...... .. ......................... 31 August 1868 re li gion ....... .......................... 10 May 1925
Death of the Purest Branch ....... 23 June 1870 Martha Root's first interview with Queen
Ascension of Baha ' u ' llah .... ..... 29 May 1892 Mari e of Romania .......... 30 January 1926
First public reference to the Faith in America Reso lution of the Council of the League of
.......... ........ ................. 23 September 1893 Nations upholding the claim of the Baha'i
Establishment of the first Baha'i centre in the community to the House of Bah a 'u' llah in
West .................. ............ .... February 1894 Bagl:!dad .............. .. ............. 4 March 1929
THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 773
Passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf.. .............. . Dedication of the Mother Temple of Africa,
.............. .. .. ......... .... ........ .... ... 15 July 1932 Kampala, Uganda .......... 14 January 1961
Inception of the First American Seven-Year Dedication of the Mother Temple of the Antipo-
Plan ...................... .. ................. April 1937 des, Sydney, Australia 16 September 196 1
Celebration of the Centenary of the Declaration Completion of the Ten Year Crusade ........... .
of the Bab ....................... ..... 23 May 1944 ................................................. Apri l 1963
Inception of the Second American Seven- First election of the Universal House of Justice
Year Plan ................................ April 1946 ...................................... .... . 21 April 1963
Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Bab ....... First Baha' i World Congress in London, in
............ .................................. .. 9 July 1950 celebration of the "Most Great Jubilee" ...
Completion of the Arcade and Parapet of the ............................................. .... April 1963
Shrine of the Bab on Mt. Carmel... .. .. .... .. . Launching of the Nine Year Plan April 1964
.... ............... ...... .. .... ................ . 9 July 1950 Dedication of the Mother Temple of Europe,
Inauguration of the Centenary Celebrations of near Frankfurt, Germany ..... .. .4 July 1964
the birth ofBaha'u'llah's Prophetic Mission Celebration of the Centenary of the Revelation
........ ......... ............... .. ..... ...... October 1952 of the Siiriy -i-Mulilk ................ .. ............... .
First Baha'i Intercontinental Teaching Con- ................ .. ...... .. .September/October 1967
ference, Kampala, Uganda, Africa .......... . Opening of period of proclamation of the
................................ 12-18 February 1953 Cause, inaugurated by the presentation by
Inauguration of the Ten-Year International the Universal House ofJustice to 140 Heads
Baha 'i Teaching and Consolidation Plan of State a special edition of The Procla-
.... .. ............................... .. .......... April 1953 mation of Baha 'u 'llah .... .. .. .October 1967
Baha'i dedication of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar The holding of six Intercontinental Conferin Wilmette, Illino is .... .. ........ I May 1953 ences simultaneously in Panama City,
Public dedication ...................... . 2 May 1953 Wilmette, Sydney, Kampala, Frankfurt,
All-American Baha'i Intercontinental Teach- and New Delhi .. ............. .. .. . October 1967
ing Conference, Chicago ... 3- 6 May 1953 His Highness Malietoa Tanurnafili II of
Third Baha' i Intercontinental Teaching Con- Western Samoa, embraced the Faith ........
ference, Stockholm, Sweden .......... ....... .. .. .. ... ..... ...... ..... .. .......... .... 19 February 1968
................. .......... ...... ...... 21 - 26 July 1953 Establishment of the Continental Board of
Fourth Baha'i Intercontinental Teaching Con- Counsellors ...................... .. . 2 1 June 1968
ference, New Delhi, India ............... .. .... .. .. First Oceanic Conference, Palermo, Sicily ...
................................... 7-15 October 1953 ...... ....... .. .. .. ..... .. ..... .. .. 23- 25 August 1968
Completion of the construction of the Shrine Commemoration of the I OOth anniversary of
of the Bab ....................... ... .. October 1953 the arrival of Baha'u'llah in the Holy Land
Expansion of the Faith to 100 additional ............ .. ...... .... ...... .. ......... 31 August 1968
countries and islands by settl ement of the The Baha' i International Community accred-
Knights ofBaha 'u ' llah ........... 1953- 1954 ited with consultative status to the United
Completion of exterior of International Nations Economic and Social Council .. .. .
Archives Bui lding .. .. ...... ....... .. .......... 1957 ................................... .. .. ...... 27 May 1970
Passing of Shoghi Effendi 4 November 1957 Commemoration of the 1OOth anniversary of
The holding of five Intercontinental Teaching the death of Mirza Mihdi, 'The Purest
Conferences successi vely in Kampala, Branch' .. ..... .... ...... .............. 23 June 1970
Sydney, Wi lmette, Frankfurt, Djakarta/ The holding of eight Oceanic and Continen-
Singapore ............ ..... .. .. ..................... 1958 tal Conferences in La Paz, Rose Hill
First dependency of a Mashriqu ' l-Adhkar, (Mauritius), Monrovia, Singapore, Kingthe Baha' i home for the Aged, opened in ston, Suva, Sapporo, and Reykjavik. .. ..
Wilmette, Illinois, U.S. A .... January 1959 between August 1970 and September 1971
774 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Lagos, Canberra, and Montreal... ............ .
passing of ' Abdu' l-Baha 28 November 1971 ........... between June and September 1982
Completion of the erection of the Obelisk on Occupation by the Universal House of Justice
Mt. Carmel ... ........ ...... 19 December 197 1 of its Pennanent Seat .. ...... .. January 1983
Dedication of the Mother Temple of Latin Opening of the House of' Abdu ' llah Nsha to
America, Panama .. ..... ... ... .. 29 April 1972 pilgrims ............. .. .. ...... ... .. .. .. ...April 1983
Adoption by the Universal House of Justice Dedication of the first Mashriqu'l-Adhk:ar of
of its Constitution .. .... .26 November 1972 the Pacific Islands ....... 1 September 1984
Publication by the Universal House of Justice of Inauguration on United Nations Day of period
A Synopsis and Codification of the Laws of dissemination to Heads of State and to
and Ordinances of the Kitab-i-Aqdas .... ... the general public of The Promise of World
....... ...... ............ ....... .. .. ..... ...... ..April 1973 Peace, a letter addressed by the Universal
Establishment of the International Teaching House of Justice to ' The Peoples of the
Centre .... ........... ... ....... ........... 5 June 1973 World' ... ...... ...... .. ... ..... ...24 October 1985
Launching of the Five Year International Launching of the Six Year International
Teaching Plan .... ... ... ... .... ...... ... April 1974 Teaching Plan ... ...... ............... .. April 1986
His Highness the Malietoa Tanumafili II of Dedication of the Mother Temple of the
Western Samoa visited the resting place Indian subcontinent, New Delhi, India .. ..
of Shoghi Effendi ... ... 12 September 1976 .................... .......... 23-27 December l 986
The holding of eight Intercontinental Con- Establishment of the Baha'i Office of the
ferences in Helsinki, Anchorage, Paris, Environment... .... .... .... .... 26 October 1989
Nairobi , Hong Kong, Auckland, Bahia Establishment of first Baha' i Chair for World
(Brazil) and Merida (Mexico) ... ......... ... ... Peace at the University of Maryland in
... .... between July 1976 and January 1977 the United States .... ... ...... .... January 1990
Commemoration of the Centenary of the Launching of the supplementary Two Year
termination of Baha'u' llah's Confinement Teaching Plan for Eastern Europe, the
in the prison-city of ' Akka ...... .. June 1977 USSR and Mongolia .. .. .. ......... April 1990
Launching of the Seven Year International Commencement of re-construction and com-
Teaching Plan ..... .......... .. ..... .... April 1979 pletion of the Terraces of the Shrine of
Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the the Bab ... ......... ...... .............. 23 May 1990
passing of Bahiyyih Khan um, the Greatest Commencement of construction of the Centre
Holy Leaf.. .. .................... .......... July 1982 for the Study of the Texts ..... 17 June 1991
The holding of five International Teaching Establishment of the Office of I-:Iuququ ' llah
Conferences in Dublin, Quito (Ecuador), in the Holy Land ... ...... ... .November 1991
PART FIVE

IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM

DR. UGO GIACHERY from blocks of marble would come forth
1896-1989 faces, human figures, animals I could recognize, or imaginary creatures. 4
Rich in history and embellished by the arts, Then came the War, the First World War.
fortunate in her traditions, inhabited by 'Not every evil is .harmful ', as the ancient
citizens open to human relations- such was proverb has it, for I was wounded and
the city of Palermo, capital of Sicily, that obtained a government scholarship which
welcomed to the world, on 13 May 1896, permitted me to graduate in chemistry. 5 ...
Ugo Giachery, the fifth in a family of nine Not knowledge, nor his so-called culture,
children. make a man; but rather his dreams, his
"I believe I can recall events from the age imagination, his vision of an ordered
of three," recounted Ugo Giachery, "when I future where reason triumphs over force
registered in my memory episodes and facts and compromise. 6
that I did not then fully understand, but which Dr. Giachery also wrote about how he
with the passing of time seemed like blos- met his wife, Angeline:
soms which would open like magic; so it was
for me a world of delights and wonders!" 1 ... I met Angeline in the home of mutual
He continued: friends [in the United States]; she was
gentle, gracious, cultured, elegant and
My father was born on the 6th of August happy. In her presence one seemed to
1863; the name given to him, Uberto, is a sense the fragrance of pines and firs of
Teutonic name meaning 'Resplendent Soul' the Varmland forest, the most romantic
-and so he was! 2 . .. Some of the happi- and beautiful region of Sweden. We met
est recollections that come to my memory frequently and a mutual affection develare of the hours we passed with him when oped. On 24 February 1926 we were
we were young-he loved us immensely; married in New York City. 7
he was always available for us. He seized
every opportunity to increase our general Angeline was already a Baha'i when she
knowledge; he talked to us of the uni- met Dr. Giachery, and towards the end of
verse, of the so lar system, of geophysics, the 1920s or the beginning of the 1930s
of trees, plants, flowers and herbs. 3 Dr. Giachery first wrote to the Guardian. A
. .. Among his friends were three famous door had opened, allowing a glimpse of a
sculptors, with one of whom he had been path; nobody could have imagined how far it
at school, and to whose studio we were would lead!
often taken .. . I recall that although I was Dr. Giachery served as chairman of the
very small , I was enchanted to see how Teaching Committee of the State of New

ibid. , p. 18.
1 5
Ugo Giachery, Come Ricardo Emerico Giache1y, ibid., p. 23.
Nov.-Dec. I 98 I, p. I. 6
ibid. , p. 26.
ibid. , p. 3. The Baha'i World, vol. XV III (Haifa: Baha'i World
ibid. , pp. 9-10. Centre, I 986), p. 7 I 8.
778 THE BAHA'I WORLD

contract for the marble necessary to complete the Shrine of the Bab on Mount
Carmel. 2
Dr. Giachery wrote: "The hand of destiny
made me his co-worker in securing the
carved marble for the Holy Sepulchre in my
native Italy, a privilege and honour that has
blessed my mature years." 3 The assistance
of his dear wife, Angeline, at the Italian end
of the magnificent enterprise was inestimable, extending from 1948 to the end of 1957.
Recounting his first meeting with the
Guardian, Dr. Giachery wrote:
... the reward came to me that first night I
was in his presence . . . Turning to the
friends seated at his table for dinner, he
said ... 'We are very glad to have such a
Baha' i friend, to whom the whole world
is indebted.' Then, addressing me, he
Dr. Ugo Giachery added: 'The service you have rendered is
not sufficiently appreciated today, but it
will be fully appreciated in the future ...
York, and as treasurer of the Local Spiritual
This evening when I went to the Shrine, I
Assembly of New York City. And when
remembered you, and I have come to the
the Guardian, through historic messages,
decision that we shall have a "Giachery"
sounded the signal for the inauguration of the
door for the Shrine-one of the doors .' 4
second Seven Year Plan, to carry across the
ocean to the shores of the Old World the During these years of residence in Rome,
healing influence of the Faith ofBaha'u ' llah, 1947-1964, Dr. and Mrs. Giachery devoted
Dr. and Mrs. Giachery sold their home and special care to the vital work of translating
went as pioneers to Italy. from English into Italian and publishing the
They reached Naples on 20 February 1947, Baha'i texts, an inestimable gift to the
and after a 12-hour journey on an ancient and believers for their comprehension of the
overcrowded bus, they arrived at Rome. Revelation of Baha'u ' llah. The first of the
numerous texts which were brought to light
.. .by Ri<;!van 1948 the first Local Spiritual
in Italian was Bah<i 'u 'llah and the New Era,
Assembly of Rome was elected. Shoghi
" ... that splendid, authoritative and compre-
Effendi was overjoyed. He requested a
hensive introduction to Baha'i history and
photograph of the Local Spiritual Assemteachings ... " 5 and splendid were the results
bly, had it framed and personally placed it
of its ~eing presented to numerous libraries
at the head of his bed in the room he often
and personalities throughout Italy.
occupied when staying overnight in the
Mansion ofBahji. 1
On April 29, 1948, at four o 'clock in the 2
The Baha'i World, vol. Xll, p. 240.
afternoon, in a room of the Hotel Savoia in 3 Ugo Giachery, Shoghi Effendi: Recollections
Rome, William Sutherland Maxwell, act- (Oxford: George Ronald, 1973), p. 55.
ing for Shoghi Effendi ... signed the first 4
ibid., pp. 78-79.
5 Shoghi Effendi , God Passes By (Wilmette: Baha' i
The Bahli 'i World, vol. XVIII, p. 718. Publi shing Trust, 1987), p. 382.
IN MEMORIAM 779

From Dr. Giachery's interesting and the meeting with the Prime Minister of
perspicuous treatise entitled One God, One India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Then, at the Guard-
Truth, One People: Some thoughts on the ian's request, he travelled from there to
Peace Encyclical of Pope John XXIII, we Persia where he remained about two months.
learn that as an Observer to the United In November 1954, the invitation of the
Nations for the Baha'i International Com- Guardian to go on pilgrimage reached Dr. and
munity Dr. Giachery was present at the Mrs. Giachery. For Angeline, to be at the
historic meeting for the Universal Declaration World Centre and meet Shoghi Effendi was
of Human Rights, adopted in Paris on the greatest event of her life. One evening,
10 December 1948. He also collaborated (with on 24 December, the Guardian turned to her
other representatives of many non-govern- and said:
mental organizations) in the drafting of that "I would very much like to keep you and
document, at the NGO Conference in Geneva, Ugo here indefinitely, but Ugo must return
Switzerland, in May of that same year. to Italy and start immediately to work on
On 24 December 19 51, the Guardian the International Archives.'' 1 Dr. Giachery
announced: decided to give absolute priority to the exe-
HOUR NOW RIPE TAKE LONG INEVITABLY cution of this magnificent plan.
DEFERRED STEP ... APPOINTMENT FIRST CON- On 12 December 1956, Shoghi Effendi
TINGENT HANDS CAUSE GOD .. sent to Dr. Giachery a cablegram which
Dr. Giachery was one of that first contin- reads as follows:
gent of the Hands of the Cause of God. CONG RATULATE YOU SPLENDID HISTORIC HIGH-
In March 1952 he was appointed "member LY MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT ENSURING
at large" of the International Baha'i Council. EXCELLENT EXECUTION DETAILS STRUCTURE
During his pilgrimage, Dr. Giachery had ARCHIVES PARTICULARLY GREATEST NAME.
received instructions directly from the PRESENT FUTURE GENERATIONS BELIEVERS
Guardian on the immediate steps to be taken INCLUDING MYSELF PROFOUNDLY GRATEFUL.
aimed at the formation, ere the termination In November of 1957, the Baha'i world
of the second Seven Year Plan, of the first was stricken by the passing of the Guardian.
National Spiritual Assembly of Italy and It is nearly impossible to convey the state of
Switzerland. The Convention, according to those who had been so close to him, who
the Guardian's desire, was held in the city had served him with such passion and loved
of Florence, in the heart of the Italian him so intensely. Dr. Giachery expressed his
Peninsula, and was considered by him to be feelings best in the epilogue of his book
the fairest fruit produced in the European entitled, Shoghi Effendi: Recollections.
continent by the Divine Plan of 'Abdu'l-Baha. Again, the hand of fate called upon him to
The Guardian was represented by Dr. Giach- supervise the preparation of the marble and
ery, who was elected to that body and served other materials needed for the erection of the
as its chairman for nine consecutive years . memorial to Shoghi Effendi.
The Great Jubilee commemorating the The responsibilities and tasks of the
Centenary of the tem1ination of the Babi Hands of the Cause suddenly grew im-
Dispensation and the Birth of Baha'u'llah's mensely. Dr. Giachery was away from home
Revelation, 1853-1953, had as its highlights more often and for longer periods. In a letter
four Intercontinental Conferences. The Con- from a friend to his wife, we read:
ference for Europe took place in Stockholm, "Dear Angeline, .. .I am sorry for you to
Sweden, and Dr. Giachery was the special have to be so very long alone in Rome. You
representative of the Guardian. He was also are a most brave soldier in His heavenly
present at the last of the four conferences,
which took place in New Delhi, India, and at 1
Shoghi Effendi: Recollections, p. 154.
780 THE BAHA'I WORLD

a1my, heavenly it should be if we make it Indians, who showed affection, respect, and
thus. We too miss Dr. Giachery ... " care. "Oh if only the friends would under-
The beloved Shoghi Effendi, in his last stand that the basis of every conquest is
message of October 1957, had announced harmony and unity!!"
the convocation of five Intercontinental One of the Counsellors remembers that
Conferences, at the midway point of "the when, in 1968, the first Continental Board of
decade-long Spiritual Crusade", that Crusade Counsellors for Central America was fo1med,
"formulated for the execution of the Grand " ... the counsel of Dr. Giachery to us was:
Design conceived by ' Abdu'l-Baha . .. " 1 'Noblesse Oblige'-constant and sacrificial
Dr. Giachery was chosen to act as a special service to the Friends".
representative of the Guardian at the Chicago Dr. Giachery was one of the six Hands
conference. To him was assigned the duty of of the Cause who opened the Centenary of
exhibiting the portraits ofBaha ' u'llah and of Baha' u'llah's proclamation in the "Land of
the Bab. And in the city where the Name of Mystery" with a visit, in September 1967,
Baha'u'llah was publicly mentioned for the to the House in Adrianople where the Suriy -
first time in the Western world in the last i-Muhik was revealed. Six Intercontinental
century, His portrait and the portrait of the Conferences followed . At the Conference in
Bab were now exhibited for the spiritual Sydney, Australia, he represented the
delight of over 1,600 believers from 31 coun- Universal House of Justice.
triest: such a fruit from such a seed! In a letter addressed to a believer in
On the eve of the end of the Ten Year November 1967 he says:
Crusade, at Ric;lvan 1962, the happy and
It is impossible to tell you in detail our
constructive union of the Italian and Swiss
experiences, but briefly I can assure you
communities came to an end with the fmmathat the Intercontinental Conference of
tion of the National Spiritual Assemblies of
Sydney was a hue success and brought a
the Baha'is of Italy and the Baha' is of
breath of the spirit which emanates from
Switzerland. To the believers of both
the World Centtáe of the Faith to the
counttáies this opened new vistas.
friends in that continent, and those of
The years from 1964 to 1969 were
nineteen other countries! The meeting
paiiicularly intense. On 19 January 1964
with the Mayor of Sydney, with the Gov-
Dr. Giachery inforn1ed the National Spiritual
ernor of American Samoa, and with the
Assemblies of Europe and the Auxiliary
King of Western Samoa, to whom I pre-
Board members of his departure for the
sented the Book of Proclamation, remain
Americas, accompanied by his most
episodes of the greatest importance in the
precious collaborator, Angeline, to serve as
history of the Faith.
a Hand of the Cause of God in the Western
Hemisphere. To many friends the change On 11 February 1968, another meeting
appeared as a painful separation. took place at the private residence of the
Dr. Giachery wrote: "The geographic Malietoa. Within the hour, Dr. Giachery
area assigned to me is Mexico, and Centtáal cabled the Universal House of Justice:
America , and all the Antilles (Greater TODAYS INTERVI EW CONFIRMS HEA RTFELT
Antilles and Lesser Antilles). The country is ACCEPTA NCE... 2

large, the believers numerous ... ." He passed The Universal House of Justice described
days of real joy in the company of the this as " ... an event of which the true significance will be fully understood only in the
1 course of centuries to come ... " 3
Shoghi Effendi , Messages to the Bnhti 'i Wo rld,
J950- 1957 (Wi lmette: Baha'i Publishing Tru st,
1971), p. 124- 125. Th e Bnhti 'i World, vol. XV, p. 18 1.
IN MEMORIAM 781
It was Dr. Giachery who, at the request of French Philology at Yale University in the
the Universal House of Justice, presented United States, appeared in the magazine
The Proclamation of Baha 'u 'llah to the World Order (Spring 1974): "To me, read-
Vatican, on 9 April 1968. Then, on the occa- ing this loving recollection has been a
sion of the 1968 International Convention, moving and joyful experience .... the book
he was requested to visit France, Portugal by Dr. Giachery ... is like a poem of love."
and Spain. In Portugal he met Umberto II of In 1975, he made an extensive visit to the
Italy, who received Dr. and Mrs. Giachery in Cradle of the Faith. The testimony of one of
his residence, Villa Italia, at Cascais, on the the Persian friends gives us an insight into
outskirts of Lisbon. They presented the book one of the events of that visit:
The Proclamation of Baha 'u 'llah to the "The Baha'is of Mashhad, in the Province
exiled king. of Khurasan, welcomed Dr. Giachery and his
Meanwhile, the time approached for the beloved wife with tremendous love and
commemoration of the Centenary of the enthusiasm. With great reverence they paid a
voyage of Baha'u'llah across the Mediterra- visit to the house ofMulla I:Iusayn, remaining
nean Sea to reach the prison city of 'Akka. for a long time in the room of Mulla I:Iusayn
Palermo had been chosen to host this first and Quddus reciting the special Tablet of
Oceanic Conference, held from 23-25 August Visitation displayed in that special spot."
1968. The Universal House of Justice was That same year, he presented the Faith to
represented by Dr. Giachery. Many of the Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein: the
friends felt that the unfoldment of such an visit" ... was lively, interesting and friendly .. ." 1
important event, and the presence of A particularly significant day in the life
Dr. Giachery in his native land, fulfilled his of Dr. Giachery was 12 September 1976,
deepest wishes, his hopes, and his efforts to when His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II
bring the Message of Baha'u'llah to his of Western Samoa made a moving visitation
fellow countrymen-a gift and augury for to the resting place of the beloved Guardian.
the future destiny of the land. Dr. Giachery was with him, as a representa-
The news of the Giacherys' return to tive of the Universal House of Justice. The
Europe at Naw-Ruz 115 (1969) was received object of their common devotion greatly
by the friends with great eagerness, in fresh increased their reciprocal affection. It was
anticipation of the joy and bounty of having an intense and happy day.
them near. Their residence was established During his tenure as a Hand of the Cause,
at Monte Carlo in the Principality of Monaco. Dr. Giache1y attended the inaugural con-
But the experiences, emotions, difficulties, ventions of: the Iberian Peninsula, as
joys and victories passed through in that representative of the Guardian (April 1957);
period in the Americas remained with them Haiti and Venezuela, as representative of the
for the rest of their lives. Baha'i World Centre on behalf of the body
Dr. Giachery's anguish at the premature of the Hands (April-May 1961); and the
passing of his beloved Shoghi Effendi Leeward, Windward and Virgin Islands
seemed never to lighten. He yearned to write (Ri~van 1967), British Honduras (28-30 April
his recollections of the greatest adventure of 1967), Near East (Lebanon-Ri~van 1970),
his life, the adventure which had trans- Puerto Rico (Ri~van 1972), and Cypms
formed his existence. By the end of 1973, (20-21 May 1978), all as representative of
the book was published. A review of it the Universal House of Justice.
written by Dr. Howard Garey, Professor of Dr. Giache1y marked the moment of earthly
separation from his beloved companion and
Message from the Uni versa l House of Justi ce to the
Baha'is of the world , 7 May 1973. Balza 'i News, December 1975 , p. 17.
782 THE BAHA'I WORLD

consort, Angeline, on 23 April 1980. He them ... the grown ups ... feel that the
passed the following nine years without the little efforts they can make are sufficient
comfort and affectionate support of his to appease the Creator and silence their
Angeline, yet what he succeeded in accom- conscience. Centuries are passing as fast
plishing is almost incredible. as the twinkling of an eye, and very often
In December 1980, he was in Western human beings leave this contingent world
Samoa for the fourth time and was received suddenly, without having accomplished,
by His Highness the Malietoa Tanumafili II. in whole or in part, what was a divine
He also met hundreds of Baha ' is at the mandate at the time of their birth . . .
"most historic and bountiful Summer School
Dearest Friends,
ever" at which he "poured out his heart day
I have served the Faith of God for many
and night, his luminous spirit emiching the
decades, and I am going to hand down the
heart and soul of every believer". 1 He prosecrets of my blessed wife and myself to
ceeded to the Hawaiian Islands, and then to
all of you. Devote your life to the service
southern California where he was happily
of the Cause of God. The highest station
able to be present at a special meeting in
man can aspire to is that of service.
January 1981 held as "A Tribute to the
'Abdu'l-Baha selected that name for Him-
Hands of the Cause". Here he spoke of the
self ... it means the 'Servant of Baha' .
Guardian and of the Hands in a way which
A void any form of ambition. 'Abdu' 1-Baha
was considered to be beyond description.
. .. said that ambition that is not applied to
In 1982, the Universal House of Justice
the service of mankind is abomination . ..
announced five International Conferences to
be always polite, kind and generous.
be dedicated to the Greatest Holy Leaf on
Teach your children to grow up like that;
the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of her
plant in them the desire to learn and love
passing. At the Canberra, Australia, Confertheir teachers.
ence Dr. Giachery represented the Universal
House of Justice. He considered this the finest At the end of his fourth visit to Samoa,
conference he had ever attended. Dr. Giachery had assured the Sovereign that
Time rolled swiftly by. For 20 years he would return. As time passed such a wish
Dr. Giachery sent out words of encourage- increased in intensity, until at last the longment, affection and advice in innumerable awaited day arrived. On the morning of
letters written from his home on the fourth 10 April 1989, he left his home in the Europa
floor of the Europa Residence building in Residence in a wheelchair, no one imagining
Place des Moulins. It is not easy to capture that it would be the last time. The memorathe variety and essence of their contents. ble journey was under way! The bounty of
Some passages from two messages written God had granted the fulfilment of his desire.
at Ric;!van 142 and 143, addressed to the In Apia, the capital city of yYestern
Baha'i friends in Europe, give us glimpses: Samoa, he was received with a moving formal welcome by the Head of State, His
Cherished Baha' i Friends,
Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II. And the
There is yet no one, who has not reached
islands of Samoa saw many souls tum to the
my advanced age, that can justly evaluate
light of the Message of Baha'u' llah and
the speed of time and the impelling
enlist under the bam1er of His Cause. On
necessity to hasten the propagation of the
3 July, as he was signing a message, he said
regenerating Teachings of Baha ' u' llah's
he thought he was signing his name for the
Revelation. Youth in general be lieve that
last time. The message was about a plan for
there is a magnitude of time ahead of
a Samoan Academy of Arts and Sciences,
Th e Bnhii 'f World, vol. XVIII , p. 496. with a high level of study and research,
IN MEMORIAM 783
based on the Baha'i concept of education, Advise all National Spiritual Assemblies
for the well-being of the people of Samoa hold befitting memorial gatherings his
and of their region, and to help deepen name, particularly in Mashriqu ' l-Adhkars
understanding of their rich cultural heritage. in recognition his unique position, splen-
On the morning of 5 July, he had to be did services.
taken to the hospital; he asked that the return
The funeral took place on the morning of
journey to Monte Carlo, scheduled for 12 July,
12 July. "Dignified, serene, even glorious"
be cancelled. That afternoon he talked of his
were words people used to describe it. It
beautiful journey, of the past, of the conwas impressive the way the familiar Baha'i
strnction of the Shrine of the Bab, of how
ceremony was combined with Samoan
the tiles had been made, of so many other
culture. "'Fa'a Samoa ' is what they say in
thmgs. His thoughts, his spirit, rejoiced in
Samoa to explain that something, a situation
the present, remembered the past, and lived
or action, embodies the spirit and soul of the
the future.
Samoan way. And so, the funeral-wonder-
He was resting when, at 6:45 p.m. , his
fully Baha' i in content-felt at the same
heart ceased to beat.
time 'fa'a Samoa' ... .
TI1e Universal House of Justice announced
"Notable was the presence of Malietoa
his passing to all National Spiritual Assemblies
Tanumafili II, the Head of State; the Prime
on 6 July 1989 in the following message, the
Minister; cabinet members; and individuals
final diadem adorning the crown of his service:
of the royal family, dressed in formal
Samoan lavalava suits and puletasi . . .. Sig-
Deeply grieved loss valiant, indefatigable,
nificantly, the Malietoa chose this occasion
dearly-loved, distinguished Hand Cause
to be the first public announcement of his
Dr. Ugo Giachery. His passing in course
membership in the Baha ' i Faith." 1
historic visit Samoa adds fresh laurels
Counsellor 'Ala'i read a moving eulogy
to crown already won during minisháy
about Dr. Giachery's life. After the reading
beloved Guardian, and reinforces spiritual
of the Obligatory Prayer for the departed, the
distinction vast Pacific region, already
casket was can-ied to its final resting place,
blessed by interment four other Hands.
followed by His Highness, the Cabinet mem-
His magnificent accomplishments as
bers and dignitaries, the Baha'is and others .
Member at Large of International Baha'i
Numerous were the messages sent from
Council in com1ection raising supersh"l!C-
various parts of the world. One of these
ture Shrine of the Bab, which prompted
reads:
Guardian to name one of the doors of that
"The Baha ' is of the Hawaiian Islands join
noble edifice after him, his painstaking
our brothers and sisters of Samoa in honourefforts in promoting on the local, national
ing the memory of our highly respected,
and international levels, paramount interdeeply loved and treasured Hand of the
ests of the Faith, his notable achievement
Cause of God Dr. Ugo Giachery.
in establishment ltalo-Swiss National
"We will mi ss his regal bearing, his dig-
Spiritual Assembly on eve launching Ten
nity, his wit and the twinkle in his eyes. We
Year Crnsade, his outstanding qualities of
will miss his graciousness and his gentleness.
zeal, fidelity, determination and persever-
We will forever remember the tears welling
ance, which characterized imperi shable
up in his eyes when he shared with us his
record his arduous labours- all combine
deepest feelings for the two great loves of his
to richly adorn annals Faith over period
life: his beloved Guardian Shoghi Effendi
his superb, assiduous exertions, and
undoubtedly assure him bountiful reward 1
Sperry, Molli e. " Beloved Hand Laid to Rest in
in Kingdom on High. Samoa" . Lig ht of the Pacific. Hawai i, Aug. 1989, p. 5.
784 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

and his dearly-loved wife Angeline. By enclaves where Baha'i families could
opening himself to us through his personal gather, removed from the fanaticism of the
stories, he gave us a glimmer of the power of general populace, for meetings and firesides.
divine assistance and the depth of spirituality Love and hospitality so permeated the
which comes 'through the love of God and atmosphere of the Khadim home that it was
the illumination of divine teachings '." well-known among the Baha ' is and was a
DR. M ARIO PI ARULLI haven for travelling teachers. Great Baha'i
scholars passed through and left behind
traces of their zeal and devotion. This invig-
ZIKRULLAH KHADEM orating environment surrounded the yow1g
(Dhikru ' llah Khadim) Dhikru'llah and provided him with ample
1904- 1986 role-models, God-intoxicated heroes and
heroines. Among the well-known teachers
Dhikrn'llah Khadim was born m 1904 in of the time were two brothers, the poets
Tihran, Persia, the second of six children Nayyir and Sina, and the great teacher and
to devoted and hardworking parents, Mirza Islamic scholar, Fa<;lil Shirazi.
Na9ru'llah and Ra<;liyyih Khanum. His father, Baha' i teachers and pilgrims from the
Mirza Na9ru'llah, had spent two years in the Holy Land also passed through these en-
Holy Land in the service of the Master, claves, bringing the latest news of the victories
'Abdu'l-Baha. One day, much to his dismay, of the Faith and messages and Tablets from
' Abdu'l-Baha had sent him back to Tihran to 'Abdu'l-Baha. The Baha'is would excitedly
get married. Longing to spend his entire life assemble to peruse the divine Tablets by
in the service of 'Abdu ' l-Baha, Na9ru ' llah the light of a few candles or sit enthralled
was reluctant to depart, but had obediently as they witnessed the transformation of a
complied with the wishes of the Master. In seeker upon accepting the proofs of the
Tihran, he had married Ra<;liyyih Khanum coming of the Promised One. This devoted
and devoted himself to the spiritual nurtur- group of lovers of Baha'u'llah was momening and education of his family. tarily oblivious to the fanaticism and tum1oil
As a child, Dhikrn ' llah 's home was graced of the world beyond their sanctuary. Soon,
with the presence oft\vo exceptionally coura- however, they had to venture out into the
geous and outstanding grandmothers. One of labyrinthine passageways to return to their
these, whom he called 'Bibi Jan', repeatedly homes. En route, as they dodged the stones
accompanied another dedicated and fearless hurled at them, they would be subjected to
lady, Abji Susan, as they placed their lives the verbal hostility of street urchins shouting
in jeopardy in order to claim the precious curses and invectives.
bodies of maityrs for befitting burial. Clad These were the forces which shaped
in chadors, they would hasten to the site Dhikru ' llah Khadim's character. On the one
where the bodies had been thrown in dis- hand, he was enveloped in a spiritual atmorespect. Crying, "My brother, my brother," sphere characterized by courage, heroism,
they would rescue the remains, wash them and total dedication to Baha'u'llah. He was
with tender love, and bury them with due sheltered in a vital community whose living
respect, in accordance with Baha'i law. fountainhead was 'Abdu'l-Baha and whose
The Khadim home was totally dedicated goals were the creation ofa new world order,
to the Cause and open to all. It was located promotion of universal peace, and the estabin a section of Tihran characterized by small lishment of the oneness of mankind. This
houses surrounded by high walls with abut- vibrant arid lustrnus pearl of a community
ting roof-tops. The buildings, interconnected was surrounded by a sea of fanaticism,
by nanow alleys and passageways, created bigotry, and narrow-mindedness. The stark
IN MEMORIAM 785
contrast between the two worlds served with a rose in His hand . The beloved
to crystallize Dhikru'llah's own identity. He Guardian told him, "I give you a picture of
witnessed first-hand the heroism and exem- the beloved Master as a souvenir." One canplary courage of the ma1tyrs and teachers of not describe how deeply he cherished all the
the Faith in the face of brutal attacks and gifts the Guardian gave him. His reverence
grave injustice, and became well-known for these objects was evidence of his love
himself for heroism and courage. He was a and devotion.
passionate lover of God and, at the same After that pilgrimage Dhikru'llah Khadim
time, a fierce defender of His Faith. was galvanized with a new purpose, pro-
From his early childhood, Dhikru ' llah pelled in a new direction, infused with a new
Khadim demonstrated great spiritual poten- passion. His only thought, his only desire
tial. His father appreciated this and felt was to please his beloved.
certain that one day his son would shou lder Upon completion of the schooling availsignificant spiritual responsibilities, as able in Tihran, he taught briefly at the
alluded to by 'Abdu ' l-Baha in a Tablet. Tarbiyat School. He then went to the south
While still a young boy, Dhikru'Jlah was of Persia to serve as interpreter and language
very alert to the needs of the Faith. Thus, tutor for the huge Anglo-Persian Oil Comwhen the Central Spiritual Assembly of pany. He developed an accelerated method
Persia advised the friends to convey their of teaching Persian to the English-speaking
loyalty to the beloved Guardian of the Baha' i population and then opened a language
Faith, Shoghi Effendi, he whole-heartedly school that used this method. While in his
followed this reconnnendation. With tears in early 20s, he reached a turning point: should
his eyes he wrote a letter filled with great he continue with the oil company or should
love and devotion, professing his loyalty. he, as he desired, return to Tiluáan and set out
From that moment, a longing to attain the on his own? He was confirmed through a
presence of the beloved Guardian became dream in which Abdu'l-Baha provided him
his consuming and over-riding passion. support. He confidently left his position,
His wish was granted in May of 1925, and returned to Tihran, and found work helping
the Guardian asked this ardent pilgrim, the government of 'Iraq to establish its
eager to perform any service, to convey to Embassy in Persia.
the Persian Baha'i youth his love and His skill in scholarly Arabic and Persian
encouragement, to ask them to deepen them- (from knowing the Writings), diplomatic
selves in the Cause and to study English, French (which he studied as a second
especially English literature. This request language during his schooling at Daru '1-
caused Dhikru ' llah to embark on a zealous Funun), and English (which he diligently
study of the English language, a study he pursued in obedience to the Guardian)
pursued throughout his life . This was further quickly distinguished him. It was in this key
reinforced on subsequent visits and Embassy post that he was ab le to perform
communcations when the Guardian asked many historic services for the Faith, such as
him to translate Baha' i articles from English ttáansmitting to the Holy Land the sword of
to Persian. The Guardian sent treasured Mulla I:Iusayn and other historical treasures
copies of Th e Advent of Divine Justice, Th e of the Faith.
Promised Day is Come, and two vo lumes of While he was emp loyed at the Embassy,
The Bahri 'i World with insh-uctions for Dhikru'llah Khadim man-ied Javiddukht
Dhikru'llah to translate portions for distribu- Javid, also from a Baha'i family. Mrs. Keith
tion to the Baba ' is of Persia. Ransom-Kehler, who was to become a
The crowning event of that first pilgrim- martyr in Persia and posthumous Hand of
age was the gift of a picture of 'Abdu' l-B aha the Cause of God, expressed approval of
786 THE BAHA'I WORLD

their maniage in a tender note to Dhikru'llah self-sacrifice to others. The deep longing to
who served as her devoted secretary, friend, please their beloved Guardian resulted in a
and companion during her stay in Persia. contagious and raging pioneering fever.
The marriage took place on 3 October 1933, Those who were affected, infected others,
and produced five children, all devoted until virtually the entire community was in
servants of the Cause. the throes of this spiritual epidemic.
Dhikru'llah made trips to the Holy Land From 1940 to 1957, Mr. Khadim was
in 1939 and 1940 and received other entrusted with the mission of receiving mail
assignments from the beloved Guardian. and cablegrams from Shoghi Effendi for
Among these, he was instructed to visit, on institutions and individual Baba 'is in the
the Guardian's behalf, all of Persia. Shoghi East. This priceless bounty was the source of
Effendi expressed keen interest in the great pride to him and blessed the family
reports of his travels and repeatedly encour- with eager anticipation and excitement for
aged him through cablegrams and letters. 17 years.
After Dhikru 'llah travelled around the coun- One event in particular stands out-an
try the Guardian asked hin1 to repeat it over event which took place in 1944, the Centeagain. He gave him specific tasks such as nary of the Declaration of the Bab.
photographing Baha'i sites in Persia and the Mr. Khadim was honored with the assigngraves of the martyrs of Nayriz. This latter ment of being the carrier of the beloved
assignment resulted in his anest and brief Guardian's message to the Persian National
imprisonment in that fanatic locale. Convention. Due to wa1iime restrictions , the
In February 1940, the beloved Guardian message had to be sent through the National
gave Mr. Khadim the great mission of Spiritual Assembly of 'Iraq. When it arrived
arranging for Persian Baha 'is to obtain overt in Baghdad, Mr. Khadim painstakingly
permission from the government to go on arranged for it to be flown to Tihran.
pilgrimage to the Baha' i Holy Places. The moment-by-moment whereabouts of
Because the Guardian promised that the door this document created such anxiety for him
of pilgrimage would soon open, Mr. Kha dim that when the message finally arrived in
prepared the believers for this bounty and Tihran, he was overcome with joy and gratithen, incredibly, effectively assisted in facil- tude . After numerous difficulties and many
itating a dramatic change in government obstacles, he drove the message to Shiraz,
policy that, in fact, opened the doors. aniving just in time for the celebration at
In the same year, Shoghi Effendi asked two hours and eleven minutes after sunset.
Mr. Dhikru'llah Khadim to encourage the For years later, he would refer to that
Baha'is of Persia to pioneer to Arabia and blessed occasion and cherish the bounty of
the islands of the Persian Gulf. Mr. Khadim having been a pa1iicipant and eye-witness of
communicated the Guardian's call for pio- this milestone in the history of the Cause.
neers with such zeal and such magnetic Until 1952, Mr. Khadim served the Faith
attraction that those who heard him could in the Eastern part of the world from Egypt
not help but feel moved themselves. In this to India under the direction of the Guardian.
manner, the love and wishes of the Guardian However, during a pilgrimage in 1939,
were infused into the entire Baha'i comnm- Shoghi Effendi had told him: "I will send
nity in Persia. you to the West, to America, to witness with
The spirit of that period in Persia was your own eyes, the secret, the mystery, the
indescribable. On the one hand, there was light of the Cause in those lands". (As
the spirit that returning pilgrims brought recorded in Mr. Khadim's diary).
back. On the other were the prospective pio- On 28 February 1952, he received a cable
neers transmitting the spirit of their love and from the Guardian:
IN MEMORIAM 787

MOVED CONVEY GLAD TIDINGS YOUR ELEVA- instimtion of the Hands in the Americas,
TION RANK HAN D CAUSE STOP APPOINTMENT further fulfilling the Guardian 's 1939
OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED PUBLIC MESSAGE prediction.
ADDRESSED ALL NATIONA L ASSEMBLIES STOP He was exhilarated when, in 1963, the
MAY SACRE D FUNCTION ENABLE YOU EN RICH reins of the Cause of God were safely passed
RECORD SERV ICES ALREADY RENDERED to the Universal House of Justice. Infallible
FAITH BAHA'U ' LLAI-1 guidance was again assured. He was espe-
From that date his services extended to cially devoted to the Universal House of
the Western world. Justice and was always prepared to carry out
The year 1952 was blessed for him. He its wishes. He represented that august Instimade a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, enjoy- tution at many conferences and conventions .
ing the presence of the Guardian, and Under the direction of the House of Justice,
received his assignments as a Hand of the he undertook an intensive five-year project
Cause. For five years, until November 1957, of researching and documenting all the
he travelled at a dizzying pace, visiting Baha'i Holy Places. The project resulted
Baha'i centers throughout Europe, all over in 141 volumes under the title, Registry of
Africa, the islands of the Caribbean, the Far Baha 'i Holy Places. He also authored many
East, as well as South, Central, and N01ih articles in English and in Persian. His travels
America. From the moment he began these and his participation at Balla ' i schools and
travels on assignment from the Guardian, he institutes continued to the end of his life.
kept an extremely detailed journal which In July 1986, Mr. Khadim was diagnosed
documented his times of aITival and depar- as having disseminated liver cancer. Thereture, names and addresses of everyone he after, he was confined to bed most of the
met, hotels he stayed at, planes he boarded, time. However, during much of this period
etc. He believed that every act under the he remained active. He attended to his corredirection of the Guardian of the Cause of spondence and communicated, with great
God had historical significance. tenderness, his love and support to the
The euphoria that pervades this five-year institutions of the Cause. By the middle of
journal is especially poignant when it October, however, his sháength gradually
abrnptly ends on 4 November 1957, the day waned until he passed on to the Abha
his beloved Guardian passed from this realm. Kingdom in the early morning of 13 Novem-
Nothing had the same significance for him ber 1986, and once again attained the
after that. Of course, he continued to serve presence of his beloved Guardian.
with undiminished devotion, but the carefree The Universal House of Justice cabled
joyous spontaneity was pe1manently gone. the Baha' is of the world:
What sustained him after the passing of
the Guardian was his unshakeable certitude WITH SORROWFU L HEART S ANNOUNCE
in the assistance of Shoghi Effendi from the PASS ING INDEFATIGABLE FEARLESS DEFENDER
realm beyond. He often remarked that if he FAITH D EEPLY LOY ED HAND CAUSE Z IKRUL-
did not fee l, even for a moment, the nearness LAH KHADEM. HIS STERL ING SERV ICES TO
of the Guardian in his heart, he would THE CA USE, HI S TOTAL CONSECRATION TO
instantly perish. This is what permitted him TASKS ASS IGN ED TO HI M BY BELOVED
to continue his services in those very háying GUARD IAN , HIS OUTSTAN DING EFFORTS AS
years between 1957 and 1963, until the MEMBER NA T ION AL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
Universal House of Justice was established. C RADLE FA ITH , 1-lIS VALUABLE SOUL-UP LI FT-
As each of the Hands undertook a sphere ING STI MULA TION IMPA RTED BODY
of activity, he volunteered to move to the BELIEVERS NORTH AMER ICA, PARTICULARLY
United States and oversee the work of the UNITED STATES BAHA ' I COMMUNITY, HIS
788 THE BAHA'I WORLD

orchids, carnations, chrysanthemums, and
other flowers of every variety transformed
the very air with their love-scents, paying
homage to this signal lover whose own
fragrance lingers in so many heaiis.
JAVIDDU KHT KH AD iM

JALAL KHAZEH
(J alalu ' llah Khac:li ')
1897-1990

DEEPLY GRIEVED ANNOUNCE PASSING
STAUNCH TIRELESS PROMOTER FA ITH HAND
CAUSE GOD JALAL KHAZEI-1. HIS STRENUOUS
ENDEAVOURS CRADLE FAITH HOLY LAND
LATIN AMER ICA AND WORLDWIDE TRAVELS
AFTER PASSING BELOVED GUARDIAN SET
SHINING EXAMPLE OF UNSHAKEABLE DEDl-
CA TION AND COURAGE, OF UNDEVIATING
LOYALTY AND PERSEVERANCE. IMPERI SH-
Zikrullah Khadem
ABLE RECORD HIS STERLING SERVICES AS
UNTIRING ENDEAVOURS THROUGH HIS TALKS GIFTED TEACHER DEFENDER CAUSE NEVER
AND WRITINGS IN SAFEGUARDING COVENANT TO BE FORGOTTEN. HIS NOBLE SPIRIT NOW
AND IN INSTILLING APPRECIATION LOVE FOR ABl-IA KINDGOM WILL UNDOUBTEDLY INTER-
SHOGH I EFFENDI SHED UNDYING LUSTRE CEDE BEHALF PERSIAN BAHA' I COMMUNITY
OYER PER IOD HIS ADMIRABLE STEWARDSHIP WHOSE VITAL INTERESTS I-IE SERVED WITH
CAUSE GOD. SUCH HIGH DISTINCTION OVER SEVERAL
OFFER ING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS DECADES. FERVENTLY PRAYING l-IOL Y
HIS RADIANT SOUL AB HA KINGDOM. URGE SHRINES FOR PROGRESS HI S ILLUMfNED SOU L
HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL GATHERINGS HIS IN REALMS ON HIGH. ADV ISE FRIENDS
NAME AT ALL HOU SES OF WORSHIP AS WELL EVERYWHERE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL
AS IN ALL LOCA L BAHA' I COMMUNITIES. GA Tl-IERINGS HIS HONOUR PARTI CU LARLY
ALL HOUSES OF WORSH IP.
Memorial gatherings were held through- Universal House of Justice
out the world, including a very touching one 25 February 1990
in the Holy Land. A memento of this
moving event, in the fo1m of rose-petals When the Hand of the Cause of God Jalal
from the Shrines, was lovingly sent to his Khac:li' ascended to the Abba Kingdom on
family by Amatu'l-Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum. 21 Febrnary 1990, the Baha' i world mourned
Hundreds of Baha' is from all over the a man whose service in the Formative Age
U nited States, some even from distant coun- of the Faith left a brilliant mark. Those who
tries , came for Mr. K.hadim's funeral, held had the privilege of knowing Mr. Khac:li' will
two days after his passing. Flowers, condo- never forget his radiant happiness, devotion,
lences, cables, letters, and messages of love and eagerness to serve.
in so many forms were sent. The funeral hall Jalal was born in Tiluáan, Persia, in 1897.
was filled to overflowing, but the flowers His father, Ghulam-Ric;la, had had to leave
outnumbered the people. Roses, hyacinths , his town Sidih in the province of I ~fahan,
IN MEMORIAM 789
with some other well-known Baha ' is Faith, and from his twentieth year onwards
because of the umest and persecutions there. he was a member of committees and
Ghulam-Ric;la's wife, who was not a Baha'i, Spiritual Assemblies of the cities in which
left him and, despite the fact that she was not he lived and worked. In 1944, after he had
divorced, married a Muslim. Thus it came retired, he was elected as a delegate to the
about that Ghulam-Ric;la married Jamaliyyih National Convention for the electoral district
Khanum in 'fihran. She was the daughter of of 'fihran. Thus he took part in that Nationa l
Jinab-i-Karbila'i Mihdi 'fihrani, who had Convention which was held in Shiraz to
spent three years in the Siyah-Chal in 'fihran commemorate the one-hundredth am1iveras a prisoner because he was a Baha' i. The sary of the Dec laration of the Bab. He was
couple had two children: Jalalu'llah and elected to the National Spiritual Assembly
Farkhundih. of Iran and served fo r five years in this
As a result of the persecutions he had capacity. Afterwards he was elected to the
suffered, Ghulam-Ric;la was always in poor Spiritual Assembly of 'f ihran and served
hea lth, and he died at the age of thirty-five, there for three years as secretary.
when his son, Jalal, was only seven years Parallel to his administrative functions,
old and his daughter, Farkhundih, was only he continually travelled to teach throughout
five. With loving devotion, courage, and Persia and sent iáeports about his experiences
selflessness, their mother took care of their to the beloved Guardian. On 17 August
education. Jalal attended Baha'i children's 1950, Dr. Lutfu ' llah I:Iakim penned the foland youth classes as well as the Tarbiyat lowing remark onto his report about Kinnan
Baha'i School. and Rafsanjan on behalf of the Guardian:
At the age of seventeen, Jalal began to ' Write Jalal Khac;li' and urge him to continue
study veterinary medicine at the military his travels and assure him how deeply the
academy which was headed by professors Guardian values his wonderful services.'
from Sweden. In this profession, he served Mr. Khac;li ' was of strong, fine build, and
in the army in Qazvin, Ramadan, Kirman- very courageous by nature. He used this
shah, Sanandaj, Khurramabad, Burujird, and quality whenever he received news of a
Ahvaz. He received the rank of a lieutenant Baha' i being oppressed or mistTeated somewhen he was only nineteen years old. That where. He did not hes itate to reprimand even
same year, he married Jamaliyyih, the government officials if they neglected to fulfil
daughter of Ustad I:Iasan- 'Ali Mi'marbashi- their duty in favour of giving in to pressure
i-Kashani. Their marriage was blessed with from fa natical elements in the society.
three daughters and two sons. Having served At the end of 1951 , he resigned from the
the required number of years , he retired Spiritual Assembly of Tihran to teach
from the army in 1943, having attained the throughout Persia. At first he wanted to go
rank of co lonel. to Ramadan, but then he received a telegram
In his autobiography Jalal wrote: from Shoghi Effendi giving him pennission
"T!uáough my mother 's guidance I partici- for a pilgrimage. He immediately took steps
pated in my early years in two different to acquire a passport and all the necessary
classes conducted by well-known Baba ' i documents. At the end of March in 1952, his
scholars. (Mirza 'Ali-Akbar Rafsanjani and greatest wish was fulfilled . He was able to
Aqa Mu ~ ammad I:Iusein-Ulfat.) And so I visit the Holy Places in Haifa and 'Akka and
owe my fa ith in the Blessed Beauty 's Holy attain the presence of the beloved Guardian.
Cause to my mother' s guidance and the After this pilgrimage he felt as though he
participation in these teaching evenings." had been newly born to serve at the Holy
Jala! Khac;li' was only fifteen years old Thresho ld. Shoghi Effendi gave him the task
when he entered the field of service to the of teaching the Cause of God in the whole of
790 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Persia, travelling to the villages and cities the friends in iran ... " Mr. Khadi' wrote in
and bringing the friends news from the Baha'i his autobiography: "This [principle] became
world, familiarizing them with the goals of clear: if we take one step sincerely in His
the Ten Year Crusade and encouraging them exalted path, He comes towards us one thoueverywhere to arise with all their strength to sand steps through His goodness and grace,
achieve these goals. For two and a half years to encourage us and even to praise us . . ."
he travelled through the provinces of Khuz- An excerpt from one of Mr. Khac,ii"s
istan, Fars, I::;fahan, Kirman, Khurasan, and reports of that time reveals his service
Mazandaran to carry out the tasks Shoghi extremely clearly [tráanslation from Payam-i-
Effendi had assigned to him. Bahil 'i 126 (May 1990)]:
On 23 October 1952, Mr. Khac,ii' received
the following cable: One ofShoghi Effendi's instructions is the
ADV ISE ATTEND KAMPALA CONFERENCE AF- reason why I feel the urge to visit the
TERWARDS VISIT AFRICAN CENTRES THEN friends in many places despite being an
CONTINUE MERITORIOUS VISITS CENTRES !RAN old and weak man. When I was on pil-
PRAYERS ACCOMPANYING YOU. SHOGHI. grimage with some of the other Hands of
Following this request, Mr. Khac,ii' took the Cause of God, Shoghi Effendi told us
part in the African Intercontinental Conference that we must serve the Cause of God until
in Kampala, Uganda, from 12- 18 February. our last breath. Well, we all know what
Then he visited the Baha'is in East Africa, this last breath means ... During my piltravelling to Abyssinia, Eritrea, and Kenya. grimage, the beloved Guardian instructed
Afterwards he visited pioneers in Aden, me to go to Persia and to visit the friends
Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Masqat, and Ra's at everywhere, even in places where there
Tannurah. After carrying out Shoghi Effendi's was only one Baha'i. He said that if we
instructions, he returned to Persia and con- do not visit the friends who are isolated in
tinued his travels there. a place as pioneers or for some other rea-
He sent reports from Nairobi, Aden, and son, their tree of being will wither.
Tihran to Haifa, informing the Guardian Thus, I left one day to visit the village
about his journey and enclosing photographs Dilman in Gilan. I travelled through forof Kampala and other places. When he was ests and over mountains, and only mules
just about to leave for the province of Gilan, which were especially trained were able
the National Spiritual Assembly of the to cover this distance of about SO kilome-
Baha'is of Iran asked him to come to their tres. The strain of the journey can hardly
meeting, and they gave him a telegram be described! I wanted to visit Mr. Rida
from the Guardian along with a letter from $amimi, a f01mer clergyman from Taliqan
Dr. L. I:Iakim dated 20 May 1953 . The cable, whom the enemies of the Cause had
which expressed the infinite mercy of the wanted to kill. He had gone to Dilman
Guardian, moved Mr. Khac,ii ' to tears: and was the only Baha'i there . While I
PROUD YOUR SERV ICES ENCOURAGE FRIEN DS was with him, I realized how well our be-
CENTRES ARISE PARTICIPATE CRUSADE. SHOG HI. loved Guardian knows which souls suffer
Other telegrams and letters also reflect from loneliness in which locations.
Shoghi Effendi's loving acknowledgement After a journey of two days, I arrived in
and encouragement for Mr. Khac,ii' and Dilman. I was so exhausted that I was
assured him of his prayers. For example, the unable to utter a single word. My legs
Guardian wrote, ' ... YOUR SERV ICES ARE THE were so grazed that I could not walk. I was
CAUSE OF GLORY AND HONOUR... ', and in a carried up the stairs leading into the room
letter written on behalf of the Guardian: and collapsed on the floor. Mr. $amimi
"your services and travels set an example for thought initially that I was a revenue
IN MEMORIAM 791
officer who had come to collect taxes. He
asked: 'Excuse me, but who are you and
why have you come?' I asked: 'Are you
Ric.la $amfmf?' He answered in the affirmative. I continued, 'My name is Jalal
Khacii' I met the beloved Guardian. He
asked me to visit the friends everywhere,
especially those who live in a locality all
by themselves. I have been travelling for
two days in order to come and see you.'
Before concluding this sentence, I realized that he did not know what to do.
He began to cry and exclaimed: 'My
Beloved, the Guardian , remembered and
thought of me and sent you here, because
otherwise nobody would have come to
this comer of the country in order to find
out how I was. ' His tears streamed into
his beard (reminding one of the fact that
he had been a clergyman.) Then he said:
'Well, as you are a messenger of my Jalal Khazeh
Beloved, please, stay exactly where you
are and do what I tell you.' I replied, 'As On 22 November 1953 , Mr. Khacii' reyou like it.' Mr. $amimi then explained: ceived a letter from Dr. f:Iakim in answer to
' I would like to circumambulate you nine his travel report about the region ofKhurasan
times, chanting prayers and Tablets.' -Mashhad, Quchan, Darjaz, Bujnurd, Shirvan,
To make a long story short, I felt that Turbat-i-Jam, and about Sistan, deep in the
this man exerted a strength and power heart of Baluchistan. This letter had been
which made me sit down . He began to sitting in Mashhad for two months, because
walk around me in circles, intoning Holy nobody knew his address. In that letter,
Tablets and prayers, shedding tears. For Mr. f:Iakim wrote on behalf of the Guardian:
lunch he brought soup (abgusht), but he
Shoghi Effendi asked me to write to you
did not eat anything. He said that he could
and to tell you that he read your letter
not possibly eat at the same time as I,
despite the heavy workload and that he
because he desired to eat from the plate
is very happy about your visits to the
from which I had eaten ...
friends in the different places. Now the
Mr. Khacii' also reported on his journeys beloved Guardian would like you to go
to Rasht, Lahijan, Shahsavar, Siahkol, on an extended journey to the Mazan-
Challis, and other places. In the answer of daran region. He does not expect you to
16 August 1953, Dr. f:Iakim quotes Shoghi settle there, but he asks you to stay in
Effendi as follows: ' Write to Mr. Khacii ' that each place for a considerable period of
I read his detailed report carefully and that I time, in order to have extensive meetings
was deeply touched by it. I profoundly with the friends and to encourage and
appreciate his continuous service, and his support them with respect to their relatrips to the different communiti es and locali- tionship to the Faith as much as you can.
ties have had a long-lasting impression on The friends in Mazandaran are in great
the friends .' need of such assistance, especially in the
792 THE BAHA'I WORLD

region of Nur and Takur. Shoghi Effendi of this servant through His mercy will be
is very glad about your services and appre- the cause of everlasting honour and glory
ciates them greatly. He is always thinking for this servant and his descendants in
of and praying for you ... both worlds. Now, the future lies in the
At the end of December 1953, when hands of this servant. I will either find a
Mr. Kha9i' had returned from a two month spot in the paradise of nearness to Him by
teaching trip in Sistan and Baluchistan to attracting the bounty of the incomparable
Turbat-i-f.Iaydariyyih, he was awakened on Protector, or I will be neglectful and carethe second night at about four o' clock in the less and fall into the fire of remoteness
morning by three Baha ' i friends who wanted from Him. Thus, I ask you for your supto congratulate him. Greatly astonished, he port and help, so that t4,e feeble back of
asked them the reason. They asked if he had this nonentity will be enabled to carry this
not received his telegram. When he replied heavy load and will come to a good end
in the negative, one of the friends embraced in this passing world.
him and said, "Then I am the first to bring In answer to this telegram, Mr. Kha9i'
you the happy news that you have been received the following cable:
appointed a Hand of the Cause of God. The REST ASSURED CONF ID ENT GREAT SUCCESS.
telegram arrived twenty days ago and was SHOG HI.
sent on to Zahidan, Birjand, and Zabul. Appaiá- Mr. Kha9i ' travelled on to Mazandaran,
ently they were not able to reach you there." and at Ri9van 1954 went to Tih.ran to take
"Amazement and astonishment", writes part in the National Convention and the
Mr. Kha9i ' , "took hold of this servant's meeting of the Hands of the Cause in Asia.
whole being. How strange, what ability does Shoghi Effendi sent a telegram instructing
this insignificant, shameful, modest atom the Hands of the Cause Tarazu'llah Samandari
possess to be honoured by such a high rank and Jalal Kha9i ' to continue their teaching
and such grace and to be chosen for this." trips, although Mr. Kha9i' had been elected
With tears in his eyes he asked the friends to once more to the National Assembly of
leave him alone and for some time he sat in Persia. Dr. I:J.akim wrote on behalf of the
prayer and meditation. Early in the morning, Guardian: 'Although you were elected a
the friends gathered again to meet him. He member of the National Spiritual Assembly,
decided to go to Mashhad in order to person- you should continue your travels through
ally receive the following telegram dated Mazandaran for some time, in order to visit
7 December 1953 : á and encourage the friends . That is more
ANNOUNCE YOUR ELEVAT ION RANK HAND important for you than staying in the capital. '
CAUSE CONFIDENT DIVINE BLESSINGS FUTURE
So Mr. Kha9i ' went again to Mazandaran.
SERV ICES. SHOGI-11.
Between 22 June and 10 July 1954, he
Remembering this time, Mr. Kha9i ' wrote: and the Hand of the Cause 'Ali-Akbar
' God knows the state I entered when I read Furutan visited Nur and Takur and the
this cable. On the one hand, I saw my weak- House of Baha'u'llah there. About this visit
ness, and on the other hand, I saw the Mr. Khadi' wrote : 'During this sojourn of
arduousness of my future task, and the fire nineteen days I met relatives of Baba'u'llah
of hopelessness began to consmne me. ' every day and spoke to them about the great-
Mr. Kha9i' then sent a telegram to the ness of the Cause and about the honour
Guardian which read, when translated from bestowed upon them by belonging to this
the Persian: illustrious family.' After that, Mr. Kha9i '
The crown of honour which the Beloved visited friends of Sangsar for twelve days
of all Worlds has bestowed upon the head and travelled through Babu! for six months
IN MEMORIAM 793

in order to carry out the Guardian's request After being appointed a Hand of the
to strengthen and encourage the friends. He Cause of God, Mr. Kha<;li' undertook numercontinued sending reports to the Guardian ous journeys abroad. In April 1957, he was
about his travels to Bushihr, Kazerun, the Guardian 's representative at the National
Shiraz, and .Abadih. On 20 August 1954, he Convention for North East Asia in Tokyo,
received the first cable from Shoghi Effendi Japan, and he then visited the friends in that
directly addressed to him: counháy as well as in Korea, Taiwan, Hong
DELIGHTED REPORT PRAYING CONTINU ED Kong, and Macau. Shoghi Effendi asked
SUCCESS. SHOGl-ll. him to let him know his impressions about
After spending one month in Tihran, the success of the friends in those countries
Mr. Kha<;li ' and his wife returned to northern and then go back to Shiraz. From there, he
Iran and Babu! where they stayed for six was to travel to Neyriz and its environs to
months . During the day, there were gather- monitor the activities of the covenant breakings for youth; in the evenings, he met with ers, and then spend the remainder of the year
the Spiritual Assembly. He also visited other 1957 in the region of Pars.
communities in Shahi, Sari, Amul, and asso- In November 1957, the Baha'i commuciated villages. According to the Guardian's nity was thunderstmck by the unexpected
guidance, Mr. Kha<;li' then travelled to the news of the passing of the beloved Guardprovince of Fars and remained in Shiraz ian. Paralysing sadness overcame the hearts
in order to protect the friends from the of the friends. The Hands of the Cause were
intrigues spun by covenant breakers. notified and asked to gather in LQndon for
During that time, Jalal Kha<;li' regularly the f1.111eral and then proceed to the Holy Land.
went to Bushihr from where he mailed his Unfortunately, Mr. Kha<;li' and Mr. Furutan
reports to Haifa. It was he who gave direc- were unable to receive travel documents in
tions to the Local Assembly there concerning time to háavel to London, but they arrived in
the háansfer of the remains of the wife of the Holy Land on the same day as the other
the Bab. In a letter dated 15 March 1956, Hands of the Cause of God.
Dr. I:Iakim had written to Mr. Kha<;li ' on During their historic gathering, the
behalf of the Guardian, expressing the wish twenty-six Hands of the Cause decided that
that this transfer be conducted with wisdom, nine of them should reside in Haifa and that
quietude, steadfashless, and meticulousness. the other Hands were to travel all over the
On 18 June 1956, Mr. K.ha<;li' gave the planet to guide the friends and the Baha'i
Guardian an account of teaching and pioneer institutions. Mr. Kha<;li ' was one of the nine
activities in Shiraz. The Spiritual Assembly Hands of the Cause who stayed in the Holy
had formed a committee to collect conháibu- Land. From 24 November 1957 to Septemtions to assist friends willing to pioneer. In ber 1963 , he and his wife lived in Haifa in
July 1956, Dr. l:fakim wrote on behalf of the order to serve the Cause of God there .
Guardian: However, during those years he also went
The services rendered by the beloved abroad. He travelled for two months to see
friends in Shiraz and Fars are deeply the friends in most of the localities in Iran
appreciated. The Guardian insh1.1cted to explain the declaration and decisions of
Jinab-i-Varqa to provide 10,000 tuman the Hands of the Cause following the passfor the assistance of these deeply valued ing of the Guardian. In 1958, he participated
services in Fars in his name. He wants in the International Conference in Frankfurt,
you to continue your valuable work and Germany, and then returned to the Holy
assures you of his happiness about your Land. In the winter of 1960, he spent five
activities and of his prayers for your months on the Indian subcontinent. He was a
success.' master of the Persian and Arabic languages,
794 THE BAHA'I WORLD

spoke English well, and knew some Spanish. When the Universal House of Justice
He was a competent and skillful speaker and appointed the members of the first Continenexeried a strong impression on his listeners tal Board of Counsellors, Mr. Khac;li'
with his broad knowledge of the Faith. attended the opening session of ilie Board of
Whenever he was in Haifa, Mr. Kluic;ii' Counsellors for Souili America. Following
took care of the Eastern pilgrims. In addition the directions of the Universal House of
to the official programme, which was con- Justice, he and his wife returned to Persia
ducted in turns by the different Hands of the in 1969.
Cause of God, he was indefatigable in taking From iran, he travelled through Europe
the pilgrims to every spot in Haifa of historic for six months and visited Switzerland,
importance in order to tell them interesting Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, England,
details and to ask them to take pictures France, Spain, Italy, and Austria. Next, he
which are of historic value today. made a journey to the eastern states of the
During Ric;!van 1963, he was present United States of America. During a short
dilling the first election of the Universal House sojourn in Chicago, Illinois, he visited the
of Justice. Right after that, he attended House of Worship in Wilmette. On his way
the first Baha'i World Congress in London. back to Iran, he went to Europe and spent a
On behalf of the Hands of the Cause of week with the friends in France, Monaco,
God, he visited the national conventions in and Switzerland before proceeding to the
Switzerland and Luxembourg. Before going Holy Land. In Haifa, he presented a repmi
back to the Holy Land in September, he tráav- about his travels to the Universal House of
elled tluáough Austria, Belgium, England, Justice, and received new instructions. Then
France, Germany, tl1e Netherlands and Turkey. he returned to Persia where he settled in
The newly established institution of the Tihran.
Universal House of Justice decided that five At Ric;ivan 1970, he represented the
of the nine Hands of the Cause residing Universal House of Justice at the National
in the Holy Land should stay in Haifa, while Conventions in Dahomey, Togo, and Niger,
the others should move to different parts as well as in Ghana, and in August 1970 he
of the world. Jalal Khac;li' chose South participated in the Oceanic Conference in
America, where the Hand of the Cause of Mauritius. Afterwards he returned to Tihran
God Dr. Hermann Grossmann had served and concentrated on his tasks in the fields of
before. In September 1963-after a short teaching and protection of the Cause. That
journey to Persia during which he visited was a period in Iran full of tests, but it also
several Baha'i conununities- he and his brought great teaching successes in the provwife boarded a ship which took them from inces due, in large part, to his enthusiasm
tl1e Holy Land to Rio de Janeiro. One week and encouragement.
later they travelled onwards to Campi.nos, a In the sununer of 1973, Mr. Khac;li'
small town about 100 kilometres north of visited the friends in India, Japan, Alaska,
Sao Paulo, where they settled. Canada, the United States and Switzerland
For the following six years, Mr. Khac;li ' during a journey around the world. In 1974,
travelled all over ten South American coun- he made an extended tour of South America
tráies , bearing the stress caused by going and the Caribbean. In Brazil, he attended the
through a multitude of climatic zones and National Convention. In the Caribbean area,
altitudes typical of this continent. Once in a he spent two months visiting the friends
while, he also visited Europe and North and and Spiritual Assemblies in Trinidad and
Central America and fostered the creation of Tobago, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Martinique,
a Spanish newsletter which was published in Antigua, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the
Latin America and distributed everywhere. Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica.
IN MEMORIAM 795
Next he went to Texas, U.S.A., for a con- the Cause of God and his spiritual greatness
ference. Six days later, he took a flight will always be an example. His historic
via France to the Holy Land. Again, he merits can only become completely evident
informed the Universal House of Justice to future generations.
about his travels and then proceeded to Iran. DR. M ASS OUD BERDJIS

While he was living in Iran again, a valu- (Mas' ud Birjis)
able manual for Spiritual Assemblies was
compiled under Mr. Kha<;li' 's guidance. It took
one and a half years to complete and many WILLIAM SEARS
relevant topics are classified in it, verified 1911- 1992
by extracts from the Holy Writings, letters
from the Universal House of Justice and cir- William Bernard Patrick Michael Terrance
culars from the National Assembly of Iran. Sears was born 28 March 1911 in Duluth,
The manual was published around 1975. Minnesota, U.S .A. He had an eventful child-
In 1976, he and his wife, Jamaliyyih, hood, full of fun, as his personality combined
decided to move from Tihran to Babulsar, in a creative imagination and a penchant for
the province of Mazandaran. From there, he action. He was extremely talented, had a
háavelled to virtually all of the cities, towns wonderful sense of humor, and a warm, genand villages in the provinces of Mazandaran erous and loving nature. He also believed
and Gilan to visit the Baha'is residing in that whatever you did, you should try to do it
those areas. better than it had ever been done before, and
In 1978, he was able to attend the Interna- with more originality.
tional Convention in Haifa, although he was He attended the University of Wisconsin
very weak. in Madison during the Great Depression.
His beloved wife passed away in Babul- However, finances became a serious probsar. Soon after, the Revolutionary Guards of lem so he left school and went to try his
the Islamic Republic attacked his house . talents in the new medium of radio. He
Mr. Kha<;li' was interrogated, and all of his began at a small station in Wisconsin called
writings, documents and books were taken WOMT.
away to aid their investigation. After this It was at this point in his life that he met
incident, Mr. Kha<;li' was moved to Tihran Marguerite Reimer, a second generation
and kept in safe places. The authorities Baha' i. Despite some obvious obstacles,
began to look for him in order to arrest him. including his Irish Catholic upbringing, and
In 1984, at the age of 87, upon the advice his being a widower with two small sons,
of the National Spiritual Assembly and with they were married in 1940. Not long after
the help of relatives, he moved from Iran to the marriage he became a Baha'i, and for the
Canada. During the last ten years of his life, next fifty years Bill and Marguerite served
he was mostly confined to the house because the Faith together with total dedication.
of very poor health and eyesight. He was so For example, he used his experience in
frail that he had to content himself with radio broadcasting to help write and produce
assisting the friends through giving advice. the Baha ' i radio series "Meet Mr. Justice'',
He passed away on 21 February 1990 in which prompted Variety magazine to
Canada. comment that "here at last is a Religion with
In both the Arabic and Persian languages, a sense of humor." This series was later
"kha<;li'" means "humble", and that was one translated into Spanish and used in Latin
of his outstanding qualities. People in his America.
presence always felt his humility, devotion, During the 1940s and 1950s, he became
and love. Thus, his personal commitment to a well-known public personality while
796 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

working for WPEN and for CBS affiliate the pilgrimage of the emotions: the sea
WCAU in Philadelphia, first in radio and that surges inside the pilgrim from the
then in television. His sports program, "The moment he catches his first glimpse of that
Bill Sears Show'', won an Enm1y A ward glistening, golden dome. This is the wam1
as the best sports series of 195 1. He was floo ding tide that soon will fill every empty
also the announcer for the University of inlet along the coastline of his spirit ...
Pennsylvania, Villanova, and Philadelphia One thing was apparent to me at once.
Eagles football games. My life was changing. My concept of the
In addition to his success in sports broad- Faith, of teaching, of service, none of
casting, he made two appearances on the these would ever be the same again ...
"Ed Sullivan Show" with episodes of the The Guardian calls you to higher service.
very successful "In the Park", a television He lifts you up to heights of limitless
series in which he acted, and which he joy, then sets you gently down. Having
helped write and produce in Philadelphia for revea led the treasure, he requests the paythe fledgling Columbia Broadcasting System ment, which is service to the Faith of
(CBS). God . .. Not big projects planned, but small
William Sears had reached a point in his projects completed ....
professional life at which he had achieved
The Baha ' i work in South Africa was
everything that most men desire: financia l
unique and difficult, but supremely rewardsuccess, awards, fame, both locally and
ing. The Sears served on the Local Spiritual
natio nally, and new contract offers and
Assembly of Joharmesburg, which was reopportunities which, combined with the
sponsible for the planning, coordination and
state of the television industry at that time,
implementation of teaching plans for the
wo uld have assured him of becoming one of
greater part of southern Africa and surroundits superstars . It was then that he made the
ing islands.
decision to set this all aside in order to serve
The teaching success was due largely to
the Faith in Africa .
the direct efforts of the newly emailed and
In 1953, William and Marguerite Sears
inspired native African believers, but the
and their son Michael left the United States
source of much of their inspiration was the
to live in South Africa. Mr. Sears suffered
love showered upon them by the pioneers,
a heart attack soon after his arrival, but
and in pariicular by William Sears. They
recovered. To support his family he returned
could fee l the warmth of his love, and the
to the radio business. His program, "That
appreciation he fe lt for their serv ices to the
Man Sears'', was very successfu l on Springbok
Faith.
Radio, the national network in South Africa.
The Hand of the Cause of God in Africa,
His "Tot siens, goodnight, it's been a plea-
M1isa Banani, asked W illiam Sears to serve
sure" was fam iliar to thousands all over the
as a member of his Auxiliary Board. Then in
southern part of the continent.
October 1957, in a message to the Baha ' i
In April 1954, William Sears made his
world, Shoghi Effendi announced the desigfirst pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Actually,
nation of another contingent of the Hands of
he wrote at that time,
the Cause of God. A mong the eight whose
Each pilgrim makes two pilgrimages in one. elevation to this exalted rank was announced
The first is the p ilgrimage of the mind: in that message was William Sears.
notes taken of special information, new While he was still attempting to underdevelopments of the Faith, instructions stand and come to terms with the
from the Guardian to be applied to one 's implications of being appointed a Hand of
community or one's self. The second is the Cause, he received the stmming and
IN MEMORIAM 797
unbelievable news of the sudden passing of
his beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi.
Those two events in October and November of 1957 caused an abrupt change in
William Sears. His wa1m and loving nature,
his sense of humor, and the sparkle in his
eyes were intact, but there was a new intensity, a singleness of purpose, and no matter
what else it might appear that he was doing,
he was really concentrating on what he
could do, himself and tluáough his friends, to
advance the Faith, and fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to him by Shoghi Effendi.
In November 1957, he was one of the
26 Hands of the Cause who attended the first
meeting of the Hands following the passing
of Shoghi Effendi. Only Corinne True, too
ill to travel, was not present. He was one of
the 26 signers of the original proclamation
of the Hands to the Baha'i world from that
meeting. William Sears
In 1958 he attended the Intercontinental
Conference in Kampala, Uganda, and the which we are living has been called an age
National Convention in France. He visited of Nuclear Giants but ethical midgets . We
centers in Basutoland, Egypt, France, Greece, have been described as material monsters
Italy, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, and moral dwarfs."
Northern Rhodesia, South Africa, Sudan, While thrilling and emotional moments
Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zanzibar. followed one after another on this historic
During the period 1959- 1961 he visited all occasion, a highlight for him was seeing one
National Spiritual Assemblies in N01ih, of the very first South African Bahit ' is, a
Centra l, and South America. He visited cen- man whose enrollment and early education
ters in fifteen countries in Cenháal and South and training in the Faith he had been so
America, as well as Alaska, the Dominican much a part of, William Masehla, later a
Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica. He attended the member of the National Spiritual Assembly
National Convention of Costa Rica in 1960, of the Bahit'is of South and West Africa and
and the National Conventions of El Salvador then a member of the Continental Board of
and Guatemala in April and May of 1961. Counsellors in Africa, serving as chairman
From June through November 1958 and for Amatu' l-Baha Ru~iyy ih Khitnurn.
again from 1961 to 1963, he served as one of Once the Universal House of Justice had
the Hands of the Cause of God in the Holy been elected and the element of infallibility
Land. restored to the World Order of Baha'u ' llah,
In 1963, he participated in the Interna- William and Marguerite returned to the
tional Convention that brought into being United States to live. There, one of his first
the Universal House of Justice, and the major projects was the 1965- 1966 California
W arid Congress that followed in London. Victory campaign, one of the first successful
He was one of the speakers for the public mass teaching projects in the United States,
meeting held in conjunction with the which served as an example for projects in
Congress, and his talk began, "This age in other parts of the world .
798 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In 1967 he travelled throughout Europe, the love and admiration of friends across the
and represented the Universal House of country.
Justice at the National Convention of the He was one of the reasons for the spectac-
Cameroon Republic. In 1970, he represented ular successes of The Desert Rose Baha'i
the Universal House of Justice at the Confer- School, held annually in Tucson, Arizona,
ence on Mauritius Island. He and Marguerite and for the famous "Gatherings" held on the
also visited Germany and travelled through- Hadden property on Batterwood, near
out Persia. In 1972, he represented the House Toronto, in Canada.
of Justice at the National Convention of the One of the major contributions made by
Republic of Ireland. the Hand of the Cause of God William Sears
While residing in the United States, he was the eleven books he authored. •
produced, with Dr. Amin Banani, a series Release the Sun. A book written to
of four cassettes called Stories from the present the soul-stirring story of the ministry
Children's Dawn-Breakers. He made an of the Bab in a way that would capture and
Ayyam-i-Ha record for all of his grand- hold the interest of the English-speaking
children everywhere... young and old. African believers. He purposely wrote it in a
Working with Robert Quigley and the simple language so it could be easily trans-
Hawaiian friends, he helped write, produce, lated into the African tongues.
and performed in probably the first series of Thief In The Night, was written to fill
quality Baha'i television shows. a need, to answer the question asked
It was his campaign, following the repeatedly by people of primarily Christian
Guardian 's example, initiated with a gener- backgrounds in southern Africa. The book
ous contribution, and followed up by a has been translated into numerous languages,
steady sháeam of inspirational letters and and is widely used throughout the world.
tapes in 1984, that assured the funds which God Loves Laughter. This book is a favoumade it possible for the Baha'i radio station, rite of many people. It tells the story of the
WLGI, at the Louis Gregory Institute, to go early life of William Sears, including how he
on the air as scheduled on 23 May 1984. became Baha'i, in a light and humorous way,
His slogans, "ARISE" (Arise Reach and yet presents the Message of Baha'u'llah
Individual Souls Everywhere) and "Get A in clear and uncompromising terms.
Round Tuit" are frequently used at confer- Cry From The Heart. This book was
ences and summer schools all over the written under extremely difficult conditions,
world, and his "Month of Firesides" cam- in record time, in protest against the
paign held in the United States in November atrocities systematically committed against
1984 produced more firesides in Kansas in a the Baha'is in Iran by fanatical Muslim
single month than ever before. fundamentalists with the support of the
The counháy-wide program of Souvenir government, and by that government itself.
Picnics to commemorate the seventy-fifth What agony and heartache he must have
anniversary of the original Souvenir Picnic suffered while working on this book. The
held at the Wilhelm property in Teaneck, victims, individuals, institutions of the Faith,
New Jersey, on 26 June 1987, produced and Baha'i Holy Places, were all personally
spectacular proclamation events across the familiar to him. He and Marguerite had
counh-y. Mr. Sears attended three of these travelled widely in Iran. "The Baha'is in
picnics, in different parts of the country, on Iran are my personal friends," he wrote. "I
the same day. have met many of them face to face, stayed
An effort to raise funds for the Arc using in their homes, played with their children,
the Sears' original copy of The Dawn- attended their meetings, marveled at their
Breakers signed by Shoghi Effendi aroused heroic history, and felt the warmth of their
IN MEMORIAM 799
love and kindness." The book was translated what part you should be playing in accomand widely used in many places to bring plishing them.
pressure to bear on the government of Iran to We are all familiar with the admonition to
end its persecution of the Baha'is. let deeds, not words be our adorning. In the
There are five more published books: case of the Hand of the Cause of God William
Prisoner and the Kings, Prince of Peace, Sears, his words, written and spoken, also
The Wine of Astonishment, The Flame (writ- became an adorning, as they inspired deeds
ten with Bob Quigley), All Flags Flying, in others.
Tokoloshe (both book and tapes), and Run to On his desk, where he sat to work, he
Gl01y. All royalties from the sale of his had a long rack of books, containing the
books, which would normally go to the major works of Baha' u' llah, the Bab,
author, he arranged to have contributed 'Abdu'l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi. They
directly to various funds of the Faith. were literally worn out through use. The only
One of the last things he did, during the thing holding them together was spiritual
final year of his life, was to record the book magnetism and paper clips. He was a scholar
God Loves Laughter on tape for use by of the Faith before the coming of the concor-
WLGI. What a bounty that he was able to do dances . He developed his own systems of
this himself. And how difficult it was. He had indexing and cross referencing, and used
to work from large print sheets of just a sen- them for years. When the concordances
tence or two at a time, and with his glasses came, he had them as well.
and his magnifying glass. But he did it! One of the more remarkable things about
The Hand of the Cause William Sears this man is that he accomplished what he
was as well known for his abilities as a pub- accomplished while dealing with the same
lic speaker as he was for his books. His everyday problems that beset us all-physiname on a program was sufficient to assure cal, financial, and every other kind-and
standing-room-only crowds, anxious to hear which so often seem able to prevent us
him speak, and to meet him in person. In his from doing what we really believe to be
travels, it seemed he must have embraced, important, and would like to do.
and shaken hands, with half of the Baha'i The way he overcame the indignities and
world, and he always had time for the handicaps of the aging process could serve
children. as an example to us all. When he could not
He never disappointed the friends. He did see, he got stronger glasses. When there
not stand up to speak expecting to be were no stronger glasses, he used glasses and
inspired. He would spend weeks preparing a magnifying glass . When that didn't work,
for a meeting, putting together notebooks, he used glasses and a magnifying glass and
preparing charts, selecting photographs, large print. He had laser surgery on his eyes
readying special effects. While his themes in an effort to save what was left of his
were varied, they usually dealt, in some vision, but it wasn't successful. He would,
way, with the greatness of the Universal afterwards, when having trouble reading
House of Justice, the station of the individ- some of his notes, refer apologetically to his
ual believer and what he could contribute, ' laser' eyes. Those privileged to attend the
summed up in his title "The Majesty and meetings at which he spoke during his last
Greatness of You." He was always hoping year will well remember the large sheet of
to find that special soul who could set a styrofoam which he used for his notes.
continent ablaze. When he had trouble walking, he used a
When you left one of his meetings you cane, then a wheel-chair; when he could not
knew what the important goals of the Faith stand up to speak, he spoke sitting down.
were at this particular time in history, and But he never stopped!
800 THE BAHA'I WORLD

On the weekend of 19 and 20 October Even his passing, which was given wide
1991 he began a five-city tour on behalf of publicity, both locally and nationally, became
the National Spiritual Assembly to the five a proclamation and teaching event.
most promising teaching areas, to encourage The message from the Universal House
the friends toward the accomplishment of of Justice, dispatched 26 March 1992, read:
the goal of9,000 new believers by Ric:lvan as OUR HEARTS DEEPLY SADDENED, BAJ-!A' i
a gift of loving gratitude to Baha'u'llah to WORLD GREATLY DEPRIVED, BY PASSING
usher in the Holy Year commemorating the HAND CAUSE GOD WILLIAM SEARS, VIBRANT,
lOOth anniversary of His Ascension. CONSECRATED, STOUT-HEARTED STANDARD-
His first stop was Boca Raton, Florida, BEARER FAITI-1 BAHA°U ' LLAI-1. HIS MORE THAN
followed by Worcester, Massachusetts, HALF CENTURY UNBROKEN SERVICE MARKED
on 26-27 October, Tolleson, Arizona, on BY UNFLINCHING DEVOTION TO BELOVED
2- 3 November, San Francisco, California, GUARDIAN, INFECTIOUS ENTHUSIASM FOR
on 9- 10 November, and Portland, Oregon, TEACHING, GALVANIZING SENSE DRAMA,
on 16-17 November. He was back in DISARMING HUMOUR, SPECIAL LOVE FOR
Arizona in time to participate in The Desert CH ILDREN, UNFLAGGING DETERMINATION IN
Rose Baha'i School. FACE DLFFICULTIES. HE WILL EVER BE
Probably a little surprised at finding that REMEMBERED FOR DEDICATING FULL RANGE
he had been able to complete the five cities HIS CREATIVE AND ENERGETIC CAPACITIES AS
tour, and knowing that there was still work WR ITER, ED ITOR, LECTURER, RADIO AND
to be done, and little time left, he decided to TELEVISION PROGRAMME DIRECTOR, TO HIS
visit New York City the weekend of 1- 2 Feb- VARIED SERVICES AS TRAVELLING TEACHER
mary 1992; Cleveland, Ohio, 8-9 Febmary; TO NUMEROUS COUNTRIES, PARTICULARLY IN
and Washington, D.C., 15- 16 Febmary. THE AMERICAS, AND AS PIONEER TO AFRICA
After a weekend off, he was in Chicago, Illi- WHERE HE WAS MEMBER OF AUX ILIARY
nois, 29 Febmary- 1 March. The weekend of BOARD AND OF NATIONAL SP IRITUAL
7- 8 March he was in Atlanta, Georgia, and ASSEMBLY SOUTH AND WEST AFRICA WHEN
14-15 March in Minneapolis, Minnesota. IN 1957 I-IE WAS ELEVATED RANK HAND
Just a look at the itinerary is enough to CAUSE. HE LATER SERVED AS MEMBER BODY
tire one out. And it tells nothing of the hours HANDS HOLY LAND. HIS LOSS ACUTELY FELT
of waiting in airports in the middle of the IN NORTH AMERICA WHERE HE EXPENDED
night, or of missed connections, or the terri- LAST MEASURE HIS EBBING STRENGTH
ble weather conditions, or the problems of PROMOTION TEACHING ACTIVITIES. DYNAMJ C
getting around by wheel-chair. EFFECTS HIS WORK WILL ENDURE THROUGH
He spent the weekend of 21 - 22 March at HIS MANY BOOKS AND RECORDINGS. GENERA-
home in Tucson, doing what he called "rest- TIONS TO COME WILL REJOICE IN RICH
ing'', preparing for the seventh of his nine LEGACY LEFT THEM THROUGH HIS HISTORIC
meetings, scheduled for Denver, the next ACCOMPLISHMENTS. FERVENTLY PRAYING
weekend. March 28 would have been his HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS ILLUSTRIOUS
eighty-first birthday. SOUL ABHA KlNG DOM.
He was unable to be with the friends in ADV ISE FRIENDS THROUGHOUT WORLD COM-
Denver. On the morning of 25 March 1992, MEMORATE HIS PASSING. REQUEST BEFITTING
this aging warrior of Baha'u'llah left this MEMORIAL SERVICES TO HIS HONOUR ALL
earthly kingdom, his 'fierce spirit' freed to HOUSES OF WORSHIP.
work its wonders on a higher plane. WILLIAM SEARS JR.
IN MEMORIAM 801

JOHN ALDHAM ROBARTS capacities, remained there. She kept the
Knight of Baha 'u 'llah home immaculate, and always ready for
1901-1991 the constant stream of guests from morning to night, Baha'is and inquirers and
John Aid.ham Robarts was born on 2 Nov- souls in difficulty to whom ' Abdu'l-Baha
ember 1901 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, was always a loving Father. It was during
to Aid.ham Wilson Robarts and Rachel Mary one of the New York City visits of
Montgomery Campbell Robarts. 'Abdu'l-Baha that He suggested her
An extraordinary thread of dedication to maniage to Harlan Ober. Gaining the
the service of God seems to have been consent of these two devoted believers,
woven into the very fabric of John Robarts' who in His consummate wisdom He had
life . Looking back to his great-grandmother, drawn together, He, on the following day,
we find a woman giving birth to a son during July 17, 1912, manied them in the morna hurricane in Barbados, in the only safe ing according to the Baha'i marriage.
place available to her in that raging tempest, This infinite bounty of being chosen for
an old bake-oven, half underground. At the each other and joined in maniage by the
height of the sto1m, she made a vow that if Center of the Covenant Himself was a
she and her baby were spared, she would unique favor bestowed upon these two
dedicate its life to the service of God. souls alone, out of all America.
As if in fulfilment of that promise, that After they had been joined in a divine
son grew up to become the Reverend Thomas and eternal relationship by ' Abdu'l-Baha
Tempest Robarts, a Canon in the Anglican He requested Howard Colby Ives, a
Church, in Thorold, Ontario. Thomas Tempest Unitarian minister, deeply attracted to
had three sons and two daughters. The third 'Abdu'l-Baha but not, as yet, a confirmed
son, Aid.ham Wilson Robarts, John 's father, Baha'i, to perform the legal ceremony ....
remained an Anglican. The two daughters, It was this Grace Roba1is Ober, his
Ella and Grace Robarts, became Baha'is in beloved aunt, who first told John about the
1906, when John was five years old. Baha'i Faith; it was she who first inflamed
Like his mother before him, Thomas his heart with her contagious love for this
Tempest dedicated the life of his last-born, Cause. Little did she know that John would
Grace Robarts, to the service of God. Little dedicate his life joyfully to its service, that
did he know that Grace would fulfil his vow he and his wife would take its Message to
by becoming the servant of the Servant, remote Africa and be named Knights of
'Abdu'l-Baha, nor that she would be Baha'u'llah, nor that Shoghi Effendi would
uniquely honoured by Him. Part of her story honour him by appointing him a Hand of the
is in Th e Baha 'i World, Vol.VIII, p.658: Cause of God.
.. .During the months of 'Abdu'l-Baha's John's father was manager of the
stay in America in 1912 Mrs. Ober Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in
(Grace Robarts) had the honor of being Port A1ihur (now Thunder Bay), on the n01ih
indeed the "servant" in His home in what- shore of Lake Superior in Ontario, and it
ever city (on the East Coast) He was was here that Jolm and his two older sisters
staying. He chose her to go ahead and completed their elementary schooling. He
secure an apartment for Him and have it attended Ridley College in St. Catharines,
in readiness upon His anival. Then she Ontario, leaving at age 17 to accept a position
would care for His home as a house- as secretary to a Canadian National Railways
keeper and hostess while He and His superintendent. With a concentration and
Secretaries and those Persians who had dedication that became characteristic of all
the privilege of serving Him in various his work, he quickly acquired proficiency in
802 THE BAHA'I WORLD

secretarial skills that proved invaluable to side the Robarts' home, especially when
him in the years to come. Mr. Robarts was among them playing ball or
In 1926 John became a partner in the firm skipping rope or teaching them feats of
Graham Robarts and Company (domestic bicycle riding. Even six-year-old Suzie from
heating business) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, down the street felt the pull of that home
and in 1927 he and his partner, James D. when she rang the doorbell and implored,
Graham, established The Overhead Door ' Can Mr. Robarts come out now and play?'
Company of Canada, with John as president The warmth of Audrey and John's
and general manager, 1927- 1934, in Toronto. informal hospitality was itself an eloquent
John Aldham Robarts married Audrey teacher. Every Wednesday evening for years
FitzGerald (born 20 December 1904 in they held a lively fireside in their home.
Montreal), daughter of Edward FitzGerald When there was not an invited speaker
and Kate Bulmer, on 3 March 1928 in John gave the talk himself, frequently tailor-
Winnipeg, Manitoba. They had four children: ing his words and aiming them, with
Aldham Edward, 1929; John FitzGerald, 1930; uncanny perception and utmost love, at
Patrick Tempest, 1934; Nina Grace, 1940. one unidentified, sometimes identifiable,
In 1934, when John sold the Overhead individual present. One never knew who
Door Company, the economy was depressed might be the next focus of his attention. Far
and jobs were at a premium, but he found from humiliating anyone, the effect was to
employment for each of his approximately electrify the people there by drawing every
20 workers before accepting the invitation individual into a kind of loving complicity
urged upon him to join the Manufacturers' that at any moment could erupt into waves
Life Insurance Company. He completed the of laughter or nods of enlightenment.
Alexander Hamilton Business Courses, and Acutely conscious of the value of time,
qualified as a Chartered Life Underwriter John created additional fruitful teaching
(C.L.U.). In 1938 he joined the London Life opportunities during his work week by
Insurance Company as district manager of hiring a private dining room near his office
their Toronto King Street Agency which, once a week and inviting friends to hear
under his direction, became their most pro- about the Faith over a businessmen's lunch.
ductive agency in Canada. In 1940, John was appointed by the
John, and later Audrey, had always been National Spirihial Assembly of the Baha 'is
attracted to Aunt Grace and Uncle Harlan. of the United States and Canada to the first
In the 1930s they became attracted to Ontario Regional Teaching Committee and
Baha'u'llah. Taught mainly by Grace and served as secretary, its only officer, until
Harlan, and by Mabel and Howard Colby he became chairman in 1944 and 1945. He
Ives, later also by George Spendlove, they also chaired the Ontario Summer School
together accepted the Faith in Toronto in Committee for some years, and was instru-
1937 and declared their belief in Baha'u'llah mental in organizing the first Ontario
in 1938. It was the second year of Shoghi Baha'i Summer School at Rice Lake in 1941.
Effendi's Seven Year Plan for the United When the National Teaching Committee
States and Canada, and both John and of Canada was formed in 1946 John was
Audrey plunged into the teaching work. elected as its chairman. In accordance with
The Robarts' home in Forest Hill Village, Shoghi Effendi's plan, this Committee was
a Toronto suburb, attracted a stream of instrumental in laying the foundation for the
diverse people, from distinguished visiting establishment of Canada's own independent
Baha'i teachers to an army of friends of their National Spiritual Assembly, the ninth in the
four children. Often on summer evenings the world. The first National Spiritual Assembly
neighbourhood youngsters converged out- of the Baha'is of Canada was elected in
IN MEMORIAM 803
1948 and John was elected its chairman. He urgently requiring a chairman for a meeting,
served in this capacity six times, from its he threaded his way through the crowd lookinception in 1948 until 1953. ing for a willing soul. Several experienced
John played a key role in developing the Baha'is declined, pleading unworthiness. A
first Baha'i communities of Hamilton and brand new young Baha'i hesitantly agreed,
Ottawa, Ontario, travelling to Hamilton but warned that she had no idea how to
every week for a year, and to Ottawa for proceed. 'Don't worry,' he reassured, 'I'll
a number of whole weekends, teaching tell you.' At the appointed moment he
intensively in each city. The first Local Spir- whispered, 'Ask them to sit down, then read
itual Assemblies of Hamilton and Ottawa a prayer.' She followed instructions. 'Now,
were formed in 1940 and 1948 respectively. introduce me,' he breathed behind his hand.
John and Audrey both served on the Local Graciously she introduced him. John began
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Toronto his address by introducing his radiant chairand in 1950 they raised up an Assembly in man, to a burst of delighted applause. After
their own Forest Hill Village. his talk he whispered his last discreet cue,
Among John's most endearing qualities 'Now thank me!' Another long Baha'i career
were his quick sense of humor and of service was launched!
infectious laugh. He was a brilliant story John was not easily deflected from his
teller. He often recounted real-life stories purpose. Apparent reverses he counted not
interspersed with pertinent quotations from as failures but as divine promptings to
Baha'i scriptures. These stories conveyed a higher victories . One evening when not one
powerful spiritual message, and could move soul came to his advertised meeting, he simhis listeners from tears or helpless laughter ply delivered his talk anyway. A passerby
to renewed dedication to the Cause of God, strolling past the open door of the rented
and promptly to action, the goal for which conference room was nonplussed to see a
they were intended. His calls for pioneers, man vigorously addressing an empty room!
his appeals on behalf of the Funds, his That person later became a Baha'i,
exhortations to heartfelt prayer, to 'planning pioneered overseas and raised a dedicated
our work and working our plan', raised Baha'i family.
innumerable individuals, families and com- John, in his professional work, inspired
munities to new spiritual levels of daily his insurance agents to go out and pursue the
living, service and happiness. goals he set for them. Perhaps for this reason
He continually invited, urged and guided he could identify with Shoghi Effendi's
the Baha'is to connect with that Source of all vastly greater spiritual undertakings devislight that guided him, that was ever-present ing plans and sending pioneers out all over
to him, that he so clearly saw lovingly the world to accomplish them. In any case,
surrounding us all, ready to rush to our assis- he arose with heart and soul to fulfill Shoghi
tance if we would but take the first step. He Effendi's wishes with obedience and speed.
never doubted the capacity of the believers In 1949 he attended the Second European
to win every goal. John seemed to walk the Teaching Conference, in Brussels, Belgium,
mystical path with practical feet and a then visited seven of North America's ten
penetrating eye. It was as though his vision goal countries in Europe- the Netherlands,
extended beyond this material world and Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden,
into the spiritual realm, enabling him to see Norway, Demnark- as well as France and
straight to the heart of matters, to answer the England. Shoghi Effendi had given Canada
unspoken question, to respond quickly and the seemingly impossible goal of opening
appropriately to the unuttered need. Greenland, a closed country which no one
John awakened strengths in people. Once, could enter without complicated permission
804 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

from the Danish government. Mr. Robarts 22 September 1953:
met with officials for Greenland and won ATTEND ING CONFE RENCE. EMPLOYERS HAPPY.
goodwill and the promise of cooperation. He LOVE, JOHN ROBARTS.
met with the Copenhagen Local Spiritual 26 September 1953:
Assembly, addressed a meeting of Danish
LOVING APPRECIATION. SHOGI-11.
Baha'is, and returned to Canada with new
leads and two pioneer offers. Mr. Palle As soon as John and Audrey heard about
Bischoff, a Danish Baha'i, was able to the Ten Year Crusade during the New Delhi
finally open Greenland to the Faith in 1951. Conference they sent a cable to Shoghi
In 1950, John offered to visit England, Effendi dated 19 October 1953 offering to pio-
Ireland and Scotland where a sense of neer. On 22 October they received his reply:
despair had descended upon the Baha'is
BECHUANALAND HIGHLY MERITORJOUS. LOVE,
who, in the last weeks of their Six Year Plan,
SHOGHI.
were lagging behind their goals . Shoghi
Effendi approved of Mr. Robarts' trip, and Within two months-having discovered
the National Teaching Committee arranged in the encyclopedia that Bechuanaland was
a concentrated tour and rallied the British situated in southern Africa, a landlocked
Baha'is. John arrived on 26 March and country the size of France, without tarred
visited 10 cities in 13 days, carrying the roads, mostly Kalahari Desert-they had,
Message on his lips, love in his heart, and with absolute faith in Shoghi Effendi, parted
declaration cards in his pocket. Some seek- with two beloved sons (Aldham, who
ers, already deepened, came into the Faith shortly thereafter pioneered to Nigeria, and
with little more than John's warn1 invitation. later to Ghana, and Gerald who pioneered on
On 17 April the British National Spiritual the homefront first to Kingston and later to
Assembly cabled Shoghi Effendi: TOTAL Windsor, Ontario), and left behind John 's
VICTORY ASSURED ... ! and the Guardian replied successful career and their comfortable
on 19 April: OVERJOYED DEEPL y GRAT EFUL Toronto home to sail, with Patrick (aged 19)
IMMENSELY PROUD SIGNAL VI CTORY ACHI EVED and Nina (aged 13), on the very first ship to
BAHA ' I COMMUN ITY BRITISl-l ISLES ... SHOGHI. South Africa, a small Norwegian cargo liner
In 1953, the Hand of the Cause of God carrying just one other passenger on a 21-day
Siegfried Schopflocher was to represent voyage, some of those days in very rough
Canada at the New Delhi Conference, one waters.
of the four intercontinental conferences at Within three or four days of arrival in
which Shoghi Effendi ' s global Ten Year Mafeking, the capital of Bechuanaland, they
Crnsade was launched. Unfortunately purchased a house. This total transplant,
Mr. Schopflocher died and it seemed no one from inspiration to realization, was executed
else in Canada was able to go in his stead. within 16 weeks. For opening Bechuanaland
John' s communications with Shoghi Effendi to the Faith, Jolm, Audrey and PatTick
at the time reveal this spirited exchange: earned the title ' Knight ofBahi'u'llah' .
'To John A. Robai.is ... Whose Faith Comes
16 September 1953: First. .. ' Perhaps these words, engraved on
IF IMP ERATIVE HA VE CANA DIAN REPRESENTA-
the gold watch presented to him with affec-
TIVE NEW DELHI I WILL ATTEND AT PROBABLE
tion and awe by the agents of his life
SAC RIFI CE CORDIAL EMPLOYER RELATIONS.
insurance branch upon his sudden departme
DEEPEST DEVOTION, JOHN ROBARTS.
for Africa, epitomize John Robarts' life. Like
19 September 1953: a beacon of light shining within him and
PRES ENCE CANADI AN RE PRESENTATI VE guiding his steps, Jolm ' s love for and stead-
IMPERATIVE. LOVE, SHOGI-11. fast faith in Baha'u'llah, in the promised
IN MEMORIAM 805
assistance of God, in the power of daily dinners at which Shoghi Effendi placed John
prayer were, to many, almost palpable. That directly across the table from him, and
love and that faith centred in the divine king- Audrey between them at the head of the table,
dom were the source of his warmth of heart John was twice privileged to be alone briefly
in this earthly one, his passionate drive, his with the Guardian when Amatu'l-Baha
clear vision and above all his spirit of certi- Ruhiyyih Khanum asked him to accompany
tude so well remembered by those who Shoghi Effendi back to their home nearby.
knew him. He cherished always his memories of those
His success as a businessman, and the moments and those nine days and nights,
respect of his business associates, were so including two nights spent at the Mansion of
widely known that representatives of two Baha'u' llah, praying in the Shrines and in
South African life insurance companies met the bedroom of the Blessed Beauty.
the Robarts family upon their arrival in John was elected to the Regional National
Cape Town in 1954 with job offers for Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South
Mr. Robarts, before he even stepped off the and West Africa in 1956. By February 1957,
boat! He accepted a position as district there were enough deepened African Baha'is
manager with the Prudential Assurance to form the first Local Spiritual Assembly of
Company in South Africa, 1954-1957, and the Baha'is of Mafeking, Bechuanaland, so
in Southern Rhodesia, 1957 until 1959, when the Robarts moved to Bulawayo, Southern
he gave up his business in order to devote Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to serve their
his full tin1e to the African Baha'i work. Bechuanaland goal from the north.
The Hand of the Cause of God for Africa, In Bulawayo, John and Audrey, together
Mr. Musa Banani, appointed John Robarts with Noura Faridian, a valiant young nurse
as one of nine members of the first Auxiliary and the only other pioneer, supported
Board for the continent of Africa in 1954. by Patrick and Nina when they were home
As if guided by some inner compass, John from their studies, raised up the first Local
was able to find ' true north,' to identify the Spiritual Assembly of Bulawayo, in 1958,
basic principle involved in situations and and opened other localities. As John ' s interto act upon it without compromise. His national travels increased, Audrey, often
integrity tolerated no deviation from spiri- fearlessly driving hundreds of miles on
tual principles. He was able to create a sense corrugated unpaved roads alone or with the
of unity among the friends through his love beloved African friends , sometimes with
for them, to renew their confidence by Patrick or Nina, carried on the teaching
recognizing and utilizing their strengths, work in both Southern Rhodesia and in
and, through astute use of his executive Bechuanaland.
acumen, to carve a path through unnecessary On 2 October 1957, Shoghi Effendi
detail straight to the point. appointed John Robarts a Hand of the Cause
In 1955, Jolm, Audrey, Patrick and Nina of God. On 4 November 1957, Shoghi
had the privilege of going on pilgrimage to Effendi died, depriving the Baha' i world of
Haifa and Bahji. It was a highlight in John's his infallible guidance. The Hands of the
life. In the film Retrospective, Jolm is asked Cause, upon whom responsibility for leaderabout his in1pression of the Guardian when ship now fell until such time as infallibility
finall y they met. His reply is movingly cap- could be restored, realized that the goals
tured as the camera zooms in on John's face of the Ten Year World Crusade were of
suffused with joy at the memory. He pauses paramount importance: they had to be
for a moment, and replies: 'He made an achieved by 1963 as planned. Sufficient
impression upon me that seized my heart. I local and national Baha'i communities had
loved him so much .... ' After two of the seven to be established in order to elect that first
806 THE BAHA'i WORLD

and the responsibilities of the Custodians
those Hands residing in the Holy Land, a~
the nerve-centre of the Baha'i world, coordinat.ing this stupendous global enterprise,
fixmg the eyes of the Baha' i world community on its one overarching goal, the election
of the first Universal House of Justice, are
perhaps but dimly understood today. In its
frrst message to the Bahci'is of the world
30 April 1963, the Universal House of Justic~
paid tribute to the Hands of the Cause of God:
We do not wish to dwell on the appalling dangers which faced the infant Cause
when it was suddenly deprived of our
beloved Shoghi Effendi, but rather to
acknowledge with all the love and
gratitude of our hearts the reality of the
sacrifice, the labour, the self-discipline,
the superb stewardship of the Hands of
John Robarts the Cause of God. We can think of no
more fitting words to express our tribute
to these dearly loved and valiant souls
Universal House of Justice, called for by
than to recall the words of Bahci'u' llah
Shoghi Effendi, which, as promised by
Himself: 'Light and glory, greeting and
Bahci'u'llah, would be infa llible.
praise be upon the Hands of His Cause,
Those dear and precious Hands those
through whom the light of long-suffering
intrepid 'Chief Stewards of the Embryonic
hath shone forth , and the declaration of
World Commonwealth ofBahci 'u' llah', assemauthority is proven of God, the Powe1ful,
bled in Haifa and Bahji (except Corinne
the Mighty, the Independent; and through
True, 96 years old) immediately fo llowing
whom the sea of bestowal hath moved,
Shoghi Effendi 's funeral. At that time there
and the breeze of the favour of God, the
were 27 Hands living, widely scattered on
Lord of mankind, hath wafted. ' ... The
five continents, 22 men and S women, rangentire history of religion shows no
ing in age from 31 to 96, never before
comparable record of such strict self-dishaving come together as a body. It was the
cipline, such absolute loyalty, and such
first of six annual Conclaves of the Hands
complete self-abnegation by the leaders
and began their historic five-and-a-half-yea;
of a religion finding themselves suddenly
custodianship of the Cause of Baha'u'llah
deprived of their divinely inspired guide.
piloting it through that most perilous period
The debt of gratitude which mankind for
in its history, until the glorious moment
generations, nay, ages to come, owes to
when they could deliver it intact to the first
this handful of grief-stricken, steadfast,
Universal House of Justice.
heroic souls is beyond estimation. 1
The role, unique in history, of the Hands
of the Cause, engaged day and night in the John Robarts attended all six Conclaves
protection and propagation of the Cause of of the Hands of the Cause of God held at
God, in constant worldwide travels assisting
and inspiring the believers to atta in every Th e Minist1 y of the Custodians 1957- 1963 ( 1-fai fa:
goal lest opportunity be irretrievably lost, Baha' i World Ce ntre 1992), p. 2.
IN MEMORIAM 807
Bahji from 1957 to 1963, visiting Baha' i Conventions of the Regional Spiritual
connnunities via the west coast of Africa Assemblies of the Baha'is of West Africa,
on his way to Haifa, and returning home to with its seat in Momovia, Liberia, and West
Bulawayo through communities of the east. Central Africa, with its seat in Victoria,
On 7 October 1957, Shoghi Effendi-in Cameroon. In 1966, the Robarts moved back
the last month of his life-had asked that to Canada to strengthen that community. In
John Robarts go to Canada after attending 1968, he attended the second International
the January 1958 Intercontinental Confer- Convention in Haifa, convened the inauguence in Kampala, Uganda. Though stunned, ral meeting of the Continental Board of
like the rest of the Baha'i world at the loss Counsellors for Northeast Asia, and visited
of the beloved Guardian, Mr. Robarts, ever Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the
prompt to fulfil Shoghi Effendi 's wishes, Philippines, and Hawaii.
travelled in several countries for five In 1971, he travelled from Canada to
months . He attended the Intercontinental the Oceanic Conference in Jamaica, and
Conferences held in Wilmette and Frankfurt represented the Universal House of Justice
in 1958, and traversed Canada, his home- at the Oceanic Conference in Iceland. A
land, from February to April 1958, and teaching trip to Australasia undertaken
again, January to July 1960 at the request during 1971-72 took him to Australia, New
of the Hands in the Holy Land, spurring Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, Papua New
the Canadians on to splendid advances Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia,
in their Ten Year Crusade goals. From 1961 New Hebrides, Western Samoa and Hawaii.
to 1966, he also served as Trustee of the In 1973, he attended the third International
Continental Fund for Africa. Convention in Haifa, and in 1976 he took
The ultimate victory of the Ten Year Plan part in the International Teaching Conferwas the election of the first Universal House ences held in Anchorage, Paris, and Nairobi.
of Justice in Haifa, Israel, on 21 April 1963. In 1978 he attended the fourth International
This took place in the House of 'Abdu'l- Convention in Haifa.
Baha, with John Robarts and the other Hands The joy of both John and Audrey Robarts
of the Cause of God present. Mr. Robarts was unbounded when, in 1981, they returned
also attended the first Baha' i World to Mmabatho for the inaugural convention
Congress, held in London, England, imme- of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
diately after the election. On his way back to Baha'is of Bophuthatswana, John represent-
Southern Rhodesia, he went to Morocco to ing the Universal House of Justice. He also
visit the Baha'is imprisoned for their Faith represented the Supreme Body at the
in Kenitra Prison, three condemned to death, International Teaching Conference held in
five to life imprisonment. 1982 in Lagos, Nigeria, and attended the
Through all of these triumphs and trials International Conferences in Dublin and
of the Faith, John Roba1is never lost his Montreal. In 1983 he attended the fifth Intersense of humor. A newly appointed Auxil- national Convention in Haifa.
iary Board Member found herself seated at a In 1983, Mr. Robarts also travelled to
banquet between another Hand of the Cause visit Native American friends, and attended
on her left, and John Robarts on her right. the dedication of the land for Baha'i House
' Oh, Mr. Robarts, I am so nervous sitting at the Yukon Baha'i Teaching Institute.
between two Hands of the Cause! I am Then, in 1984, he attended the dedication of
afraid I will spill my dinner!' she whispered the Yukon Baha'i House. On that occasion
into his ear. ' Spill to the left! ' came his he was adopted as an elder into the Johns
instant reply! clan of the Tlingit people of the Yukon and
In 1964, John Roba1is represented the honoured with the powerful name 'Gooch
Universal House of Justice at the Inaugural Ooxu ' meaning ' Wolf Teeth'.
808 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

In 1984, at the age of 82 years, 55-minute film Retrospective, produced by
Mr. Robarts graciously accepted one last Elizabeth Martin in 1978 for the National
administrative post. He served as a valuable Spiritual Assembly of Canada. Led by
and much loved member of the Local Spiri- Douglas Martin's perceptive questions and
tual Assembly of the Baha'is of Rawdon, comments, Mr. Robarts looks back over his
Quebec, the village in which he lived, in 40 years in the Faith, brings to life some
order to save that incorporated Assembly early Baha'i history and sheds light on the
until a newly declared Baha' i was able to unprecedented role of the Hands of the
replace him the following year. Cause of God.
That same year, he represented the Baha' i Reminiscences of both Audrey and John
Faith in a series of ecumenical activities orga- Robarts about Shoghi Effendi during their
nized by the Anglican Church of Rawdon nine-day family pilgrimage in 1955 appear
and delighted priest and congregation by in the chapters contributed by each of them
giving the sermon one Sunday morning on in The Vision of Shoghi Effendi, published
the subject of life after death. The vitality of by the Association for Baha'i Studies in
his message, its hopeful new vision of the 1993.
world to come, is fondly remembered years The vigour of John Robarts' half century
later, as well as his humour: 'I don't mind if of sustained services to the Baha'i Faith
you look at your watches during my sermon. stands as awesome testimony to the power,
It's when you take off your watch and shake when we do but tap it, of the promised
it (removing his own watch and shaking it assistance of God. Few people realized that
near his ear) I know my time's up!' asthma and chronic bronchitis, later emphy-
John Robarts made his last international sema, were, for much of John's life, his
teaching trip, to eleven cities in Ireland, in constant companions which he was able to
1986. subdue to an extraordinary degree, thanks
Mr. Robarts rarely thought in terms of not only to his and to Audrey's reliance on
writing anything for publication. He was prayer, but to Audrey's resourcefulness and
totally involved in actively seeking the heart lifetime of utter devotion to his care.
of each situation, intuitively and wisely Increasingly Audrey accompanied him on
dealing with it at once. These qualities are his travels, thereby extending by years his
reflected in his reports to and correspondence strenuous and precious teaching activities.
with the institutions of the Faith, and in his Few others ever saw him rise deterletters to the many individuals who wrote to minedly from a sleepless night in extreme
him and benefitted from his inspiring and climatic conditions, struggling for breath, to
encouraging guidance. He did, however, write maintain his unwavering focus on the love
the Introduction to Messages to Canada, the of Baha 'u' !!ah, never doubting that His
collected communications of Shoghi Effendi assistance would flow through him at just
to the Baha'is of Canada, 1923 to 1957. His the right moment, to stride forward to the
only other published work was his 1960 podium and address his conference audience
letter to the Baha' fs of Canada, published as with ease and joy. The humour and dignity
a 13-page booklet of inspiring and amusing with which John wore the physical frailty
reports from Canadians about their (some- that finally overtook his body touched
times first) experiences with fervent prayer all those around him in an unforgettable
in response to John's urgings , amazed that it example of radiant submission to the will of
really worked for them, at least as well as God, to his very last breath. And then his
he (and the Writings) had promised! luminous soul took its flight.
John Robarts' rem1111scences about Hundreds of tributes flooded in from
Shoghi Effendi are movingly recorded in the around the world after John ' s peaceful passing
IN MEMORIAM 809
on 18 June 1991 in Rawdon, Quebec. ALL HOUSES WORSHIP. CONVEY DEAR AUDREY,
Among the most precious were the words of BELOVED CHILD REN AND THE IR FAMILIES
Amatu'l-Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum : MOST LOVING SYM PATHY.
UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE .
... HIS UNI-DI RECTIONAL, CONSECRATED, UN-
N INA GRACE R OBARTS T INN ION
REM ITTING SERV ICES FAITH HE HAD EM -
BRACE D WITH SO MUCH CONV ICT ION AND
ENTHU SIASM , ... HI S WARMTH OF HEA RT,
FR IEND LINESS, THE CONSTANT ENCOURAGE- H . COLLIS FEATHERSTONE
MENT HE INV A RIA BLY SHOWERED ON AL L
1913-1990
THE BELIEVERS ... HIS WISDOM AN D CONSE-
CRATION, WHICH WERE AN INVA LUAB LE
Collis Featherstone and his wife, Madge,
SU PPORT AND INS PIRATION IN TH E DELIB ERA-
accepted the Baha' i Faith in December 1944.
T IONS OF HIS FELLOW HANDS DURING THE
This came about in an unusual way.
CRITICA L PERIOD AFTER THE ASCENS ION OF
Somewhat earlier, two intrepid and stal-
THE BELOVED GUARDIA N ..
wart Bahi'is, Bertha Dobbins and Katherine
Harcus, had set out from Adelaide, the capi-
And also from the International Teaching tal city of South Australia, to teach the Faith
Centre: in the Port Adelaide area, about 14 kilome-
... HIS RADIANT SP IRIT, TH E WARMTH OF HIS
tres away. Walking back in the direction
LOVE, HIS STEADFAST ADHERENCE TO BA HA' i
from whence they had come and, footsore
PRLNCIPLES ...
and very weary, they leaned agai nst a post at
a railway and road intersection at Albert
The Universal House of Justice an- Park in the Woodville area, and called on the
nounced John 's passing to the Baha' i World Greatest Name for a home to be opened up
with the following : to the Faith.
WITH SADDENED HEA RTS ANNOUNCE PASS-
Sometime later, a Mrs. Almond, who lived
ING MUCH-LOVED STAUNCH PROMOTER
near to the Featherstones, invited Madge to
FA ITH , KNIGHT BAHA'U'LLAH, HAND CAUSE
a gathering at her home to meet her past
GO D JOH N ROBARTS. HIS DISTINGU ISHED
school teacher who had something very
ADMI NISTRATIVE TEACHING PIONEERING AC-
important to share with her and any of her
TIVITI ES IN HIS NAT IVE CANA DA, IN AFRICA
friends.
AND EUROPE, DUR ING MINISTRY BELOVED
The teacher was Bertha Dobbins, and the
GUARDIAN AND SUBSEQUENTLY ON WORLD
important message she had to share with
SCALE THROUGH HI S INT ERNATIONA L TRAV-
everybody was the Baha'i Faith. She began
ELS WERE SOURCE ABUNDANT INS PIRATIO N
her introduction to the Faith by reading the
COUNTLESS FR IENDS MANY LANDS. HIS
Tablet of Al)mad. Madge attended several
RELIANCE AND EM PH AS IS ON PRAYER fN ALL
afternoon meetings with her small children,
EFFORTS PROMOTION CAUSE AND HI S SUS-
sharing all the proceedings, pamphlets and
TAINED SERV ICES PATH LOVE FOR BLESSED
newsletters with Collis, who was instantly
BEAUTY WERE CHARACTERIZED BY SPIR IT
attracted. Bertha saying that the Faith "was
CE RTITUDE , SELF-EFFACEMENT AN D VIGOU R
for everyone on earth" prompted Collis,
WHI CH SET A STANDARD OF STEWARDS HIP
through Madge, to ask for a "decent book"
THAT HAS ENRICHED ANNALS FAITH. HE HAS
to read.
ASSU REDLY EARNED BOUNTIFUL REWARD
Madge brought home for him the large
ABHA KI NG DOM. PRAYI NG HOLY SHRINES
American illustrated copy of The Dawn-
PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL. ADV ISE HOLD
Breakers. He was so hungry to learn more
BEF ITTI NG MEMOR IAL GATHERINGS IN HIS
that he began reading it the same night, and
HONOUR THRO UG HOUT WORLD INCLUDING
when he got to page 92 and started reading
810 THE BAH1\'i WORLD

the Bab's address to the Letters of the Liv- were three main things which set this proing, he realized that this Message was from cess in motion.
God. He had found what he was looking for. At fifteen, Collis was confim1ed in the
Both Madge and Collis continued to Church of England. The fact that he had not
study and even responded affim1atively to been baptised in the Church earlier was not
Bertha 's call for a home to be opened up for realized until after his Confirmation; that
evening meetings. On one occasion a very should never have been allowed to happen!
interesting talk on the Baha'i Administrative Church authorities at the time were deter-
Order was given, and afterwards Collis mined he would not forget the error, and he
stood and said: "This is all very interesting, was continually reminded of it. This rather
but aren't there some books on the Writings unforgiving attitude was upsetting to him.
of Baha 'u' llah?" The very next day, he Furthem10re, he could not reconcile himreceived several. These "firesides" contin- self to the Church's teachings on the
ued for several months before the couple resun-ection of the body. Following the
announced in December 1944 that they death and burial of his dog near a fencing
wished to become Baha'is. When the two post which was later damaged in a storm and
teachers had stopped at the railway crossing had to be replaced, the decomposing remains
and called on the Greatest Name, Collis and of his pet were exposed, only to confirm his
Madge's home had been the nearest one fac- misgivings about the logic of such a belief.
ing them! Another striking incident occun-ed when
Harold Collis Featherstone was born in he was háavelling home by train and was so
the historic town of Quam, South Ausháalia, deeply involved in his reading he didn ' t
on 5 May 1913 . As his father worked for the notice the train had stopped at his station. As
South Australian Railways, the family it was pulling out, he ran to jump off onto
moved to several different country areas the sand which he knew lay beyond the platover the years. The most significant period form between another set of rail lines. He
of his early life was spent in Smithfield, was ready to jump when something told him
some twenty-eight kilometres north of Ade- to get off the other side. It was a split second
laide, when his father was promoted to decision and as he landed he heard an
Station Master. express háain roar tluáough, travelling in the
During his high school years, from 1925 opposite direction and on the side he had
to 1928, he travelled daily to the Adelaide decided not to jump from only a few seconds
High School on West Ten-ace. His report before. Had he made the slightest misjudgedescribed him as "diligent, well-behaved ment in jumping from that side, it was quite
and polite, thoroughly reliable and straight- apparent what his fate would have been!
forward" and said "He is neat and careful in Ever afte1wards, he wondered what it was
his script work." Indeed his handwriting that made him change his mind. There had
throughout his whole life remained neat and been no time for rational thinking; it all hapcontrolled and always attracted comment. pened too quickly.
He became a very avid reader with all the These three incidents fueled his search
háain háavelling. He was a keen cyclist, into spiritual matters.
played cricket and always kept a keen inter- During the 1930s, Collis moved to live
est in the Test Cricket Matches. He played and work in Adelaide. Almost every Sunday
tennis and actively participated in the local he would attend up to three church services
tennis club until he injured his shoulder -all different denominations . The Reverend
when he was fifty-seven years old. G.E. Hale of the Unitarian Church, however,
During his days in Smithfield, Collis was a man Collis never forgot. What
started thinking about deeper matters. There impressed him most was the fact that he took
IN MEMORIAM 811

parallel quotes from the scriptures of other nights. Much to Collis ' regret he never met
great religions, which Collis found so inter- John Hemy Hyde Dunn, who had passed
esting and appealing that he went off to the away in 1941.
public library to read more. At the time Collis became a Baha'i, the
Although initially Collis worked in an beloved Guardian was guiding the whole
office and studied accounting at night Baha ' i world singlehandedly, the National
school, he had the opportunity in 1934 to Spiritual Assembly of Australia and New
learn dye making, ultimately leading him Zealand had been in existence for only about
into a precision engineering business part- ten years, and there were only three Local
nership in 1938, which he eventually bought Assemblies. The Baha'i community might
out, and carried on for more than thirty-five have been small, but it was so vibrant that
years. He was widely recognised in the Madge and Collis had the impression that
industry for his excellent workmanship and there were many more Baha' is throughout
the fairness with which he conducted Australia than there actually were!
business. The friends were encouraged in those
He met Madge Green, and after a long days to keep in touch with the Guardian, and
courtship they were married in March 1938. as early as 1945 Collis wrote a long letter to
They had five children: four daughters and a him, the first of many, with a string of quesson. tions he had been unable to get answers for
During the war years, money was short, elsewhere. In his own hand the Guardian
the children small and their needs time con- wrote: "May the Spirit of Baha'u'llah bless
suming, and the business was hard work, all and reinforce your efforts, and may He aid
of which slowed down the spiritual search you to obtain a clearer understanding of the
until Bertha and Joe Dobbins and the Baha'i essentials of His Faith, and to advance its
Faith came into the Featherstones life. best interests, and contribute to the consoli-
Although there were few young Baha' is dation of its God-given institutions".
at that tin1e, the Featherstones were keen and Many of the early Baha'is were strong
enthusiastic, participating fully in the affairs and forceful personalities, independent and
of the greater Adelaide community of thirty strong willed, often with very divergent
to forty Baha ' is. Their firesides continued, views which clashed from time to time.
usually commencing with a speaker giving a However, in spite of the personality probshort address on some aspect of the Faith. lems that existed, the believers were fierce
With the enthusiasm that was generated by defenders of the Cause and were loyal and
their zeal, the Baha'i community grew. steadfast. Collis would often say that the
Whenever Collis reflected on those early Faith in those early days needed st:rongdays as a Baha'i, he recalled the joy and willed and independent people. Nevertheexcitement that prevailed. News travelled less, there was a tendency for the believers
much more slowly in those days , and when- to "take sides", and from the very beginning
ever a letter or news was received from the Collis and Madge made it clear that they
Guardian, the friends were very jubilant. were not going to be a part of that, choosing
Collis was very eager to meet Clara Dunn, instead to follow the guidelines given to
affectionately known as Mother, who Collis from Mother Dunn and then the
together with her late husband John Henry Guardian through his secretary:
Hyde Dunn, had brought the Baha'i Faith to TH E GUA RDIAN HOPES YOU , YOUR WIFE, AND
Australia in 1920. That meeting was realized TH E OTH ER YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE SO
after Bertha Dobbins had arranged for ACTIVE IN THE CAUSE IN YOUR NE IGHBOUR-
Mother to come to Adelaide in 1945, when HOOD WILL RENDER IT MANY SERV ICES, PRO-
she also stayed in their home for a couple of MOTE UN ITY AN D LOVE IN THE COMMUN ITY,
812 THE BAHA'i WORLD

STRENGT HEN THE ADMINISTRATIVE FOUNDA- The Woodville Local Spiritual Assembly,
TIONS OF THE FAITH, AND ATTRACT MANY the first outside the city of Adelaide, was
NEW SOU LS TO IT. established in 1948 with Collis and Madge
(from a letter dated 26 October 1945) as founding members. The community
invited all the National Assembly members
Bertha and Joe Dobbins were visionaries and Mother Dunn to attend a public meeting
too, and they encouraged Collis and Madge in May announcing the Assembly's formato set their sights high- to establish an tion. Eight of the nine National Assembly
Assembly in their area, to teach, to travel, to members, as well as dear Mother, were able
attend the Baha'i summer schools ... The to come. The function was also attended by
Featherstones rose to all those challenges. about 100 other people and attracted public-
In 1946, Collis and Harold Fitzner started ity in the press. Woodville was the sixth
their monthly teaching trips to Kingston, Local Spiritual Assembly in Ausháalia and
south of Adelaide, a bus journey of several New Zealand at the time .
hours' duration (ve1y few Baha ' is had cars Collis attended the National Convention
in those early post-war days) . Teaching as an observer in 1946 and 1948. In 1949, he
activities contirmed there for more than six went as a delegate and was elected to the
years until the culmination of the Six Year National Assembly. Each year he was re-elected
Plan in 1953. In the latter years Collis pur- and served, often as chairman, until 1962.
chased a car and was able to take many In addition to serving the Faith as a mem-
Baha'is, including Mother Dmm, and over- ber of various institutions and a pa1iicipant
seas visitors such as Shirin Fozdar, on in Baha'i activities, the choices Collis made
teaching háips to Kingston. Merle Mueller, in his private life demonstrated his constant
whose family became Baha'is in Kingston, striving to live up to Baha ' i principles. As a
wrote at the time of Collis' passing: "Many result of wanting to observe the Nineteen
times in my life I have given silent praise Day Fast, Collis gave up smoking cigarettes.
and thanks that you were both instrumental So that he could better present the teachings
in giving the precious gift of the knowledge of Ba ha 'u' llah, he undertook a course m
ofBaha'u'llah to our family." public speaking.
Collis and Madge attended their first sum- His service also extended beyond the
mer school at Yeninbool in Janua1y 1947, Baha'i conmmnity. In his pre-marriage days,
and Collis went again on his own in January Collis had actively served with the St. John
1949. On several subsequent occasions Col- Ambulance, and whilst it was not practical
lis and Madge travelled by car and caravan for him to continue when the family was
to attend and participate with the whole fam- very young, he was able to serve on the
ily. It was a long and tiring journey of about conm1ittee of the District and Bush Nursing
1,5 00 kilometres each way, but it was the Society (DBNS) until they moved to Pmi
only way they could all afford to attend. Adelaide in April 1953 . During this period
During all those years Madge made almost both Collis and Madge assisted the settleall her own clothes as well as those of the ment of European inm1igrants to Australia
children so they could afford to be involved and helped them to reunite with their loved
in Baha'i activities. But in all cases where ones. After World War II they were also
there is sacrifice there is also gain, and in able to assist Baha'is in the Philippines by
this particular situation it was the great fun sending parcels of books and clothing.
and joy of being at the sunm1er school , as The Six Year Plan for the Ausháalian and
well as all the sight-seeing and visits to New Zealand Baha'is began in 1947, proplaces of interest on the way that made up viding the impetus for sustained teaching
for it. activities which led to the expansion of the
IN MEMORIAM 813
Faith. As well as continuing with the trips to demonstrated by the Guardian, who inspired
Kingston and other towns on the way, Collis the Baha'is the world over and guided the
and Madge concentrated their efforts on establishment of Baha'i institutions around
consolidating the Woodville community and the world. We were unbelievably happy and
on raising the Port Adelaide Group to uplifted."
Assembly status, relocating in April 1953 to Whilst they were with the Guardian, he
raise the numbers and thus to fulfil the origi- received news of the anival of Bertha Dobnal goal of Bertha and Joe Dobbins. bins in the New Hebrides, and a few days
A look at their diaries of that time gives later, of Gladys Parke and Gretta Lamprill in
some indication of the constant Baha'i activ- Tahiti, both Ten Year Crusade goals for
ity: deepenings, firesides of their own, Australia. The Guardian was elated with the
supporting the firesides in other areas, pub- news.
lic meetings , committee meetings ... All of Because of their family and business
the goals of the Plan nation-wide were not commitments, Collis and Madge were
only achieved, but exceeded, and the believ- unable to pioneer overseas, offering instead
ers were understandably excited. to provide financial support to a pioneer for
Without a doubt, the Holy Year from many years.
October 1952 to October 1953 was a mile- Collis had a very deep affection and
stone in the lives of both Collis and Madge. respect for Mother Dunn, and when she was
Indeed, it was a year of immense signifi- appointed a Hand of the Cause of God early
cance for the entire Baha'i world. As one in 1952, he shared with all believers the great
Plan concluded, the Ten Year Crusade com- excitement at having a Hand on the contimenced in April 1953. The Australian nent of Australia. He set out to understand
Baha'is responded magnificently, and six of more about the role and work of the Hands,
the National Assembly members went out as and talked openly about their exalted station.
pioneers. There were four intercontinental When Collis and Madge were in Haifa in
conferences held, and the Australian Baha'i October 1953 , the Guardian elaborated on
community was invited to the one in New the Institution of the Hands of the Cause and
Delhi, India, held in October 1953 , to con- its work for the protection and teaching of
sult about ways to open the Asiatic and the Faith. Little did Collis know then that he
South Pacific areas to the Faith. was to find out more in a very personal way
By selling their house and homefront pio- in the not too-distant future .
neering to Port Adelaide, Collis and Madge It is evident from reading the pilgrim
were able to reorganise their finances so that notes prepared by Collis and Madge that the
they could go to the conference in New subjects elucidated by the Guardian formed
Delhi, on the Indian continent. In addition, the bedrock of Collis' action and talks for
they had cabled the Guardian for pe1mission the rest of his life. Topics included: The role
to go on pilgrimage. of the Hands and their Auxiliary Boards;
It was all an unforgettable experience. God's Plan and the Divine Plan; the relation-
The conference gave them their first real ship between individual Baha'is and
experience of unity in diversity, with so government; the need for Assemblies to be
many Baha'is of different racial, religious frank, wise, and uncompromising in their
and cultural backgrounds attending. And to relationship with the authorities, and to demfollow this with pilgrimage! They were onstrate to governments that we are patriotic
overwhelmed. As Madge has written: "If we but have nothing to do with politics; the role
needed any further confinnation of the and responsibilities of the pioneers; and
power of Baha'u'llah's Words to transform Australia and Japan-the two magnetic
and bring about peace on earth, we saw it poles of the Pacific.
814 THE BAHA'I WORLD

In 1954, at the National Convention when utmost importance to the Incorporation of
Collis was chairman, Mother Dmm announced the Local Assemblies ... ". In consequence,
the appointment of her first two Auxiliary Collis was unrelenting in pushing for the
Board members, Collis Featherstone and incorporation of Assemblies.
Thelma Perks. Collis reacted by saying he Meanwhile, Mother Dunn was becoming
would have been quite relieved if the floor very frail, being well over 80 years old, and
had opened up and swallowed him. Collis and Thelma Perks would write all the
In addition to this appointment, and serv- reports to the Guardian as though Mother
ing on the National Assembly, he became were writing them, then seek her approval
secretary of the Asian Teaching Committee and signature. Gradually, they began to feel
which had been set up to assist the settle- a bit guilty that the reports were really theirs
ment of the pioneers, mostly in the Pacific and not Mother's, so they decided to "conarea. It was not long before the committee fess" to the Guardian. His reply through his
realized the pioneers were not only very secretary put their minds at rest: "He
lonely at times, but were starved for news, approves of and appreciates what you are
so Koala News, a regular newsletter, was doing and the way you are doing it, in view
born. For the pioneers it became their life- of Mother Dunn's condition. You should
line of support and news. Collis spared continue to carry fo1ward this work as you
nothing to keep the pioneers up to date, have been doing." (August 30, 1957)
often working late into the night. At the same time, Amatu ' l-Baha Rul:iiyyih
Collis knew from his own experience Khanum, in a brief reply to a letter from
early in his Baha' i life how uplifting it was Madge, added a postscript which read: "Our
to have news, and for the rest of his life he Guardian has new plans brewing- thrilling
made a point of joyfully and enthusiastically ones!" Collis was very excited, as he always
sharing news. was, with news from the Guardian, and he
A temporary vacuum was created when spoke openly of the thrilling plans to come.
so many active Baha'is went pioneering at When the National Assembly secretary
the beginning of the Ten Year Crusade, and telephoned him at work on Monday mornit took time for the community to recover ing, 7 October 1957, to tell him of the cable
and rebuild. With the Guardian's vision for received from Shoghi Effendi, he referred to
the future so clear in his mind, Collis was the thrilling news, canying on until Collis
constantly pushing for further development. asked him what it was all about. It read as
At the end of 1954, he visited New Zealand follows:
and Fiji, the first of his overseas visits as an ANNOUNCE YOUR ELEV ATION RANK HAND
Auxiliary Board member. This was followed CAUSE CONFIDENT NEW HONOUR WILL EN-
by a more extensive trip a year later which ABLE YOU RISE GREATER HEIGHTS SERVICE
included Papua New Guinea and the BELOVED FAITH SI-IOGI-II
Solomon Islands; and in August 1956, a visit
to Indonesia. Collis was shocked. He immediately left
During this early part of the Crusade, his office and went out to sit in his car to
there were many legal matters that Collis, as recover. After about half an hour his compoa National Assembly member, was involved sure had returned sufficiently for him to
with concerning Assembly by-laws, incor- phone Madge and then tell his business partporation, and Baha'i maniage. Collis was ner he'd had some disturbing news and was
the first Baha ' i to be a marriage celebrant in taking the rest of the day off.
the State of South Australia. The Guardian's Following the two great traumatic events
secretary wrote to him on 7 April 1955, of his life- his appointment as a Hand, and
advising that the Guardian "attached the a month later the passing of the beloved
IN MEMORIAM 815

Guardian-Collis' life entered a new phase.
As one of the "Chief Stewards", who had the
responsibility for the Baha'i world on his
shoulders, the scene had suddenly changed
dramatically.
It became necessary for him to change the
management of his business to enable him to
travel extensively. How he continued to run
his engineering business, carry on an evergrowing correspondence with his Auxiliary
Board members, individuals, and institutions, look after his family, and travel
tluáoughout the Australasian region and
beyond, not only to visit Baha'i communities, but also to present the Faith to
dignitaries and government officials wherever he went, is difficult to imagine.
During this period of five and a half years
from October 1957 to April 1963, which
made up the latter half of the Guardian's
world encircling Ten Year Crusade and cul- Collis Featherstone
minated in the first Baha' i World Congress
in London, Collis made 29 visits to 14 coun- From the very early days Collis kept histries in Australasia and Asia; visited nine torical records of Baha'is and events. He
countries in Europe and five in Central collected and subsequently had bound cop-
America; and travelled six times to the Holy ies of the early Baha'i magazines, such as
Land, the first five of which were to the Star of the West, the Australian Baha 'i
Conclaves of the Hands to consult on the Quarterly (now the Australian Bahiz 'i Bulle-
Plan and direct the Baha'i world until the tin), the American Bahiz 'i News, and Herald
formation of the Universal House of Justice of the South . He also collected photographs,
in 1963. and became a keen photographer. When he
Whenever there was an unexpected need, travelled to India and the Holy Land he
Collis would rise to the occasion without made two l 6mm silent colour movies, the
hesitation. For example, after fellow Hand first of which he titled "East Meets West"
Enoch Olinga had visited New Zealand, the and the second, as suggested by the Guard-
National Spiritual Assembly there specifi- ian, "Baha'i Holy Places in Israel". He used
cally requested the Hands of the Cause in the both extensively for teaching upon his
Holy Land to send someone else of the same return. This was all in pre-television times in
rank to visit the Maoris. Collis used his Australia, so the impact was significant.
annual Christmas vacation period in 1958- In November 1954, Collis made an audio-
59 to go . Again in 1961, when ill health pre- tape recording of Mother Dunn relating her
vented Hand of the Cause John Robarts from experience of meeting 'Abdu'l-Baha in San
travelling, Collis went in his stead to Central Francisco in 1912. One 16nun colour film
America. Unfortunately, he too became very he made at the Conclave of the Hands at
ill, but apart from a few days of forced rest, Bahji in November 1958 is the only such
he carried on with his gruelling itinerary. He record of this period of the Hands, and shows
was so run down at the end of the journey the 25 Hands who were present, Corinne True
that it took him six months to recover. and Clara Dunn being too frail to attend.
816 THE BA HA'I WORLD

Collis would tell the friends everywhere The five years from 1963-1968 saw Collis'
he went: "You are making history now" . He travels expand considerably, with him makwas very conscious of this, and kept detailed ing a total of 66 visits to 42 counháies on all
records, including correspondence, pro- continents of the globe. During this period,
grammes, itineraries, and reports of all his his correspondence, already huge, expanded
travels which he put together in volumes and even further with the enlargement of his
bound himself. Auxiliary Board from four to nine in late
Many of the friends have expressed their 1964. The area of Ausháalasia is massive on
joy in being with him, of feeling the love its own, but the House of Justice frequently
and radiance he gave out constantly, and requested him to travel to Asia, as well. The
being instilled with a new confidence and amazing thing was that he really knew all
vision. He was the essence of detachment, as the friends in this vast area, their strengths,
if floating above the material world, and problems and needs; he was completely in
always in tune with the spiritual side of life. touch and had his finger on the pulse of this
The first full blood aborigine to embrace the vast region of the world.
Faith said he decided to become a Baha'i All of his travelling and the time he spent
after meeting Collis. on paperwork were at the cost of time witl1
In October 1961 , on his way to the fifth his family, and many times over the years
Conclave of the Hands in the Holy Land, Collis would lament over his inability to
Collis had the very great bounty, as he spend as much time as he wished with his
expressed it, of passing by the Most Great children: Kaye, Margaret, Joan, Mariette,
House of Baha'u ' llah in Baghdad, and and Geoffrey. This of course did not diminvisiting the most Hallowed Spot where ish his deep love for each one of them.
Baha ' u ' llah declared His Mission in the When they had grown up, left home, married
Garden of Ri<;lvan. The Guardian had and in many instances gone overseas in purannounced that the convocation of the suit of Baha 'i service, he would endeavor to
Baha'i World Congress would be held in the arrange the routes of his long journeys so he
vicinity of this Garden, at Ridvan 1963, to could visit them.
celebrate "The Most Great Jubilee, com- In June 1968, following prolonged conmemorating the centenary of the Ascension sultation with the Hands of the Cause, the
of Baha'u ' llah to the Throne of His Sover- Universal House of Justice established the
eignty". This was not to be, due to the Continental Boards of Counsellors to carry
situation in Iraq, and the Congress was out the functions of the Hands into the
transferred to London. future. The Counsellors took over the super-
London for Collis, as for all the Hands, vision of the Auxiliary Boards, leaving the
was an event of great joy and relief. They Hands free to travel to "diffuse the Divine
had strictly followed their beloved Guard- Fragrances" and inspire the friends . TI1is was
ian' s guidelines to bring his Ten Year Plan a major change, and brought a certain sadto a victorious conclusion, to arrange for the ness for Collis as he no longer had the direct
election of the Universal House of Justice by and close contact with the Board members,
56 National Spiritual Assemblies, and to but this was overridden by the joy of seeing
organise, with the British Baha'i commu- the development of the Faith into the future.
nity, the Congress to be held at the Royal As the years passed, and the children
Albert Hall in London. Collis especially grew up, his dear wife and devoted partner in
recalled the meetings of the House of Justice all their services to the Cause háavelled with
with the Hands at Rutland Gate and the final Collis more and more frequently. During the
handover to the members of the Universal eight years from 1968 to 1976, culminating
House of Justice. with the International Teaching Conferences
'
IN MEMORIAM 817
in Anchorage, Alaska, in July, and Paris, Graham Hassall summed up Collis' qual-
France, in August of 1976, Collis made 126 ities when he wrote on behalf of the National
visits to 49 countries. Of the eight Oceanic Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Austraand Continental Conferences held in 1971, lia: "Who can adequately portray the
Collis attended three-in Singapore, Suva qualities of such a man? He exemplified
and Sapporo-the trips taking a total of six spirit in action. He was holy, active and
months and covering 28 countries. practical, pure and radiant. He possessed
As the number of Hands diminished, it authority, he inspired confidence, he showed
was the wish of the Universal House of Jus- love. He had the power of attraction."
tice that Collis be totally free to travel, so in One of his exhortations to the friends was
1976, he sold his engineering firm in Ade- to delve constantly into the Holy Writings,
laide. In 1977, he and Madge moved from as well as the writings and letters of the
Adelaide to Rockhampton, Central Queen- Guardian and the messages of the House of
sland. During the last 14 years of his life he Justice. He most certainly practised this
made a total of 243 visits to 95 countries on himself; the Writings were his mine and he
all continents. shared the gems he found with all the
In 1982, Collis and Madge attended the friends. His "book" of quotations that was
International Conference in Dublin, Ireland with him always is well known to those who
in June, one of five conferences dedicated to met him, along with his well worn and highthe memory of the Greatest Holy Leaf, and lighted copies of the Will and Testaments of
then continued to travel for nearly five both Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, from
months, covering 19 countries. which he invariably quoted.
The pace of his activities was slowed In September 1990, Collis and Madge set
down by two heart attacks in 1986. But a out on a visit to Asia, with a high point
less severe heart attack in June 1988 did not scheduled in Lahore, Pakistan, for the Interstop him travelling from September onwards national Youth Conference. This was not to
to Laos and China! Nothing would stop Col- be, for he left this world on Saturday, 29 Seplis visiting the friends , even if they were in tember following a heart attack while on top
remote villages or islands where access was of the world in Kathmandu, Nepal. Collis had
possible only by foot, maybe bicycle, or been involved in a number of firsts over the
dugout canoe. The extent of his travels in years, and his passing achieved yet another:
some areas of the Pacific is unparalleled. the first ever publicity for the Faith in Nepal
As one of the Counsellors to travel in the in both the Nepalese and English newspapers.
island areas of Australasia, Howard Harwood, Truly, he "died with his boots on", doing
wrote: "One thing I soon discovered was what he loved best- serving the Cause.
that wherever I went, no matter how remote, Four of their five children and two of their
Collis had been there ahead of me. He was sons-in-law were able to go to Kathmandu to
well known and respected everywhere." be with Madge. Collis was laid to rest in the
Collis had a sense of fun and liked to Baha' i cemetery overlooking the beautiful
relax his audience by telling jokes. He had valley of Kathmandu, with the snow-capped
quite a collection which he used to illustrate peaks of the Himalayas in view.
his points on spiritual matters in his talks. On 30 September 1990, the Universal
He was also quite adept at teasing. However, House of Justice sent the following message
he was also very sensitive: sensitive to good to all National Assemblies:
music, and sensitive above all to the spirit of
the Faith and the power of the Words of DEEPLY GRIEVED ANNOUNCE PASSING VALIANT
Baha 'u 'llah which often visibly moved 1-IAND CAUSE GOD COLLI S FEATH ERSTONE
him- and consequently, others. WHlLE VISITING KATllMAN DU, NEPAL, COURSE
818 THE BAHA'I WORLD

EXTENSIVE JOURNEY ASIA. HIS NOTABLE AS MEMBER AND LATER SECRETARY NATIONAL
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS STAUNCH, FEARLESS SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY CRADLE ADMINIS-
DEFENDER COVENANT, I-IIS UNCEAS ING COM- TRATIVE ORDER, AS SECRETARY-GENERAL
MITMENT PROPAGATION CAUSE ALL PARTS INTERNATIONAL BAHA ' I COUNCIL FOLLOWED
WORLD, ESPECIALLY PACIFIC REGION, HIS BY HIS OUTSTANDING LABOURS AS MEMBER
UNREMITTING PERSEVERANCE FOSTERING UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE SINCE ITS
ESTABLISHMENT LOCAL, NATIONAL INSTITU- INCEPTION. PRAYING SHRINES PROGRESS HIS
TIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER, HIS EXEM- RADIANT SOUL, CONFIDENT RICH WELL-
PLARY DEVOTION TO WRITINGS FAITH, HIS DESERVED REWARD ABHA KINGDOM HIS
OUTSTANDING PERSONAL QUALITIES UN- UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION PROGRESS CONSOLI-
SWERVING LOY ALTY, ENTHUSIASM, ZEAL AND DATION FAITH NORTH AMERICA AND AT
DEDICATION, DISTINGUISH HIS MANIFOLD WORLD CENTRE. EXTEND LOVING SYMPATHY
SERVICES THROUGHOUT MANY DECADES. HIS BELOVED WIDOW WHO SHARED SUPPORTED
OFFERING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES BOUNTIFUL HIS SERVICES THROUGHOUT PERIOD l-IIS
REWARD HIS RADIANT SOUL ABHA KJNGDOM. DISTINGUISHED PROFESSIONAL CAREER, HIS
ADVISE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD BEFIT- BRILLIANT LABOURS CAUSE GOD, AND TO HIS
TING MEMORIAL GATI-IERINGS, PARTICULARLY BEREA YEO DAUGHTERS AND FAMILY. ADVISE
IN MASHRIQU'L-ADHKARS, RECOGNITION HIS FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HOLD BEFITTING
MAGNIFICENT ACl-IIEVEMENTS. MEMORIAL GATHERINGS, INCLUDING COM-
MEMORATIVE SERV ICES IN HIS HONOUR ALL
The National Spiritual Assembly of the MASHRIQU'L-ADHKARS.
Baha'is of Australia organised a memorial Universal House of Justice
service at the House of Worship, Sydney, at 27 January 1987
noon on Sunday, 4 November 1990, which
was attended by all the immediate members Charles Wolcott was his parents ' first child,
of Collis' family, except three of his grand- born in Flint, Michigan, U .S .A., on 29 Sepchildren who were unable to travel from tember 1906. His father, Frederick Charles
overseas. The service was very moving and Wolcott, an accountant whose business
beautiful and was followed by a public interests were overshadowed by his love for
tribute in a venue especially organised for music, formed a small-town orchestra in
the occasion and completed with the gentle which his son participated, on the piano and
lamentations in the forn1 of rain from the accordion, from an early age. By the time
celestial heavens. Charles reached high school he had his own
GRAHAM AND KAYE WATERMAN , four-piece orchestrn (piano, banjo, saxo-
WITH MADGE FEATHERSTONE
phone, drums) for playing at school dances.
When he attended the University of Michigan,
his larger band, "Charley Wolcott and his
Wolverines", played for faculty (ballroom)
CHARLES WOLCOTT dances and his smaller bands for fraternity
1906- 1987 and sorority (tea) dances . In the 1920s he
went to the larger city of Detroit to play
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING DISTINGUISHED piano in hotels and ballrooms with the Jean
SERVANT CAUSE GOD, DEDICATED WORKER Goldkette Organization and also performed
HI S VINEYARD CHARLES WOLCOTT. SELF- on radio shows.
LESSNESS, HUMILITY, COURAGE, NOB ILITY, Charles married Harriett Marshall, from
FAIR-MINDEDNESS, PERSEVERANCE CHARAC- his hometown of Flint, on 30 August 1928,
TERIZED HIS UN INTERRUPTED SERV ICES and soon after they moved to Toronto, Canada,
COURSE HALF A CENTURY, IN HIS CAPACITY then New York where, in spite of the
IN MEMORIAM 819
Depression, he was always able to find work
as a pianist, composer, arranger, or conductor with the Paul Whiteman Band, Benny
Goodman, the Dorsey brothers, Columbia
Records, and network radio programs such
as Burns and Allen (George and Gracie),
Kate Smith, and Bob Hope.
While the Wolcotts were living in New
York City, their two daughters, Sheila and
Marsha, were born. The apartment building
in which the family lived was managed by a
Baha'i couple, and about 1935 they were
intráoduced to the Faith. Their interest in the
Teachings was nurtured in New York, but
they did not become Baha'is until later in
California.
Fascinated by the colour and sound
developments in motion pictures, Charles
moved the family to Hollywood, California,
in 1937 and soon began working at the Walt
Disney Studios writing music for cartoon Charles Wolcott
shorts, then feature films , such as Pinocchio
and Bambi. By 1944 he had become General as chai1man of the American Southwest
Musical Director at Disney Studios. In 1950 Teaching Committee (1950-1952); and served
he transferred to the Metráo-Goldwyn-Mayer as chairman of the American National
(MGM) Studios as Associate General Musi- Teaching Committee (1953-1956). In 1953,
cal Director and in 1958 became General he was elected to the National Spiritual
Musical Director. In 1955, after he placed Assembly of the United States on which he
Bill Haley's song "Rock Around The Clock" served as vice-chairman until 1960.
in the MGM movie Blackboard Jungle, It was during this period that the Baha'i
the "rock and roll" music craze spread world lost its beloved Guardian, Shoghi
worldwide. Effendi. When the Hand of the Cause of
Charles and Harriett enrolled in the God Horace Holley, who had served on the
Baha'i Faith in Los Angeles in August 1938 National Assembly since 1923 and spent
and were members of the Los Angeles com- 34 years as its secretary, was called to the
munity for the next 22 years. During this Baha'i World Centre as one of the nine
period he composed music as a setting for Hands to serve in the Holy Land, Charles
some of the prayers ofBaha'u'llah including was elected secretary of the National
"From the Sweet Scented Stráeams'', "O Assembly in 1960. In January 1960 he
Thou By Whose Name", and "Blessed is the resigned his position as head of the Music
Spot." Department at MGM Studios and he and
Charles was appointed to be a member of Harriett moved to Wilmette, Illinois, so he
the Inter-America Baha ' i Teaching Commit- could take up his duties in the National
tee (1942- 1944); served as chairman of the Baha'i Center.
National Audio-Visual Education Committee In January 1951 , Shoghi Effendi had
( 1946-1948); was elected to the Los Angeles formed a Baha'i International Council to
Local Spiritual Assembly (1948- 1960) and assist him in the work of "expansion and
served as chairman or vice-chairman; served consolidation of the international institutions
820 Tl-IE BAHA' I WORL D

of the Faith" [Shoghi Effendi, letter to the which he would be re-elected to subsequent
American Baha'i community dated 19 July terms in 1968, 1973, 1978 and 1983. He
1956, cited in The Baha'i World, volume died suddenly, toward the end of his last
XIII, 395]. Following the passing of the term, on 26 January 1987.
Guardian in 1957, the Hands of the Cause of Throughout their 26 years at the Baha'i
God-who administered the Faith from the World Centre, Harriett devoted herself to
passing of Shoghi Effendi until the election assisting in various offices at the Centre as
of the Universal House of Justice in 1963- well as being Charles' lifelong companion
called for the election of nine members for during 58 years of marriage. Their love of
the International Baha'i Council by postal music was sustained by regular attendance at
ballot from all National and Regional Spir- the performances of the Israel Philharmonic
itual Assemblies in the Baha'i world at Orchestra. And, as a gift to the Baha'i
Ri9van 1961. The elected Council was to friends at the World Centre, they frequently
work under the direction and supervision of opened their home for musical evenings.
the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy The demanding work as a member of the
Land for a two-year term of office, and Universal House of Justice left little time or
would cease to exist upon the election of the energy for creating musical compositions,
first Universal House of Justice. At Ri9van but music listening was a constant source of
1961 , Charles Wolcott was one of the nine strength and spiritual enrichment. Amongst
elected to the International Baha'i Council his papers was found the compilation
and was elected by that body to be its secre- "Extracts from the Baha'i Writings on
tary-general. Music" in which he had underlined certain
Charles and Harriett moved from the passages such as: "We have made music a
United States to the Baha'i World Centre in ladder by which souls may ascend to the
1961 to take up his two-year post on the realm on high" [Kitab-i-Aqdas]; "A wonder-
International Baha'i Council, not knowing ful song giveth wings to the spirit and filleth
that his service to the Faith would keep him the heart with exaltation" [Baha 'i World
in that Holy Spot for another 26 years until Faith, 334]; and "Music is one of the imporhis death. tant arts ... . although music is a material
On 21 April 1963, the first day ofRi9van affair, yet its tráemendous effect is spiritual,
in the year 120 B.E, the Centenary anniver- and its greatest attachment is to the realm of
sary of the Declaration by Baha' u'llah of the spirit.... In this Cause the art of music is
His sacred Mission, the election of the Uni- of paramount importance" [Abdu 'l-Baha,
versal House of Justice was held in the "Table Talk," ' Akka, July 1909, quoted in
House of the Master in Haifa. The delegates Herald of the South, 13 January 1933, 2- 3].
invited to this first International Convention For the occasion of his 80th birthday in
were the 504 members of the 56 National September 1986, he and Harriett tráavelled to
and Regional Spiritual Assemblies who Santa Monica, California, to join most of
were charged with the sacred privilege and their family in a celebration. This was the
duty of voting for the nine people of the last time they were all to be together. If there
Baha ' i world community who would com- was any regret in his happy and productive
prise the membership of this first Universal life it was only this , as he wrote to his grand-
House of Justice. The results of the election daughter who was pioneering in Yugoslav ia:
were announced at the close of the morning It's sad not to be present during these
session of the Convention on 22 April. precious days when one 's grandchildren
Charles Wolcott, who had received the high- and great grandchildren are spreading
est number of votes, found himself now a their wings. But there are compensations,
member of the Universal House of Justice to however, when we realize the wonderful
fN MEMORIAM 821
services being rendered by the vanous HOWARD BORRAH KAVELIN
family members .... Nana and I send you 1906--1988
loads of love, sorry it can't be lemon pie
too. Maybe next year, Nana will make HEARTS LADEN WITH SORROW OVER LOSS TO
one for you when you come [to Haifa]. BAHA'i WORLD OUR DEARLY-LOVED FORMER
Hasta la vista! [signed] Baba. COLLEAGUE H. BORRAH KA YELIN OUTSTAND-
The letter is dated August 1986 and the ING SERVANT CAUSE BAHA'U' LLAH. INDOM I-
wish could not be fulfilled. Five months TABLE FAITH, RIGOROUS CONSC IENTIOUSNESS,
later he passed away and was buried in IRREPRESSIBLE OPTIMfSM, UNFA ILING RE LI-
the Baha'i Cemetery at the foot of Mount ABILITY, UNBLEM ISHED TRUSTWORTH INESS
Carmel after a long and distinguished life AMONG BRJLLIANT QUALITIES WHICH SHONE
dedicated for almost half a century to the THROUGH HIS NEARLY HALF CENTURY MONU -
Blessed Beauty, Baha' u 'llah. MENTAL SERVICES TO CAUSE HE CONSTANTLY
Memorial services were held throughout I'ROMOTED AND DEFEN DED TO LAST DAYS
the world including one arranged by his wife HIS DISTINGU ISHED LIFE. HIS EXTENS IVE
and daughters in the Los Angeles Baha'i INVOLVEMENT BAHA' i ADMINISTRATIVE AF-
Center on 12 April 1987. One of Charles' FAIRS BEGAN IN 1941 WITH HIS NINE YEARS
music colleagues from his days at MGM ON LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY NEW YORK
Studios, Johnny Green, closed his "Appreci- AND INCLUDED 13 YEARS ON NATIONA L SP IR-
ation" remarks saying: "Tluáoughout the years ITUAL ASSEMBLY UN ITED STATES, TWO
since the end of our MGM togetherness, YEARS ON INTERNATIONA L BAHA' i COUNC IL
Charles and I have remained close through FOLLOWED BY QUARTER CENTURY MEMBER-
regular correspondence and intermittent in- SHIP ON UN IVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE. HIS
person visits. His letters shared with me the MANIFOLD SERVICES ES PEC IALLY MARKED
difficulties and h01rnrs that the Baha'is were BY HIS DILIGENT EN DEAVORS TO ASS IST
experiencing [in Iran] and his efforts to deal DEVELOPMENT EXTERNAL AF FAIRS AGENCIES
with these soul-searing situations. And, BA HA' i INTERt'\/ATIONAL COMMUN ITY, HIS
tluáough it all, the beauty of his faith, the DEFTNESS FOR DIGNIFIED PROMOT ION FINAN -
purity of his spirit, his divinely inspired CIAL INTERESTS FAITH, 1-llS LUSTROUS RECORD
patience, calm and kindness imbued life IN CONNECTION ACQU ISITION IMPORTANT
with a strong feeling of hope. All of you PROPERTIES INCLUDING MANS ION MAZRA'IH
here know, even far better than I, what a AND HOUSE 'ABDU'LLAH PAS HA.
dynamic force for good Charles Wo lcott OFFERING ARDENT SUPPLICATI ONS I-IOL Y
was, not only in the wide circles where he THRESHOLD IHAT HIS NOBLE SOUL MAY BE
was personally known, but throughout this RICHLY REWARDED AB HA KINGDOM AND
sorely troubled world. It was my privilege to THAT BLESSED BEAUTY MAY SURROUND HIS
spend a couple of hours with Charles in per- BELOVED WIFE FLORE AN D DEAR CH ILDREN
son here sh01ily before his final return to WITH DI VINE MERCY AN D ASS ISTANCE.
Haifa [in September 1986]. How eagerly he ADV ISE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS IN
was looking forward to his working retire- HI S HONOUR ALL HOU SES WORSH IP AND
ment! And now he has been called home .... THROUGHOUT BAHA'i COMMUN ITY.
In my heart of hearts I know that Charles Universal House of Justice
Wolcott 's noble and courageous spirit has
been given as an inspirational beacon to all H. Borrah Kavelin was born in Russia to a
of us to make this world the far better place distinguished Jewish family on 16 March
that it just has to be because he passed this 1906, the sixth of seven children. They
way." immigrated to the United States when he
SHEILA WOLCOTT BANAN I was three years old and remained in Denver,
822 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Colorado. His father was a greatly beloved apartment in New York, Bonah found that
Rabbi in Denver, a pillar of the Jewish com- over the period of several years when he and
munity and well known as a healer. He lost his wife were studying the Faith, not one
his life caring for others during an influenza question he raised failed to elicit a meaningepidemic. His mother was founder of the ful, satisfying answer. By 1940, he decided
Beth Israel Hospital and Old Folks' Home in that he must serve a Faith which stood for all
Denver. the principles in which he deeply believed.
As a young lad, Borrah had obtained a job The Kavelins had three children: Linda,
as an usher at an opera house. His love for Thomas, and John. Over the years the educamusic drew him to New York City, and his tion of the children in the Teachings of the
debut as an operatic tenor occuned on the Faith received much emphasis as part of
stage of Carnegie Hall. Through music, he family life. Every summer was spent at
met Martha Hamilton, a pianist studying at Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, Maine.
the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Bonah and Martha Kavelin were instrumen-
They were manied in 1936. tal in establishing a very successful
Those were difficult financial times for children's sunday school on Long Island.
everyone during the Great Depression, and They also had regular firesides in their
a singer's life could not support a family . home, and youth firesides with standing
So Bonah turned from his musical career to room only.
become a secretary to the director of a real From 1941 to 1950, Bonah served on the
estate firm. His diligence and ability were Local Spiritual Assembly of New York City,
soon recognized, and he became a partner in for seven years serving as chairman of that
that original firm, and then served as the body. In 1950, he was elected to the
executive vice-president for a number of National Spiritual Assembly of the United
commercial realty companies in New York. States. His services on the National Assem-
In 1943, he joined the distinguished film bly continued for 13 years, during which he
of Durand Taylor and Company where he served for a number of years as treasurer and
was partner and executive vice-president for from 1958 to 1963 as chairman.
20 years. His company, which bought, sold In 1955, during a surge of persecutions of
and managed skyscrapers, was known in the friends in Persia, he was very actively
financial circles as "the Tiffany's of the real involved and instrumental in gaining recogestate world." He received two awards dur- nition of the plight of the believers. Through
ing his career, both for the most outstanding his efforts and those of others working on
transactions of the year. this issue, the force of the world-wide
He had a pristine reputation for trustwor- Baha' i community was brought to the attenthiness and honesty, considered by some to tion of the highest dignitaries of the Iranian
be rather unusual qualities in the realty government. Because he conducted himself
world. One client who was visiting their with perfect decorum and dignity as well as
home said to Mrs. Kavelin, "Your husband deep assurance of the support of the Blessed
has only one flaw. He is too honest." She Beauty, he was often called upon to reprereplied, "Would you do business with any- sent the National Assembly in meetings with
one else?" He laughed and admitted that he top level officials.
would not. Bonah served as a trustee for a number of
Bonah Kavelin's first exposure to the Baha'i properties, including Green Acre
Teachings of the Faith was through the fire- Baha'i School, and he represented the
sides of Vaffa and Saffa Kinney, a couple National Spiritual Assembly on several misdearly loved by 'Abdu'l-Baha. While attend- sions. In 1957, he chaired the first national
ing gatherings in their large brownstone convention for the formation of the National
JN MEMORIAM 823

Spiritual Assembly of the Benelux Countries
(Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg),
and the National Spiritual Assembly asked
him to represent it at an international conference to be held the following year in
Kampala, Uganda.
Shoghi Effendi, to whom Bonah Kavelin
was deeply and personally devoted, invited
him to come on pilgrimage directly after the
Kampala Conference. He had never had the
bounty of meeting Shoghi Effendi personally, and he was deeply touched by the
opportunity to pay homage to him. However, this meeting was never to occur. The
greatest blow ofBonah's life came when he
learned of the beloved Guardian's untimely
death in London, shmily before they were to
meet. He grieved openly, as did so many
others. After this, he dedicated himself more
and more to the service of the Cause for
Borrah Kave/in
which Shoghi Effendi had given his life.
Following Shoghi Effendi's passing, the
Baha' i world was in turmoil. The interna- forward with great excitement and eager
tional Baha'i community looked to the anticipation to the election of the first
Hands of the Cause of God for guidance. In Universal House of Justice, described by
1961 the Hands decided that an International 'Abdu ' l-Baha as that body which is "to be
Baha ' i Council should be fo1med for two universally elected and established" and
years. Borrah Kavelin was among those would be "under the care and protection of
elected, and he served the Council as the Abha Beauty, under the shelter and
member-at-large rather than in residence in unening guidance of His Holiness, the
Haifa and was given permission to continue Exalted One." (Baha 'i World Faith, p. 442)
serving on the National Spiritual Assembly. The election took place in the House of
Much of the work with which he was the Master, ' Abdu ' l-Baha, in Haifa, Israel,
involved was of a very serious nature. In and the first members of the Universal House
1961 during the Moroccan crisis, a time of of Justice were introduced during the World
severe persecutions of the believers in that Congress, held in the Royal Albert Hall in
country, he was one of those asked to serve London. As their names were read, the nine
the international community in organizing a men of the House of Justice took their places
campaign to protest against the imprison- on the stage. Borrah Kavelin told his family
ments and impending executions ofBaha ' is. later that he had had tears streaming down
Cables poured in from every comer of the his face and fe lt a profound humility such as
world, from Paris, France to Tegucigalpa, he had never experienced before.
Honduras. The Moroccan government was Before he moved to the World Centre in
forced to hear the voices of people all over Haifa, a luncheon was given in a distinthe globe, from places it had never even guished private club in New York so that
heard of! It had a powerful effect and the many of his business associates could pay
persecutions abated. their respects and say goodbye. They were
In 1963, the whole Baha' i world looked one and all moved by the choice he was
824 THE BAHA'i WORLD

making and profoundly respectful of the path well and felt ready to begin a life of retiláehe had chosen. Unfortunately, his marriage ment in the United States.
did not survive the háansition, and Martha did The National Spiritual Assembly asked
not accompany him to the Holy Land. Mr. Kavelin to serve as a keynote speaker at
He served the Universal House of Justice six regional "Vision to Victory" conferences
for a full quarter of a century, from 1963 to tluáoughout the United States, and he was
1988. He was beloved at the World Centre delighted. This became the driving force of
for his diligence and the powerful energy his day-to-day life. When the cancer
and professionalism he brought to his tasks , recurred, and his health began to fail rapidly,
pa1iicularly in the acquisition of properties he was even more driven to fulfill his comfor the Faith. Two of the crowning achieve- mitment to these conferences.
ments which highlighted his service to the He was able to address the first confer-
Universal House of Justice were the pur- ence in Boston, Massachusetts: his frail
chases of the Mansion of Mazra' ih and the voice did not diminish the ardor with which
House of 'Abdu'llah Pasha in 'Akki he spoke to the friends of the imperative
Mr. Kavelin represented the Universal necessity to raise the Arc on Mount Ca1mel.
House of Justice on four significant missions However, by the time his plane arrived at
to Iran to consult with the friends there about the second conference site, in Chattanooga,
the financial needs of the Faith. His first trip Tennessee, he was so ill that he had to be
was in 1965, the second in 1970 to consult rushed to the hospital in acute distress. His
about I:Iuququ ' llah, the third in 1975 to con- undeviating concern about making a presensu lt about the raising of the Seat of the tation as he had promised was creatively
Universa l House of Justice on Mount Carmel, solved by a doctor who asked if the Baha'is
and the fourth in 1978. could videotape his talk there, in the hospital
In 1970 he met and married a beautiful, room. Mr. Kavelin agreed and arrangements
devoted, and distinguished believer from were swiftly made to tape his talk.
Tihran, Manij eh Flore Taheri [Manizhih Shortly after the talk, Mr. Kavelin lapsed
F lore Tahiri] . She was his helpmate for the into a coma. However, he recovered to the
next 20 years and often served as his háansla- extent that two minor "miracles" were to
tor on those missions to Iran. occur. One was to give a Thanksgiving dilmer
After the revolution in Iran in 1979, he to thank the doctor and all the many Baha' i
again represented the Universal House of friends in Chattanooga who had been so
Justice at a time when the Baha' i world was kind to him. The other was to return home to
grieving for its losses in the bilihplace of the Albuquerque. He lived another three weeks
Cause. During a ten-week mission, he trav- in his home in Albuquerque, then on 18 Deceled throughout Europe, Canada, and the ember 1988, he passed away.
United States meeting with thousands of "You wander all your life in search of
Baha ' is who thronged to hear him. His mis- meaning and then you find at the end, at
sion was to explain the state of the Persian the core, there is only the Covenant." These
friends , and the impact on the Baha'i world were among the last words of Bmrah Kavelil1,
community of the persecutions. a man who lived to his last breath the
In 1987, after nearly 25 years of service, commihnent he had made to Baha'u'llah.
at 81 years of age, Borrah Kavelin asked to One of his favorite passages read at his
be excused from serving any longer as a funeral , attended by hundreds of friends,
member of the Universal House of Justice. was "As ye have faith, so shall your powers
Within two weeks from the time his retire- and blessings be." He was laid to rest in
ment was aimounced he was hospitalized for the Failáview Memorial Park ill Albuquerque,
cancer surgery, after which he recovered New Mexico. His epitaph reads simply:
IN MEMORIAM 825

"Howard Borrah Kavelin, 1906- 1988, the tutorship of his cousin, Siyyid I:Iasan
Charter Member of the Universal House of Hashimi-Zadih.
Justice." In 1916, he went with his cousins to
LIN DA KA YE LIN Porov Ramadan and started to work in one of the
Baha'i friend's shops. He returned to Tihran
in 1922 and was engaged as a teacher in
primary classes at the Tarbiyat School. In
QUDRATU'LLAH VAI:IfD-I-'fIHRANi Tihran one of his cousins, 'Abdu ' llah VaJ:iid,
1900- 1986 helped him and his mother a great deal during
the Depression. People in Persia had just
Qudratu ' llah Vahid-i-Tihrani was born on started using family names and Qudratu' llah,
6 May 1900 in Tihran, Persia. His father, following the example of his cousins, chose
'Ali- ' Askar, was one of the early believers VaJ:iid-i-Tihrani as his family name.
of Kashan who, in spite of being illiterate, Qudratu ' llah learned how to use a typefound the truth by persistent investigation writer, which was new in Tihran, and in
and embraced the Faith after he heard The 1927 was employed by the Ministry of
Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah chanted at a Finance in a secretarial position. He became
Baha'i fireside. He exclaimed: "These are well-known for his diligent service, reliability
the Words of God! He Who revealed them is and trustworthiness, and he was sent to India
assuredly the Messenger of God!" on a special assignment in 1944. In 1946, he
Soon afterward, 'Ali-' Askar changed his was appointed the accountant and director of
residence to Tihran, and wandered in the the Office of the Iranian Agency in India. He
villages around the city as a peddler of cloth. returned to Iran in September 1948 and was
He had memorized The Hidden Words and given the post of assistant director of the
used to chant them aloud while on his trav- archives in the Ministry of Finance.
els. Through the stirring effect of these He was an active and faithful member of
Words revealed by the Pen of Baha'u'llah, the Baha'i community wherever his work
this illiterate person was instrumental in sent him. While in Tihran, before his jourbringing into the Baha'i Faith over 400 of ney to India, he worked part-time in the
his fellow countrymen. office of the National Assembly as secretary
' Ali- ' Askar journeyed on foot to ' Akka in in charge of the correspondence files. He
1876. He spent four months there, frequently also served on the Persian Holy Places Comin the presence of the Blessed Beauty, and at mittee. Once in 1943, in response to a call by
times while the Holy Words were being the National Spiritual Assembly for homerevealed. On one such occasion a prayer was front pioneers, he and his family moved to
revealed for him, and later he was honoured MaJ:iallat, a village to the south of Tihran;
with fom Tablets. but within a few months he was recalled to
Qudrah1'llah, which means Power of God, the capital by the Ministry of Finance, in
was born when his father, in his 70s, had lost which he worked, and was sent to India.
14 children from a previous wife and had During the four years he spent in India, he
married Pari Khanum, a Baha'i widow in a served the Faith in Bombay and was elected
village near Tihran called Varamin. His a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly.
father soon passed away, and Qudratu ' llah, When the petroleum industry in Iran was
six years old, was brought up by his mother nationalized in 1950, Mr. Allahyar ~alil:i, one
with the help of relatives , under severe of the directors of the Ministry of Finance,
financial hardship. He went through primary arrived in A.badan as part of the government
education in the Tarbiyat School in Tihran representative body, with Mr. Tihrani accomand attended Baha' i study classes under panying him as a private secretary. In
826 THE BAHA'i WORLD

the southern part of Iran for six months
immediately after pilgrimage. This proved
to be the best means of alleviating his grief
and despondency.
When Mr. 'fihrani reported on his assignment to the Guardian, He advised him to
pioneer out of Iran, and recommended Japan,
a pioneer goal in the Ten Year Crusade.
Thereupon Mr. 'f ihrani retired from government service and left Iran, arriving in Tokyo
4 October 1957. On the advice of the
National Spiritual Assembly of North East
Asia, he pioneered to the northern island of
Hokaido, and settled in Sapporo as the first
pioneer. When he arrived there was only one
Baha'i in Sapporo, but 17 months later the
first Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of
Sapporo was formed with Mr. 'fihrani being
among those elected.
With the help of two new Baha' is in
Qudratu 'llah fihrani Sapporo, he held meetings to teach the Faith
in the neighbouring cities. This diligent
September 1954, he was officially appointed service continued 16 years during which he
the office manager for the board of directors made occasional journeys outside Japan to
in charge of the transfer from the British renew his visa. He suceeded in bringing into
Petroleum Company to the Anglo-Iranian Oil the Faith a number of natives from the Ainu
Company. In May 1955, when Mr. Bazargan, tribe, and encouraged them to build Baha' i
a devout Muslim, became general refineries centres in three towns. The National Spirmanager, Mr. Tihrani, who was known to itual Assembly of Japan wrote:
him to be a trustworthy employee and a
If there is one quality that we all
devoted Baha'i, was appointed director of
remember about Mr. Tihrani it was his
the general office in the Abadan refinery. He
great love. He was elderly when he came
was provided with first class residence in
to Japan and he never learned to speak
Abadan, and lived there with his family.
Japanese. His health was often quite poor,
Mr. Tihrani's family consisted of his
and his income was limited. But there
wife, Na~riyyih $a~il;i, a son named Farhad,
was no limit on his great love, which
and a daughter named Parivash. The chilencompassed everyone he came into condren were sent to England to pursue higher
tact with. All felt it, and will always
studies. Na~riyyih Khanum accompanied
remember him.
her husband in all his places of work. In
The cold weather of Hokaido Island,
Abadan, however, in 1954 her health steadily
with frost and snow half of the year,
deteriorated and she passed away in 1956.
finally caused Mr. Tihrani to suffer from
Mr. and Mrs . 'fihrani had applied to go on
severe backaches, and the doctors recompilgrin1age to the Holy Land together, but
mended he should leave the place.
tragically permission granted reached them
shortly after Mrs . Tihrani had passed away, In 1970 he was sent by the Hand of
and he had to go alone. The beloved Guard- the Cause of God Ra~atu'llah Muhajir to
ian suggested a number of teaching trips to Hong Kong, where he stayed in the Baha'i
IN MEMORIAM 827
Centre and held Baha'i meetings and study of pioneer service, and after visiting his son
classes to encourage and deepen the friends. in England he went to Zimbabwe to live
After four months he was asked by the Hand with his daughter Parivash Harvey. Old age
of the Cause to go on a teaching trip to the and weakness, however, did not prevent him
Philippines. In 1971, he was invited by a from going on teaching trips in Zimbabwe
pioneer family to the island of Guam, and and to the neighbouring countries of Zambia
while in that community he was elected a and Malawi under the guidance of Counsellor
member of a Local Spiritual Assembly. Shidan FatJ:t-i-A '?'.am.
Finally, at the invitation of Counsellor Mr. Tihrani 's whole life was dedicated
Suhayl 'Ala'i, he went to Samoa on 17 March to serving his Lord. He passed away in May
1974. Here, with guidance and assistance 1986, after an operation for a fractured hip.
from Mr. 'Ala'i he performed lengthy and The following telex was sent to Zimbabwe by
valuable teaching trips to most of the islands the Universal House of Justice on 22 May:
in the Pacific. He was privileged to meet
with the King of Western Samoa, His High- DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING FAITHFUL CONSE-
ness Malietoa Tanumafili II, and enjoyed CRATED PROMOTER FAJTH QUDRATU 'LLAH
a warm and enduring friendship with the VAHID-TEHRANI. HIS LONG RECORD DISTIN-
Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Sir GUISHED SERVICES FAITH IN MANY LANDS
Thomas Davis, and with Lady Davis, who LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. CONVEY RELA-
was a Baha'i. TIVES DEEP SYMPATHY ASSURANCE FERVENT
In total, Mr. Tihrani travelled to more PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES HIS NOBLE SOUL.
than 50 countries and islands after his retire- FU ' AD ASHRAF
ment, including Australia, New Zealand, the
Hawaiian islands, across the United States,
and several countries in Europe and Africa. WINNANIK AND MUBARAK
His greatest joy was visiting isolated commu- c.1959-1984/1948-1986
nities and bringing to them the reassurance
of the love ofBaha'u'llah. Mubarak was born in 1948 in Canga'an
Correspondence with friends was another village, Genteng sub-district, Banyuwangi
noteworthy feature of Mr. Tihrani's activi- district, East Java province, Indonesia. He was
ties. For more than 25 years this devoted the fifth of seven children of Mul.iammad
servant of Baha'u'llah kept up a continuous $aliJ:t, a farmer and a staunch Muslim, who
stream of correspondence with Baha' i raised his family in an atmosphere of piety.
friends around the globe, encouraging them In 1966, the family moved to Lampung,
through his letters containing prayers, quota- South Sumatra. Mubarak completed six years
tions from the Holy Writings, stories of the of elementary and three years of secondary
lives of early believers, and pictures of school.
places and people prominent in Baha'i In 1975, as a result of a three-months visit
events. by a close friend of Mul:iammad $alil:i, the
The Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l- family came to know about the Baha'i Faith
Qasim Fay<;!i asked Mr. Tihrani to visit Iran and embraced it the following year. Mubarak,
on his behalf to encourage the believers who was also a farmer, had achieved an
there to be steadfast, a task which he will- unsavory reputation, but he now abandoned
ingly performed for nine months during his old ways and became an eager and
1977 and 1978. In 1983, bodily ailment and enthusiastic believer, fearless in spreading
financial difficulty- his pension had been the Faith among his friends and neighbours ,
cut off by the new management of the oil and in proclaiming it to government officials
company-forced him to abandon the field throughout the district.
828 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Winnanik Mubarak

In 1970, he manied Wi1U1anik, known to They explained the principles of the Baha'i
her friends as 'Nani', who had been born Cause and acknowledged the divine origin
into a Muslim family in Ngawi in about of all the great religions of the past, includ-
1959. She also accepted the Faith, and the ing Islam. They were given a sympathetic
couple farmed on a small scale. Three chil- hearing and released. However, the 'ulama
dren were born to them. They taught their continued to make false accusations against
children Baha'i principles, frequently held the Baha'is and stined up feelings against
Nineteen Day Feasts in their home, and them among the people by broadcasting false
attracted others to the Faith. Much of the reports over the radio.
progress of the Cause in Lampung province On 17 January 1984, Mubarak and three
was the result of their efforts. other Baha'is had their Baha'i books seized
When, in 1981, Mubarak, his wife and by the police. Refusing an invitation to
his younger brother, Wahab, as well as recant their belief, they were in1prisoned and
' Abdu'l-Hadi Wibowo and Kurdi, two other sentenced to terms ranging from two to five
local believers, acknowledged themselves as years.
Baha'is on their identity cards, the Islamic In the difficult circumstance of being
clergy and others in the village community forcibly separated from her husband, Nani
began to oppose the Baha ' i Faith and to snuggled to keep her family intact. She made
spread abroad fa lse accusations that the a living for herself and the three children by
Baba 'is were enemies of Islam. As a result, buying chickens in the villages around her
on 23 November 1982, Mubarak, 'Abdu'l- home, then selling them in the Panjang City
Hadi, and Kurdi were required to present market, 80 kilometres away-an undertaking
themselves to the Military Commander in that required her to use dirty, overcrowded
Tanjungkarang where they conducted them- public náansport. She would leave her home
selves with equanimity before a trial panel each day at six o'clock in the morning,
and jury during an intensive interrogation. depart for Panjang City about ten, and return
IN MEMORIAM 829
home at ten o'clock in the evening, day after progress of his soul; it praised his steadfastday, without cessation, and without com- ness and spoke of him as the very essence of
plaint. During this time she also visited faith and sincerity.
her husband and the other Baha'i prisoners Adapted from reports provided by
regularly, negotiated with a lawyer in Tan- DR. M. SAMANDARI

jungkarang regarding their case, attended and from a memoir by
court sessions, initiated solicitations at the K.H. PAYMAN
office of the court, and made every attempt
possible to obtain redress of injustice in the
face of implacable official indifference. It is DIPCHAND L. KHIANRA
through Nani that the detailed knowledge of 1913- 1986
the court proceedings in these cases were
made known to other Baha'is. Dipchand L. Khianra was born on 13 October
At last the great stress of dealing with the 1913 at Thathanagar, some miles off Karachi,
authorities, together with the physical strain in Sind Province-then part of India. His
of working to keep her family together, took mother hailed from a very staunch Hindu
their inevitable toll. In her eighth month of family. His father was from Arya Samaj and
pregnancy, Nani suddenly fell ill. She died he had his business in Bahrain. Dipchand
shortly thereafter on 13 July 1984. She was had one sister.
unstinting in her attempt, on behalf of the From his childhood, Dipchand showed an
four imprisoned Baha'is, to wrest justice aversion to rituals and ceremonies. In accorfrom a prejudiced and insensitive judiciary. dance with a Hindu custom, at the age of
She faced this daunting challenge with 12 the sacred thread ceremony-something
remarkable resolution and never failed, on like Baptism in Christianity-was performed
her regular visits, to bring cheer to the hearts on him. In those days these ceremonies
of the prisoners who will always be grateful would last for 10 to 12 days. However, the
for her valiant efforts. very next day after the ceremony, Dipchand
When informed of his wife's death, removed the thread from his neck and cast it
Mubarak was inconsolable but he resigned away in the river, saying: "This thread is not
himself to the will of God and entrusted his going to protect me from evil, but it will
three children to the care of Baha'u'llah. always keep me away from Muslim and
Since his children were also the children of Christian friends".
the Baha'i community, he told his friends, Dipchand had his primary school educahe relied upon the believers to provide them tion in his native village. He had not as yet
with a Baha'i education. His steadfastness in acquired even the matriculation standard
the Cause ofBaha'u'llah remained unshaken when his father passed away. After his
despite the added suffering caused by the father's death, Dipchand had to look after
death of his young wife and his concern his mother and his sister, with the help of
about the welfare of his children. one uncle. His love was exemplary: to his
After a two-year confinement, Mubarak mother he was a promising son; to his sister,
was released from prison on 17 January a loving brother.
1986. He and his younger brother, who was For his secondary school education,
released on the same date, went to work for Dipchand went to Karachi and stayed with
another brother in whose home Mubarak his maternal uncle. After passing his Secdied on 25 May 1986 . ondary School Examination, he accepted a
The Universal House of Justice requested job as teacher in one of the schools. His
that his family be assured that it had offered mother and his sister came to live with him.
prayers at the Sacred Threshold for the For higher education, Dipchand attended
830 THE BAHA'i WORLD

D.J. Sindh College in Karachi. It is here Baha'i House in Karachi. Later, his wife
that he developed his love for Persian and took six of their children to Nasik, in Maha-
Islamic culture. rashtra, India, to stay with her mother and
At the age of 22, he married a simple, sister. The Professor stayed in Pakistan with
noble woman named Devki; though not edu- one son, his mother and sister, but he always
cated, she proved to be a good wife and visted Nasik when he went to India to attend
mother. a meeting of the National Assembly.
In 1937, he received his master's degree Professor Khiama finally left Pakistan for
in linguistics, with Persian as his principal India in 1952, making Bombay his home. He
subject and English as his secondary subject. joined Jai Hind College as the head of the
In 1957, he obtained a Vidhwana Degree in Persian Department, and also taught Islamic
Hindi. Finally, he could read and write as Culture to post-graduate students at Bombay
many as 14 languages, and could speak a total University.
of 19, including Sanskrit. He had command With his arrival in India, Dipchand's
over Persian, Arabic, English, Hindi, Urdu, responsibilities for bringing up his children
Sindhi, Gujarai, and other Indian languages and looking after their education increased
-Persian and Arabic being his favourites. manifold. Nonetheless, he took great interest
Dipchand mastered Persian poems and in Baha'i teaching and consolidation work
could recite hundreds of couplets by I:Iafi~, and did it with love and zeal. He had made
Sa'di, Rumi, Firdawsi, Ghalib, and many study his regular habit; he studied the Holy
other famous Baha'i and non-Baha'i poets. Writings thoroughly and counselled friends
He could quote a couplet or a poem most to do likewise if they wanted to serve the
appropriate to the occasion. Because of his Faith.
rich repertoire, he came in contact with a Professor Khiama 's --service to the Faith
number of Persians who loved to listen to included membership on National and Local
him for hours. What surprised them most Spiritual Assemblies, and on the New Era
was that a man from a Hindu background School Committee. He taught in Gujarat,
had mastered this language so well. They and in the tribal area of Dang. He was an
were even more amazed that he could quote official translator in most summer and winverses from the Holy Qur'an from memory ter schools as well as translator to prominent
with ease and felicity. Persian Baha'is visiting India. He taught at
Among the Persians Dipchand associated summer and winter schools, his favourite
with was Isfandiyar Bakhtiyari, whom the subjects being Baha'i history and the lives of
beloved Guardian had addressed as the Baha'u'llah, the Bab, and 'Abdu'l-Baha. He
"Strong Pillar of the Faith in Pakistan". often wrote articles which appeared in
Mr. Bakhtiyari' s simplicity, and his love for Baha'i newsletters and magazines in various
Baha'u'llah and the Baha'i Faith inspired languages. He also wrote a book entitled
Dipchand's quest to investigate the Faith, Immortals which gives an account of some
and he eventually embraced it in 1942. He early believers in India.
thus became the first Baha 'i of a Hindu In April 1973, the Universal House of
background in the Sind community. He Justice honoured Professor Khiama by
always introduced Mr. Bakhtiyari as his appointing him a Counsellor for South
spiritual father. Dipchand became a member Central Asia and, later, with the formation of
of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the one Asian zone, as Counsellor for Asia. Dur-
Baha'is of Karachi and represented Karachi ing his ten-year tenure as a Counsellor he
at the 1942 National Convention. travelled far and wide. While on his second
With the partition of India in 1947, visit to Afghanistan, his wife passed away in
Dipchand's family was given shelter in the Bombay.
IN MEMORIAM 831
His travels to Bangladesh, Nepal, Sikkim,
Sri Lanka and various cities of India are
memorable and historic. He occupied himself wholly in spreading the Faith and
deepening the believers. His delight in meeting the friends was much the same as a
father feels on meeting his children. Friends
felt happy to meet him; they were inspired
by his sincerity and the catholicity of his
spirit.
To whichever place his travels took him,
Professor Khiama tried to meet all of the
friends. He recited prayers and tablets for
everyone and explained their meanings; he
remembered so many prayers and tablets
that people were amazed. His presence
enlivened meetings and whenever there was
an opportunity, he regaled friends with verses
in Persian or Urdu. People felt joyous in his
company.
He corresponded with Baha'is in many Dipchand Khianra
lands, and he had a treasure-house of Baha'i
books from which he recounted very im- The passing of Professor Dipchand
portant and inspiring things to Baha'is, Khiama deprived the Baha'i community ofa
exhorting them to serve the Faith. Being a true friend, a noted Baha 'i historian, an abidtrue and self-respecting man, he did not have ing Counsellor, and an illustrious championmuch of an attachment to the world. He led builder of the Faith.
a simple, honest life and encouraged his On 2 June, the Universal House of Justice
children to do likewise. sent the following message to the National
In 1978, the Universal House of Justice Spiritual Assembly oflndia:
invited the Counsellors to the Holy Land,
and Professor Khiama participated in the HEARTS SADD EN ED PASSING DEVOTED STEAD-
International Convention in Haifa. He was FAST PROMOTER CAUSE GOD DIPCHAND
ever thankful to God for fulfilling his long- KHIANRA . HIS DISTINGUISHED SERVICES FAITH
felt yearning. From Haifa, he went to Iran, DURING PAST DECADES AS LEARNED TEACHER
visiting Shiraz, I~fahan, and 'fihran. Later, CHOSEN MEMBER BAHA'I INSTITUTIONS
he was able to visit the Holy Land a second UNFORGETTABLE. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL
time. GATHERING VARIOUS STATES INDIA BEARING
His health began to deteriorate in 1984. TESTIMONY HIS UNTIRING EFFORTS PROMO-
He kept up his studies, as well as some cor- TION CAUSE. ASSURE RELATIVES FRIENDS
respondence, but at last, on 1 June 1986, this LOVING PRAY ERS PROGRESS SOUL ABHA
gallant soldier of Baha 'u' llah abandoned his KINGDOM.
physical garment and ascended to the spiri- NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE BAHA'is OF ] NOIA
tual world. He was 72 years of age. He was
survived by four sons and three daughters,
of whom two sons and two daughters were
Baha'is. The Baha'i Gulistan in Bombay is
his resting place.
832 THE BAHA'I WORLD

'Aziz KHABIRPOUR Never again did I see him as joyful and
('Azizu'llah Khabirpur) happy except when he received the glad
1915-1986 tidings of his appointment as resident engineer for the construction of the Seat of the
GRlEVED PASSING DISTINGUISHED SERVANT Universal House of Justice.
BLESSED BEAUTY AZIZ KJ-IABIRPOUR. HIS 'Aziz never considered himself worthy of
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS PIONEER ING the many blessings and favours showered
TEACHING FIELDS CROWNED BY HIS HISTORIC upon him. One of his highest aspirations was
PARTICIPATION ERECTION SEAT UNIVERSAL to take part in the construction of a House of
HOUSE OF JU STICE ON MOUNT CARMEL EN- Worship. During the years he was canying
SURE HIS MEMORY ANNALS CAUS E. ASSURE out his task at the World Centre he men-
DEAR WIFE, CHILDREN, RELATIVES, f'RI EN DS tioned over and over again his gratitude for
ARDENT PRAYERS SACRED TI-IRES HOLD PRO- the tremendous bounty of being assigned to
GRESS HI S RADI ANT SOUL, NOW GATI-IERED supervise the construction of the Seat of the
ABHA KINGDOM. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL Supreme Institution.
GATI-IERING. 'Aziz was born 21 July 1915 in Tihran.
Universal House of Justice His mother came from a Baha'i family,
10 June 1986 whereas his father had embraced the Faith of
his own volition. He was very proud of his
Pure-heartedness, loving kindness, sincerity, father and always remembered his good
trustworthiness, modesty, patience, nobility qualities and attributes and his astounding
of character, and generosity ranked among courage, regarding them as guidelines for
his distinctive qualities. His heart was like a his own life. He used to describe how his
jewel, shining out with all its lustre, illumi- father, a strong man tall in stature, dispersed
nating and radiating warmth. Brimming with a crowd of adversaries of the Faith who were
love for all human beings, he could not bear threatening to attack a pharmacy owned by a
the mercilessness and injustice of this mortal Baha'i, simply by planting himself in front
world, for his heart was sensitive and tender. of the door and saying, 'If you want to enter
In the end it ceased beating, replete with and do any harm to the owners you must do
devotion and contentment. so over my dead body'.
Enamoured of service at the Threshold of 'Aziz was the only son, and his parents
the Blessed Beauty, from the very outset of cherished him dearly. He was still in secondhis youth, 'Aziz Khabirpur served on various ary school when his father depa1ied from this
committees in Persia such as the National eaiihly life and left on his son's shoulders the
Youth Committee, the National Fund Com- full responsibility of providing for his mother
mittee, and the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar Committee, and three sisters. With perseverance, one of
without seeking recognition or distinction. his most salient characteristics, he continued
But of those services, the most memorable to work as well as to study, and succeeded
remains the night he announced, with eyes in graduating from Tihran's first technical
moist with tears, that he had been instructed university, known as Daru 'l-Funun .
to go to Takur on behalf of the National Being inclined towards sports, 'Aziz was
Spiritual Assembly to implement measures to an active and successful member of various
prevent flooding at the House ofBahci' u' llah. football and basketball teams during his stu-
At that time no road had been built to Takur, dent days and, until the end of his life, he not
and he and his companions had to travel the only participated in sporting activities but
mountainous part of the journey by horse encouraged his friends and associates to do
and mule. He returned overjoyed. He had so. He also had a deep love for music, espebrought us a pear from the Holy House. cially classical Persian music. He listened to
IN MEMORIAM 833
it with concentrated devotion. "Music," he fulfilling his duties as resident engineer for
said, "talks to my heart and strikes the the construction of the Seat of the Universal
chords of my innermost being." House of Justice. The architect of that mag-
In October 1950, after he was relieved of nificent building, Mr. I:Iusayn Amanat, has
the responsibility for his mother and sisters, paid the following tribute:
he married a Baha'i, Nazenine Monadjem
What a great bounty it is when one is
(Nazanin Munajjim), and in 1960, following
doing what he feels a special love for
consultations with the National Pioneering
from the depth of his heart and what gives
Committee, the couple pioneered with their
meaning to one 's entire life, past and
three sons to Luxembourg where their fourth
present, his education, professional expechild, a girl, was born.
rience, an opportunity to employ all his
What an incomparable father he was!
potential abilities and talents, and virtues ,
Although due to his professional situation he
his love and devotion and what brings
often had to be away on business for long
him a chance to uplift his human
periods, during the time 'Aziz could spend
attributes. When one deeply feels he will
with his children he lavished love and affecbe assisted in what he will do and is certion on them with his whole heart and soul
tain that the right path will be shown to
and maintained a true friendship and comhim all the time.
panionship with them, so compensating for
This was the feeling of Mr. Khabirpur
his frequent absences. His ardent hope for
all through his services as the architect's
his children was that they would receive an
representative for the execution of the
excellent and thorough training, laying the
project of the Seat of the Universal House
foundations for their future services in the
of Justice ....
path of the Blessed Perfection. He never per-
He had built roads and bridges (some of
mitted them to work during their holidays,
them in very difficult, mountainous areas
for he wanted them to use their free time
of Iran), government buildings, airports,
solely in the service of the Faith.
and housing during his entire contracting
For 14 years he served in Luxembourg as
career in Iran, a career which ceased
a member of the National Spiritual Assemwhen he pioneered to Luxembourg. It
bly, the Local Spiritual Assembly, and on
seemed that for his great love for serving
different committees. At one time he was
the Faith and pioneering, he had to sacrigranted the privilege of attending the Interfice his great love for building and ignore
national Convention in Haifa and of
his abilities in the professional field.
participating in the election of the Universal
However, his potential abilities had been
House of Justice.
stored and were gathering momentum for
To the same degree that he was imbued
his future role in a project that he
with the spirit of pioneering and servitude,
regarded as the main purpose of his pro-
'Aziz communicated a love for life. He
fessional life ....
belonged to those who cultivated ties of
friendship and the art of hospitality, always Every piece of marble in the building, the
holding the door of his house wide open to doors and windows, the parapets, the plastereveryone, whether young or old, rich or work, the roof tiles, and every other item in
poor. Hence he was successful at his pio- the building is a reminder of Mr. K.habirpur's
neering post, endearing himself to all constant efforts, his devotion, and love.
people. He was admired and deeply loved by Those years spent at the World Centre
his friends. can be reckoned among the best of his life.
In 1974, 'Aziz was called to the Baha'i He was forever thankful, his heart overflow-
World Centre and served there for 11 years, ing with gratitude to the Sacred Threshold
834 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Y,\N KEE LEONG
1899-1986

On 19 December 1953, a Malayan Chinese
artist named Yan Kee Leong signed a card
of acceptance of Baha'u'llah. Possibly the
only person aware of the historical significance of that moment was Shirin Fozdar, the
pioneer who had handed him the card which
made him the first believer in Malaya Peninsula. That simple act heralded the birth of a
new era not only in his life, but in the life of
his country.
Yan Kee Leong was born in Selangor,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, on 19 November
1899, the fourth child of a poor migrant couple who had come from a village in China to
seek a living from the tin mines of Malaya.
Extreme poverty caused him to be given up
for temporary adoption, and his foster parent
'Aziz Khabirpour gave him the name Kee Leong. His family
name was Yan, and according to Chinese
for having been entrusted with so unique a tradition, the family name precedes a perservice. sonal name resulting in the name Yan Kee
Early during his sojourn in Haifa he Leong, which was shortened to "Yankee" by
dreamt that, accompanied by 'Abdu 'l-B aha, which he was later known to everyone.
he attained the presence of Baha'u' llah. The His father died when he was very young
Blessed Beauty was standing on the balcony and his mother struggled amidst great hardof a house situated on a hill, beckoning him ship to bring up the family. Yankee was sent
to approach while addressing him with the from one school to another in the care of
words, 'Come in! Come in!' The next morn- relatives and friends, until he was finally
ing, as he recounted his dream, he was not emolled in a Catholic institution of good
able to restrain his tears from running down standing.
his cheeks. His friends interpreted this dream His sensitive nature responded to the
as an indication that he would eventually scripture study, and he was moved to accept
succeed in accomplishing his high task. the Catholic faith. For his baptism he chose
And so it was. During his period of ser- to be named after Saint Paul, and his greatest
vice in the Holy Land, 'Aziz suffered a heart wish as he grew older was to be a priest.
attack which forced him to rest for several Later he concentrated on his favourite
months. Following a short period of recovery, hobby, art, eventually becoming a talented
he continued serving and became a witness cartoonist for the local newspapers, where
to the sailing of God's Ark on Mount Carmel. he proved himself a crusader and a reformer.
Shortly after his return to Luxembourg, he He involved himself in several humanitarian
attained his heart's desire and ardent long- movements and was consumed with the
ing, to be forever attached to his pioneering pursuit of truth and the meaning of life.
post. Slowly he began to see that the Catholic
NA Z EN INE KHABIRPOUR church was not the perfect answer to his
(Nazanin Khabirpt'.1r) quest, and he pondered on the divisions and
IN MEMORIAM 835
subdivisions in Christianity. He studied
Hindu and Buddhist teachings, investigated
the Rosicrucian Movement, and joined a
philanthropic body called the Pure Life
Society. He also became an active Theosophist in his never-ending search. None of
these organizations, however, provided him
with a satisfactory answer to his search for
spiritual unity.
One evening, in a moment of inspiration,
he outlined a scheme to draw men of all
creeds, nations and colours into a lasting
bond of Universal Brotherhood. In spite of
enthusiastic support from some qua11ers, the
Universal Brotherhood Movement failed to
get official recognition as a registered society. Yankee was bitterly disappointed. He
was unaware that God had bigger plans for
him.
By this time Yankee had married Chi Lye
Eng, a Malaysian Chinese woman from Mal- Yan Kee Leong
acca, and raised a family of one son and four
daughters, who grew up as dedicated Catho- another distinguished Baha'i pioneer, Agnes
lics. They viewed their father's non-Christian Alexander, afterward named a Hand of the
activities with vehement disapproval. Cause of God, with whom he kept up a
Yankee's Baha'i life began in the town of correspondence.
Shantiniketan in India in 1949 during a It was only in late 1953 that Shirin Fozdar
World Pacifist Conference to which he was was finally able to accept Yankee 's invitainvited as the Malaysian Chinese delegate. tion to visit Malaya. She and her husband,
Chance would have Yankee seated next to a Dr. K.M. Fozdar, had left India in 1950 in
petite Persian lady who introduced herself as answer to a call for pioneers for South East
Shirin Fozdar, representing the Baha'i Reli- Asia, and they had settled in Singapore as
gion. Yankee pricked up his ears. Baha'i? It the first BaM' is of that area. Yankee
was new to him. When the lady addressed arranged for a series of talks by Mrs. Fozdar
the delegates, he was beside himself with in Malacca, Seremban, and Kuala Lumpur.
excitement, because the principles of her By the end of that tour, in December 1953,
Faith were similar to the ones he had tried to he had signed himself into history as the first
fonnulate in his Universal Brotherhood Baha'i of Malaya.
Movement. He immediately suggested that This was only the beginning of an
she visit Malaya and lecture on her Faith, impressive list of "firsts" in Yankee's life.
but she was then unable to do so. He dedicated himself increasingly to the
In 1952 Yankee was once again a dele- promotion of the Faith, and within a few
gate from Malaya to an international months, at Ri<;ivan 1954, there were suffigathering, the World Federalist Govern- cient Baha'is for the first Local Spiritual
ment Conference in Japan. His colleague Assembly in Malaya to be elected. It was the
was Tunku Abdul Rahman, later to become Assembly in Seremban, Yankee ' s homethe first Prime Minister of Malaysia. At this town. This was followed the next year by
conference, fate placed Yankee next to the election of the neighbouring Assemblies
836 THE BAHA'I WORLD

of Malacca, and the capital city of Kuala In 1966, at the request of the Hand of
Lumpur, where Yankee and other Baha'is the Cause of God RaJ:unatu'llah Muhajir,
had immediately begun teaching activities. Yankee went to the Philippines and had the
In 1957, the Regional Spiritual Assembly boundless joy of bringing into the Faith the
of South East Asia was appointed, with first Chinese there. He was also privileged to
jurisdiction over Malaysia and six other guide the first Chinese Baha'is of Burma
countries in the region. It was based in Indo- into the Faith. In 1968, he was appointed a
nesia, and Yankee was privileged to serve member of the first Continental Board of
on that body. Counsellors for the South East Asian Zone.
He was the first Baha'i from Malaya to When help was needed in Singapore,
teach in the neighbouring countries of Bru- prior to the establishment of its first National
nei and Sarawak, travelling at the invitation Spiritual Assembly in 1972, Yankee and
of John and Minoo Fozdar, sons of Dr. and Leong Tat Chee spent some months there
Mrs. K.M. Fozdar. He began mass-teaching laying the groundwork for the election.
among the indigenous people of the area. He Yankee then had the great bounty of witwas also the first to take the Faith to the nessing the raising of this new administrative
Aslis, the aboriginals of Malaya. institution to which his daughter, Rose, was
His fondest memory was of a time when elected chairman and his grandson Henry
the first Ash village accepted Baha'u'llah Ong served as a member.
in 1959. This achievement is all the more Two years later it was Hong Kong 's tum
remarkable when one realises that Yankee to elect its first National Spiritual Assembly,
was then 60, and the Malaysian jungle is and once again Yankee was there to assist in
thick with undergrowth, criss-crossed with the preparations.
rivers , and filled with leeches. Youths, a At a time when men are starting to waste
good 40 years younger than Yankee, who away, Yankee, though frail of body, was
accompanied him on subsequent trips, report able to summon his high spirits, and travel to
lagging behind the indefatigable Yankee. He near or distant lands, wherever there was a
ate with the Aslis of their tapioca and often call for Chinese teaching . Even as his health
rancid preserved meat; he slept on hardwood was slowing him down, he went to far-away
floors in their longhouses at the mercy of Mauritius, and in the last years of his life, he
mosquitoes; he travelled the deep fast rivers, travelled to teach for a month in the crowded
keeping immobile lest the small boat should and difficult city of Calcutta, where most of
capsize, for Yankee had never learned to the Chinese in India reside.
swim. He walked briskly up and down hills During his 33 years as a Baha' i, Yankee
in remote tribal areas in Thailand and Burma received numerous conununications, but the
and Laos, endearing himself to the simple one he cherished most was a letter from the
villagers everywhere with his humble loving beloved Guardian assuring him of prayers
manner. for a long life of dedication and service.
In 1964, the first National Spiritual Yankee 's life was indeed a fulfillment of
Assembly of Malaysia came into being, and the Guardian's prayer. His every thought
Yankee was elected its secretary. The next was one of encouragement and praise for the
year he was appointed Auxiliary Board believers through letters or in person. His
member for the Baha' is of Malaysia, and overflowing love was also expressed
together with fellow Board member Leong through long hours of intense private prayer
Tat Chee, he visited Hong Kong, Macao, and supplication, on behalf of friends and
and Taiwan, becoming the first Malaysian their personal problems.
Baha' is to travel and teach the Chinese Only a few weeks before his passing, and
there. with his lungs partly collapsed, Yankee
IN MEMORIAM 837

made a supreme effort to be present at the UNFORGETTABLE. ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING
annual Baha'i Convention of Malaysia in MEMORIAL GATHERINGS IN MALAYSIA AND
1986. Here he bid farewell to the spiritual SINGAPORE. ASSURE DISTINGUISHED RELA-
children he had lovingly nurtured over the TIVES, FRIENDS LOVING PRAYERS PROGRESS
years. Significantly, the Convention was for SOUL AB HA KINGDOM
the first time held at the newly constructed SHANTHA SUNDRAM

Balakong Baha' i Institute located close to
the village in which Yankee was born at the
tum of the century. This building has since JOSE MINGORANCE FERNANDEZ
been named the Yan Kee Leong Institute. 1920- 1986
Yankee died in Ipoh on 17 June 1986 at
the age of 86. Just before he breathed his Jose Mingorance Fernandez was born in
last, he suddenly lifted his frail emaciated Granada, Spain, on 12 March 1920. At the
arms in a gesture of praise, and called out age of 20, he married Carmen Tost Xifre,
"Allah'u' Abha", then took his flight to the and in 1950, he and his family moved to the
Abha Kingdom. Baha'u' llah had blessed Principality of Andorra.
him richly, for he lived to see his country On 7 October 1953, Mr. William Danjon
become a bastion of the Faith, and his chil- arrived in Andorra from Copenhagen, Dendren and grandchildren active in service, mark, in fulfilment of one of the goals of the
with two daughters Auxiliary Board mem- National Spiritual Assembly of the United
bers and one daughter a Counsellor. States during the Ten Year World Crusade.
His funeral was attended by about 600 In March 1954, the first series of visits
believers from all parts of the country. The by Miss Virginia Orbison to Andorra took
people in Ipoh watched in amazement as the place. On 26 July 1954, the Mingorance
long procession of Chinese, Indian, and couple declared their faith in Baha'u ' llah,
Caucasian friends walked behind the hearse becoming the first believers of Andorra.
in solemn dignity, without the banner-cani- Miss Orbison was present for this event.
ers and professional weepers who usually In the spring of 1957, Mr. Mingorance
follow a Chinese funeral. and his family moved to Santiago, Chile,
None but the Baha'is were aware of the where they remained until 1969, a period
unique station of the man for whom they during which both he and his family carried
were mourning. Their sonowing hearts were out many activities as Baha'is.
uplifted by the following beautiful cable from In 1969, they returned to Andona, where
the Universal House of Justice on 19 June they resumed their Baha'i activities. The
1986: first Local Spiritual Assembly of Andorra
EXPRESS HEARTFELT SYMPATHY WITH BE- was formed on 18 August 1974, after the
LOVED FRIENDS MALAYSIA PASSING YAN KEE declaration of faith by their three children
LEONG WHO W ILL EVER BE REMEMBERED AS and their daughter-in-law .
FIRST ENLIGHTENED SOUL TO ACCEPT FAITH Mr. Mingorance remained a member of
W ITHIN COUNTRY. AS DEDICATED SERVANT the Local Spiritual Assembly of Andorra
BLESSED BEAUTY HE PROMOTED LIFE GIVING until his last days.
MESSAGE BAHA ' U' LLAH, ESTABLISHED I-II S In his professional life, he filled a posi-
S HELTERING INSTITUTIONS , INSP IRED I-II S tion of great responsibility in a bank in the
LOVING FOLLOWERS AND SET EXAMPLE FOR Principality, where he had the complete trust
THE FRIENDS BELONG ING TO THE GREAT of his superiors.
CHINESE RACE BY RAISING FOUNDATION DI- A kind, happy, and jovial character,
V INE CIVILIZATION ON EARTH. HIS UNTIRING Mr. Mingorance was a very spiritual person,
MANIFOLD SERVICES IN SOUTH EAST ASIA concerned about deepening in the Baha'i
838 THE BAH A' i WORLD

such as Theosophy and the Rosicrucian
school. In 1942, at a theosophical meeting, a
German Baha 'i with Canadian citizenship
had the opportunity to speak about the Faith.
At the end of the talk, Mr. Sanchez invited
the man to his home. From that point, they
had weekly meetings to talk about different
aspects of the Faith. During one of these,
Mr. Sanchez received as a gift the book
Balui 'u 'lltih and the New Era, the only
Baha'i book published in Spanish at that
time. Aura began to read the book systematically and to ask questions at the talks every
week.
In 1942, Aura became the fust Colombian to accept the Faith. When she made her
decision, in order to celebrate it, she prepared and offered a sabaj6n, a Colombian
drink with some liquor. Her teacher, smiling,
accepted the cup, and then said: "Mrs. Aurita,
Jose Mingorance Fernandez this was our last drink. There is a law for the
Baha'is which forbids alcoholic drinks." She
teachings, and very capable and precise in replied that normally she did not drink this
replying to the questions and doubts of the type of drink but with it she had wanted to
seekers. He was a firm pillar of the Faith in demonstrate that she was celebrating a spe-
Andorra. cial event. She said she naturally accepted
On 11 July 1986, he passed away in and would follow this law. Mr. Sanchez
Tarragona where he had gone for a short came into the Faith some months after her.
holiday. He leaves his wife and three chil- Previously, Aura had joined her husband
dren, all Baha'is, and the Faith firmly rooted in activities with various associations but
in Andorra. she had never made a personal commitment
CARMEN T OST, W ILLI AM DANJON, to any of them. When she officially became
AND B A DI 'O LLAI-! DA EM I
a Baha' i, many people were surprised and
(Translated from the Spanish
by Anni e Hunt)
made fw1 of the Faith in front of her. But
being the only Colombian Baha'i did not
worry her; she shared the Teachings with
AURA MARIA BERNAL DE SANCHEZ everyone around her. Thus, the nun1ber of
1899- 1986 Baha'is soon increased, and Aurita was
elected to the first Local Spiritual Assembly
Aura Maria Bernal was born in Bogota, of Bogota, which was also the first in the
Colombia, on 18 June 1899. For 12 years she country. Several of her friends also became
was in the school of a Catholic Convent and fundamental pillars in the development of
received very strict religious education. She the Faith.
studied nursing, along with her sister Juanita From the first moment of her life as a
Bernal, and worked as a nurse and midwife. Baha'i, her orientation and guidance were
When she was 31 , she married Luis the Sacred Teachings, her behaviour exem-
Sanchez Cuervo, a free-thinker who was plified simplicity, humility, and determined
affiliated with several schools of thought, collaboration, both within and outside the
IN MEMORIAM 839
emphasising that the only real and enduring
things are noble and pure acts in service to
the Kingdom and to humanity.
On 15 August 1986 she took flight to the
infinite, in true peace and tranquillity, at the
home of her son in Bogota.
N ATIO NAL SPIRITUAL A SSEMB LY
OF THE B AHA'is OF COLOMBIA

FAZAL MOHAMAD KHAN
1908-1986

Fazal Mohamad Khan, known to his friends
in Australia as Frank, was born in the village
ofKhassi Kalan near Ludhiana in the Punjab
region oflndia on 6 April 1908, and attended
;--..... the village school to higher level, studying
..... # ., 'á

•
. .á..
~

1 t •• ,.
English. His father, Karim Box, had gone to
Australia in 1898 for a period, then went
Aura Maria Bernal de Sanchez back and fotth to India for a few years at a
time until he brought his son, Fazal, out in
community. Parallel to teaching the Faith, 1926 in search of a better life. Frank later
she devoted her best efforts to the education returned to India and married Hukoomat
of her two children, giving them the respon- Bibi, and brought her and his half-brother
sibility of demonstrating "a model of Baha' i Ramzan, to Australia aboard R.M .S. Strathlife." naver in 1932. The Khans were among the
During the 1950s, she travelled with her first Indians to settle on the eastern coast of
daughter to different places in the country, Australia.
such as to the departments of Santander and Frank was a self-taught and self-reliant
La Guajira, to expand her beloved Cause. By man who rose from humble economic cir-
1960, she had moved to Manizales with the cumstances through paying careful attention
purpose of establishing a Local Assembly to saving, and through his genuine concern
there, to help achieve the desired goal to for others. He was initially a clothing saleselect the first National Spiritual Assembly of man, travelling by horse and cart from house
Colombia at Ric;lvan 1961. Her efforts were to house, to the isolated farming areas of
positively rewarded. what is now Wingecarribee Shire. In 1952-
She always had deep conviction in the 53, the Khans moved from Mittagong to
truth ofBaha'u'llah and His Teachings, and Dapto, in the Wollongong area, partly
was surrounded with the feeling of service. because Frank had come to know every
The last 15 years of her life were devoted to family resident in the rural area and had
the care of the Baha' i Center, and whoever "exhausted" his market, having sold to each
entered into that house received affection of them the major new electrical appliances
and attention from her, in one way or as they became available-such as radios,
another. Everyone who met her called her washing machines , and refrigerators. In
"Mamita." Dapto, the Khans bought a dairy farm which
Until the last moment of her life, she coun- they operated for several years until it was
selled her family to be firm and constant, subdivided as the township expanded.
840 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

Frank was known throughout the Australian terfuge to siphon off the bulk of his meagre
Muslim community for religious devotion life savings, and then absconded; some
and learning. He travelled regularly to months later, this misguided and deluded
Sydney to teach religious classes, and had person was expelled from the Cause by the
memorised over two-thirds of the Qur ' an. Guardian after he had made contact with
He was introduced to the Baha'i Faith when Covenant-breakers.
Stanley and Mariette Bolton learned that a Frank and Bibi, together with their chil-
Muslim family lived in a nearby town, and dren, Joy and Peter, were the first Muslims
invited him to address the Baha'i School at to become Baha'is in Australia. They
Yerrinbool after they read in a letter from declared their faith at the Yerrinbool Sumthe beloved Guardian that the Australian mer School in December 1948, and became
Baha'is should deepen their understanding members of the Yerrinbool Baha'i commuof Islam. nity. The summer school committee cabled
Before accepting the invitation, Frank to Shoghi Effendi:
consulted the members of his family and LOVI NG GREETINGS THIRTEENTH SUMMER
they agreed that he should speak to the SCHOOL COMMENCED WITH MOSLEM FAMILY
Baha'is. He participated in a series of talks ACCEPTING FAITH SUPPLICATING PRAYERS
called "Nine great religions of the world" at FRUITFUL ACHIEVEMENTS.
the Yerrinbool Winter School in September
1947. He and his wife were attracted to the To this cable Shoghi Effendi replied:
Faith by the respect that the Baha' is showed DELIGHTED ASSURE ATTENDANTS NEWLY
toward MuI:iammad and their reverence for ENROLLED FAMJL Y LOVING FER VENT PRAYERS
the Qur'an. However, they felt initially that MAY SCHOOL SESSIONS PROVE LANDMARK
the Bab and Baha' u'llah were reformers
PROGRESS FAITH LE N D TREMENDOUS IMP E-
whose purpose was simply to return Islam to TUS UNFOLDMENT PLAN DE EPEST LOVE.
its pristine form, rather than independent
Manifestations. Upon becoming a Baha'i, Frank was rid-
The Australian Baha'is procured from iculed and scorned by his Muslim friends
India a Baha' i book entitled Qiyamat (Resur- and relatives in Australia, whom he neverrection) by the distinguished Baha'i author, theless continued to visit and to teach the
Maulvi Mafusu ' l-Huq, which was written in Faith. Eventually one half-brother became a
Urdu, and which related the claims of the Baha'i. On two later occasions Frank visited
Bab and Baha ' u' llah to Qur'anic prophecies. the villages in Pakistan where his Muslim
This book was of great assistance to the relatives had settled after a forced emigra-
Khans in their investigation. tion from India as refugees in the upheaval
Frank's concerns were dissolved by the following the paiiition of the sub-continent,
explanations of these doctrines from the and he endeavoured to share with them his
Baha'i perspective given him by a Persian new understanding of religious truth. On the
Baha'i, who was travelling through Australia. first visit no one was prepared to listen,
He was confirmed in his faith by a dream, but during the second visit a cousin in the
in which he felt himself being led in the city of Sialkot accepted the Teachings of
Muslim obligatory prayer by Mul~ammad ; in Baha'u'llah.
the midst of the prayer MuI:iammad stopped In the following years, Frank Khan
and said over his shoulder, "Now we will became one of Australia ' s most devoted and
say the prayer this way" and began to recite active teachers and administrators of the
the Baha'i Long Obligatory Prayer. He Baha'i Faith. His subsequent long associaremained firm in his faith when, a few tion with the Yerrinbool Baha'i School, as
weeks later, the Persian Baha' i used a sub- both a speaker and member of the school
IN MEMORIAM 841
committee, is unparalleled. He was chairman of the committee from about 1950 into
the mid 1960s. The existence of considerable
tensions within the Baha'i community as to
how the school should be developed made
this a testing time for Frank and for other
members of the committee. Despite innumerable difficulties, however, Frank was
proud of the fact that while he was treasurer
on the committee, the Yerrinbool School
made a profit on its operations.
Over a period of four decades, he was a
source of knowledge concerning Islam and
the Qur'an for the Australian Baha'is, who
utilised his learning at both local and
national levels. Although his mother tongue
was Urdu and his second language English,
Frank learned to read and speak Persian and
Arabic after becoming a Baha'i in order to
read Baha' u'llah's words in the original. He
learned the meaning of words by comparing Fazal Mohamad Khan
a text in several languages simultaneously.
In the teaching field Frank was most fear- The Seed is not being scattered in the
less, and continued to call his Muslim brothers soil of the mentalities of Australian and
to the Revelation ofBaha'u'llah. He ordered New Zealand brothers and sisters in a way
many books in the Urdu language to teach that we should if we were to discharge
fellow Indians in Australia. our obligations to our slumbering breth-
In 1950, soon after becoming a Baha'i, ren on this holy soil. The day is coming,
Frank was elected as one of two delegates my brothers and sisters, when the Cause
from the Yerrinbool Local Assembly to shall be accepted. The Supreme God, Who
National Convention. He was elected to the sent down this Mother Book, this perfect
National Assembly and became treasurer. Law, is most certainly potent of having it
Dulcie Dive, the former treasurer, was accepted and followed . This stage that we
appointed his assistant. Frank was elected to are passing through now is but a Passing
the National Spiritual Assembly for three Phase. 'Surely with difficulty is Ease and
consecutive years 1950-53, and again for surely with Ease is difficulty ... '
two years 1964-66. Frank was subsequently Will each and every brother and sister
elected delegate to National Convention give this matter their most serious considmany times. eration and act now, to gladden the hearts
As national treasurer, in 1950 he wrote to of your brethren, the NSA, to put new and
the Australian Baha 'is on the "lowness of vigorous life into the Cause which assuredly
the funds": will prevail, which you have fortunately
Bold decisions and large scale plan- chosen to back, which each nation is now
nings that are required to carry forth the sununoned to obey, which is the Salvablasts of the Twice Blown Trumpet of tion of Mankind, which is the command
This Mighty and World Wide Resurrec- and Cause of the Potent, the Powerful
tion cannot be taken because the Funds in Mighty God, the Lord of the Worlds.
the Treasury will not permit it... Humbly in His service, F.M. Khan
842 THE BAHA'i WORLD

This eloquent written appeal to the In the final three years of the Ten Year
Australian Baha'is conveys something of the Crusade, 1960-63, Frank travelled to most
melodic quality of Frank's speaking style. of the Australian states to give firesides and
He possessed a deep and resonant voice, the public meetings. In 1961, Frank and Bibi left
sound of which conveyed a conviction to Australia to visit the resting place of Shoghi
match the words he uttered. He spoke words Effendi in London, to make their pilgrimage
of praise for the prophets, and conveyed a to Haifa, and to visit Balla' i communities in
love of God and of spiritual qualities at all Europe and Asia.
times. He offered his services as a public When the glorious years of the World
speaker in the far-flung cities and towns of Crusade came to a close, the task of consoli-
Australia and the Pacific Islands. dating the existing Baha'i communities in
On many occasions he spoke at public Australia intensified, and the task of proevents held by the southern New South claiming the Message of Balla 'u 'llah
Wales communities of Mittagong, Bowral, remained. Throughout the Nine Year Plan,
Yerrinbool and Wollongong. For Yerrin- Frank continued to travel in both Australia
bool's 1953 Naw-Ruz celebrations, for and the islands of the Pacific. During his trip
instance, Frank read an eloquent exposition to Fiji in 1965, two of his talks were broadof the Baha'i Faith which was published in cast on the radio, he spoke with Muslims at
the local press. He was a champion at lawn their centre in Samabula, spoke with Sikhs
bowls, and through friends made in pursuit in their village at Tamavua and later in their
of this sport, gave innumerable talks to Apex Temple, and was invited to address the Arya
and Rotary Clubs. On many occasions he Samaj sect of the Hindus .
made teaching trips to the cities and towns Throughout the 1960s, Frank continued
of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and to educate the Australian Baha'i community
New South Wales . through his talks at Yeninbool School. His
In July 1952, Frank made the first of his ability to convey both the teachings and
visits to Fiji, where his efforts in teaching spirit of Islam greatly aided the friends to
both Hindu and Muslim Indian-Fijian com- increase their awareness of the great station
munities were quite successful. He gave two of the Bab and Baha' u'llah.
talks to the Literary Club of Suva, two radio In 1972, Frank, together with Bibi and
broadcasts, one in Urdu and another in grandson David, made his second pilgrim-
English, addressed Suva's Rotary Club, and age and then travelled through iran, Canada,
spoke to a gathering of some 40 Hindus. and the United States, addressing Baha'i
In 1958, the National Spiritual Assembly meetings and visiting the House of Worship
acquainted Frank with the difficulties asso- in Wilmette.
ciated with its attempts to retain Knight of In addition to his ongoing travels with
Baha'u'llah Bertha Dobbins in Pmi Vila, in Bibi, Frank was active in his own commuthe New Hebrides. To resolve these difficul- nity, serving as chai1man of the Local
ties, Frank volunteered to provide the funds Spiritual Assembly for many years and confor a school building where Mrs. Dobbins ducting children's classes in Wollongong.
could live and teach, and also to have the Through his many years of success in busibuilding prefabricated in Australia and to ness, he was also able to become benefactor
personally construct it in Port Vila. He to the House of Worship in Australia, the
accomplished all this through great effort, Yerrinbool School, and the publishing trusts .
being aided in the construction by Australian He also extended assistance to individuals in
pioneer Mr. Bill Washington, and by need.
Mr. Peter Kaltoli, a Baha' i of the New Frank passed to the Abila Kingdom on
Hebrides. Wednesday, 10 September 1986, and was
IN MEMORIAM 843
laid to rest at Shellharbour Cemetery near Baha'i Faith, and invited them to Hau Hui to
Wollongong, New South Wales. The follow- 'start a mission'.
ing message was sent by the Universal Hamuel' s conversion precipitated the
House of Justice to the National Spiritual first mass entry of Solomon Islanders into
Assembly of Australia on 11 September: the Faith. Gertrude Blum visited Hamuel's
clan, and a large number of them decided to
DEEPLY GRIEVED LEARN PASSING DEVOTED become Baha'is. A Local Assembly was
SERVANT FAITH FRANK KHAN. HIS OUT- soon established at Hau Hui with Hamuel as
STANDING SERVICES CONTRIBUTIONS FAITH a member. The rapid emergence of Baha'i
AUSTRALIA AND PACIFIC UNFORGETTABLE. communities on Malaita provoked opposition
KINDLY CONVEY MEMBERS HIS FAMILY OUR from a number of missions, and the new
HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES AND ASSURANCE Baha 'is faced a variety of forms of harrass-
LOVING PRAYERS HIS IMMORTAL SOUL ALL ment and ridicule. They persevered, however,
WORLDS GOD. and established more Local Assemblies, and
GRAHAM H ASSALL a primary school at Tawaimare, on land
donated by the clan to the Faith.
In 1959, the Regional National Spiritual
HAMUEL HOAHANIA Assembly of the Baha'is of the South Pacific
???-1986 was established. Island Teaching Committees were appointed to co-ordinate the activ-
Hamuel Hoahania was born in the AreAre ities of the Baha'i community in each island
district of Malaita in the Solomon Islands. group and liaise with the Regional Spiritual
He was a traditional chief and owner of all Assembly, and in 1961 Hamuel was asked to
land near Hau Hui on Malaita. When the serve on the Solomon Islands Teaching
Solomon Islands were under the British, he Committee.
had a reputation as being one of the most Hamuel was elected as a delegate to the
cooperative cocoa producers in the Protec- convention of the South Pacific Regional
torate. Assembly in 1962 and several subsequent
As a young man he worked for the South years. During this time he also assisted in
Sea Evangelical Mission, the major Christian implementing a large-scale teaching project
mission in his area, but he became very dis- on Malaita which included Baha'is visiting
illusioned with the church. Despite the most of the villages in the AreAre and Koio
Christian teaching of brotherly love, Euro- regions. By Ric;Ivau 1963 there was an
pean missionaries did not socialise with Assembly at Hau Hui, nine other localities
Islanders. When Hamual heard of a European on the island, and some 800 Malaitan
family living in Honiara who allowed Island- Baha'is. By 1986 there were 59 Local
ers into their home, and even ate with them, Assemblies on Malaita.
he did not at first believe the story, and In 1964, the Solomon Islands became part
decided to investigate for himself. of the South West Pacific Ocean Regional
Hamuel's work as a government medical National Spiritual Assembly, and Hamuel
dresser allowed him to travel to different served on that Assembly for a number of
parts of the Solomon Islands, and when years. He also attended the Intercontinental
next in the capital, in about July 1956, he Conference held in Sydney, Australia, in
approached the home of the Knights of October 1967-one of six gatherings held
Baha'u'llah Alvin and Gertrude Blum, and to celebrate the centenary of Baha'u'llah's
their daughter, Keithie. Alvin invited Hamuel proclamation to the kings and rulers of
in and offeJed him some refreshments. the world. During the Conference Hamuel
Hamuel asked the Blums for books about the 'enacted the story of his people and his
844 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

GRIEVED NEWS UNTIMELY PASSING DEAR
HANDMAIDEN BAHA'U' LLAH MASl-UD KOIRALA.
HER EXEMPLARY PIONEERING SPIRIT, STEAD-
FASTNESS DEVOTION AND LOVING NATURE
ALL INSTRUMENTAL WINNING MANY HEARTS
ACHIEVING VI CTORI ES NEPAL UNFORGETTA-
BLE. EXTEND HEARTFELT SYMPATHY HER
NOBLE FAMILY FRIENDS NEPAL. ADVISE HOLD
MEMORIAL GATHERINGS. WE ARDENTLY PRAY
SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER SOUL
ABHA KINGDOM.

Mahshid fqani was born in Tilu:an on
17 April 1949. Her urge to travel and teach
the Faith was noticed from an early age.
While she was still in school in Iran she used
to persistently ask her parents to send her
pioneering. The beloved Hand of the Cause
of God 'Ali-Akbar Funitan often recalled
how she used to cry and ask him to tell her
Hamuel Hoahania parents to allow her to pioneer.
Soon after she completed high school she
acceptance of the Faith with a sparkling left Iran to study in the Philippines. She
vivacity and humor'. was the first Persian Baha'i student in the
The National Spiritual Assembly of the Philippines and when the others joined her
Baha'is of the Solomon Islands was estab- she used to be called "the number one".
lished in 1971 , Hamuel was elected to that She studied mass communication from 1967
institution in 1978. He attended the 1978 until the summer of 1971, when violence in
International Convention in Haifa, Israel- the campuses led to the closure of the unithe first Solomon Islander to do so. On his versity . She went home, planning to go back
way home from the Convention, he travelled to the Philippines to complete her study, but
to Iran and visited the House of the Bab. while in Iran she heard about a course in
Later that year he was appointed an Auxil- mass communication in New Delhi, India.
iary Board member. She was particularly enthusiastic about
When Hamuel passed away on 15 Octo- going to India because of the possibility of
ber 1986, he left behind his wife and their 16 visiting villages and teaching the Faith. She
children, many of whom were actively serv- often spoke of her many visits to Filipino
ing the Faith. villages where she taught under the guidance
GRAHAM H ASSA LL of the beloved Hand of the Cause of God
Ral:imatu'llah Muhajir. During later visits to
Nepal, Dr. Muhajir hin1self told Nepalese
MASHEED lQANI KOIRALA friends how Mahshid had travelled to remote
(Mashid fqani Koirala) Filipino villages and taught the Faith.
1949- 1986 In September 1971 , she joined the postgraduate diploma course in journalism in
The following telegram was sent by the New Delhi where she met Bharat Koirala .
beloved Universal House of Justice on They became engaged at a ceremony at the
27 October 1986: Baha'i House in Delhi in the presence of the
IN MEMORIAM 845

beloved Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qasim
Fayc;li. In April 1972 they were married,
again at the Baha'i House, in the presence of
the beloved Hand of the Cause Mr. Furutan.
Three days later they flew to Nepal in the
company of Mr. Furutan, who was travelling
to Nepal to the first National Convention.
For the next 14 years Mahshid was destined to play an important role in the growth
of the Faith in Nepal. She loved to travel to
the villages where Baha'is resided. With her
ever-present smile and unflinching faith in
the power of Baha'u'llah, she was welcome
everywhere. When in Kathmandu she often
suffered from bronchial asthma, but when
she visited Baha'is in villages, all traces of
her physical suffering disappeared. She
missed mass teaching as it was experienced
in the Philippines or India, but she adjusted
to new realities in Nepal and never stopped
teaching, whether in small groups or large Masheed lqani Koirala
gatherings.
From the beginning, Mahshid served as Shabnam found her on the balcony outside
the Auxiliary Board member for Nepal and panting desperately for breath. She was
preferred to do so whenever she was elected rushed to the hospital, but it was already too
to the Assemblies. She said it gave her late.
the opportunity to "plan independently and Hundreds of friends , relatives and promiquickly". It was only at the 1986 National nent Nepalese came to pay their respects as
Convention that she opted to serve on the her body lay at the Baha'i Centre. Many
Assembly, and she was subsequently elected non-Baha'i friends attended the burial at the
secretary. Baha'i cemetery.
The end came on 24 October 1986, after a BHARAT KO IRA LA

hectic day at the school where, in addition to
her job as principal, she substituted for two
absent teachers. She came home with some
relatives she had met on the way, served tea
for them, drove them home herself and then
asked her mother and two children to get
ready to go to the Baha'i Centre for the
Friday fireside. At the National Centre the
day's speaker had not come and so they
asked her to speak. She said, "Today, I will
talk about Baha'u'llah and my son Samir
will translate into Nepali for me".
She finished her talk, described by friends
and seekers as most eloquent and inspiring,
and while Samir was still translating, she left
the room. A few minutes later her daughter
846 THE BAHA'I WORLD

RUDOLFO DUNA Shortly after the fo1mation of the first
1913-1986 Local Spiritual Assembly in Mozambique in
1955, the call came from Shoghi Effendi for
In London's Albert Hall in 1963, at the pioneers to go to Angola, the sister colony of
World Congress following the election of the Mozambique under the mle of Portugal.
first Universal House of Justice, Amatu'l- Rudolfo and his wife, Angelica, knew
Baha Rul;iyyih Khanum was overcome by little about the Faith of Baha'u'llah at that
deep emotion and faltered during her inspir- time, but their hearts were filled with love for
ing presentation about the beloved Guardian. the beloved Guardian. Then, Mrs. Duna had
Then, the golden voice of Rudolfo Duna a wonderful dream, according to Rudolfo.
soared out across the auditorium singing "She saw a light never seen before by men's
"Allah'u'Abha". He was quickly joined by eyes and it came to her as an awakening and
some 6,000 voices in praise of their Lord, a warning. Then she said, 'This gives me
giving Rul;iyyih Khanum time to regain her courage and I feel I must obey the command
composure, and welding all heaits in a deep of God to go to Angola!' ... so we began to
spirit of love and unity. This instant response pray that God's Will would be done."
to emergencies as well as teaching opportu- This decision won them the honor of
nities characterized Rudolfo Duna 's services being the first African pioneers in southern
to the Faith which he loved so dearly. Africa to arise in obedience to the call of the
Rudolfo was born on 23 July 1913 in Guardian.
Lourern;o Marques, Mozambique [now Once they had decided, they never
Maputo] into a staunch Christian family wavered in their determination to take their
belonging to the Swiss Mission Church. Just beloved new Faith to another land, in spite
before he heard about the Baha'i Faith from of all the discouragement and fears of family
pioneers Mr. John and Mrs. Charlotte de and friends. They went with their young
Pinto in 1955, he was preparing to become daughter, Dora.
an evangelist for the Swiss Mission Church. "We had to travel third class", Rodulfo
He had no difficulty in recognizing the tmth related. [It was] "a long journey on hard
of the Teachings ofBaha'u ' llah, and became seats and hard to sleep on too, but we were
an ardent and indefatigable believer. happy because we were following the com-
Rudolfo was the third person in Mozam- mand of our beloved Shoghi Effendi who
bique to accept the Baha'i Faith during the was praying for us . I had never seen him
World Cmsade of the beloved Guardian, before, but one thing for sure, he was prayand he became a member of the first Local ing for us."
Spiritual Assembly of Loure111;:0 Marques. In Luanda, they met Mr. Joao, who
The day after the formation of the Local became the first believer and together they
Assembly, Mr. and Mrs. de Pinto were began to teach until the first Local Spiritual
forced to leave the country, and a few days Assembly of Luanda was formed that April.
later the first three believers in Mozambique The arrival of new pioneers from Portugal
were arrested and put into prison, their homes made it possible for the Dunas to return
searched and their Baha' i books confiscated. home after one year's stay in Angola and
Rudolfo spent about a week in jail and was pick up the thread of their services in their
freed after being told that he should not fol- home country.
low the religion brought by the de Pintos. When they returned to Lourenyo
However, in the words of Rudolfo himself, Marques, they found the Local Assembly
"As we have already tasted the sweet savour was no longer functioning and the believers
of the love of the Bab and Baha'u' llah, it is were fearful and disheartened. They called
hard to reject the tmth of the love of God." the Baha'is together and did what they could
IN MEMORIAM 847
to strengthen and inspire them to hold Feasts
and to teach, but it was very difficult as the
authorities were watchful and suspicious.
In 1962, Mr. Duna was elected to the
Regional Spiritual Assembly of South and
West Africa, and it became his privilege and
honour to travel to Haifa where he participated in the election of the first Universal
House of Justice in 1963 at the close of the
Ten Year Crnsade.
After the Baha'i World Congress, Mr. and
Mrs. Duna were asked to stop in No1ihern
Rhodesia [now Zambia] to teach in an area
which showed promise for mass conversion.
They spent one month in the Mwinilunga
area in the northwestern pa1i of the counháy,
and the promise became a reality as many
souls embraced the Faith. They really had
the magic touch of bringing many people
into the fold ofBaha'u ' llah.
Upon his rehlrn home, Rudolfo was Rudolfo Duna
appointed to the Auxiliary Board for Propagation, a post which he held until his passing. Dunas made another trip to Angola at
The 1970s were days of political umest the request of the Counsellors, to assist the
in Mozambique. Many outstanding Mozam- friends . They also visited Portugal, always
bican leaders were put in jail, including spreading the love and knowledge of
Rudolfo, who was imprisoned because of Baha'u'llah wherever they went.
his Baba 'i activities. For three and a half In 1985, the Dunas were on hand to assist
years he suffered greatly, from solitary in the formation of the first National Spirirual
confinement, which lasted almost two years, Assembly of the Baha ' is of Mozambique.
to frequent beating and to1iure. Finally, This was something Rudolfo had dreamed
because of his good conduct, he was permit- of, had worked for, and had looked forward
ted to take up basket weaving, ivory carving, to for a long, long time. When the members
and even to carry on his trade of plumbing of the National Assembly were announced
outside the prison walls. and were asked to come forward, he looked
While in prison, Rudolfo was active in at them and, especially because he saw his
teaching the Faith and several of his fellow own daughter as a member, hlrned to Couninmates became Baha' is. They were encour- sellor Fat):1i-A '~ am , held his hand and said:
aged by him to translate Baha' i prayers "Shidan, this is the happiest moment of my
into Shirnakonde, and What is the Baha 'i life. My work is now ended. I am now ready
Faith ? into Shimakua, and he himself trans- to meet my Maker."
lated Baha 'u 'llah , Word Made Flesh by Among the many attributes which made
H.M. Balyuzi, into Shironga. Rudolfo an outstanding Baha'i was his talent
After his release from prison, Rudolfo to compose music and write beautiful songs
continued his work as Board member, help- which were sung in Baha'i meetings in many
ing the believers and encouraging them counháies of the world. Among his many
to teach and be active. The affairs of accomplishments was his work translating
Mozambique were looking up. In 1976, the Baha ' i teachings into Shironga, one of the
848 TH E BAHA ' I WORLD

major languages of Mozambique. Baha 'i enthusiasm for living and her absolutely
Administration, Baha'i History, Tahirih, unshakeable, positive faith that never knew
Mulla lfusayn, Quddus, The Hidden Words the meaning of defeat.
of Baha 'u 'llah, What Is the Baha 'i Faith ?, For seven and a half years, Bertha taught
and prayers are among his translation work. in country schools in New Zealand. In
Those who knew him well will long August 1923, she resigned from the New
remember his steadfastness in the Faith, his Zealand Education Department with plans to
devotion and love for Baba 'u' llah, his perse- go as a Church of England missionary to
verance in teaching the Cause and his loyalty India to teach the Christian Faith to the
and abiding love for the Baha'i friends. peoples of that continent. Bertha wrote:
The following message was sent on 3 Nov-
I was brought up in the Anglican Church
ember 1986 by the Universal House of Justice
which I loved very much and will always
when info1med of his passing:
be grateful for early training there. It
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING DEVOTED PROMOT-
was my privilege to serve wherever help
ER FAITH RUDOLFO DUNA. HIS LONG RECORD
was needed. Indeed, having been trained
DEDICATED LABOURS IN BOTH TEA CI-lfNG
in New Zealand as a school teacher, I
AND ADMINISTRATIVE FTELDS SERVI CE UN-
offered to go as a missionary to India and
FORGETTABLE. ASSURE RELATIVES LOVING
took a con-espondence course with that
PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL. ADVI SE
object in view. My papers were signed
ALL LOCAL ASSEMBLIES MOZAMBIQUE HOLD
and sent to London. I was to go there and
MEMORIAL GATHERINGS IN HI S NAM E.
learn a language prior to going to India;
but, always an insatiable reader, I came
SHi DAN F ATl:fl-A' :(:AM across a poem, 'The Light of Asia '-the
(S hid an Fat'he-azam)
story of the Buddha! It was so beautiful!
The thought dawned on me, 'If His followers lived up to His Teachings and if
all the Christians lived the Teachings of
BERTHA DOBBINS
Christ, there would be no need of mis-
Knight ofBaha 'u'llah
sionaries!' Finally, I decided to travel and
1895- 1986
work my way row1d the world and write a
book. So I left New Zealand in 1923.
On 7 November 1986, on a perfect spring
day, Knight of Baha ' u'llah Bertha Dobbins Bertha went first to Australia, where she
was laid to rest at Centennial Park Cemetery joined South Australia ' s Education Departin Adelaide, South Australia. It seemed that ment. While she was teaching at Nailsworth
myriad daisies joined forces with the first Secondary School, the District Inspector,
flush of spring roses to bid that gallant soul a Adelaide Miethke, described Bertha, in a
cheerful farewell, as she would have wanted report dated 1 August 1927, as a "quiet,
it, as the funeral cortege moved from the gentle little woman who has an influence
chapel to the cemetery. Those gathered at which is distinctly good and spiritual in
the chapel included three generations of nature. She understands children and is full
Bertha's family and dear friends. of devices for their interest. She has a free,
Born in George Street, Po1i Chalmers easy discipline, yet the children respond to
(Dunedin) in New Zealand, two months pre- her quickly. Miss Machan [her maiden
mature, on 11 April 1895, the sixth of eleven name] is possessed of infinite patience. I
children, Bertha never lost the will to sur- have never heard her scold, nor her voice
vive against all odds. A teacher all her life, raised... I consider that both students and
she inspired countless children with her fellow-teachers receive an unconscious
IN MEMORIAM 849
uplift by association with this quiet, modest,
cheerful little woman."
Within a few years of her aITival in Australia, Bertha had become involved in caring
for the needy in the West End of Adelaide;
had established free English classes for
some early Italian immigrants; and had been
appointed Divisional Commissioner of Girl
Guides for Nailsworth at a ceremony on
27 April 1927 conducted at Government
House, Adelaide, by Lady Bridges, State
Chief Commissioner of Guides and wife of
the then-Governor of the State.
While set on a course of comparative
study of as many practicing Faiths as possible, Bertha met Joe Dobbins, who was on
a similar quest. On 3 March 1929, Joe wrote
to Bertha, inviting her to go with him and
Hilda Gilbert and Robert Brown to meet ...
"Mr. and Mrs. Dum1 ... at Blackwood" because,
he said, "I believe they have the real mes- Bertha Dobbins
sage; there is no question which they do not
answer to one's satisfaction''. Hilda Gilbert On the evening of January 17, 1933, an
actually was the first to give Joe the Mes- interesting ceremony took place in the
sage and he, in tum, gave it to Bertha. Baha'i room, Epworth Building, Piiie Street,
An unusual courtship, spent every Satur- Adelaide, when our dear Baha'i sister and
day evening at the flat of John Henry and brother, Bertha Mochan and Joseph Dob-
Clara Hyde-Dunn (later to become known bins, were made one. The ceremony was
affectionately to the Baha'is as "Mother" conducted by the Rev. W.H. Hawke
and "Father" Dum1), culminated in Joe and (President of the Council of Churches),
Bertha's eventual declaration of faith, prior who had heard the Baha'i Message and
to becoming husband and wife. Since there was sympathetically and kindly disposed
was no Baha'i administration at this early toward it.. .. After the orthodox service,
stage of the Faith in Australia, exact records the Rev. Mr. Hawke read the beautiful
were not kept of enrolments, but letters pass- Baha'i Marriage Tablet.. .. Among the
ing between Bertha and Joe indicated that many loving gifts was a beautiful crystal
they had declared shortly after hearing of the vase sent by the Baha'is of New Zealand
Faith. Bertha was editor of Herald of the in appreciation of the bride 's work as
South in 1929, indicating that she was a editor of Herald of the South.
Baha'i in that year. Of this time, Bertha
This particular magazine was actually
wrote, "The Baha'i Faith was brought to my
founded by the late Bertram Dewing, a New
notice in 1929 and, after careful study of its
Zealand journalist, with the approval of the
scriptures, I found the answers to the many
beloved Guardian, who suggested the title.
things which had puzzled me in both the Old
In some of her notes Bertha wrote:
and New Testaments of the Bible."
Her maITiage to Joe was recorded by the When Bertram was leaving for a trip
late Mayzi Almond in Herald of the South abroad, he wrote to me in Australia and
dated 13 April 1933, thus: asked me to take over the magazine,
850 TH E BAHA'i WORLD

which I was pleased to do .... I edited the who were also on the Caledonien, en route
magazine for 22 years: first from 1929- for their destination, Tahiti, followed, and
1932, at which time Miss Dugdale with the accompanied me to the Hotel Rossi, Port
help of Miss L. Clark took over for two Vila, where I stayed until the 28th March
years; then it came back to me from 1934- 1954 ... On the 29th March 1954, I moved
1953. Then I went to the New Hebrides into the hut owned by Chung Yueng
and Mr. Eric Bowes kindly took over. brothers, Chinese... and although living
facilities were practically nil, I was glad
During the following years , Bertha
to have a home. Later, this hut acquired
worked tirelessly as a devoted, generous and
an atmosphere of its own. A never-endselfless wife, and mother of two children;
ing line of visitors, mostly native, came
served on the National Spiritual Assembly
to hear 'the Story, ' so I called the place
of the Baha' is of Australia and New Zealand
Nur Cottage, and it was here, on the 9th
from 1948--49, as well as for many, many
August, 1954, that the Baha'i school began.
years on her own Local Assembly; travelled
to teach the Faith in country towns as well as In 1958, the National Spiritual Assembly
interstate, particularly in Western Australia of Australia was able to anange for the
and Tasmania and also internationally in construction in Port Vila of a substantial
New Zealand and Tonga. Her greatest joy structure which had been prefabricated in
was to share enthusiastically and fearlessly Australia, and which enabled Bertha to conher excitement about her discovery of the tinue her devoted activities at Nur School.
Message of Baha 'u' llah. Fallowing 16 years of separation and per-
Bertha had resigned from the Education sonal sacrifice for a Cause they both placed
Department in South Australia on 11 Novem- before their own love, the two sweethearts,
ber 1932, just prior to her maniage. However, Joe and Bertha, were parted finally when Joe
when her son was 13 and her daughter 11, passed away suddenly in Adelaide on 14 July
she resumed teaching, taking up an appoint- 1969.
ment at the "Wilderness" girls' school, Sad but undaunted, Bertha returned to her
Medindie, South Australia, in 1947. school where she remained for another eight
After nearly eight years at the beautiful years. In December 1971 , Nur School
college, it was time for a new adventure for was closed at the direction of the Universal
the inháepid Bertha. Hence, in September House of Justice, due to the cost of its
1953, at the age of 58, after consultation upkeep. However, Bertha remained living at
with her husband and her children, and in the school, which had become half her resiresponse to a call to the Baha' i world from dence, half the local I;Ia~iratu'l-Quds. She
the Guardian, she left for the South Pacific, left the New Hebrides islands only when the
for the group of islands known then as the task that she had set herself-the formation
New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), with the of the first National Spiritual Assembly of
purpose of offering the Baha 'i Message to the Baha' is of the New Hebrides-had been
the peoples of those islands. Travelling first accomplished in October 1977. She was
by train from Adelaide, she sailed from 82 years old.
Sydney on 21 September 1953 on the S.S. In a letter from the Universal House of
Caledonien. Bertha's notes record those first Justice, dated 4 August 1971, the following
moments on New Hebridean soil: tribute was paid to Bertha and her school:
I anived in P01i Vila on the 17th October, There is no doubt that the Nur School has
1953, and said the Greatest Name as my been of great service both in providing
feet touched New Hebridean soil. Miss educational facilities and in contributing
Gladys Parke and Miss Gretta Lamprill, to the advancement of the Cause. The
IN MEMORIAM 851

story of your work with the islanders will celebrating the Fiafia, or traditional feast,
forever be enshrined in the annals of the with Samoan dances and songs. William
Faith. Praise be to God that you have was inspired by these two strangers dancing
been enabled to do so much. with local people and he was told that they
were preaching a new Faith.
Shortly before her return home to Ade-
William was shocked, and could not
laide, Bertha was granted the great bounty
believe that any religion other than Chrisand privilege, in April 1973, of being able to
tianity would ever exist. He took his wife,
accompany the Hand of the Cause of God
Manesesa, home and returned after some
Collis Featherstone and his wife, Madge, on
time to talk further with Bob and April.
a visit to Iran and the Holy Land.
Their meeting went on through the night.
Petite in stature, very feminine, an artist
When the sun rose, its golden rays beautified
of no mean talent (she studied under the
the surroundings and made everyone happy
famous Australian artist, William Ashton)
except William, who was very much upset
and a lover of beauty, particularly in nature,
and disturbed. His new friends tried to com-
Bertha was, at the same time, an indefatigable
fort him. He answered:
worker, with a courage and determination
born of her positive faith and confidence in I am happy to know about Baha'u'llah
her own ability. She was afraid of no one, and His divine principles, but I am sorry
and, while respecting authority, those bearing it is impossible for me to become a
that authority were under no misapprehen- Baha'i because everyone will oppose me,
sion that the diminutive Bertha was in any even my wife and all my family and relaway in awe of them! Quite to the contrary, tives, and if I die tomorrow, no one will
her direct, fearless approach to everyone, even attend my funeral. But I am puzzled
from Mayor to Resident Commissioner to and wonder that ifI don't acceptBaha'u'llah,
College Principal to Head of State, earned I have to reject even all other Prophets. If
for her their respect and deep admiration. they are right, then He is also right; and if
A period of ill-health and increasing frailty He is false, then all others are also false,
on her return home from the New Hebrides because all of them are in the same condiculminated in a heart attack on 31 October tion and situation.
1986 and her eventual passing the following
Then they read to him part of the Writ-
Friday, 6 November, at the age of91.
ings of Baha'u ' llah from Gleanings, and
Dignified and confident to the end, Bertha
suddenly these words penetrated his heart
Dobbins was truly a great lady and a fearless
and attracted his soul towards Baha'u'llah
servant ofBaha'u ' llah.
and he said that now he was ready to face all
HEL EN R EISS ENWEBER
the difficulties and troubles. He became a
dedicated servant of the Cause.
The next day his wife and other relatives
TUMANUV AO WILLIAM WHITE opposed him, but he stood like a rock until
1918- 1986 his wife accepted the Faith and she began
assisting him in all his efforts. William said
William White was born into a respected a few days after his acceptance of the Cause
family in Savai'i, Western Samoa, in á1918. of God, a Canadian pioneer named Philip
He heard the Message ofBaha 'u'llah for the Beattie came to him in Savai'i and invited
first time in 1973, when Mr. Bob Biti and him on a teaching trip. William said he
Mrs. April Lake visited Savai ' i to teach the didn ' t know anything about the Faith, so
Faith of God in that fertile region during the how could he teach others? Philip said that
happy occasion when the whole village was is the only reason he was invited. William
852 THE BAHA'I WORLD

way, he had never boxed in his life and
could not do it. Then they came to me and
sa id, 'Hey, old man, what about you?' I
said, ' I am an old man. I do not want to
box with you all. ' But they insisted, and
forced me to box with them. Then a youth
came mockingly towards me and started
with all his strength to knock me down
and I pretended that I was unable to stand
his blows. All of them laughed and
Philip, who did not know that I knew
boxing, was very much worried. Then
they sent a second youth, this time he
started very fast and acted very proudly.
Then I knocked him down unconscious.
They sent in their leader and he was
defeated and I threw him out of the ring.
Then all of them said, 'Ok, old man, you
know boxing,' and they sent for their
senior boxer. He came, and as soon as he
Tumanuvao William White looked at me, he recognized me and
embraced me. Then he introduced me to
was deepened during this teaching trip and these boxers and said all of them should
he could never do without teaching again. apologise to me as I was a great cham-
His travelling caused many prepared souls to pion. Then he invited us to his home and
draw to Baha'u'llah's Threshold. He was to the village. We were talking to them
always grateful to Philip, and often talked the whole night about this great Message.
about him. On the same night, eight people declared
William was often ill and in great pain, in this village and embraced the Faith.
but even when he had a fev er he never Another exciting experience while teachrefused to go on a teaching trip . He always ing occurred when he was travelling all alone,
willingly left his house with a broad smile. riding on a motorcycle. The following are
One of the incidents he loved to natrnte was his own statements:
from those days when he and Philip were
walking around Savai' i with a bag of books It was evening, and I was riding on my
on their backs . Here are his own words: motorcycle which was serving me as a
queen of the roads . As soon as I reached
It was evening time when Philip and I felt near Falealupo, my queen stopped. The
tired. We took rest under a tree in one of more I tried to start her, the worse she
the school compounds. After some time, became. I kicked her and kicked her
we witrtessed nearly twenty youths badly, but she did not care and did not
approaching this compound along with start. I prayed and begged her to at least
their leader. They came and started prac- reach me to some village before dark, but
ticing boxing. Philip and I were sitting she refused. Anyhow, darkness enveloped
and watching their practice. The youths the area and I was helpless and I was so
gradually started warming up and came to thirsty that I left my queen at the side of
Philip and said, 'How about boxing with the bush and walked and walked in search
us a few rounds?' Philip told them no of water. At last, I reached afale (house)
IN MEMORIAM 853
and I asked them to give me some water. as a member of the Auxiliary Board for Pro-
They welcomed me to their home and pagation. He also wrote a book called Search
they insisted that I should spend a night for Truth to explain the Baha'i teachings.
with them. I told them I have to go to take Mr. William White passed away on 7 Novcare of my motorcycle, but they said do ember 1986, a shining example of how to
not worry, we are all here to assist you. teach the Cause of God. The following telex
The head of the family, Mr. Fiona, asked from the Universal House of Justice, sent on
his son to accompany me to the spot and 10 November, will surely bless his soul and
help me to bring the motorcycle down to also adorn these pages:
their house. SADDENED NEWS PASS ING DEVOTED SERVANT
As soon as we reached there again, BAHA'U'LLAH TUMANUVAO WILLIAM WHITE
they served me with a beautiful dinner PRAYING SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL KINDLY
and told me that they were waiting for me CONVEY CONDOLENCES HIS FAM ILY
since evening. I was shocked and speechless and puzzled. Then I asked them how A second telex, from the International
they knew me, and how were they expect- Teaching Centre sent on 11 November,
ing me. Mr. Fiona said, 'This evening, honoured his blessed activities and his soul:
my wife saw a beautiful white owl fly DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING HIGHLY DISTIN-
over our fale (house) a few times and then GUISHED TUMAN UV AO WILLIAM WH ITE
fly away . Then I told my wife according HE WILL BE LONG REMEMBERED FOR HIS
to Samoan tradition, this means that we CEASELESS ACTIVITY SP IRIT DEDICATION
shall receive a respected guest and he DEVOTED SERV ICES TEACHING CONSOLIDA-
shall bring us some good news. I told her TION UPOLU SAVAll HIS COURAGE EXEMPLARY
to prepare a nice dinner.' Then I told MAINTAINING ACTIV ITY DESPITE MANY
them how sincere and true they were. The YEARS ILL HEALTH PRAYING SACRED
whole night I was speaking to them about THRESHOLD PROGRESS HI S SOUL PLEASE
the Faith and it was nearly dawn when CONVEY CONDOLENCE MEMBERS HI S FAMJL Y
Mr. and Mrs. Fiona and their son accepted
the Faith. Later on, Mr. Fiona was elected William was laid to rest in Savai'i, in
as a member of the National Spiritual Papa Village near Puleia, with a most digni-
Assembly of the Baha 'is of Samoa. fied funeral. Hundreds of people attended
with tears rolling from their eyes. He was,
Unfortunately, after a few years of ser- up to his last breath, steadfast and fam and
vice, this great man, Mr. Fiona, had a stroke holding fast to the Teachings of God. He
and was completely paralyzed and motion- was survived by his widow, Manesesa, and
less. He could not even talk. While he was sons and daughters and grandchildren.
laying on his mattress, the elders and pastors A.K. FORUDI
of many sects of Christianity would visit
him and add to his pain by telling him that
he was not saved because he was a Baha'i,
and that he should return to the Church and APELIS MAZAKMA T
they would pray for him. But this man was c.1920-1986
so steadfast that he refused to listen to them,
such was the result and the outcome of Apelis Mazakn1at, the first Papua New
William's outstanding teaching work. Guinean to embrace the Baha'i Faith, was
In addition to his teaching work, born into the Moxomaaf or Red Parrot clan
William served the Faith as a member of the in the Nalik-speaking area of New Ireland
National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa and some time in the 1920s. This clan has a
854 THE BAHA'I WORLD

reputation in New Ireland both for being His negative feelings about the church were
important custodians of traditional lore and no doubt strengthened by the refusal of the
for being open to new ideas; the first New local Catholic missionary to sanctify his
Ireland convert to Christianity, for example, marriage as a Methodist to a Catholic woman
was a maternal relative of Apelis. Apelis (whom he eventually did marry) . He organlived up to this reputation, being a defender ised a meeting of community leaders from
of New Ireland ways during a period of all parts of the Nalik area to convince them
unprecedented change, while himself intro- of the need to expel the missionaries from
ducing a number of innovations from the their region. He was able to persuade many
outside world which helped make his people that this should be done, but as church offiamong the most advanced groups in the cials heard about this, they convinced the
country. colonial authorities to arrest ce1tain clan
Apelis was orphaned at an early age. He leaders who were following Apelis. It is
was adopted by his grandparents in undoubtedly no coincidence that these were
Munawai Village, but spent much time with later among the first to embrace the Cause.
his father's relatives in Madina Village. He The threat of further and more prolonged
became aware of religious differences while imprisonn1ent induced the other leaders to
still quite young. Although Munawai and oppose Apelis' moves , and in embarrass-
Madina were both Methodist villages, his ment he left the Nalik area with a friend by
mother had been from Lugagon, a Catholic bicycle heading toward the southern part of
village between them. He began school at the island.
Lugagon, but rebelled against the Catholic Apelis is remembered as having been a
missionary's strong stance against tradi- very brash young man before he heard of the
tional ways, and returned to his grandparents Faith. He and a friend travelled through New
atMunawai. Ireland with no money, relying on their
In 1930, he went to the first government ingenuity to survive. When they reached
school in New Ireland, which had just been the southern tip of New Ireland they went
established at Utu. Although the academic by canoe to Duke of York and then to New
standard was still poor, it was better than the Britain, which is very difficult. There they
mission-run schools of the time, and he was worked at an agricultural research station,
able to progress to a teacher training institu- where Apelis learned how to grow cocoa
tion in Rabaul on nearby New Britain. After and a number of cash crops.
this training, he was employed on the New In 1951 , he returned to New Ireland to put
Guinea mainland as one of the first indige- this knowledge to work. At that time expanous governn1ent teachers. The second triate planters on New Ireland would not
World War found him in the Sepik, where allow New Irelanders to grow cocoa. Using
he was conscripted as a patrol officer by the seedlings which his friend sent him from the
Australian army. agricultural research station on New Britain,
After the war he was again hired by the Apelis formed a cooperative in the Nalik area
Education Department to assist in rebuilding to inháoduce cocoa production to natives.
the governn1ent administration, and it was This was the beginning of the now flourishnot until 1947 that he was able to return to ing small holder cocoa plantation industry
New Ireland. In 1949, he started the first which is a major source of income for rural
government school in the Nalik area in New Irelanders . Apelis also tried to start a
Madina. But the war had made Apelis ques- native owned cocoa fern1enter, but the oppotion much that he saw was wrong in colonial sition of expatriate planters and jealous clan
society. One of the institutions which he felt leaders, who saw him as a threat to their
was particularly oppressive was the mission. power, prevented this for many years.
IN MEMORJAM 855

By this time the government was having
problems dealing with a movement on
Manus started by the famous cargo cult
leader Paliau. Because of Apelis ' lack of
patience with religion and his understanding
of how wealth was actually earned in a
modem society, the government recruited
him again for the teaching service, this time
at the government school in Paliau' s home
village.
On Manus , he soon met Knight of
Baha'u'llah Violet Hoelmke, who had
anived in 1954 from Australia to open the
Admiralty Islands to the Faith. "Sister Vi"
was a nursing sister at the hospital and
had become good friends with Elliot and
Dorothy Elijah, who lived near the hospital.
Although they never became Baha'is, they
did anange a discussion about the Faith at
their home for Apelis. In an interview for a
national newspaper near the end of his life, Ape/is Mazakmat
Apelis said that he had been struck with the
progressive nature of the Baha'i principles Rodney Hancock went to Madina to teach
and the fact that they were so harmonious Homerang the Faith. He soon declared. Miss
with traditional New Ireland beliefs and Thelma Perks, then an Auxiliary Board
practices. member in Australia, went to visit Papua
In the colonial society of that time the New Guinea. Apelis and Homerang organfree mixing of the races, which is so taken ised a large meeting at the beach in Madina
for granted in today's independent Papua at which Thelma spoke and Rodney inter-
New Guinea, was prohibited by custom and preted into Pidgin. A small group of people
law. Sister Vi became notorious for inviting declared, and virtually the whole village
natives to her home and for socialising with began to discuss the merits of the Faith.
native nurses at the beach, and so at the end In the stratified society of the time, the
of 1955 she was transferred from Manus to fact that pioneers would stay in native
another island. She kept in contact with homes and eat their food was a shock for
Apelis, however, and also introduced him both native villagers and settlers that was,
to Rodney Hancock, a pioneer from New as one man who later became a Baha'i said,
Zealand who had anived in New Guinea "as great a shock for us as when Tahirih
soon after she had. When she was in Australia removed her veil in Iran". In fact, Apelis
on leave in 1956, she received a telegram was even jailed for providing hospitality
from Rodney informing him that Apelis had to Miss Perks : he had broken a colonial
declared, becoming the first Papua New law prohibiting the accommodation of single
Guinean believer. white women in native villages.
Apelis wrote to his childhood friend from Apelis used this dramatic removal of the
Madina, Michael Homerang, then a teacher colour bar to teach the Faith with greater
in the Sepik, telling him about the Faith. intensity in Madina, so that by 1957 the first
Homerang had to return to Madina because Local Spiritual Assembly could be formed .
of illness, and at Christmas 19 56 Apelis and Many people declared until at one time three
856 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

quarters of Madina Village was Baha'i. This escapades as proof of the power of the Faith
alarmed church authorities and white teach- to change behaviour. He is especially
ers at the local school, who told the new remembered for the fact that he was never
believers that they would go to hell if they cross. If he were verbally or even physically
remained Baha'is and followed a "false attacked, he would inevitably reply with
prophet" and a "foreign religion". This such kindness that his opponent would be
caused many to return to the church, and publicly shamed. This quality was reflected
feelings against the Baha'is became quite in his family ; in a society where physical
strong. abuse of women is common, he was note-
By 1957, Apelis had helped establish, and worthy for the respect which he showed his
had been made chairman, of the first local wife.
government council in the area, and he used Apelis is also remembered for his way
this position to ensure that opposition to the with words . Unlike many other modern
Cause did not get out of hand. Apelis and Nalik leaders, he was very careful not to
Homerang gave Baha'i books to the colonial corrupt his public speeches in Nalik with
advisor to the council and to the head of the English or Pidgin phrases . Although he was
local education office, who were favourably not a clan orator, he was perhaps the most
impressed and protected the Baha'is. Mat- accomplished Nalik poet and composer of
ters came to a head when an angry his time, and many of the songs he com-
Methodist churchman physically attacked a posed are still sung at public gatherings. A
new Baha'i who would not recant. The common theme in these songs is the need
Baha'i took the man to the government for unity and cooperative work. He was a
authorities, who jailed the attacker. When skilled storyteller; if people heard he was
churchmen realised that the colonial govern- coming to a village, they would gather to
ment would protect Baha'is, opposition hear his renderings of traditional stories or
became muted. The Faith began to spread to discussions of future plans for development.
other villages, but it never took hold in These plans took up much of his time
Munawai, Apelis ' home village. in the 1970s and early 1980s, long before
Although Apelis introduced many new "social and economic development" became
ideas into Nalik society, once these ideas a common phrase in the Baha 'i community
took root and were accepted by others, he left at large. In the 1970s, Apelis left the local
the day-to-day running of new projects to government council and started a timber
others. This pattern was reinforced in Apelis ' company for local landowners from the
relationship to the Faith by the fact that Nalik area. As chairman of its board, he
because no other person in his home village formed a partnership with a Japanese combecame Baha'i, his oppmtunities for active pany, making his area one of the first in
involvement in Baha 'i administration were the country to reap the economic benefits of
limited. Nevertheless, he was well known for Japanese investment. He also introduced
being a firm Baha'i, and he never hesitated to the first tractor to his village for use by an
teach the Faith when the opportunity arose. agricultural cooperative, and a World Health
He always spoke about the Faith with great Organization primary health project, the first
joy and enthusiasm and was happy to be in the province. When he died on 25 Novinterviewed by the national media about his ember 1986, he had been trying to generate
role in the early history of the Faith. support for a hydroelectric scheme that would
Much of his teaching was by way of supply electricity and running water to the
example. Even today the non-Baha ' is in his northern Nalik-speaking villages .
home village attribute his fine character to Apelis' wife had died shortly before he
the influence of the Faith, citing his earlier did. They had not had any children, and he
IN MEMORIAM 857

was survived only by a nephew whom he 1912, Milos Svatopluk Wurm organized a
and his wife had raised. Although this Baha'i book exhibition in Prague, gave pubnephew did not become a Baha'i, both he lic talks and wrote a book entitled Mirove
and Munawai villagers in general are aware hnuti na vychod<:- (Peace Movement in the
of and proud of the role Apelis played in the East) which was published before the first
Baha'i community. World War.
Apelis' life spanned a time of tremendous In 1926, the year after Juliana encounchange in Papua New Guinean society. Born tered the Faith, she became very ill and was
at the beginning of the Australian colonial thus prevented from taking part in the activiperiod, with its many restrictions, he Jived ties of the community for a long time. It was
through a devastating world war and the a difficult period of her life, during which
rapid changes which culminated in national she realized the importance of spirituality.
independence in 197 5 and the challenges of In the following years, Juliana came into
adjustment in the postcolonial period. Apelis' contact with many friends from abroad, such
independent spirit, his desire to initiate as: Dr. Jan Ude (Austria); Valentin Bulgakow
change rather than react to it, his thirst for (U.S.S.R., secretary to Leo Tolstoy), Dr.
new knowledge, and his steadfast and often Hermann Grossmann, Dr. A. Miihlschlegel,
lonely loyalty to the Faith will remain an and Erik Blumenthal (Germany); 'Aziz
example for many generations to come. Samandari (Persia); and Ludmila van Sombeek
CRAIG VOLKER (U.S.A.). Above all, however, there was a
very warm relationship between Juliana and
the Austrian Baha'i community. She visited
}ULLA.NA TROJANKOV A-BENDOV A the friends in Vienna in 1968 and took part
1898-1986 in the Austrian Baha'i summer school that
year. She loved very much to hear the
Juliana Bendova, nee Trojankova, was born friends chant prayers in the original lanon 19 November 1898 in Czechoslovakia. guage, even though she herself did not
She first came in contact with the Baha'i understand either Persian or Arabic.
Faith in 1925 in the Carolinum, Prague, A foreign language conespondent by
when she was called upon to translate a talk profession, Juliana translated many of the
on the Faith which was being given by Writings herself and was a motivating force
Martha Root. There had been some difficul- in ensuring the publication of several Baha'i
ties with making a translation from English books. Her translations into Czech included
so Martha spoke in Esperanto, which Juliana Words of Wisdom (Slova moudrosti); What
understood. Juliana wrote "It was my first is the Baha 'i Faith? (Co jest nabo~enstvi
public appearance and I felt very insecure. I Baha'i?); The Divine Art of Living (Bo~ke
asked myself whether I would be able to umyni ~iti); The Book of Certitude (Kniha
translate conectly, but then as Martha Root, jistoty); and various articles, including "The
in her fine and balanced way and with her Return of Christ" (Kristus a Jeho opytny
mild friendly and loving smile began to p~áichod). She also translated many of the
speak with me, I realized that I understood Baha'i Writings into Esperanto, some of
her Esperanto very well... Martha Root which appeared in issues of the Baha'i News
spoke about the Baha'i Faith with much published between 1940 and 1950. Juliana
love, devotion, and clarity, winning our hea11s worked daily on translating the Writings
and becoming my teacher." right up into her last years.
The Baha ' i Faith was not unknown in She was deeply interested in the history
Prague at that time . As early as 1852, a news- of the Slavs and sought to clarify a common
paper article about the Bab had appeared. In misperception of them as having been
858 THE BAHA'I WORLD

the world and, through the United Nations,
to her own Government, gave her immense
comfort and happiness.
In her memoirs, Juliana wrote "I write
these sentences with heartfelt gratitude, a
sense of solidarity, and a lasting remembrance of our very precious Ma1iha Root,
whose love for us beginners as we came
to know the Baha'i Faith was unfailing. "
Among her last words before she died were
"Iqan", '"Abdu ' l-Baha", and "Baha'u'llah".
Juliana Trojankova-Bendova died on 29 November 1986 in Prague.
Informed of the passing of her beloved
soul into the Abha Kingdom, the Universal
House of Justice cabled the following:
GRIEVED PASSING STALWART DEVOTED MAID-
SERVANT BAHA'U ' LLAH JULIANA BENDOVA.
FUTURE GENERATIONS CZECH BAHA'JS WILL
REJOICE HER MEMORY BE INSPIRED BY HER
Juliana Trojankova-Bendova
HEROIC TENACITY UPHOLDING LI GH T CAUSE
GOD. URGE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL
warlike while, she would point out, ethnol- SERV ICE VIENNA. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES
ogy showed them to have been farming PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOUL AB HA KINGDOM.
peoples. She liked also to speak of those Based on an article by JULIANA BEN DOV A,
great personalities of Czech history who (translated title: "Howl became acquainted
had worked for peace, such as King George with the Baha ' i Teachings")
Podiebrad (Jii:i z Podebrad) who, in the
fifteenth century, suggested to the leaders of
his time the convening of a peace conference,
or Jan Amos Komensky (J.A . Comenius) ISABELLE STEBBINS DODGE
who wrote Via Lucis (published in 1668 in 1910-1987
Amsterdam) in which he showed four ways
to eliminate the danger of war and ignorance: Isabelle Stebbins was born 21 June 1910 in
the publication of universal books from Urbana, Illinois, United States of America,
which recognition of God would come forth; to Joel and May P. Stebbins. Her father was
access to schools for all; the establishment a professor of astronomy at the University of
of an assembly of philosophers; and the Illinois, and her mother was a librarian. As a
creation of a universal language to facilitate child Isabelle enjoyed reading and travelcommunication-all of which are in the spirit ling, and she was an excellent student. In
of Baha'i teachings . 1919 Isabelle's mother heard about the
Juliana did not lead an easy life; she Baha'i Faith from Albert Vail, a Baha'i
endured very severe tests but was never and a minister in the Unitarian Church in
heard to complain of them, nor did she like Urbana. Shmily thereafter, Isabelle learned
friends to remind her of them. Since her about the Faith from her mother.
youth, peace was her heart's desire. Know- When Isabelle was 15 years old, she had
ing that the Peace Message of the Universal the bounty of making a pilgrimage with her
House of Justice was sent to the leaders of mother. En route to Haifa in the winter of
IN MEMORIAM 859
1925- 1926, Isabelle and her mother stayed the well-known Nellie French on a crnise
in Paris, where she met many distinguished stop in Lima, Pern. Isabelle organized
Baha ' is. On 9 March 1926 Isabelle and her Baha'i meetings and distributed literature to
mother arrived in Haifa where they spent a those who were interested. When possible
month. There she and her mother commonly she arranged for teaching meetings in Lima.
had the noonday meal with Shoghi Effendi. Isabelle and Ted lived in Morococha
They came to know Bahiyyih Khanum, for three years , then returned to the United
Munirih Khanum, and other members of the States in 1938 living in Pasadena, California,
Holy Family. Isabelle was quiet and atten- for two years, and Las Crnces, New Mexico,
tive, and her thoughtful demeanor was for one year. They lived in Cananea, Sonora,
remarked upon by several who were in Haifa Mexico, from 1942 to 1945, and once again
at the time . Before Isabelle departed from Isabelle found herself the only Baha' i in
Haifa, Munirih Kl1anum gave her the book the area. It was because of her presence in
Memorials of the Faithful in which she Cananea that Shoghi Effendi placed a lone
wrote the following in Persian: star on his map of northern Mexico to indicate a Baha'i center. Soon Ted 's mining
Oh God! Nourish this fresh plant newly
work took them to the deserts of Arizona.
grown in the garden of Thy love with
The Message of Baba 'u' llah had first
the water of eternal life and protect it
been taken to Tucson by Loulie Mathews,
from the autumnal winds. Thou art the
who had held a Baha'i public meeting
Powerful and Thou art the Wise .
during her stay in Tucson in the early 1940s.
- Munirih
In August 1945, when Isabelle, Ted, and
Isabelle attended Smith College in North- their family moved to Tucson, there were
ampton, Massachusetts, and then taught already two Baha'is residing there, Frances
school in New York and St. Louis in 1931 Lewis and Elizabeth Ashden. On 21 April
and 1932. She received a master 's degree in 1948, the first Local Spiritual Assembly of
history in 1933 from the University of Tucson was forn1ed.
Wisconsin. Ted and Isabelle lived in Tucson from
On 15 June 1935, Isabelle was married 1945 to 1971 , and during that time Isabelle
to Theodore Dodge in Madison, Wisconsin, served on the Local Spiritual Assembly for
by Albert Vai l- the same man who had 25 consecutive years. In 1957 her husband,
introduced Isabelle 's mother to the Faith. Ted, became a Baha'i. In 1971 , Ted began
They were both 24 years old and had known to work at Christmas, Arizona, and Isabelle
each other since high school. Ted had just resigned from the Tucson Assembly . At the
completed his requirements for a Ph.D. in next Feast, the Tucson Baha' i community
geology from Harvard University and was presented Isabelle with 25 red roses in a
about to embark on his first assignment in short ceremony to express its appreciation
Pern. for her long and continued years of dedi-
On 1 August 1935 Isabelle and Ted set- cated service.
tled in their first home at 14,300 feet in the Ted and Isabelle continued to travel
Andes mountains of Pern. Ted was a geolo- widely. Isabelle attended the World Congress
gist for a mining company in Morococha, in London in 1963 , and they both attended
Junin. Isabelle found herself to be the only the La Paz Conference in Bolivia in 1970.
Baha' i in Pern. Yet she was determined to They attended Baha' i summer school in
be a Baha' i teacher in that remote land. She Lima, Pern, and travelled to Europe. In 1977
received Baha' i books and teaching materi- Isabelle had the bounty of making a second
als via the Amazon River from Leonora pilgrimage to Haifa, this time with her hus-
Holsapple who lived in Brazil, and she met band. This second time she was in the
860 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

GOL AIDUN
1930- 1987

DEE PLY GR IEVE D UNTIM ELY PA SS ING DEA R
WIFE GOL WH ILE T RA YEU NG IN INDIA. HER
KINDLY SPIRIT, GREAT ZEAL IN TEACHI NG
INC LUD ING MAN Y JOU RNEYS BEHALF BE-
LO VE D FAITH, HER HI STORICA L RE SEARCH
ON PERSONS AND TOPI CS OF CAU SE MAKE
HER LOSS IRREPARABL E. EXTEN D HEA RTFELT
CONDOLENCES ALL MEMBER S FAM ILY. AS-
SU RE FERVENT PRAY ERS HOLY SHRI NES
PROGRESS HER ILLUMI NE D SOUL WORLDS
GOD.
Un iversal House of Justice
28 January 1987

Go! Yagani gi (Yaganegi) was born 12 March
1930 in Poona, India, the third of seven children of Isfandiya r and Keshwar Yaganigf.
Isabelle Stebbins Dodge Her parents, after years of hardship and
investigation , became Baha ' is after Gal was
precincts of the Seat of the Un iversal House born. When she was abo ut three years old
of Justice, and she could reflect on the and again at eight years of age Go! met the
Baha'i history that she had witnessed. Hand of the Cause of God Martha Root, who
Ted and Isabelle retired to T ucson in recogn ized her potential and encouraged her
1975, and Isabelle continued to serve the to teach the Faith and serve hum anity. Miss
community on different com mittees. Her Root presented Ga l w ith a photograph on the
warmth and wisdom were hi gh ly appreci- back of which was written the inscription:
ated by the community; few in southern
All ah ' u 'Ab ha. lf one speck of a j ewe l
Arizona have been held in such high regard.
be hid in a stone and that stone be beyond
A story is told about a tourist visiting an
the Seven Seas, until I have sought and
Indian Reservation in Arizona. The tourist
found that jewel, my hand from its search
was intrigued w ith the great respect paid
wi ll not stay. - Baha' u ' ll ah. To beloved
to an elder Indian by the comm uni ty and
Ga l Yaganegi , With tenderest Baha'i love
asked, "How does one get such respect and
and fe rvent prayer that you will become
consideration?" The old man replied " You
a great Baha ' i teacher. In His Covenant,
earn it." So it was with Isabe lle. She had
Martha L. Root at the Baha'i School,
earned the love and admi ration of the
Poona, India, February 7, 1938.
community.
Isabelle appeared to be in good health Go l treasured this gift all her life .
during her retirement years but in 1986 it In the early 1940s, Mr. and Mrs. Isfandiyar
became known that she was suffe rin g from Yaganigi and their children became the first
cancer. Soon she became intensely ill , and pioneers to Panchgani, whi ch today is the
she died 1 January 1987 in Tucson. Her fo ur site of the New Era School and the Baha'i
children- Janet, Tom, Eleanor and Richard- Acade my. Ga l attended the Catholic Concontinue her legacy of serv ice to the Faith. vent School in Panchgani as a day schol ar
STEP HEN POW ERS and later as a boarder. T he nuns impressed
IN MEMORIAM 861

her very much and taught her firmness, pioneer with her family. In 1965 the family
deternlination, perseverence, and self-sacrifice, moved to Brandon, and in 1970 the first
qualities which became an integral part of Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is was
her dynamic personality. fo1med there.
Go!' s firmness in the Covenant was un- Go! was very outgoing and friendly, and
shakeable. She deeply believed in the unity had a keen interest in everyone and everyof mankind, her role model being Miss Martha thing. Her home was always filled with
Root. When Go! was 14 years old, she friends from all walks of life. Of all her
accompanied Dr. Khodadad and Mrs. Shirin passions, Gol's first love was travelling to
Fozdar on her first teaching trip, a journey teach, and in the early 1970's, when the
by train to the southern part of India. As a youngest of her three children was still in
youth she served on a number of national school, Go! started travelling to different
and local committees and later on the Local parts of the world for three to five months
Assembly of Pune. After receiving her bach- each year in response to the needs of the
elor's degree from Pune University, she Plans. These trips took her to all the provmarried Jamshid Aidun in 1953 and moved inces of Canada and to over 100 countries
to Karachi, Pakistan, where Jamshid was and islands. She was at home with dignitaries
studying medicine. as well as with village people, never regard-
In 1955, Go! arose to a call for pioneers to ing herself as better than anyone. Instead,
help form a new Local Spiritual Assembly in she felt that she was learning something
Navab Shah, Pakistan. Reassuring her hus- from each individual that she met.
band, Jamshid, who was studying medicine When the call came from the House of
in Karachi, that she would return as soon as Justice for women to take on a more active
there were other Baha'is in Navab Shah to role in the activities of the Faith, Go! immetake her place, Gol left Karachi in March diately arose and concentrated on reaching
1955 with her one-year-old daughter, Laila. out to the women in the villages that she
After almost two years Gol was able to ful- visited. She also loved children and youth,
fill her promise and the family was reunited. and they returned this love. Age was never a
In 1957 their second daughter, Seema, banier with Go! who was eternally young at
was born, and Gol, with her two daughters, heart.
joined Jamshid in the United States where a Gol loved jokes, and had a keen sense of
few months earlier he had begun his post- humour which was very contagious. Her
graduate studies in surgery. Gol and Jamshid best jokes were about herself and her diffiserved on the first Local Spiritual Assembly culty remembering people's names. It is
of the Baha' is of Syracuse, New York. difficult to think of Go! without recalling
After meeting some Canadian Baha 'is in some incident that brings a smile or a laugh.
Niagara Falls on the occasion of the Anni- At home Go! was a loyal, devoted, and
versary of 'Abdu 'l-Baha 's visit there, Gol loving companion to her husband, Jamshid,
and her family were asked by the Canadian and they complemented each other in char-
Teaching Committee if they would consider acter, creating a bond of love and unity. As a
pioneering to the province of Manitoba, mother Gol was firm, but supportive and
which they did in July of 1963. At the time encouraging, all her actions being tempered
the newest member of the family, a son, with an abundance of unconditional love.
Val:iid, was only a few months old. As a She instilled her beliefs in her children and
member of the Winnipeg Local Spiritual raised them to be servants of mankind, for by
Assembly, which had the goal of opening up serving others they would be serving God.
to the Faith Brandon, the province's second While at home, she also worked hard for
largest city, Go! once again volunteered to various peace groups and organizations. She
862 THE BAHf\' i WORLD

her respect for the great dignity and maj esty
of the native people at these colourful, spiritual gatherings.
Go! had an interest in everything. She was
a researcher, an artist, and a concerned citizen
in the areas of environment, health, gardening, birds and animals. Her formal education
did not end when she maITied and had children. Her university degree fro m India was
not recognized in Canada, so she gradually
picked up courses while her children were in
school and proudly graduated from Brandon
University in 1975, along with her eldest
child, with a bachelor of arts degree in religion. Having developed close ties with the
professors in the religion department, Go!
was able to encourage them to offer the
Baha' i Faith as a credit course (Zoroastrianism, Islam and Baha 'i) at the University.
With the inception in 1974 of the Associ-
Go! Aidun ation for Baha'i Studies, in which Go! and
Jamshid immediately became life members,
was active with the United Nations Children's her scholarly focus shifted somewhat from
Fund (UNICEF), helping to form the first university courses, which she still took, to
UNICEF committee for Brandon; she served the writing of historical papers on the Faith.
as local president of the United Nations She presented four studies at the annual
Organization; and she was a member of Association meetings, including papers on
Project Ploughshares, International Women Manekji Limji Hataria, Pritam Singh,
Together, and the West-Man Multicultural Mishkin-Qalam, and Marion Jack. Asked to
Centre, to name a few. She often wore a dove represent the Baha' is at the World Congress
broach as it was a symbol of peace. of Religions held in Sydney, Australia in
Her teaching activities in Canada focused August 1985, Go! presented a paper and
on Native Americans, among whom she slides on Mishkin-Qalam and his calligraphy.
developed many close friendships. She would These presentations were always lively and
often visit these friends on their reserves, fi lled with love, stories and laughter, belying
showing slides of her travels, encouraging the hours of grueling research she would
them to honour their native arts and culture, put into each paper. Go! also studied the
and always eager to learn more about their Baha' i Writings with a passion, often leavbeliefs. Noting an interest on one reserve for ing mounds of books all over which were
the art of ceramics, Gol enlisted the help of fi lled with slips of papers and notes marking
two Baha'i ceramic teachers, and with gov- references on numerous topics.
ernment grants , saw that classes were started Go! possessed the heart and soul of a true
on the reserve for the native women. At artist. Whether splashing vivid colours on a
Brandon University Go! was involved with canvas, painstakingly highlighting Mishkinthe native programmes, taking native studies Qalam-styled calligraphy on ceramic vases,
courses and often inviting the native stu- or photographing prairie crocuses with the
dents she had befriended to her home. She dawn dew glistening on them, her talent was
attended many Pow Wows, often expressing natural and inspired by the Writings.
IN MEMORIAM 863

The importance of agriculture grew in articles appeared about her passing in various
Gol' s conscience as she lived in the midst of newsletters. The West-Man Multicultural
Canada's vast farmlands, and she would Centre in Brandon established the Go! Aidun
return from her travels each spring in time to Scholarship Fund, "to be given to outstandplant and toil in "the good earth" of her vast ing achievements in the area of native art,
garden. Meeting Sir Richard St. Barbe Baker promotion of multiculturalism and increasing
instilled an even greater enthusiasm for awareness of peace", a most fitting rememnature in Gol, and she initiated a city-wide brance to one who was described in Brandon
tree planting campaign in Brandon amongst as a "cultural champion". Later, in May 1987,
all the schools during a youth year celebra- at the Premier's Volunteer Service Awards
tion . for the province of Manitoba, Canada,
In all her endeavours Go! was guided by Jams hid accepted a special posthumous
constant prayer and meditation, and a total award to Go! for "the outstanding volunteer
reliance on God. Asked if she was con- in the area of Cultural-Native development".
cerned for her safety she would always reply Go! was laid to rest in the Baha'i cemethat she was not afraid of death and that she tery in Pune, India, the city of her birth. The
knew that God would somehow guide and night before her passing Go! dreamt that her
protect her. Her gift of intuition was excep- son, Val_i.id, and her grandson Jamal were
tional and she often had dreams which very distressed because their favourite bird
seemed to guide her. had flown away. Disturbed as to the signifi-
It seems that Gol 's last teaching trip cance of this dream she phoned Jamshid in
was to India, where she had begun her first. Canada to inquire about eve1yone's health.
This journey was an especially joyous one Reassured that all were well, she boarded
for Go! as she attended the dedication of the her train.
Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent, Our favourite bird has been set free and
in New Delhi, her homeland, along with taken flight to the glorious realms of the
Jamshid, her three children, son-in-law, and Abila Kingdom.
two of her grandchildren. Fallowing the L AIL A AIDUN EIRIKSSON

dedication Gol had a family reunion in Pune
with her mother and six brothers and sisters,
who had come together now for the first JUANITA MARJE STORCH
time after 32 years. 1895-1987
After her husband and family returned to
Canada, Go! stayed on to teach. In the last Juanita Marie Storch was born in the San
days before her passing, she was completely Francisco/Oakland Bay area of California on
preoccupied with teaching in the villages and 23 May 1895 to a German mother, Johanna
towns around Pune and Panchgani, keeping M. Storch (nee Thee), and an Austrian father
a schedule which those around her found who was born in Mexico, Hugo W. Storch.
exhausting. Then, tragically, while travel- She was especially blessed at an early age to
ling from Pune to New Delhi, where she was hear about and embrace the Baha'i Message,
to serve as a guide at the newly dedicated and to be accorded the bounty of meeting
Temple, Go! fell from the train and met her 'Abdu'l-Baha during his memorable visit to
untimely death during the early hours of the West Coast of North America.
23 January 1987. Fragile in appearance and gentle in man-
In the months that followed, teaching ner, she lived, during her teenage years, in
plans dedicated to Gol's memory sprang up Fruitvale, California. The Faith had been
around the world, many donations were established in San Francisco, across the bay,
made to various organizations, and numerous by such pioneers as Helen Goodall and her
864 TH E BAHA'I WORLD

daughter, Ell a G. Cooper. Travel between 27th Street and Fru itvale Ave. came and
San Francisco and Oakland by the friends stopped awhile. For five cents we rode on
was frequent. Her parents began going to it to Jackson Street. At Mrs. Goodall ' s,
Baha ' i gatherings in 1911 at the home of my mother and father heard Thornton
Mrs. Goodal l, where Lua Getsinger and Chase speak at their first Baba ' i meeting.
Thornton Chase would speak from time to Some time later, dear Thornton Chase
time. came to the Fruitva le Assemb ly as did
In 1912, the Baha' is began to anticipate Lua Getsinger and other early teachers
the coming of ' Abdu' l-Baha to Cali fornia. and travelers so we were very blessed.
Juanita wrote of this in her diary, and in Naturally the Friends wished they
letters to friends who often came to see her, could go to the train to meet 'Abdu ' lin paiiicular to ask for her remembrances of Baha, but Mrs. Goodall and Mrs . Cooper
that historic occasion. In one such recoll ec- advised against it so we had to wa it until
tion she wrote: we heard that 'Abdu ' l-Baha had arrived
the evening before and wou ld be at Mrs.
When 'Abdu'l-Baha came to the Bay
Gooda ll 's in the afternoon to meet us all.
region in October 1912, the first time J
The rooms were filled and I had to sit
saw Him was Thursday afternoon, Oct 3,
on the floor with a few other young folks.
1912, at Mrs . Helen Gooda ll 's home on
From there I could see out of the drawing
Jackson St., Oakland.
room across the hall , to the stairway
The Friends had been looking forward
where 'Abdu'l-Baha came down. First we
to this visit for several months. The ones
heard His voice, then He came down with
who had been to the Convention in Chifour Persians and Mrs. Getsinger, light
cago told us about Hirn. Visiting Friends
from the colored glass window on His
also gave reports. Mrs. Goodall arra nged
head and shoulders.
a showing of the moving pictures taken in
When He appeared in the doorway we
Connecticut, in her large attic room .
all arose and He said 'A llah' u'Abha' sev-
Then we heard that 'Abdu' l-B aha was
eral times. We answered and He walked
very tired and would not journey to Ca lito His seat and with a motion of His hand
fornia. At that time with my parents I was
He bade us be seated . Somehow it all
a member of the "Fruitvale Assembly of
seemed so natural and as if we had always
'Abdu' l-Baha". We wrote Him a letter
seen Him.
and He replied with a Tab let to the
My father had enro lled me at the Cali-
Fruitvale Assembly and ever since the
fornia School of Arts and Crafts in
phrase 'Firmness in the Covenant' has
Berkeley and I was hoping to study ... to
remained in my memory.
help him in the future as he was a talented
Being seventeen at the time and livin g
designer who had studi ed architecture,
in a two-storey redwood house at the top
but it was not to be. My studies did make
of Lynde Street hill, we were two blocks
me observe people, and I could not help
from the Matteson's home, where most
but notice al l the details of 'Abdu ' lof our Baha ' i meetings and Feasts were
Baha 's build and the beautiful way He
held excepting when we went to Mrs.
used His hands. He never pointed at us .
Goodall's house. Not many people had
He used His hands more like a cup, offerautomobi les in those days. It was so easy
ing us His bounty. At the end of His talk
to walk the two blocks to Matteson ' s on
He arose and qui ckl y walked through the
Sunset Street. To go to Mrs. Goodall ' s we
pressing group of friends, taking some
walked down Lynde Street hill to where
hands as He went. He took my hand as He
the end of the line of a street car at East
was passing and looked into my eyes. It
IN MEMORIAM 865
was only a second but it seemed ten minutes . He still had my hand as He passed,
and soon He was through the crowd, His
voice vibrating through the room as He
spoke .. . He kissed the babies and went out.
Many of the friends were exhilarated
and all were talking to each other, so to
escape the confusion I went into the hall
where it was quiet and peeked into the
dining room as a few voices were coming
from there. What a picture I saw ! There
was 'Abdu'l-Baha sitting in a big easy
chair by the window. Little children were
sitting on His lap and at His feet. He
spoke to the children in English.
Mrs. Cooper told me once that her
mother begged her father not to have the
vines trimmed that hung over the outside
of the window. So now it made a beautiful diffused light as a backdrop for this
scene. Juanita Marie Storch
There was only one time I was able to
attend a public meeting and that was at daughter, I am very fond of thee . Rest
the First Congregational Church in Oak- assured in Me.'
land. Other times were at Mrs. Goodall's In later years in time of trials those
on the long day of Oct 12th and twice at words came unbidden to me '-Rest assured
'Abdu ' l-Baha's house in San Francisco. in Me.'
To get there we had to walk down Lynde Once my father went alone to see
Street hill and get the street car going 'Abdu'l-Baha. He embraced my father and
down Fruitvale Ave. to the train station at said in the future to pattern his life on the
Fruitvale Station then ride the train to the stars.
ferry to cross the bay and then at the As most of my memories are so per-
Ferry Building take another street car to sonal and not of historical data, I shall tell
'Abdu'l-Baha's house. This was sup- of two other episodes that left an imprint
posed to be too much for a seventeen year on the seventeen year old. One was being
old school girl at night. The first time I up in 'Abdu'l-Baha 's room at Mrs. Goodwas at 'Abdu'I-Baha 's house was with all's. Everyone wanted that opportunitymy parents. My father wanted to ask Him to have an interview with 'Abdu ' 1-Baha
questions about the promised temple and and I had no such wish. In fact I did not
the future of temples, etc. People always know what I would ask. Mirza Mahmood
wanted to ask 'Abdu ' l-Baha questions. The who was always around and talking to
halls were always full of people waiting us all, insisted I go. He arranged it and
for interviews. beckoned me to come up the stairs.
As we walked down the hall to Mrs. Getsinger was standing at 'Abdu ' l-
'Abdu ' l-Baha's room upstairs, He came Baha's doorway. Dr. Fareed was inside
to the door and took my hand and said and had taken Katheryn Holsti's hand and
these words: ' In Persia it is not the cus- taken her with me. She had an eye afflictom to kiss the young ladies. You are My tion. Her father was bedridden and my
866 THE BAHA'I WORLD

father visited him and helped him Valley. The Bosch home and acreage, nesbecome a Baha'i. I pushed Katheryn tled between two mountain ranges, was
ahead of me as 'Abdu ' l-Baha came to His eventually deeded to the National Spiritual
doorway and said in a low voice, "This Assembly to become known around the
is my sister". So 'Abdu ' l-Baha gave a Baha'i world as the Geyserville Baha ' i
discourse on being sisters. Then all of a School. Among the notable traditional gathsudden I could not see Him. There was erings she particularly loved to attend at the
just a brilliant warm light. I was not afraid. School was the annual Unity Feast. She also
It was something I could not write about helped arrange and attended many summer
or tell for some tin1e afterwards. Later, outings of the Baha'is of San Francisco,
downstairs, Katheryn said she was disap- Oakland, and other communities at Griffith's
pointed. She expected a miracle for her Grove, a wooded area not far from Geysereyes. I was the one who experienced the ville, owned by a Baha'i.
miracle! Educated at the California School of Arts
When 'Abdu'l-Baha gave an afternoon and Crafts, she was known locally as a fine
farewell talk at His home in San Fran- painter. The Sonoma County Museum in
cisco I spoke of the spiritual fragrance Santa Rosa held an exhibit of her paintings
like musk and the last atmosphere of His posthumously in 1990. Her passing was
talk was so beautiful and touching, He memorialized by Gaye LeBaron, a columnist
walked by all of us and taking hands usu- for the major Santa Rosa newspaper, extolally the way He did, but not as He came ling her 70 years' work with the Camp Fire
to me; He did not look at me and walked Girls organization from her 21st birthday
right by me. As He turned to look at all until the frailty of age intervened.
of us, as He stood at the bottom of the She was married on 28 April 1920 in
outside stairs, He looked just like that New York City to Ahmad Sohrab, whom
photograph of Him taken in Paris- very she met as a result of 'Abdu ' l-Baha's visit
serious and penetrating. Usually He to Oakland. She lost her United States citilooked like the smiling photo of Him( self) zenship thereby because in those times U.S.
in Chicago. statutes decreed that an American must give
For some time I felt, maybe I had done up U.S . citizenship to marry a foreigner.
something to displease Him and then the She gave birth to a daughter, Laila, who
inner happiness came-He did not say eventually settled in the Seattle, Washington,
goodbye to me! community. However, her marriage lasted
less than two years, and many years ' efforts
In 1915 , the family moved to Rincon to regain U.S. citizenship were finally
Valley, near Santa Rosa, 60 miles north of rewarded in the 1940s, when she reclaimed
Oakland. There, too, their home was outside her maiden name.
the bustle of city noise and traffic, where A dear friend reminiscing about Juanita 's
Juanita daily fed wild deer and birds from later years said of her: "She always disliked
her hands . She lived in this valley from 1915 our celebrating her birthday because it was a
until it became necessary for her to move Baha' i Holy Day and she didn't want to disinto a convalescent home, in Santa Rosa, tract from the usual festivities that day ... She
just before her passing. was a source of inspiration, knowledge, and
Juanita was elected to the Santa Rosa comfort to the Friends, a shining example to
Spiritual Assembly year after year, serving (everyone)."
on committees and attending the many meet- She died 26 January 1987 and was buried
ings at the Geyserville home of John and in Santa Rosa Memorial Park near her
Louise Bosch 30 miles nmih of Rincon father.
IN MEMORIAM 867

Juanita wrote many poems during her Louise Caswell, long-time pioneer to Central
life. This is but one of them: America, died at her post in the Yucatan,
Mexico, at the age of 91. She was buried at
0 Day of Love!
sunset, her favourite time of day, in the
0 Day of Love! I sit and dream of thee! A Baha'i section of the public cemetery in
day apart from other days, yet in thee do I Merida after a funeral service attended by
find them all; For thou art all eternity! friends from the town and nearby villages
0 Day Divine! Thou art the universe! where she had taught the Faith.
Into the heights of thy stany dome, and deep Louise was born on 18 March 1896 into an
beneath the depths of thy tossing foam do I affluent family in Portland, Oregon, U.S.A.
feel my soul immerse! Her parents were progressive and involved
0 Dazzling Day! Like unto the sun thou in the community. Her father once said,
art! But lest thy brilliance blind mine eyes, I "What the world needs is a world religion",
find a misty smoke of incense rise; The and no doubt such sentiments influenced her
peace-veil from thy heart! when she met the Baha'is of Portland.
0 Beauteous Day! Thou art an angel Louise enrolled in the Faith in 1927, and
form! Pure, happy and pe1fect, abideth thou, was blessed with having outstanding Baha'i
in the garden of delight; To forever and ever teachers including Helen Pilkington, Mr. and
and ever roam! Mrs. George Latimer, Ella Cooper, John and
0 Day of Love! Thou art a prayer! I hear Louise Bosch, Keith Ransom-Kehler, Leroy
thee issue from the sacred chambers of Ioas, and Martha Root, after whom she pat-
Baha, as music sweetly chanted; Ah, my life terned her own teaching methods.
is there! In 1936, when the Guardian cabled the
WALDO T. BOYD
National Convention with a call for pioneers
to go to Latin America, Louise volunteered
LOUISE CASWELL to go to Mexico. As circumstances would
1896- 1987 have it, she did not leave the United States
that year, but went instead to Knoxville,
SADDENED NEWS PASSTNG RADIANT WARM- Tennessee, as a homefront pioneer.
HEARTED SELF-EFFACTNG SERVANT CAUSE In 1939, after helping to form the first
LOUISE CASWELL FOLLOW ING LONG ILLNESS. Local Spiritual Assembly of Knoxville,
RECALL WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS HER DEDI- Louise felt that her time had come to pioneer
CATED PIONEERING SERV ICES SPANNTNG overseas, and in October she arrived in
FIFTY YEARS. AMONG FIRST TO ARJSE TN 1939 Panama. Together with Cora Oliver, who
FOLLOWING ANNOUNCEMENT GUARDIAN arrived a few days later, she helped establish
FIRST SEVEN YEAR PLAN fNTRODUCE FAITH the Faith in that country to which the Guardian
PANAMA. SHE CONTINUED HER DEVOTED had given so much attention in The Advent
ENDEAVOURS THROUGHOUT STAGES UN- of Divine Justice.
FOLDMENT CAUSE LATTN AMERJCA DURING Louise remained in Panama for 10 years,
SUCCESSIVE TEACI-lfNG PLANS fNCLUDED helping to form the first Local Spiritual
TEACHING INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GUATEMALA Assembly in that country in 1945. She also
TEN YEAR CRUSADE AND CONCLUDED LIFE- was the teacher of the first Indian believer
LONG SERVICE TEACHTNG BELOVED CAUSE in Panama. She did not limit her activities
YUCATAN PENTNSULA MEXICO. OFFERING to that country, however, but travelled to
PRAYERS SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER many of the neighbouring countries and
SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. islands, and in 19 51 she was elected to the
Universal House of Justice first National Spiritual Assembly of Central
19 March 1987 America, Mexico and the Antilles.
868 THE BAHA'I WORLD

with Teresa MacGregor, a Baha'i whom she
had met in El Salvador in 1974. A little more
than a year before her death, Teresa remembers being in the kitchen making a dessert
for the commemoration of the Birth of the
Bab when she suddenly heard a loud thud
from Louise's room. When she ran to see
what had happened, she found Louise on the
floor, smiling brightly. She widened her big
expressive blue eyes and with contagious
joyfulness, exclaimed: '"Abdu'l-Baha came
to see me and He told me He's going to take
me with Him, and so I wanted to come running to tell you about it."
Teresa cared for "Dona Luisita" until that
dedicated servant passed away on 2 February
1987, at the age of91.
Adapted from an article in The American Baha ' i,
April 1987, and from a memoir by
TERESA MACGREGOR

Louise Caswell

In response to the great teaching needs ELEANOR HOLLIBAUGH
1897-1987
throughout Central America, she left her
post in Panama and, after spending nearly
On 15 February 1987, two days before her
a year each in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and
90th birthday, Eleanor Hollibaugh, longtime
Honduras, settled in 1953 in Guatemala
pioneer, passed away in Montreux, Switzerwhere she spent the next 22 years. The
land. She was laid to rest in Glion, near her
National Spiritual Assembly of Guatemala
beloved fellow pioneer Dagmar Dole who
was fanned in 1961 , and she served as its
had laid down her burden so many years
secretary for many years.
before in that village above Lake Geneva.
In 1975, Louise left Guatemala for Mexico
On hearing the news of her passing, the
to join her long-time friends Artemus and
Universal House of Justice sent the follow-
Dora Lamb, Valeria Lamb Nichols, and
ing message on 18 February:
Edna Ford. In Merida, Yucatan, she continued to teach the Faith, not only with words, PASSING GRAC IOUS NOBLE ELEANOR HOLLI-
but with her presence, with her life. People BAUGH WHOSE PATIENT WISE STEADFAST
remarked on her exquisite personality and EXEM PLARY SERV ICE AS PIONEER LATIN
the great love she communicated. Friends AMER ICA AND EUROPE SPANNED ALMOST
enjoyed her good humor and the artless HALF A CENTURY DEPRIVES BAHA' i WORLD
grace with which she sometimes unexpect- OF MODEL OF TIRELESS UNFLINCHING DEVO-
edly expressed herself. Many stories of her TION. HER EXAMPLE WORTHY EMULATION
services to the Faith were recorded in Divine PIONEERS EVERYWHERE AN D NOTABLY
Springtime, a book by Daniel Wegener about EUROPE WHERE RISING GENERATIONS MUST
the development of the Faith in Central ZEALOUSLY SAFEGUARD SEEDS SHE AND CO-
America which was published in 1977. WORKERS PLANTED AND ENSURE BOUNTIFUL
During the last 13 years of her life, many HARVEST.
of which she spent bedridden, Louise lived
IN MEMORIAM 869
She was born Eleanor Smith on 17 Febru- future of the native Indians. Her tender heart
ary 1897 in Hastings, Nebraska, U.S.A., the identified with their plight and spiritual
elder of two children from her mother 's first potential. After seven months of intensive
marriage. Very rapidly she became the moral work, however, she had to return to California
support of her unhappy mother and, later on for health and personal reasons.
in the second marriage, her mother' s help She later pioneered to the southern
with her five new brothers and sisters. United States, and also to Reno, Nevada,
As a young woman, she left her family where she was associated with Florence
to go West, eventually arriving in California. Mayberry. In the words of friends who knew
She lived in Hollywood for some time, her then,
working as a fashion model, chorus dancer
Eleanor was a godsend to these struggling
and actress, and marrying film writer, Felix
Baha'is, especially to the Mayberry fam-
Adler, whom she later divorced.
ily with their weekly firesides. She was
Eleanor accepted the Baha'i Faith in 1939.
valuable not only as a speaker but in
The opportunity to attend her first fireside
adddition she put us on fire. As a discuswas so important to her that when she was
sion leader she was a dynamic catalyst, so
called to jury duty the same day, she appealed
convinced of the truth of this Revelation
to the judge to postpone the session-and
that she magnetized others to recognize it.
the request was granted.
An impulsive and passionate individual,
Entering the Baha'i Faith with fervour
she did not follow paths devised by others,
and high dedication, Eleanor almost immebut tended to clear her own.
diately decided to go pioneering. To obtain
sufficient cash for the venture she sold her She moved from Reno to Glendale, Calijewellery and headed for Bolivia, the only fornia, where she met and married her
country left in South America without a pio- second husband, Merle Hollibaugh.
neer at that time. "I felt raised by the Power At the end of World War II the European
of the Greatest Name, and while everything Teaching Committee asked Eleanor, who
seemed strange, I did not feel alone .. . in the still was on fire for pioneering, to join Dagmar
sense of loneliness". Dole in Copenhagen, Denmark. She stayed
Upon her arrival in La Paz, Bolivia, there from May 1947 to October 1948, and
Eleanor developed altitude sickness. A then again from March 1950 to October 1950.
woman who saw her great need took her She played a very important part in the
to the home of a Mrs. Cuellar who, inciden- history of the early days of the Baha' i Faith
tally, became very rapidly interested in the in Denmark. She and Dagmar began fire-
Faith. "Too glowing an account cannot be sides and study classes, and during her stay
given of Senora Yvonne de Cuellar'', 14 people became Baha' is in Copenhagen. It
Eleanor later wrote. is recorded that "some of the success can be
attributed to Eleanor, who was very charm-
Her immediate response and thoughtful
ing, full of humour and laughter, always
and unqualified acceptance [ofBaha'u'llah]
ready to proclaim the Faith, very valuable
opened the gates in regard to freedom of
when making contact with new people". And
teaching and contacts. She was a channel
early Danish believers have written the folfor the free flow of the Teachings. I know
lowing about Eleanor: "Although we have
of no other soul whose contacts were so
not seen her for a long time, she is still part
varied or who was so free from prejuof our daily life and will continue to be so as
dice. Through her, the other two women
long as we live. We owe her and Dagmar
who declared were contacted.
Dole so much for having introduced us to the
Eleanor developed a deep interest in the Baha'i Faith more than forty years ago ."
870 THE BAHA'I WORLD

May the Spirit of Baha'u'llah guide, sustain and bless your meritorious and historic
labours, aid you to surmount every obstacle, however formidable , in your path,
and enable you to establish in the near
future a flourishing and exemplary centre
and assembly in that city.
Eleanor went back to Copenhagen to help
with the organization of the third European
Teaching Conference which was held in July
1950. Apart from further short periods
assisting in the teaching work in Luxembourg, Eleanor stayed in the Netherlands for
nine years. When she left to go to France
in 1958, the Dutch community counted two
Local Assemblies and a number of groups
well on their way to becoming Local Assemblies. Among them was the community of
Rotterdam, which enjoyed particularly close
contact with Eleanor. A friend in the Nether-
Eleanor Hollibaugh
lands wrote:
In 1949, the European Teaching Conunit- Eleanor was goodlooking, gracious, inteltee asked Eleanor if she would serve in ligent, with a good sense of humour; she
the Netherlands, where one year before the was also determined and had an indepenfirst Spiritual Assembly had been formed dent mind; was very wise in her way with
in Amsterdam. She accepted, moving to friends and contacts, and was an excellent
Amsterdam where she spent a few years. hostess who got on well with everybody.
From there she moved to The Hague and Her only goal was to se1ve the Faith for
took up residence in the I:Ia~iratu'l-Quds. which she had a great love. She suc-
The Local Spiritual Assembly of The ceeded in transmitting this love to many
Hague was established in 1952 and Eleanor people who had the great fortune of meetwas elected as its secretary. She was a great ing her.
stimulus towards co-operation between the In France, Eleanor se1ved for a short tinle
Benelux countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, in Nancy and then went to Dijon where she
and the Netherlands) which culminated in remained from August 1958 until March
the election of the frrst National Assembly 1960. She was the only Baha'i and pioneer
of the Benelux Countries in 1957. in that town, far away from others, but
It must be remembered that those historic apparently in those days there were many
days were materially extremely difficult, French people who were eager to make conespecially for pioneers. Eleanor is reported tact with her. Eleanor, at that time, had no
to have said on one occasion, "Are we not knowledge at all of the French language, but
lucky to live with such inconvenience?". was able to attract 75 persons in that town
During all of these hard tin1es Eleanor for a public conference she organized singlewas sustained by the love of Baha 'u 'llah, handedly for Mrs. Meherangiz Munsiff.
and the encouragement of Shoghi Effendi, In 1960, the European Teaching Conunitwho wrote to her on several occasions words tee of the United States requested her to go
such as these (30 May 1947): to Switzerland, where she lived until her
IN MEMORIAM 871
passing. She was instrumental in forming the SAEED NAHVI
first Local Assembly in Vevey. There she (Sa'id NaJ:ivi)
joined another valiant American pioneer, Knight ofBaha'u'llah
Mrs. Marion Little. There again, due to the 1910- 1987
tremendous impetus of the pioneers, including
Eleanor, the Assembly was formed in 1961. Sa'id NaJ:ivi was born on 28 April 1910 in
Eleanor remained steadfast at this pio- Mashhad, Persia. His father was 'Ali-Akbar
neering post, never giving up until 1984 Nal;vi, a descendent of the scholarly Fay9
when she moved to a Home for the Aged. family . His mother was Munirih Kha9ra'i.
This was a very great test for her, because His parents were both devout Muslims.
she had the feeling that her independence, Sa' id obtained his primary education in
which had been a mainstay of her life, both Mashhad and his secondary education at
as a woman and as a Baha'i, had come to the Tarbiyat Baha'i School in Tihran, which
a close. From then on, though, her heart was owned and managed by the National
opened in very tender affection to the believ- Spiritual Assembly of Persia. He graduated
ers, and they loved to visit her until the end, in about 1925, then went to Toulouse,
and weep sorely when she departed. France, for advanced studies in physics and
It may be interpreted as characteristic of mathematics. While in France he associated
Eleanor to have died two days before her very closely with Baha'i students, including
90th birthday, which would have been cele- his dear friend 'Abdu 'llah Mi~ba~1, a wellbrated both by the municipality ofMontreux known fellow Persian believer.
and the Baha'is . She had always preferred In 1935, he went on pilgrimage to the
to avoid the limelight. She was a pioneer Holy Land and attained the presence of the
in the true sense: she broke the ground, beloved Guardian. This was the most signiffound the first contact, animated the seekers icant event in his life, and he related many
and gave them the vision through her devo- loving and inspiring stories of that visit to
tion and loyalty to the Cause. Eleanor was people around the world. Other pilgrims
deeply loyal to the Central Figures of the present during those meetings affirmed the
Faith, and would stand no criticism, not even deep emotion Sa'id felt in the Guardian's
from a new Baha'i. presence.
Eleanor Hollibaugh had not attended col- On 18 December 1943, he married Shawkat
lege or university. Her level of formal 'Ala'i, (Shokat Alai) sister of Shu'a'u'llah
education was minimal. From the time she 'Ala'i, who was later named a Hand of the
accepted the Faith she was self-taught, open Cause of God. Sa'id and Shawkat had two
not only to Baha'i literature but also other children, Asad (Randy) and Susan.
literature, and always interested in new Sa'id studied law, and became a lawyer
fields of science or development. She made of 'The First Class' entitled to appear in all
it a point to be abreast of political events and comis and tribunals throughout the countrywhatever was new in the world of religion tribunals of First Instance, Courts of Appeal,
and science. She was appreciated as a very and the Supreme Court of Privy Council. He
animated listener. also provided translation services to the
As a great friend of hers put it: "On one Persian Government (and to Baha 'i institusubject she was steady as the proverbial tions) because of his knowledge of Persian,
rock, that was love for and devotion to her Arabic, French, English and German.
Faith. The fiery flickering part of her nature He was a member of the National Teachwas saved for teaching and in that she was a ing Committee of Iran. When the Guardian's
flame thrower." call for pioneers came at the beginning of
AGNES GHAZNAYI-FISCHER the Ten Year Crusade, he and his family left
872 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

served as its secretary, and from 1974 to
1979 he served as a member of the Administrative Committee of the Abas Abad region.
He often taught classes at Baha'i schools.
In 1979, the Nal)vis moved to the United
States of America, settling in southern California. From 1979 to 1986 he served on
the Local Spiritual Assembly of Dana Point,
and from 1986 to 1987 he was a member of
the Local Assembly of Huntington Beach.
From the United States, Sa 'id travelled
widely to serve the Faith. Among his teaching
destinations were French Guiana in 1980,
and American and Western Samoa, the
Cook Islands , Fiji, the Loyalty Islands, New
Caledonia, New Zealand, Tahiti, Tonga, and
Vanuatu in 1982.
The events surrounding Sa'id's passing
are living testimony to his steadfastness,
devotion, and purity of motive in serving the
Saeed Nahvi Cause until the end. His daughter, Susan
Fothergill, recounts the following:
Persia for India on the Twelfth Day of
On Friday, 27 February 1987, the
Ridvan 1953. In Bombay, Sa'id was advised
second night of Ayyam-i-Ha, B.E. 143 ,
by .the National Spiritual Assembly of India
my father was scheduled to speak at the
to settle in a virgin territory, so he took his
Baha' i fireside held at Dr. Roshan 's home
family to Pondicherry, a French co lony in
in Newport Beach, California. That
southern India, because of his fluenc y in
evening he took his shower, said his
French. He arrived at his goal on 22 July
prayers, ate di1mer and drove to the
1953 and received the following telegram
Roshan's home around 8 p.m.
from the Guardian on 28 July 1953: 'Assure
Following his a1Tival, he was greeted
Nahvi of my loving prayers- Shoghi'. For
warmly by the friends. The Roshans were
this move, both Sa'id and Shawkat were
very happy that he had come because
named Knights ofBaha'u'llah.
they said every time he attended the fire-
The Nahvis stayed in Pondicheny for
side there would be a declaration. This
seven year~, making many friends for the
was to be h11e to his very final visit.
Faith including Mr. K.heval Singh, the Gov-
After the opening prayer was recited
ernor, and Mr. Goudon, the French Consul.
the people gathered realized that my
In 1960, upon the req~est of the National
father was no longer in the room. He had
Spiritual Assembly of Iran, they moved to
exited to an adjacent room saying he felt
Sri Lanka to provide assistance with the
very hot. Soon after he laid down on the
establishment of that county's first National
floor and told Dr. Roshan, ' I am leavmg
Spiritual Assembly. The Nabvis were the
now'. He never regained consciousness
first pioneers to Kandy, Sri Lanka. The
and passed away at Hoag Hospital in
National Assembly was elected in 1963.
Newport Beach at approximately 9 p.m.
In 1964, Sa'id and his wife retl.m1ed to
On Monday, 2 March 1987 the funeral
Tihran, Iran. In 1969, he was elected to
service was held in Huntington Beach.
ti1e Local Spirittial Assembly of Tiluáan and
IN MEMORIAM 873
The readings and selections for the ser- helped found and in which he was a sharevice were those which my father had holder.
himself selected for my cousin Kavus Man~fu's grandfather, Fakhru'l-'Urafa,
'Ala' i's funeral service three years had been the first in the family to accept the
earlier. Baha'i Faith. As soon as he had caught a
Suddenly, after the completion of the glimpse of the light of the new Revelation,
service, a young slender American lady he had been deeply impressed and had symcame up to the podium and requested a pathized with the Faith. While Baha'u'llah
few moments from the 300 or so gath- was exiled in Ba,gQdad, Fakhru' 1- 'Urafa had
ered. She said her name was Jean Reed moved to that city to obtain the presence of
and she had a few words. She said on Him Whom he thought to be the Originator
the night of my father's passing she had of the Cause. A few months later he conarrived at the Roshan's home shortly after veyed openly in a letter to his family that
my father had passed away. She said when his journey had been a blessing to him and
she entered the room 'I felt Mr. Nal)vi 's through God 's mercy he had been privileged
spirit and I declared immediately, because to attain the presence of Him Who was the
I knew the Teachings ofBaha'u 'llab were object of his heart 's desire. Soon his son,
the Truth.' Man~ur's father, was led to embrace the
The gathering was astonished at her Faith. Not long after the whole family folunsolicited, simple, frank and sincere tes- lowed him.
timonial and wept loudly. My non-Baha'i Man~ur was born in Tihran in 1906. His
friends were very moved and were anx- primary and secondary education was at the
ious to know what Jean Reed meant when Tarbiyat School and the Alliance Franc;:aise,
she said, 'I declared'. and then at the Teachers' Training College.
SHOKAT NAHY I From the time he was twelve years old, he
(Shawkat Na~vi) simultaneously studied for half of each day at
the Fine Arts College headed by Kamalu 'l-
Mulk, the most accomplished and illustrious
MANSOUR AHDIEH painter and sculptor of Persia. The College
(Man~fu 'Ahdiyyih)
had been founded through the goodwill and
1906- 1987 cooperation ofMan~ur's father, Mirza I:Iasan
Khan, and his uncle, 'Abdu ' l-Baqi.
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING STEADFAST SER-
'Abdu ' l-Baqi was a devoted believer who
VANT CAUSE MANSOUR AHDIEH. HIS SERV ICES
had made several pilgrimages to the Holy
IN IRAN AND MOROCCO, WHICH CULMINATED
Land and had attained the presence of
IN DEVOTED LABOURS AS CUSTOD IAN SHRINE
Baha'u'llah. He was the photographer at the
OF BAB, IN COLLABORATION WITH HIS DEAR
Court of the Qajar Dynasty and took some
WIFE, UNFORGETTABLE. ASSURE HI S WIDOW,
of the pictures of early believers in prison, in
AND RELATIVES LOVING PRAYERS PROGRESS
chains, or being tortured-including Badi',
HIS NOBLE SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.
the "Pride of Martyrs".
Universal House of Justice Man~ur had just finished the first stage of
8 March 1987 his studies in Persia when a new door was
opened to him. The previous year the Min-
Man~ur 'Ahdiyyih was the son of Mirza istry of Education had launched a five-year
I:Iasan Khan and Bilqis Kbanum of Kashan . plan during which they sent a contingent
The name '" Ahdiyyih" ("trustworthy") had of one hundred students to complete their
been given by 'Abdu ' l-Baha to the coopera- education in Europe each year in exchange
tive business which Man~tir's father had for a certain number of years of service to be
874 THE BAHA'I WORLD

for the National Baha'i Centre, and the organizing committees for summer schools.
It was also during this period that,
through his marriage to Aqdas Mi~bal:i, the
families of ' Ahdiyyih and Mi~bal:i became
more closely and intimately tied together.
When the forty-five-month plan of the
National Spiritual Assembly of Persia was
launched, the two families left their homes
in Tilmin and pioneered to the goal village
ofQulhak, near Tihran, where they, with the
help of other pioneers, established the first
Local Spiritual Assembly.
In 1953, when the Guardian law1ched
the Ten Year Crusade, Man~ur and Aqdas,
accompanied by their two children, aged
eight and thirteen, decided to pioneer to one
of the goal co,untTies. Man~ur asked permission to retire from the government-owned
company where he worked, but his request
Mansour Ahdieh was denied although he was legally entitled
to do so. Two years later, after successfully
rendered to Persia upon their return. These achieving an assignment in France, he
students were selected from among the best repeated his request to retire but the request
candidates who took part in a scheduled was denied again. Finally, Man~ur resigned
competition. without a pension. He wanted to pioneer,
Man~ur participated in the competition and he proceeded to do so, placing his great
and was among the winners. He was sent to hope in assistance from on high.
France to pursue his studies in engineering. The family went to Morocco, staying in
After six years of study he received a diploma Casablanca for two months, then moving
in electrical engineering from the University to Rabat for four years. Finally, they were
of Toulouse and a year later, after entering transferred to Meknes where they remained
l'Ecole Supeneure d'Electricte in Paris, he until they left the country. Upon reaching
obtained another diploma from that school. Morocco, Man~ur presented his curriculum
After returning to Persia and performing vitae to the Ministry of Education, requesting
his one-year military service, he was em- a suitable position. With his qualifications,
ployed as a general assistant to the Central he was soon engaged as a high-ranking
Electric Company in Tihran and served in physics and chemistry teacher in secondary
that capacity for twenty-three years. During schools . He served in this position for sixthat time he was sent on several important teen years, until 1968. Then, the contracts of
assignments, including going to France to almost all Baha'i pioneers working for the
purchase a powerful and efficient central government were either cancelled or were
power plant. not renewed as a result of persecution.
Simultaneous with his work for the gov- During the time the family was living in
ernment, Man~lir was busy with Baha'i Rabat, Man~ur attended courses in Arabic
activities in Tihran. He served the Faith in literature at the University of Rabat. His
various capacities such as membership on the endeavours proved to be fruitful. He
National Youth Committee, the committees received a diploma of proficiency in Arabic
IN MEMORIAM 875
literature, but more importantly he acquired MOHAMED LAMIN SUMAH
a much better abi lity to speak to the people 1961 - 1987
in their native language, to conduct Baha'i
classes, and to be active in the teach ing field. They that have forsaken their country
In view of the problems in Morocco, in the path of God and subsequently
Man~ur made a trip to Iran to settle his ascended into His presence, such souls
affairs. Upon his return, wh il e contemplat- shall be blessed by the Concourse on
ing what course he should pursue, a letter High and their names recorded by the
reached him from the Universal House of Pen of Glory among such as have laid
Justice inviting him and his wife to go to down their lives as martyrs in the path
Haifa for consultation. of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-
Upon their arrival in the Ho ly Land they Subsistent.
were asked if they would serve as custodians -Baha 'u' llah 1
of the twin Shrines of the Bab and 'Ab du' 1-
Baha. With joy and enthusiasm, they 0 MOTHER! Grieve not over the loss of
accepted immediately. Thus in June 1971, thy son; rather pride thyself therein.
Man~t'.ir and Aqdas 'Ahdiyyih started their Indeed this is an occasion for gladness
service at the Baha ' i World Centre-a ser- and rejoicing, not for despondency and
vice which extended for almost fourteen sorrow.
years. It was only due to the condition of - Baha'u'llah2
Mr. 'Ahdiyyih 's health that they were compelled to leave the Ho ly Land and terminate Mohamed Lamin Sumah (Fa llah Sumah),
their services which were so dear to their nicknamed Jamil, was born on 28 April 1961 ,
hearts. to Pa Kabba Sumah and Madam N'mah
One of the privileges Mr. ' Ahdiyyih Kamara ofThadie Vi llage, Sierra Leone. He
enjoyed during his long years of service in was from the Susu Tribe. As a child he
Haifa was answering the questions of tour- attended Holy Cross Primary School in
ists who wou ld come to visit the Shrines. Lungi, and later Tomlinson High School in
Being deepened in the Faith and speaking Songo. He was a very special yo uth. He had
French, English, Persian, and Arabic, he was a friendly personality and was very honest,
able to speak to many of them in their own reliable and responsible . He was simple yet
language and give them the Message. dignified and respectable.
Man~t'.1r 'Ahdiyyih was a person of many Sumah was given the Message of
talents- a musician, a painter, and a calli g- Baha'u'llah in December 1984 by his aunt,
rapher in Persian and Arabic. In art he used a Hawa Kamara, who had first invited the
variety of techniques including oil painting, Baha'is to Thadie Village. In a little over two
water co lours, pastels, and pencil drawings . years he laid down his life serv ing the Faith
The themes of his work were d iverse: as Sierra Leone's first international pioneer.
scenes of family life, portraits of great men, As soon as he had ~ ccepted the Faith he
and landscapes. had started studying the Writings of the
He was a true and faithful friend , sociable, Faith to deepen himself. In December 1984,
calm, patient, firm and steadfast in hi s he attended the annual Baha'i school in Bo,
belief, a kind father and a loving husband. and in March 1985, he attended a teacher
He will be greatly missed. training institute in Masongbo where he
A QDAS Ml ~ B A l:l ' AHDi YY IH
Messages ji-0111 the Universal House ofJustice
1968-1973, (Wilmette: Baha' i Publi shing Trust,
1976) p. 102.
The Bahti 'i World, vol. XVIII , p. 9.
876 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Muhamed Tamin Sumah wanted to volunteer. He knew Susu, a widely used local
language, and was determined to learn
French to teach more effectively.
Sumah first met Friday Ekpe, a member
of the Continental Board of Counsellors for
Africa, in May 1985. Mr. Ekpe travelled to
Thadie several times to encourage Sumah to
go pioneering.
In June 1985, the Chairman of the
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is
of Sien-a Leone, Alusine Kabia, and other
friends with the Baha'is ofThadie said farewell to Sumah. They were proud that their
son was going to serve the Cause. After
receiving his letter of credentials in July
1985, he travelled by boat to his pioneering
post. It was a difficult trip. He had to spend
48 hours on a small island where he was
given no food and had no place to sleep.
Mohamed Lamin Sumah When he an-ived at his pioneering post he
contacted the Baha'is. He was active in
intensely studied the Writings including the Baha'i functions and taught the Faith. He
Tablet of Al;mad, and the Tablet of the Holy earned his living by dying lappas (cloth).
Mariner. He always sent money he had saved, no mat-
He immediately began holding regular ter how small the amount, to his parents in
Baha'i children 's classes in Thadie, and Thadie because he knew they were old and
soon all those entering Thadie were greeted needed his help.
by children saying "Allah'u' Abha". He was Sumah soon had to go back to Sien-a
the assistant to the Local Spiritual Assembly Leone to obtain a valid passport, which was
of Thadie for Baha'i activities. Often he not an easy task, and he was anxious to
would use his own money to provide trans- return to his pioneering post as soon as posportation for teaching trips. Even when he sible. After the National Spiritual Assembly
was in great need he would not ask for helped him obtain a passport, he was unable
money. He opened localities and fom1ed to leave right away because the Local Spir-
Local Spiritual Assemblies around Thadie itual Assembly of Thadie needed his help
and continued to consolidate them. with a social and economic development
In 1984, a number of African countries project. He was very excited to return to
had received a piopeering call from the Guinea because the Faith had just been offi-
Universal House of Justice. The National cially recognized in that country.
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is of Sien-a Before his departure, Sumah and his aunt
Leone had asked the Universal House of stayed with Sadeh Hakiman and Abdul
Justice if its community could be given the Karim Sillah. Every night after everyone
goal of sending one pioneer to Guinea, to went to bed they would stay up and study
which the House had kindly consented with the Holy Writings. He loved reading the
the condition that the pioneer must know Baha'i Scriptures, and studying them made
either French or one of the native languages. him happy. Sumah said that the reason he
As soon as the goal was announced became a Baha'i was because when he read
IN MEMORIAM 877

the Holy Writings of the Baha'i Faith he darkness into light. Cause them to enter
understood them, but when he read the Holy the garden of happiness, cleanse them
Writings of other religions he didn't. with the most pure water, and grant them
Sumah had a final meeting with the to behold Thy splendours on the loftiest
National Assembly of Sierra Leone in August mount. 1
1986, during which they gave him encour- -'Abdu ' l-Baha
agement for his teaching and consolidating SADDENED NEWS PASSING MOHAMED SUMAH
plans in Guinea. He left Sierra Leone that PIONEER GUINEA. ASSURE LOVI NG PRAYERS
same month , and friends had a letter from HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL DIVIN E
him dated October 1986. He wrote another WORLDS.
letter to the National Spiritual Assembly.
Universal House of Justice
Aminata Turay and Shidan Kouchekzadeh
SADEH H AK IMA AND ABDUL KARIM SiLLAH
[Shidan Kuchikzadik] also visited him in
Kindia where they taught the Faith.
On Saturday at 8:45 a.m. on 7 March 1987,
he arrived in Conakry at Shidan and Susan HENRY BERTRON FITZPATRICK
Kouchekzadehs' with a severe stomach ache 1943- 1987
and could barely walk. He was examined by
a physician who said to take him directly They that have forsaken their country in
to the hospital. He had acute abdom inal the path of God and subsequently
pain which was probably appendicitis. They ascended unto His presence, such souls
operated on him at midday. At about 7:00 shall be blessed by the Concourse on
p.m., without ever regaining consciousness, High and their names recorded by the
his pure soul went to the Abba Kingdom. Pen of Glory among such as have laid
One of the last things he said was to ask if down their lives as martyrs in the path
one of the friends, to whom he had taught of God, the Help in Peril, the Selfthe Faith, was attending the meetings. Subsistent.
On Sunday seven Baha' is met with -Baha ' u'llah 2
members of Sumah's family. As one of his
We are often at a loss to adequately recount
cousins stated emphatically that Mohamed
the greatness of a loved one who has winged
was a Baha'i, it was agreed that he would
his way to the immortal realm. Henry Bertron
receive a Baha'i burial. He was the first
Fitzpatrick was only 44 years old when his
pioneer from Sierra Leone to fulfil a goal
third heart attack struck as he slept. He had
and also the first Baha'i to have a Baha'i
told his beloved wife, Yvonne, countless
burial in Guinea.
times that he would never live to see the age
Sumah was only 26 years old. We pray
of 50. His only desire was that the prayer he
that God will bless him and that he he lps all
had copied and slipped into the end of his
of us from the Concourse on High to be firm
prayer book would come true: to die at his
in the Covenant and that the Faith will grow
pioneer post, steadfast in the Cause of the
in Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Blessed Beauty.
0 my God! 0 Thou forgiver of sins, be-
Henry was born on 30 January 1943, the
stower ofgifts, dispel/er of afflictions!
eldest of four children, to John and Earlene
Verily, I beseech Thee to forgive the sins
Thomas Fitzpatrick. His father distinguished
of such as have abandoned the physical
garment and have ascended to the spiritual world. Baha 'i Prayers (W ilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust,
1982), pp. 45-6.
0 my Lord! Purify them from trespasses, Quoted in Messages from the Universal House of
dispel their sorrows, and change their Justice, p. I 02
878 THE BAHA'i WORLD

After frnishing high school, Henry enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a
pharmacist technician. While in the military,
he was invited to a New Year ' s Eve party in
1967. Hem-y enjoyed parties and was looking forward to a good time when he entered
the home of his date's friend. But as the
moments passed he became acutely aware
that everyone there was having a good time
without any signs of alcoholic beverages or
drugs. On that night he was inháoduced to
the Baha'i Faith. He had never shared with
anyone his formulated moral code, but after
hearing the principles of the Cause of
God, he embraced the Divine Standard of
Baha'u' llah.
Henry was stationed for a period of time
in Seoul, South Korea, where he had the
privilege of meeting, working, and travelling
to teach with the Baha'is of that community,
Henry Bertran Fitzpatrick and where he was elected to the Local
Spiritual Assembly. Upon his discharge from
himself serving in the United States Marine the Air Force, Henry returned to the United
Corps during World War II, and in his career States and sought to pioneer in a community
with the U.S. Postal Service, receiving many where he could further his education. In
notable awards. The Fitzpatricks raised their Cheyenne, Wyoming, he fulfilled this goal,
two boys and two girls on the south side of and was able to complete his bachelor's
Chicago, a predominantly black neighbor- degree in the field of education.
hood. Their family tree blended the roots of In 1969 Henry met and manied a Baba' i
African slavery with an American Indian from Indiana named Yvonne Brown. The
heritage, as John's father was a member of newlyweds left the prospering Cheyenne
the black Seminole tribe. Catholicism was the community, arising to pioneer to the neighheart of their family life and the children's boring community of Laramie to help save
schooling. Young Henry's love for God and its Assembly.
church blossomed well into his adolescence. Henry ' s desire to pioneer never ceased;
At 14, Henry entered a seminary for high he yearned next to fulfill an international
school students in the State of Maryland. It goal. It wasn't long before the young couple
was more than 1,000 miles away from home, reached the shores of Jamaica with their two
but was the best school for him to pursue his small children. They served the community
religious yearnings. He had thus far devel- for four difficult years, sh1.1ggling to remain
oped a great reverence for the clergy, and and support themselves at an isolated post.
were it not for a racial slur which one of the Although Henry was finally offered a better
seminary clerics made against his ancesháy, teaching position, he agreed with his wife to
he might have continued his studies to enter return to the United States to better provide
the priesthood. Instead, he devised his own for his family ' s welfare, deciding to take the
moral code of ethics, kept them as a standard opportunity to further his studies as well.
in his own heart, and closed the door on any Trne to forn1, Henry and Yvonne moved
further religious pursuit. their family to another goal area, this time
IN MEMORIAM 879

settling in the heart of South Carolina where slightly more than one year, "Professor Fitzthe mass teaching efforts were in need of patrick" captured the imagination and esteem
consolidation. And, as prayed for, the family of his Venda s;olleagues and students,
did prosper, multiplying from aá daughter attracting them with his magnetic personaland son to four children with a set of twin ity. He always made time to listen to people,
girls! especially the B ha'is, and shared his opin-
Henry completed his master's degree and ion with genuin thoughtfulness. With his
obtained an educational specialist degree, students he was ways there to help, and yet
finishing the course work for his doctorate. never afraid to m ke them strive Jo earn their
South Carolina was special for him, particu- passing mark of istinction.
larly as it gave him the chance to be near The news of á tragic passing n 11 March
and work at the Louis Gregory Institute 1987 travelled q áckly throughout the region.
whenever he could. The Institute honored His memorial service was indeed a testihis wife and him with a plaque for meritori- mony of the truly Baha'i character which he
ous service which he henceforth displayed possessed. Friends, students, and colleagues
proudly in his study. travelled distances over 1,000 miles and
Again Henry and Yvonne longed to return from half a dozen countries to pay their final
to the international field. Consulting the respects.
International Goals Committee they were The Venda national radio station aired a
directed to southern Africa. Henry accepted program about Professor Fitzpatrick, with the
a post at the University of Transkei where he University's Dean of Education highlighting
was appointed senior lecturer in 1978, pro- Henry's deep religious convictions and progressing to Associate Professor and acting fessional outlook. The President of Venda
Dean of the Faculty of Education. In 1980, sent his personal emissary to attend the
Remy had the distinction of serving on the memorial service, and the Rector of the
first National Spiritual Assembly of the University asked to be in9luded in the pro-
Republic of Transkei and held the position gram so that he too could express his regards
of Chairman in subsequent years. for one whom he had come to respect and
Unfortunately, Henry's condition of hyper- admire.
tension, the stress of work, and service to the Following Henry's passing the Universal
Faith took its toll. He had two mild heart House of Justice cabled:
attacks in Transkei. He even ignored his sec- DEEPLY SADDENED SUDDEN LOSS DEDICATED
ond attack so he could drive to the university SERVANT BAHA'U'LLAH HENRY FITZPATRICK.
and give his students their assignment. Only KINDLY CONVEY OUR LOVING SYMPATHY HIS
after his duties were completed did he tell WIFE AND CHILDREN. ASSURE THEM OUR
his wife of t1;7attack, and then sought proper ARDENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS
medical assistance. HIS SOUL DIVINE WORLDS AND CONSOLATION
After consulting with the Continental THEIR HEARTS.
Board of Counsellors and his National
Assembly, the couple decided for Remy 's The National Spiritual Assembly of the
health to pioneer to a neighboring state Baha'is of the United States of America and
where the pressures might be easier. In the its International Goals Committee cabled the
small republic of Venda, geographically following:
just beneath Zimbabwe, he accepted a com- WE JOIN YOU IN SPIRIT AS YOU OFFER
parable post and filled another pioneering PRAYERS PROGRESS SOUL BELOVED HENRY
need. FITZPATRICK. HIS NINE YEARS TRANSKEI,
Henry was dedicated to his profession VENDA, WITH WONDERFUL WIFE BONNIE,
and gave it all he could as a Baha'i. In DEAREST CHILDREN KAREN, KEVIN, KATH-
880 T HE BAHA ' I WORLD

ERI NA, AND KENDAA AS SURE HIM LIMITLESS impression on young Juan ' s soul. It was nor-
LAURELS POSTERITY. DEE PEST SYMPATHIES, mal to see him, until he died, remembering
GRATITUDE, LOVE. with grief and a melancholy air his experiences in that conflict.
Henry had achieved his heart' s desire,
Freed, by a miracle, from the claws of
and fulfilled yet another goal, one estabthe war (in his battalion no more than five
lished by the Master for every Baha' i:
soldiers survived), he returned home to find
... ye must conduct yourselves in such a that his father was imprisoned and his mother
manner that ye may stand out distin- and brothers hardly surviving the hunger.
guished and brilliant as the sun among Even though his father soon came out of
other souls. Should any one of you enter prison, the poverty of the family lasted for a
a city, he should become the centre of long time. To worsen the situation, Juan was
attraction ... so that the p eople of that called up to fulfil his military service and
city may c1y out and say : 'This man is was sent to the Spanish Sahara, a destiny
unquestionably a Baha 'i, for his man- which would unite him in later years with
ners, his behaviour, his conduct, his another radically different one.
morals, his nature, and disposition reflect After three years of service he returned
the attributes of the Baha 'is. ' 1 to Murcia where he married Josefa Cuenca
Y VONN E FI TZ PATRI CK AN D
Baeza on 31 March 1943. Their marriage,
solid until the end, slowly became enriched
JEFF ALB ERT
with the birth of their four children: Antonio,
Jose, Carmen and Rosario.
Adverse circumstances led Juan Sanchez
and his family to Sabadell, a city very close
JUAN SANCHEZ MARTINEZ
1916-1987 to Barcelona. It was there at the end of 1960
that they heard for the first time of the
Juan Sanchez was born in Puente Tocinos, Baha'i Faith. To begin with, Juan was hesi-
Murcia, Spain, on 15 March 1916 in the tant, and attended the first meeting with
bosom of a humble Catholic family . His doubt, encouraged by his wife and one of his
father, Antonio Sanchez, was an affable daughters. However, soon his heart was
baker. His mother, Rosario Martinez, dedi- burning with love for Baha'u ' llah. This love
cated her life to looking after her 10 children. changed his whole life. He became a rest-
Due to their poverty, Juan never went to less lover of the Court of his Lord, and a
school. He started to work making fishing brave soldier of a spiritual army .
rods when he was still only a small boy. The declaration of Faith by Juan Sanchez
With the start of the Spanish Civil War in took place on 5 February 1961. Along with
July of 1936, Juan, who was then 20, was him, his inseparable wife Josefa and his
enlisted into the ranks of the Republicans, daughter Carmen acknowledged the Cause.
who dominated the eastern side of the The spiritual career which started at that
country. For nearly three years his eyes moment lasted 25 years, until his death .
continually witnessed scenes of cruelty and When Juan Sanchez accepted Baha'u'llah, he
barbarism, in a blood-stained scene where declared that for him there would be nothing
brothers fought between themselves in a more important in his life. His later services
ferocious whirlwind of senseless hate. The were a constant testimony of this statement.
misery of the war left an everlasting painful Among all his activities, one stands out
from the rest: his determination to fulfil one
1 of the most difficult goals that the Universal
Se/ectio11sfrom the Writings of 'Abdu '/-Balui
(Haifa: Baha ' i World Centre, 1978), p 71. House of Justice had offered the Spanish
IN MEMORIAM 881

Baha'i community during the Nine Year
Plan-pionee1ing to the Spanish Sahara. With
no prospects of work, previous experience
of pioneering, or possession of exceptional
aptitudes, Juan, as a lover who would not
admit cold calculations in such sacred questions, challenged friends and strangers and,
in a show of courage, decided to accomplish
this objective. It is interesting to see that the
day he decided to become a pioneer, his son
Antonio, moved by his father's example,
recognized the truth of the Faith.
Juan's services in the Spanish Sahara
lasted for nine months, from May 1966 until
January 1967. He taught the Faith in the
cities of Villa Cisneros and Rio de Oro, and
managed, despite the extreme difficulty of
the area, to attract one soul to the Cause.
When he returned from the Sahara he could
frequently be heard to say: "Only a pioneer
knows what others have suffered on the path Juan Sanchez Martinez
ofBaha'u'llah".
Juan was always an example of tenacity Juan Sanchez to remain closed in his home
and steadfastness in the teaching field. A for over one year. During this time his main
detail which shows this is the nickname he grief was not being able to fulfil his sacred
was given by the people that knew him; they duty of teaching. Every day Juan said to his
called him "the book man" because he always dear wife, "Fina, today I haven't gone outtook a Baha'i book with him to help with his side, I haven 't spoken to anybody about the
teaching. It was this eagerness to teach the Faith."
Cause which pushed him, even though he had I will never forget the angelic expression
never been to school, to study in depth the which covered his face the last time I saw
Baha'i literature. He was a lover of the books him. Lying in bed, he looked at me with an
Some Answered Questions and Bahci 'u 'llah indescribable tenderness and serenity. His
and the New Era. It is no exaggeration to say eyes revealed the depth of his devotion and
that he knew them nearly by heart. loyalty. Days later, his luminous expression
His pioneering spirit and his capacity to slowly extinguished. He died on 27 April
serve the Cause became evident in the sheer 1987.
number of his journeys: between August Of Juan remains a small compendium of
1967 and January 1968 he was in Valencia; poems entitled God is Love, written after his
in October of that year he went to Casteja acknowledgement of the new Revelation.
(Navarra); in 1969 he pioneered to Villa- They are songs of love to the Manifestation
carlos, on the island of Menorca (Balearic of God, shining jewels of purity and detach-
Islands), where he taught the Faith for two ment, reflections of a sensitive and attracted
years; he returned to Sabadell; and in 1973 heart. One of them, maybe his best known
he spent seven months teaching on the island poem, "Canticles to Baha'u' llah" recalls his
of Ibiza. pass through this ephemeral plane:
Only illness could cut short his constant I walk on pathways and lanes like
pioneering activity. In 1985, cancer forced a wandering peregrine proclaiming unity.
882 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Through villages and towns, talking with addresses of all the late-comers, since they
their people with honesty and humility, of were the potential Baha'is.
the very intense Message that Baha'u'llah He enjoyed puns and playing with
offers us. To unite all of the nations with languages. He planned to write his autobioga common Faith, a new society where raphy and call it Up From Paradise. He said
rich and poor, can become united, singing that when people ask you to "cooperate"
together canticles to Baha'u'llah. with them they really mean, "You coo while
NAVID MOH ABBAT I operate". Anxious to acquire Persian, he
(Navid Mu~abbati) learned to read and write the language from
Marzieh Gail during his lunch breaks at the
U.S. Customs. In iran, when told that a
ROBERT GULICK, JR. certain project was impossible (ma~M), he
1912- 1987 replied, Ma~izl mahalih (impossible is
impossible). Hiring a carriage to tour Rome,
Robert Gulick, Jr. , was born in Paradise, but not knowing Italian, he put his musical
California, U.S .A., on 6 October 1912, a terminology to use (he was a fine amateur
second-generation Baha'i through his father, pianist) and instructed the driver: Allegro ma
Robert Lee Gulick, who had received a non troppo.
Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Baha in 1900. Robert He did a considerable amount of writing,
Jr. became a believer at the age of 14, and including an introduction to the 1952 U.S.
from then on his life, wherever it took him, edition of The Seven Valleys. His thesis,
was single-mindedly focused on the Baha'i "MuJ:tammad the Educator", is of lasting
Cause. value, and other works from his pen which
After graduating with a bachelor's degree have attracted favorable attention include
in social science from California State "American Higher Education: Uncertain
University, Chico, in 1933, he attended the Trumpet", and "World Trade and World
University of California, Berkeley, where he Plenty". He wrote frequent well-received
received his master's and doctorate degrees letters to distinguished people and also to the
in education. He worked five years for the press, usually with an aim to reconciling
U.S. Customs Service in San Francisco, and East and West.
later, having served as an economist at the His work for the Faith was continual and
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace innovative. At a time when the Faith was
in New York City, he returned to U.C. little known, he introduced it on the radio
Berkeley as a faculty member. in northern California by featuring the inter-
Robert had the gift of making his work nationally famed artist, Max Pollak, who
a part of his entertainment. He surveyed the was friendly to the Baha'is and had done
world with a kind of amusement, enjoying a notable etching of 'Abdu'l-Baha. He
the play of events and people and their devised a pamphlet adapted to the Arn1ed
foibles with real pleasure. Even so dull a Forces, called "Headlines Tomorrow" which
procedure as shopping at the supermarket circulated for many years . He induced ' Aliwas a game to him, and he explored the Kuli Khan and his daughter Marzieh to write
aisles as if seeing them for the first time, "Mirza Abu'! Fac;ll in America", a memoir
experimenting with new products. He put published in The Bahli 'i World and which
his knowledge of people to work in ways otherwise might have been lost. In New
that were all his own. For example, noting York City, he planned important Baha' ithat many believers came late to meetings, sponsored events relating to matters of
he suggested that we should attend concerts current interest, such as a commemoration
and the opera and get the names and of Woodrow Wilson, and a Wright Brothers
JN MEMORIAM 883
anniversary. He would invite prominent
non-Baha'is to share the platform and thus
attract audiences and media coverage.
His wide range of interests included
horticulture, and here again he put his finds
to work for the Faith, presenting shrubs and
trees to the Baha'i School at Geyserville. He
later introduced the cultivation of safflowers
into Libya.
An outstanding characteristic of Robert's
was his special love for Persia, which he
visited a number of times. He seemed to the
Persians like one of their own. His first visit,
in 1947, was even announced by a precognitive dream. Hushang Mavaddat told how
he was standing on the steps of the Tihran
I:Ia'.?ira when Persian friends arrived with a
tall stranger, and before introductions could
be made, Mavaddat said, "This is Robert
Lee Gulick. A few nights ago I dreamed that
he came to the entrance of the I:Ia'.?ira with Robert Gulick, Jr.
a stranger who introduced him and told me
his name." Over two thousand came to hear On May 22, at exactly the same moment
him at a later meeting in the I:Ia'.?ira, every when in 1844 the Bab had declared Himself
inch of sitting or standing room packed, and to His first disciple, Robert was in the Holy
Mr. Na'irni, son of the great Baha'i poet, House, praying at the threshold of the Declatranslated. Robert won the audience over ration chamber. On his various visits to Iran
with words of cheer and encouragement, he saw other precious landmarks that would
interspersed with Persian phrases, and soon disappear. In 1948 he climbed to the
chanted prayers in the original language top of the crumbling Ark (Citadel) where the
flavored by a touch of Western music. Bab had been confined in Tabriz and risked
Persia's national Baha'i News and Reviews his life walking around on the roof edge
(June 1947) reported the event. to reach the Bab's cell, by then completely
As an economist studying Iran's needs open to the sky, and he said this was one
and the possibility of American investments, of the greatest experiences of his life. A
Robert received the red carpet treatment picture, unidentified, appeared of this day in
wherever he went. Following his pilgrimage The Bahci 'i World.
to the House of the Bab, he travelled on with Longing to make pilgrimage, Robert had
his party to Abadih and along the way found tried to telephone Haifa for permission,
military escorts and guards of honor. Arriv- but because of the world situation no piling in Abadih, he found crowds gathered grimages were possible then. Amatu ' l-Baha
about his new Hudson car (provided by the RuJ:iiyyih Khanum took the call, and he
authorities) and voices were heard asking, seems to have told her of wanting to marry a
"Which one is the Pope?" It turned out that Persian. In any case, he received a letter
a telegram from Shiraz announcing his visit from her recommending that he might wish
had mistakenly reported the name Hushmand to meet Bahia [Bahiyyih] Faraju'llah. They
FatJ:1-i-A ''.?am, a member of the group, as met at a dinner party in Ba@dad, where
Pap-i-A ''.?am, the great Pope. Bahiyyih was training teachers in the Girls'
884 THE BAHA'i WORLD

College (Dar al Muallemat) , but nothing a cordon bleu cook and an excellent teacher
happened between them for two years . In for their little boy, I:Iusayn (Robert III).
fact, Bahiyyih went home and told her The Gulicks ' many travels together inmother that the American was conceited. cluded a journey to Kurdistan, where they
Back in California, Robert brought his visited the Takyiy-i-Mawlima Khalid, the
problem to Harold Gail; he planned on using seminary where Baha'u'llah had stayed.
an intermediary to tell Bahiyyih he would Bahiyyih acquired a property there for a fulike to man-y her. Harold replied, "You are ture I:Ia?'.iratu'l-Quds in her father's memory.
a Westerner. If this goes through somebody In 1953 the Gu lick family, taking
else, it might be garbled. You write Bahiyyih Bahiyyih' s mother, Shawqat Faraju'llah,
direct." and Ella Bailey and Laura Allen with them,
With her mother, Madame Faraju ' llah, left to pioneer to Tripoli, Libya. There they
Bahiyyih went to America in 1950, and formed a Local Assembly of which Robert
Robert met them at the airport in New York. was chairman. He was also elected to the
Here a tragedy almost took place: their visas National Spiritual Assembly of Northeast
were inadequate, and they were about to Africa. He engaged in educational and
be sent home. The officials were adamant. business activities and visited countries
Nothing availed until Robert went through including Algeria, Egypt, 'Iraq, Jordan,
his wallet and found a yellowed bit of Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia,
newsprint headed "Confers with President" Sudan, Syria, and Tunisia. These pioneering
which described him "as one of the leaders services lasted 11 years. Unfortunately, travel
of the Baha'i movement" and "advisor to restrictions prevented hin1 from meeting the
Winthrop W. Aldrich, president of the Inter- Guardian in Haifa. "That's what it cost me
national Chamber of Commerce", and told to pioneer," he told a friend.
of his confening at the White House with Returning to the United States in 1964,
President Truman and his interest in freeing he served as Dean of Admissions at the
world trade. Immediately, all doors opened. American Graduate School of International
Apologies were made, and the ladies were Management (Thunderbird) for 18 years,
ushered into the United States. Robert and promoting enrolment from 221 to 1,084. He
Bahiyyih were manied the next day at the taught the school' s first course on the
National I:Ia?'.iratu ' l-Quds in Wilmette, Illinois, Middle East, and was named Outstanding
and many notables of the time, including Educator for 1972. He became a member of
Horace Holley, Juliet Thompson, the 'Ali- American Professors for Peace in the Middle
Kuli Khans with their daughter l:famidih, East, and is listed in Who 's Who in Asian
attended their reception at the Orrington Studies, American Men of Science, and other
Hotel. reference works. Meanwhile, even when ill
TI1e marriage was blessed: he and his bride he remained active in Baha'i administrative
grew very close. He was tremendously proud affairs in Glendale and Phoenix, Arizona,
of her achievements. She earned a master usually attending the annual Baha'i Convenof arts degree and became a sought-after tion in Wilmette, as a delegate.
speaker and a noted professor of Arabic at the After a long illness, Robert Gulick died
American Graduate School of International on 3 May 1987. An overflowing crowd heard
Management (Thunderbird) in Arizona. She the eulogy, delivered by the President of the
translated The Secret of Divine Civilization College, Dr. William Voris, as its flag flew
from the original Persian into Arabic, and at half mast. A scholarship for foreign
translated from English into Arabic The students was established in his name.
Promise of All Ages by George Townshend. Among the many tributes he received were
Robert also came to love his mother-in-law, two cherished cables from the Holy Land:
IN MEMORIAM 885

DEPLORE LOSS YOUR COMMUNITY DEVOTED
SERVANT BAHA' U'LLAH ROBERT L. GULICK.
SUPPLICATING HOLY THRESHOLD ABUN-
DANT DIVINE REW ARD FOR ONE WHO PLACED
CAUSE GOD FIRST IN HIS TIRELESS EFFORTS
PROMOTE ITS INTEREST AT HOME AND
THROUGH HIS TEACHING WORK IN DIFFERENT
COUNTRIES INCLUDING CRADLE FAITH AND
NORTH AFRICA. HIS ASSOCATION PIONEERING
ACHIEVEMENT HEROIC ELLA BAILEY UNFOR-
GETTABLE. KINDLY CONVEY OUR SYMPATHY
HI S DEAR WIFE BAHIA, HIS SON ROBERT AND
OTHER MEMBERS FAMILY FOR WHOSE CON-
SOLATION PRAYERS BEING OFFERED.
Universal House of Justice
5 May 1987

SHARE GRIEF YOUR LOSS BELOVED COMPAN-
ION BOB DEVOTED PIONEER CONSTANTLY
ACTIVE SERVICE EVERY FIELD FAITH ASSURE
LOVING REMEMBRANCE SHRINES. Knud Jensen
RUHIYYIH
4 May 1987 KNUD JENSEN
1917-1987
On what would tum out to be his last
birthday in this world (6 October 1986), at When Knud Jensen ascended to the Abba
St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, Kingdom on 30 April 1987, the Baha'i com-
Robert wrote a kind of farewell to his munity mourned the passing of the first
fellow-Baha'is. Here, among his comments native believer in the Virgin Islands. Born
on teaching the Faith, he told of an encounter 10 December 1917 in Denmark of a Danish
in the 1940s with Fred Schopflocher, a father and a St. Croix, Virgin Islands,
highly successful Canadian businessman, mother, Knud was brought to the Islands
later designated a Hand of the Cause of God. while still an infant, and he was raised and
When the two met at a railroad station in educated in the Virgin Islands. He declared
San Francisco, Robert was wondering what his belief in Baha'u'llah in 1957.
motivated Fred in his remarkable services Knud was one of the nine believers who
to the Faith. Mr. Schopflocher answered formed the first Local Spiritual Assembly
Robert's unspoken thought, saying, "The in the Virgin Islands, in St. Thomas, and
most important thing is to recognize the remained active in the Administrative Order
Beauty of Baha'u'llah ... to recognize Him ... of the Faith throughout his life. He later
is to love Him, to serve His Cause, and to moved from St. Thomas to St. Croix and went
live as He prescribed". to work for the Cruzan Rum Bottle Company.
M ARZ IEH GAIL Finding the making of alcohol incompatible
with his beliefs, he resigned and accepted a
position with the Martin Marietta Alumina
Company. Concerned always with brotherhood, he wrote articles from the Baha'i
viewpoint for the company publication.
886 THE BAHA'i WORLD

When Knud died, he left behind his wife, he showed a logical mind and a gift of
Louise, and children, Knud Christian, Eric, eloquence which in the future served him
Audie, Olive, Sandra and Jean. His daughter, well in the courtroom in the defense of the
Olive, described her father as "very hue to oppressed. Following his innate talents, he
the Baha' i Faith, and always willing to studied the law, and at the age of 24 began
perfo1m any task for his fellow Baha 'is. He a law practice which flourished with time.
loved the Faith and his Baha' i brothers and As the years passed, the National Spirisisters very much. " tual Assembly of Persia asked him to defend
Adapted from an artic le in the July/August 1987 issue the oppressed Baha'is of ShahrUd, where,
of the Island Baha'i, published by the National Spiritual on 8 August 1944, three friends had been
Assembly of the Baha'is of the Virgin Islands . martyred and 17 Baha ' i homes had been
plundered and set on fue. 'Aziz defended
them with great eloquence and undaunted
AzIZOLLAH NAVIDI courage, braving the vicious opposition of
(' Azizu'llah Navidi) the clergy. His unceasing endeavours won
Knight of Baha 'u ' llah him the praise of the beloved Guardian.
1913- 1987 From then on, he tirelessly defended the
rights of the innocent, be they Muslim or
GRIEVE D PASSING DEVOTED DED ICATED
Baha'i, rich or poor. The doors to his office
SERVANT CAUSE KN IGHT BAHA'U'LLAH AZIZ
were always open to the innocent, the poor,
NAV IDI. HIS FEARLESS DEFENCE OPPRESSED
and the downnáodden, whom he defended
BAHA' IS CRADLE FA ITH HIGHLY PRAISED
with zeal and passion, free of charge.
BY BELOVED GUARDIAN. HI S CONTINUOUS
Never did he agree to defend a guilty
SERV ICES PIONEERING FIELD CROWNED BY
client. Only once in his life was he deceived
OUTSTANDING SUCCESSES GAIN RECOGNI -
by a client, whom he turned back to the
TION FAITH BY MANY AFRICAN COUNTRIES
judge upon finding out that the client had
OBTAINED THROUGH HIS UTTER RELIANCE
been guilty.
BAHA'U 'LLAH AND HI S lNDEFATlGABLE RE-
Soon, the government chose him as legal
SOU RCEFULNESS SACRIF ICIAL EFFORTS. ALL
advisor to the Minishy of the Interior and
SHED LUSTRE UPON HIS LOVING MEMORY.
the Ministry of Defense. As he made more
REQUESTING NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
valuable contacts, the National Spiritual
UGANDA HOLD MEMORIAL SERV ICE MOTHER
Assembly of Persia assigned him the task of
TEMPLE AFRICA RECOGN ITIO UN IQUE
alleviating the injustices perpetrated against
SERV ICES TH AT CONTINENT. ASSURE ARDENT
the oppressed Baha ' is by the Persian gov-
PRAYERS PROGRESS SOUL ABHA KJNGDOM.
ernment. It was his task to approach high
ADVISE HOLD MEMOR IAL GATH ER ING
officials and make a plea for the innocent
LONDON.
Baha'is.
Universal House of Justice 'Aziz and his wife, Shamsi, were among
2 July 1987 the first groups of Persian pilgrims to visit
the beloved Guardian and the Holy Places
'Azizu' llah Navidi was born on 9 September in Haifa when pilgrimages were resumed
1913 into a Baha' i family in Ramadan, in 1952 following their ten-year hiahls due
Persia. His maternal grandfather was Mirza to war.
Mihdi A1jumand, an illustrious teacher at Great was the pilgrims' awe as they
the time of the beloved Master. His parents beheld for the first time the countenance of
were Mihdi and Badi'ih Arjumand Navidi. their Beloved and laid their eyes upon the
Even as a youth 'Aziz displayed qualities Holy Shrines. It was during this pilgrimage
of resourcefulness and perseverance, and that the beloved Guardian received 'Aziz
IN MEMORIAM 887
Navidi in his office. For an hour, they dis- away, and Dr. Giachery suggested that 'Aziz
cussed the situation of the Baha'is in Persia and his wife go there. The beloved Guardian
and the Guardian told him that he had been approved of the suggestion, but since 'Aziz
chosen to safeguard the security of that had still not finished the defence of the
country, that he was the shield of the Cause, Baha'is of Yazd, Shamsi and their two
and that in the future he would defend the daughters, Vida and Gilda, left before him, in
Baha'is internationally. The Guardian also March 1953. Nine months later, 'Aziz joined
announced to those first pilgrims his inten- them, and he and his wife became Knights
tion of elaborating a ten year plan, and that ofBaha'u'llah.
the Baha' is should spread to the four comers When 'Aziz went to Monaco, he
of the world. He particularly asked those embarked upon studies that led to a degree
present to pioneer in Africa, but asked in International Law from the University of
Dr. Navidi to remain in Persia and continue Paris. Through Dr. Giachery, who was then
there to defend the rights of the oppressed on pilgrimage, the beloved Guardian let
Baha'is . 'Aziz know that he was very pleased with
Upon his return from this historic pilgrim- these studies which would enable him to
age, ' Aziz Navidi continued to serve the further serve the Cause internationally.
National Spiritual Assembly of Persia with During this time, 'Aziz was appointed by
renewed devotion, in the capacity of legal the Hands of the Cause in Europe to their
advisor, and to defend the innocent Baha'is Auxiliary Board for Protection, and in this
of Yazd who had unjustly been condemned capacity he helped many National Spiritual
to imprisonment and death. Assemblies with their legal difficulties.
In 1953 , the Ten Year Cmsade was In 1955, after severe persecutions which
unveiled to the Baha'is, who initially found climaxed in the destmction of the l:fa~iratu'l­
it hard to fully comprehend the scope of Quds of Tihran, the beloved Guardian
the vision of the beloved Guardian, and who appointed Dr. Navidi as a member of the
stood in awe at the ingenuity of its author. commission that appealed to the United
'Aziz and Shamsi attended the Stockholm Nations in New York and Geneva. The Per-
Conference in 1953 and, seeing the immedi- sian government had planned to exterminate
ate need for pioneers and wanting with all the Baha' i community in its country, but
their heart to obey their beloved Guardian because of this intervention the governn1ent
and make him happy, asked if they could be momentarily halted its cmel plan.
of service in his Ten Year Plan. His reply In 19 57, with the tragic passing of Shoghi
was that at the completion of the case of Effendi, 'Aziz Navidi transferred his loyalty
the Baha'is of Yazd, they could go either to to the Hands of the Cause-"the stewards of
Africa or to the Pacific as pioneers. Shortly the embryonic World Order ofBaha'u'llah".
thereafter, they sold their house and began He was called to the Holy Land at this diffipreparations for pioneering. cult period and helped, with ardent devotion,
About this time, the Hand of the Cause of to resolve the many legal problems that had
God Dr. Ugo Giachery came to the cradle been created by the sudden passing of the
of the Faith to encourage the Persian Baha' is beloved Guardian.
to spread to the four comers of the earth, It was about this time, with the trials of
and thus participate in laying the corner- the Baha'is in Morocco, that Dr. Navidi's
stones of the edifice of the World Order of long association with the African continent
Baha 'u' llah, and to fulfil the goals of the began. During the course of many years he
Ten Year Plan. travelled to Algeria and Morocco, remaining
Nellie Stevison French, who had worked in close association with the Baha ' is in these
for the Faith in Monaco, had just passed countries, helping to solve numerous legal
888 THE BAHA'i WORLD

received from Africa on his passing attest
to the degree of his involvement in the
development of the Cause in that continent.
It is easy to say that he received recognition of the Faith in Africa, but every case
has its special history. Each case represented
many months of anguish, of solitude, of
disappointments in a difficult and often inhospitable environment, and sleepless nights,
beseeching Baha'u'llah for assistance and
strength.
In the path of his Beloved, he gave liberally of himself, of his material possessions,
and of his spiritual talents. Even his human
frailties were transfom1ed into a source
of strength for service. He displayed extraordinary resourcefulness, courage, love
and distinction in his encounters with high
officials, be they presidents, judges, or
administrative officers. He never took "no"
Azizollah Navidi for an answer, persevering until victory was
obtained.
problems, and obtaining legal residencies His days in the service of the Cause in
for Baha'i pioneers. He was intimately Africa tell the tale of an absolute devotion
linked to the cause of the Moroccan prison- to the Universal House of Justice and of
ers, and did everything in his power to his desire to alleviate its burden as much
alleviate their distress. The Universal House as he could. The Cause was his own, and
of Justice recognized in him a loyal and he always felt complete responsibility for
faithful servant who was capable of putting it. His family remember him saying, frethe Cause of Baha'u'llah above everything quently, "but the Universal House of Justice
else in his life, and who was able, through has no one else to do the job, and I shall
the strength of his faith, to draw enormous not fail them". He constantly• sought the
power and assistance from the bestowals of Supreme Body's advice and as he relied on
the Blessed Beauty. its prayers and guidance, the result was
In 1968, with the encouragement of victory upon victory.
Amatu'l-Baha Ri'.il:iiyyih K.hanum, 'Aziz and The volumes of memoirs he has left
Shamsi resolved to take part in the Nine behind are part of the history of the Cause
Year Plan of the Universal House of Justice in many countries. They recount his anguish,
and left for the Mauritius Islands. In this his hopes and his complete reliance on
way, Dr. Navidi took part in the formation prayer and on the never-failing assistance of
of several National Assemblies in the Indian Baha'u'llah. They tell of his dauntless spirit,
Ocean and contributed to their legal recog- of his immense love and courage, and of
nition. his relentless efforts in the path of the Cause
During this time, the Universal House of of God. They will, no doubt, be a source of
Justice gave him additional responsibilities inspiration for future generations.
on the African continent, and appo inted him At the funeral service in London, members
the representative of the Baha'i International of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
Community in Africa. The numerous cables United Kingdom bore 'Aziz Navidi's coffin
IN MEMORIAM 889

to its resting place in the Greater London together with Ri<:lvaniyyih's father, two
Cemetery. The Baha'is of Iran, despite their sisters, her brother and grandmother, they
own current difficulties, made a very poi- embarked upon a lifelong journey of
gnant contribution by sending a cable and a devoted service to the Cause ofBaha'u'llah,
floral tribute to the man who had served as they took their first steps toward their
them so well. new home in Shanghai, China. They gave
SHAMS i NA vioi many years of distinguished service in that
vast country.
Sulayman would humbly and sweetly
SULEIMAN SULEIMANI recount the occasion of his priceless privi-
(Sulayman Sulaymani) lege of accompanying Martha Root on her
c.1901-1987 1930 trip to Nanking, which was the capital
of China at that time. Together with a few
Sulayman Sulaymani-Milani was born to other Baha'i friends, they attended numerous
'Ali-Mul:iammad and his wife Zahra in meetings at universities, the Royal Asiatic
Milan, Adharbayjan, Persia, around 1901. Society, and other places where many of the
Although his parents were not Baha'is, society's most influential members assemthey were close friends of the Faith, and bled to hear the Message of Baha'u'llah.
Sulayman recalled that they sometimes Professor M. S. Tsao, an Honorary Consul
admonished him and their other children, for China in the United States, often visited
"Don't make noise; the Babis are saying Mr. and Mrs. Sulaymani's home in the afterprayers in the other house". noons, together with his wife, who was
When Sulayman was 10 years old, his Swedish. One afternoon, when Martha Root
parents, sister Kawkab, and brothers, was their guest of honor, Professor Tsao
Mul:iammad Taqi and 'Ali-Akbar, left Milan embraced the Faith. Later, in 193 7, there
by mule to join his older brother, MuJ:iam- was another visit by Martha Root, which he
mad, in 'Ishqabad. Along the way, in the remembered with equal affection.
town of Tiflis, 'Ali-MuJ:iammad succumbed The Sulaymanis remained in China for
to injuries he sustained in a train accident, 26 years, from 1924 to 1950, returning to
leaving his wife and three children to con- Persia for a shmt period because of the
tinue the journey to 'Ishqabad alone. When socially and politically disturbed conditions
they eventually joined Mul:iammad, the chil- in China. Mr. Sulaymani's father-in-law,
dren were enrolled in the Baha'i School I:£usayn Ouskouli, decided to remain behind
where Sulayman studied for six or seven in Shanghai, and he passed the years remainyears, and in his own words, "one by one, ing to him in continued service to his beloved
we became Baha'is". Cause until, at the age of 82, he ascended to
After finishing his studies at the the Abha Kingdom in 1956.
Mashriqu'l-Adhk:ar School for Boys, he During their pilgrimage to the Holy Land
joined his two brothers, both of whom were in 1952, the Sulaymanis were encouraged
cloth merchants, in their shop. A few years by the Guardian to attend the International
later, at the age of23, he married Ri<:lvaniyyih Conference which was to be held in New
Ouskouli, who had attended the Mashriqu'l- Delhi the following year. At the Conference,
Adhkar School for Girls. Ri<:lvaniyyih was over 70 people arose to pioneer, prompting
the oldest of four daughters and a son, who the Sulayrnanis to conclude that, "We had
were born in 'Ishqabad to Mulla I:£usayn better go back to China, to Taiwan, because
'Ali and his wife, Zahra. we know something about Chinese". When
Su layman and Ri<:lvaniyyih had been asked, "What will you do there?", Sulayman
manied approximately a year when, in 1923, recalled his answer: "Never mind. I can
890 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Assembly of the Baha'is of Taiwan was
formed, Sulaym:in was elected as one of its
members. He served on that august body
until 1978. He also served as a deputy of
the institution of I:Iuququ'll:ih in Taiwan for
about two decades.
A Baha'i Centre was built in Tainan
through the collective efforts of a number
of friends: Baha'is in the community who
helped secure a piece of property; Mr. and
Mrs. Sulaymani who used the modest funds
available to them; and a believer who was
an architect who provided the designs. During the many years which followed, seekers
from all walks of life passed through its
doors and came to know the special embrace
of "Mr. Su's" warm and kindly spirit. It was
from this Centre that, in 1981 , Ric;Ivaniyyih
winged her flight to the Abha Kingdom.
Notwithstanding the fondness he might
Suleiman Suleimani have developed for this dwelling-place of
memories and the receptacle of the few
drive a taxi." He and his wife returned to material possessions remaining to him,
Persia to get their personal affairs in order, Mr. Su's deepest heart was rooted elsewhere.
and within a year they set sail aboard a In response to the suggestion that this
ship bound from Khurramshar to Hong Centre was a wonderful gift to the Tainan
Kong, where they boarded another vessel community, he shook his head "No." Standand arrived. in the port city of Keelung on ing at its entrance, Mr. Su seemed to dismiss
22 October 1954. On this momentous date, the vision of the Centre before him with a
the Sulaym:inis became the first pioneers in wave of his hand, saying, "I hope one day
the history of Taiwan. soon, they can tear it all down." The sur-
During their early years in Taiwan; the prised guests asked him why, and he
Sulaym:inis worked side-by-side with great gestured upwards with his arms as he said,
champions of the Faith who visited that land. "So they can build a bigger one ... a better one
Among these were the Hands of the Cause than this, for the Faith".
of God Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum, Sulaym:in Sulaym:ini passed away at
Agnes Alexander, Dhikru'llah Khadim, the Tainan Baha'i Centre on 6 July 1987,
Jalal Khac;li', Dr. Ral:unatu ' llah Muhajir, even as the Local Spiritual Assembly of
Collis Featherstone, Abu'l-Qasim Fayc;li, Tainan, on which he and his beloved wife
and 'farazu'llah Samandari. In the evening had served from its inception, was convened
of his life, Sulayman tenderly recounted sto- in its counsel chamber in a room near his
ries of these visits with such overwhelming bedside.
love and affection that the hearts with whom On 7 July, the Universal House of Justice
he shared these events could not help being sent the following message to the National
profoundly touched with the spirit of those Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Taiwan:
meetings.
When, in 1967, at the bidding of the Uni- SADDENED LEARN PASSING DEVOTED SER-
versal House of Justice, a National Spiritual VANT BAHA'U'LLAH SULEIMAN SULEIMAN!.
IN MEMORIAM 891

HIS DEVOTED LABOURS AS PIONEER WITH HIS
LATE WIFE TO CHINA IN 1923 AN D IN 1954
AS FIRST PIONEERS TO TAIWAN LOVINGLY
REMEMBERED. ASSURE ARDENT PRAYERS
HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS IMM ORTAL SOUL
ALL WORLDS GO D.
J AMES M ANNERS

KANDI AH SIV APIRAGASAM
1918-1987

Kandiah Sivapiragasam was born in 1918 in
Ceylon. He married Thambiah Sarojinidevi,
and together they had five children:
Kanunakaran, Sivajini, Prabakaran, Bahakaran, and Shohikaran.
Sivapiragasam embraced the Faith of
Baha'u'llah on 23 January 1953, one of the
early believers emolled by the first pioneer,
Dr. Mohammed Ebrahimji Lukmani. He was Kandiah Sivapiragasam
a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly
of Colombo from its inception, and was July of that year he had to resign from the
elected to the National Spiritual Assembly at National Assembly because of poor health.
the first Convention, held in 1962. There- Sivapiragasam served on various National
after, except for a few times when he was Committees, and was the Baha' i speaker at
stationed as an Assistant Food Controller the World Religion Day observance held in
in Trincomalee and Vavuniya, he served as January 1982 at the Bandaranaike Memorial
a member of the National Assembly until International Conference Hall in Colombo.
1969. He also addressed the World Religion Day
During 1969, an Administtáative Commit- gatherings in Jaffna in 1986 and 1987.
tee for Ceylon was appointed by the Hand He was fairly well-known as a Baha'i in
of the Cause of God H. Collis Featherstone his home town, Chunnakam. This locality
and Counsellor Sankaran-Nair Vasudevan, had a Local Spiritual Assembly and year in
acting on behalf of the Universal House of and year out he served as chairman of that
Justice. This Committee, under Sivapira- institution.
gasam 's chairmanship, was responsible for When he was serving as an Assistant
the affairs of the Faith on the island until the Food Controller in Vavuniya, one could see
Convention in 1972. It is worthy to note that him every evening on a bicycle visiting
until incorporation of the National Assembly the Baha'is in the remote villages. One such
in 1972, he was one of the ttáustees of the evening when it was too late and unsafe
properties of the Faith. to ride back to town, owing to elephants
From Ri<;lvan 1975 until Ri<;lvan 1982, he crossing the path, he sent his companion (a
served as chai1man of the National Assem- Baha ' i) to get permission from the owners to
bly, and for a short period as vice-chairman spend the night in a school. Sivapiragasam's
during the following year. In 1983, he had insh"Uction was not to disclose his identity as
the privilege of attending the International the authorities would feel uneasy and would
Baha'i Convention in Haifa in April, but in want to treat him well. Before going to sleep
892 THE BAHA'i WORLD

the companion had offered Sivapiragasam Washington, newspaper for an Esperanto
his bedsheet. Refusing his kind offer, he said class and she brought it to his attention.
that he had brought his, but on waking up The teacher of the class was Lorrol
in the morning, his companion saw him Jackson, a very active and well-loved Baha'i,
sleeping on the bare floor. When asked why who in later years pioneered to Hawaii.
he chose to sleep on the floor when a sheet Through Lorrol, Frederick became a Baha'i
was offered, he had said "Is it justice for me and proficient enough in Esperanto to take
to sleep on your sheet that you brought for over her class when she left to pioneer to
yourself?" Spokane, Washington, in 1936.
In his career as a government officer he Frederick was born on 21 December
was well-known for his integrity and upright- 1913 in Pineridge, Alabama. While teaching
ness. Following submission of his papers for the Esperanto class which had led him to
retirement, the government offered him the the Faith, he met Elizabeth Stanley, 1 who
post of Government Agent (the administra- became a Baha'i through him in August of
tive authority responsible for implementing 1937. He had been a Baha'i only 11 weeks
the decisions of the District Minister). He when they first met. In spite of a 25 year age
refused in order to serve the Faith. difference, they fe ll in love and married in
Without a doubt he was an outstanding June of 1939 and began a long and happy
promoter of the Cause of God as acknowl- life in tandem, serving the Faith, beginning
edged by the Universal House of Justice in the Seattle area where Beth served on the
in its message on hearing of his death on Local Spiritual Assembly in 1938.
2 August 1987. The text reads: In answer to calls for pioneers, Frederick
SADDENED PASSING OUTSTA DING PRO-
and Beth decided in 1940 to go to Chile.
MOTER CAUSE K. S!V APTRAGASAM. HIS LONG
However, because of World War II, the
SUCCESSFUL SINCERE SERVICES FA ITH SINCE
Chilean Consul would not grant visas to
ITS INCEPTION SRI LANKA UNFORGETTABLE.
them. Instead, they went to San Diego,
ADV ISE HOLD BEFITTING MEMORIAL GATH-
California, where they had been advised that
ERINGS. ASSURE FRIENDS RELATIVES LOVING
the Baha'i community needed administra-
PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS SOUL
tive assistance. They stayed there until after
ETERNAL KINGDOM.
the war, when they returned to Washington
State.
THE NATIONA L SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
In 1948, Frederick began to study at
OF THE BAH A' is OF SRI LANKA
Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon,
and graduated in 1953 with a bachelor of
FREDERICK LAWS science degree in education. Beth also took
Knight ofBaha'u'llah some classes there, learning to paint, which
1913- 1987 allowed her to create some lovely pictures
of places to which they later pioneered.
Many years of exemplary Baha 'i service With a degree to work with, they
began for Frederick Laws in 1935, when he responded to the Guardian's call for pioneers
decided to enter an essay contest called to Africa and their long-awaited adventure
"World Peace and Understanding". began. On 10 March 1953 they set sail, with
T1y as he might, he could not come to a their car and trailer, on the Farrel Lines'
conclusion in his essay how this could be African Sun, arriving at Mombasa, Kenya,
accomplished considering the problem of so about six weeks later.
many languages. His essay was never
mailed. At about this time, Frederick's 1
See In Memoriam fo r Elizabeth Laws , The Baha á;
mother noticed an advertisement in a Seattle, World. vol. XV II , p. 459.
IN MEMORIAM 893
They atTived in Nairobi in May 1953 and Baha'is they met were exceptional people
felt immediately at home. The climate was and they believed the love of God had made
ideal: cool nights and pleasant days. They them that way. Soon there were seventeen
found the Kenyans very receptive to the believers in three locations and four more
Faith. They also made friends with Indians centers had been introduced to the Faith.
living in Nairobi, enabling them to introduce By April 1955, there were close to seventy
the Faith to that segment of the population as believers in Basutoland, including two exwell. ministers, with seven Assemblies formed.
In August 1953, Frederick secured a During their stay in Basutoland, Frederick
teaching position at the Kabete Trade and and Beth were adopted into the Crocodyle
Technical School eight miles west of (Ruling) Clan of the Basuto, making them
Nairobi, and they began to live on the cam- honorary Basuto.
pus. He was able to do sheet metal work Frederick was never given a permit to
there, which was what he liked to do most, work in Basutoland, in spite of repeated
next to his Baha'i work, so he was very attempts, so in May 1956 they reluctantly
happy. left for Johannesburg. They wrote to the
Five months after arriving in Kenya, Guardian to ask where in Africa he thought
Frederick and Beth were given another they might be of service and he suggested
assigmnent and were off on a new adventure, West Africa. The Hands of the Cause of God
leaving for Basutoland on 26 September Musa Banani and Paul Haney were both
1953 . During this 3,100 mile trek their present at the Johannesburg Convention, and
trailer broke down four times, but with after consultation it was decided Frederick
temporary repairs they managed to get to and Beth should proceed to Gambia, where
Teyateyaneng, where they stayed in a hotel 300 believers and six Assemblies were in
until they decided how to proceed. Those need of administrative assistance.
pioneers who had reached their goal coun- Unfortunately their stay in Bathhurst,
tries by 15 October 1953 were designated Gambia, was cut short as they were not
Knights of Baha'u'llah by the Guardian, so allowed to stay either as visitors or to teach
Frederick and Beth were both "knighted" for the Faith. They applied for a six month pass
being the first Baha' is in Basutoland. to help train the Assemblies but had to leave
By December, they were in Masem, where while waiting for a reply. The pass was
they settled in a cottage waiting to see if never issued.
they would be asked to remain there or go on By July 1956 they were in Monrovia,
to N01ihem Rhodesia or Southwest Africa. Liberia, and were planning to settle there
They grew a garden while there. with Frederick possibly going into partner-
By August 1954, they had received per- ship with George and Bessie Washington.
mission from the chief of the Basu to village These Baha' is had become naturalized citiof Chadwick's Halt to move into the village zens of Liberia and were permitted to hold
to teach the Faith. Eventually they moved 400 acres of property on which they planned
back to the Govermnent Reserve in Masem, to build a trade school, and some of which
and by December 1954, they had obtained a was already growing fmits and vegetables.
permit allowing them to stay in Basutoland This partnership was short lived so our
until 31 January 1956 so they rented a house travellers went on to ZarZar where Frederick
and Frederick set up a small workshop. procured a position with Brown and Blauvelt,
Almost every week Frederick and Beth a consulting engineering firm with head
had visitors from Johannesburg to help with offices in New York. The company was to
the teaching work in Basutoland. The Afri- do the engineering, survey and supervisory
ca ns were now beginning to fee l that all the inspection work on the building of a bridge
894 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

visible 20 miles to the north and the people
were friendly to the Baha'is.
Frederick was appointed to the National
Properties Committee, for which he tried
to facilitate a lease on some property on
which to build a centre. He also attended
the Nairobi International Baha' i Conference
in October 1976. This was a big success,
with nearly 1,000 Africans participating and
more than 50 countries represented.
In spite of repeated attempts to obtain
a permanent residence pass valid for three
years, Frederick and Beth were only able
to get extensions of three months at a time.
This uncertainty, plus an injured ankle,
became so hard on Beth, who longed to be
more settled in her advancing years, that her
health suffered and they decided to return to
the United States in December 1976, after
having the crates, which had just reached
Frederick Laws them, turned around unopened.
They returned to Washington State, and
and its access road. Frederick set up the field in April 1977 pioneered to Wapato, on
office in ZarZar as well as the river camp. the Yakima Indian Reservation, where they
They remained at this camp until they served until Beth departed this world for the
decided to return to the United States in late Abba Kingdom on 24 June 1978, just three
1956. months short of reaching her 90th birthday.
The couple was active in the Seattle She was the first Baha' i to be buried on the
area until 1964, when they pioneered to Yakima Reservation.
the Omaha Indian Reservation in Macy, Left on his own, Frederick began to move
Nebraska. They were not able to live in the about from community to community whercenter designated for them due to flooding, ever he was needed. In the fall of 1979,
so the teaching work became a weekend Frederick and his sister, Alberta Maccartney,
affair while Frederick attended Wayne State went on pilgrimage.
Teachers' College to do graduate work for a In January 1982, he had his first operation
teaching degree . Unable to find a teaching for a brain tumour from which he recovered
position after he finished school, they were sufficiently to continue his ttáavelling, going
forced to leave the area and return to Seattle, as far as San Diego. However, the brain
where Frederick found a position as drafting tumour overtook him once more and he
engineer at General Electric. never really recovered from a second opera-
In 1976, Frederick retired from General tion. He finally joined his beloved Beth on
Electric and in April of that year they set off 16 November 1987. He was buried in
again for Africa, stopping in Haifa on the Sequim, Washington.
way to visit the Baha'i Holy Places and J EAN L AWS

the friends there. They proceeded to Moshi,
Tanzania, and upon arrival there in May
they sent for some of their household items.
They felt at home with Mt. Kilimanjaro
IN MEMORIAM 895
ALESSANDRO BAUSANI
1921-1988

0 my God! 0 my God! Verily, thy servant,
humble before the majesty of Thy divine
supremacy, lowly at the door of Thy
oneness, hath believed in Thee and in Thy
verses, hath testified to Thy word, hath
been enkindled with the fire of Thy love,
hath been immersed in the depths of
the ocean of Thy knowledge, hath been
attracted by Thy breezes, hath relied
upon Thee, hath turned his face to Thee,
hath offered his supplications to Thee,
and hath been assured of Thy pardon and
forgiveness. He hath abandoned this
mortal life and hath flown to the kingdom
of immortality, yearn ing fo r the favour of
meeting Thee.
0 Lord, glorify his station, shelter him
under the pavilion of Thy supreme mercy, Alessandro Bausani
cause him to enter Thy glorious paradise,
and perpetuate his existence in Thin e Among Professor Bausani's best known
exalted rose garden, that he may plunge works were Persiana Religiosa (Religious
into the sea of light in the world of Persia) and Islam, his translation of the
mysteries. Qur'an into the Italian language, and his
Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Power- excellent translation of Th e Mystical Poems
ful, the Forgiver and the Bestower. ofRumi. Yet these titles and accomplishments
-'Abdu'l-Baha 1 cannot singularly represent his multi-faceted
personality, hi s versatility and his spiritual
knowledge.
Alessandro Bausani was a highly esteemed Alessandro Bausani was born in Rome
scholar whose unceasing search for knowl- on 29 May 1921. He received religious eduedge was expressed through his numerous cation during his youth, and expressed a
articles, essays, and books. At home, he capacity for literary studies. His field of
was the honoured Professor Emeritus and specialization was linguistics, and he studied
director of both the School of Oriental many languages and the relationships be-
Studies and the Institute of Islamic Studies tween languages. But he also did research in
at the University of Rome La Sapienza. He other branches of human knowledge such as
was also a member of the Lincei National astronomy and mathematics.
Academy. Abroad, he received many awards His international reputation as a scholar
such as the Sitara-Imtiyaz, bestowed upon of various disciplines was based on his
him by the government of Pakistan in 1967 extraordinary ability to express scientific
for his work in promoting the spread of the and religious concepts with a kind of metic-
Urdu language and culture. ulous precision. His startling paradoxes
would leave his readers not only amazed at
Selections fi'om the Writings of 'Abdu '/-Ba ha his originality, but also extremely interested
(Haifa: Baha'i World Centre; 1978), pp. 196-7. in his perceptions.
896 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Alessandro was very cordial, taking im- essays and articles were gathered together
mediate interest in others. He loved to repeat and published in one volume in 1991 by the
that everything required a deliberate effort. National Publishing Trust of Italy under the
His endless quest for knowledge led him title Saggi sulfa Fede Baha 'i (Essays on the
to believe that all men, including those who Bahci 'i Faith).
could be considered among the most impor- The honour and glory of this sorelytant, are as but nothing when compared to missed friend belong not only to this world
the infinite. He affirmed that people 's poten- but to the world of the spirit as well. Only
tial to acquire value is developed only to the the message sent to the National Spiritual
extent that they follow the Manifestation of Assembly of Italy on 15 March 1988 from
God . the Universal House of Justice, three days
He had already made a serious study of after his passing, can summarize his rank:
spiritual reality when, on 8 April 1950, he
became a follower of Baha ' u ' llah. He had DEEPLY SADDENED PASSfNG PROFESSOR
first learned of the existence of the Faith as ALESSAN DRO BAUSANI. HI S DEA TH DEPRI VES
an academic. In 1948, he had been the assis- BAl-IA' i WORLD COMMUN ITY ONE OF ITS FEW
tant to Professor Rossi, teacher of courses in OUTSTA NDING INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS
the Persian language. Mr. Philip Marangella, AND ITALIAN FR IEN DS ONE OF THEIR MOST
who was in Rome during that period to teach DI STINGU ISHED BELI EVERS. HIS LONG YEARS
the Faith, signed up for the class as a way STEA DFAST SERVI CES AS MEMBER NATIONAL
of meeting people. Later, Dr. Ugo Giachery, SPIRITUAL ASSEMB LY EN RI CHED BY ACA -
future Hand of the Cause of God, and then DEM IC RECOGN ITION WHICH HE USED
Miss Elsa Scola, future wife of Professor UNSTfNTING LY FOR SERV ICE CAUSE LEN DfN G
Bausani, joined these courses. Dr. Giachery IT AUTHORITY AND PREST IGE WO RLD OF
invited Alessandro to the celebration of LEARN ING ASSURE HIM HI GH HONOR ANNALS
the Birth of Baha' u ' llah, and it was this that FA ITI-1 EN DURING LOVING MEMORY ITALI AN
changed the direction of Alessandro 's search COMMUN ITY. EXTEN D HEA RTFELT SYMPATHY
for truth. RELATI ONS FRIEN DS ASSURANCE !'RA YERS
From the moment of his declaration of SACRE D TI-IRES HOLD PROGRESS HI S SOU L
faith, Alessandro's knowledge and actions AB HA KINGDOM.
converged in service to the Cause. His Adapted from an article by
G IOVANN I l' APPALETTERA
ardent desire was to share the Message with
all he met. He was an untiring speaker at
schools, seminars, courses, and conferences,
to which he dedicated virtually all of his BEATRICE OWENS ASHTON
time . He was director of the Italian quarterly 1890- 1988
magazine Opinioni Baha 'i from its foundation. He helped sustain every institution or When Beatrice Owens Ashton passed away
committee, national or local , on which he in Cleveland, Ohio, United States of Ametica,
was called to serve, with his presence and on 8 May 1988, the Un iversal House of
effort. He was a member of the National Justice cabled:
Spiritual Assembly of Italy and Switzerland
during all the years of its existence, then was SHAR E DEEP SORROW PASS ING DEVOTED ,
a member of the National Spiritual Assem- HANDMA ID EN BAI-IA'U ' LLAl-I BEATRICE
bly ofltaly from 1964 to 1984. OWENS ASHTON. fN HER TIRELESS, fNCALCU-
The cruel and lengthy illness which strnck LABLE SERVI CES FA ITH SPANN ING SEVEN
him during his last years of life kept him DECAD ES FROM CLOSING YEA RS HERO IC AGE,
from publishing books on the Faith, but his SHE DREW CONSTANT INSPIRATION FROM HER
IN MEMORIAM 897
CONTACTS WITH BELOVED MASTER AND to Illinois, living in Evanston, Wilmette, and
SHOGHI EFFENDI. HER EXTENSIVE TRAVELS Winnetka while she worked for Abbott Lab-
IN EUROPE, HER PIONEERING TO ALBERTA, oratories in Waukegan. She was a member
CANADA, DURING TEN YEAR WORLD CRUSADE of the Local Spiritual Assemblies of the
ANDLATERSERVICESATBAHA'I WORLD CEN- Baha'i communities in which she resided.
TREFOR RESEARCH DEPARTMENT COMBINED After World War II, Beatrice felt she could
WITH ALL HER NUMEROUS ADMINISTRATIVE finally devote the time to Baba 'i activities
ACTIVITIES HAVE PRODUCED LEGACY EXEM- that she had so longed to do, and in 1945
PLARY SINGLEMINDED DEDICATION TO CAUSE she was appointed by the National Spiritual
TO WHICH SHE GA VE LAST MEASURE HER Assembly of the United States to be the inter-
EARTHLY STRENGTH. EXTEND LOVING SYM- national relief representative for Gern1any
PATHY HER DEAR FAMILY. ASSURE ARDENT and the Philippines.
PRAYERS I-IOL Y SHRINES PROGRESS HER Each summer from 1947 to 1953 , Beatrice
PRECIOUS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. undertook two- to three-month teaching tTips
for the United States European Teaching
Born in Cleveland, on 17 May 1890, to Committee, visiting Baha'i communities in
John R. Owens and Louise Benton Owens, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany,
Beatrice attended and graduated from Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Hathaway Brown School in 1907 and from Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. During
Vassar College, New York, in 1911. In July these travels she gave many talks, held
1918, she went to a new job in Urbana, firesides, and presented courses she had
Illinois. There, in the summer heat, she was developed on Baha'i Administration and on
sitting on a porch opposite a forest preserve the World Crusade. As she wrote in one of
when she saw a group of people picnicking. her reports to the ETC, "Teaching the Faith
She was told they were Baha'is and that through the Administrative Order seems to
"they believe that Christ has returned". She appeal to their need for a practical plan that
soon met them, read Paris Talks, and went works".
to classes taught by Dr. Jacob and Mrs. Anna Going back to many of the same places
Kunz. "It was a beautiful group of Baha'is year after year, she could provide the Guardian
to grow in'', she later said. As Baha ' is did with a running account of the growth of the
in those days, she immediately wrote to Faith in these countries and the problems
'Abdu' l-Baha, and she received treasured they were facing. As if these efforts were
replies. not enough, Beatrice was also chairman and
When Beatrice moved to the Boston area secretary for the publication of Volume XII
and worked as an editorial secretary for the of Th e Baha 'i World, and she corresponded
Journal of Industrial Hygiene, she served extensively with the Guardian about this
on the Local Spiritual Assembly and on the international record. He expressed his appreprogramme committee for Green Acre ciation by writing:
Baha'i School, where she met Frank Ashton. May the Almighty abundantly reward
They were married at Green Acre in August you for your truly remarkable and merito-
1919. She said later in her life, "Green Acre rious efforts and service in distant fields,
has always meant a great deal to me". She remove every obstacle and enable you to
went back whenever she could. win still greater victories for the Faith.
There followed a long period in which In April 1952, she went on pilgrimage to
Beatrice was busy earning a living and Haifa and was enabled to meet the beloved
raising her son, John. She moved to Ohio, Guardian for the first time.
where she worked in university hospitals in After 1953, Beatrice focused her efforts
Cleveland doing editorial research, and then on administrative tasks in the United States:
898 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

In April 1970, Beatrice again went to
Haifa, where she was offered the opportunity to use her editorial skills in the Research
Department at the Baha' i World Centre. She
jumped at the chance. For two years she
catalogued and indexed the Guardian's letters
and other correspondence, made frequent
trips to the Baha'i Shrines, and soaked up
knowledge of the Faith from the many
knowledgeable and dedicated Bah<i'is at the
World Centre. When, at the age of 82, she
was being overtaken by poor health and had
to return to the United States, the Universal
House of Justice wrote:
You have performed highly meritorious
service at the World Centre and have
endeared yourself to all members of the
staff here. We are deeply grateful to you.
Although Beatrice then officially "retired",
her great love for the Faith drove her on to
Beatrice Owens Ashton accept work from the House of Justice that
she could carry out in her apartment in
Volume XIII of The Bahri 'i World, the wor- Cleveland. She compiled a subject index
ship programmes at the House of Worship, of Citadel of Faith and of Messages to
and the editorial committee of Bahri 'i News, America, thereby enabling the House of Jusamong other tasks. In addition to these tice to find immediately what the Guardian
efforts, for which she was well qualified as had said on many subjects. She also indexed
an editorial assistant, she taught numerous those parts of the Writings of the Bab and
courses at Green Acre, Louhelen, and Baha'u'llah which had been translated by
Geyserville Baha'i Schools in the United Shoghi Effendi. She crowned this phase of
States, and at Beaulac, Banff, and Toronto in her services by indexing The Dawn-Breakers.
Canada. By the fall of 1976 she was practically
Teaching courses in Canada brought her blind, and could no longer perform the serinto closer contact with the Canadian Baha'is vices at which she had so ardently labored
and when the Ten Year Crusade called for for so long. But for another decade she conpioneers (she had then retired from Abbott tinued to correspond with the many devoted
Laboratories), she vo lunteered to pioneer Baha'is she had met around the world. Their
in Canada, and was sent to Lethbridge, news of the growth of the Faith sustained her
Alberta. During the years 1958 to 1966, in her last years.
while stationed in Lethbridge, she continued Throughout Beatrice's teaching and adminteaching throughout Canada, especially her istrative services to the Faith, people were
course on the Ten Year Crusade, and repre- always impressed with her whole-hearted
sented Canada at the dedication of the House and loving devotion to the Administrative
of Worship in Germany. Order, the Guardianship, and then to the
By 1966, Lethbridge had a Local Spiritual Universal House of Justice. She was tireless
Assembly and Beatrice went back to Euro- in her devotion, and indefatigable in her
pean teaching, making four trips to Norway desire to do the very best she could to help
and other European countries by 1970. her beloved Guardian and then the House of
IN MEMORIAM 899
Justice. For these reasons, the high points which slaves from the South were able to
of her life were the times spent in Haifa. As escape to freedom in the North. Cynthia
the Guardian wrote her in the midst of her often speculated that the bold stand taken
endeavors, ".. .your share in deepening the by this forebear with respect to God-given
faith and understanding of the believers rights of all mankind may have contributed
regarding the essentials of the Revelation of to the bounty of her eventually finding and
Baha 'u 'llah and its distinguishing features accepting the Faith ofBaha'u'llah.
has been truly outstanding". At the age of 14, Cynthia entered Indiana
While at the Baha'i World Centre, Beatrice University. After one year she took a posiworked closely with Mr. 'Ali Na~avani, tion as teacher in a one-room country school,
a member of the Universal House of Justice, later reh1rning to the University to complete
and continued an extensive correspondence her studies in philosophy and journalism.
with him thereafter. Mr. Na~avani probably Upon graduation, she accepted a job as
knew Beatrice best in her later years of reporter and fea ture writer for the Miami
Baha'i service. He wrote to her, "The ser- Herald, in Florida, soon thereafter transfervices you are rendering are precious beyond ring to the field of hotel and resort publicity.
description", and later, "The determination This took her to New York City and Washand thoroughness with which you are pursu- ington, D.C., and it was then that she came
ing the work given to you by the Universal in contact with the Baha'i Faith. Her earliest
House of Justice are truly most remarkable". teacher was Clara Weir of California, who
And then, "I sense the vibrations of your arranged for her to meet Mariam Haney and
indomitable spirit, your unwavering con- her son, Paul Haney, and Cora Oliver, all of
stancy and your inflexible resolve to pursue whom were livi ng in Washington, D.C. On
nobly and courageously the path of selfless 22 June 1939, her letter of acceptance into
stewardship to God's Holy Cause". the Baha'i Faith was received from the Local
But Beatrice certainly treasured most the Spiritual Assembly of Washington, D.C.
words of the Guardian: These early days of her life as a believer
were spent in the company of many other
May the Almighty bless abundantly and
legendary Baha'is, including Genevieve Coy,
continuously your manifold, incessant,
Juliet Thompson, Stanwood Cobb, Borrah
and highly meritorious activities to
Kavelin, and Philip Sprague. While attendenable you to enrich the record of your
ing weekly deepenings in New York City,
splendid accomplishments in both the
Cynthia heard Shoghi Effendi's appeal to
teaching and administrative sphere of
the friends to "leave the big cities" and help
Baha'i service.
JOHN ASHTON
establish Local Assemblies in those states
which did not yet have them. In November
1942, she moved to Wilmington, Delaware,
and was soon elected to the first Local
CYNTHIA AND EDGAR OLSON Assembly of that city.
1903-1988/ 1908- 1989 Within weeks of her arrival, Cynthia met
her fuh1re husband, Edgar "Olie" Olson.
Cynthia Ruth Barnard Olson was born of Edgar A. Olson was born in Wilmington,
English stock on 7 November 1903 in Delaware, on 6 August 1908 to Swedish
Hennepin, Illinois, U.S .A., the second eldest immigrants, Charles and Hilda Olson. His
of five children. Her great-grandfather, father died while Olie was still an infant,
Williamson Durly, was an abolitionist, and and so by the age of 12, he was contributing
his home in Hennepin was one of the to the family income, first by selling newsstations on the "underground railway" by papers on a street corner and later by
900 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Cynthia and Edgar Olson

working at a soda fountain in a local phar- Food on her first visit to the store was still
macy. in his personal papers. He had never cashed
After gradu ation from Wilmington High it, and Cynthia has written in her memoirs
School, Olie received a scholarship from a that Olie discovered her name, address, and
member of the Dupont family to attend a telephone number from that check.
one-year business course at Babson Institute In April 1944, Olie became the first
in Wellesley, Massachusetts. On his fi nal native of Delaware to become a Baha'i and
report card, the finance professor, Mr. A.H. their marriage, on 25 August that year, was
Fittz, wrote: "An iconoclast, worthy of the first Baha' i marriage recognized by the
respect, who will do more for himself and state of Delaware. Shoghi Effendi hung their
for others and so will be able to accomplish marriage certificate on the wall of his room
more in li fe if he can learn to become more at Bahji.
charitab le toward the weaknesses of the con- Olie and Cynthia spent all their free time
forn1ists." Yet it was Olie 's desire to always in Baha ' i work. In the same month he
strive beyo nd stah1 s quo that led him to embraced the Fa ith, Edgar helped form the
embrace the Faith of Baha' u ' llah and to first Loca l Spiritual Assembly in the state
serve that Faith so illustriously his entire life. of Delaware, and at a later date, he was one
From Babson, Olie worked for several of the incorporators of that Assembly.
different companies in the East and Midwest During this time Cynthia served on the
United States before returning to Wilmington United States National Baha' i Information
at the time of his mother's death. He was Service. Iii 1953, when this committee was
operating a retail food store there when he charged with arrangingá press conferences
met Cynthia and she introduced him fo the in Chicago for the visit of the Hand of
Baha ' i Fa ith. It speaks eloquently of their the Cause of God Amatu' l-Baha Rul:iiyyih
relationship that, after Olie 's death, the orig- Khanum and the dedication of the House of
inal check that Cynthia wrote to Olson 's Worship there, the Olsons heard of Shoghi
IN MEMORIAM 901
Effendi's plans for the Ten Year Crusade National Spiritual Assembly, (2) its incorpoand his call for pioneers to settle the remain- ration and legal recognition, and (3) an
ing virgin ten-itories of the globe. They indigenous translation. Consequently, the
immediately made their commitment to arise Mariana Islands was designated an "outto this call. standing center" on the Guardian's Ten Year
After much prayer, consultation, letter Crusade map.
writing, and several false starts searching While employed by the local radio stafor an opening to settle in one of these tion, Cynthia was offered a position on the
131 countries-which had to be reached by headquarters staff of the United States Trust
2 May 1954, the final day of the first year of Tenitory of the Pacific Islands, which she
the Crusade, in order to meet the beloved accepted. This fortunate turn of events placed
Guardian's hope-they finally chose the her in a position of direct contact with
Mariana Islands as their goal. In fact, they many Micronesians, and with the able and
received the necessary security clearance enthusiastic cooperation of fellow Knight of
from the United States Department of the Baha'u'llah, Virginia Breaks of the Caroline
Navy just two weeks before the first year Islands, friendships were formed and many
of the Crusade was to end. Since the family Micronesians learned of the Faith and its
business had to be sold, Olie stayed in Dela- teachings. When Cynthia was appointed
ware to wind up their affairs, so Cynthia Supervisor of Student Affairs for the Trust
an-ived alone on Guam on the morning of Territory government, charged with ananging
2 May 1954, the very last day of the first for sponsors for the Micronesian students
year of the Ten Year Crusade. Olie joined who went to Guam for school, and for otherher there on 6 April 1955. wise looking out for their welfare while they
So it was that Cynthia was named Knight were away from home, many for the first
of Baha'u'llah to the Mariana Islands. She time, this had an impact of far-reaching
often expressed her belief that, although Olie proportions.
was not able to arrive at his post before the Her kindnesses and concern for these
close of that year, it was due to his sacrifice students, which on innumerable occasions
that she was able to do so, and he shared included providing hospitality in the Olsons '
with her in her heart that distinction. own home, are remembered today tluáough-
Many "firsts" were to follow over the next out the far-flung islands of the northwest
few years. The first mention of the Faith on Pacific. Many of those students are now
the air in the Marianas was made by Cynthia the leaders and legislators of the newly
in 1954 on her "Woman ' s World" radio pro- formed governments of the area, as well as
gram; the first Micronesian believer was teachers and businessmen, and their respect
enrolled in April 1956 in time to form the and knowledge of the Faith, which they
Spiritual Assembly of the Baba 'is of Guam, associate with Cynthia, is often publicly and
the first Spiritual Assembly in Micronesia, sympathetically acknowledged.
which was then incorporated in 1957; the Olie worked for KUAM television as a
first Chamorro language translation was made reporter, commentator, and station manager,
at that time; and the first Baha' i wedding as well as managing a radio and television
in Micronesia was held in the Olson home, station for the same company on the island
receiving publicity in Guam's newspaper. of Saipan. And he is still fondly remembered
The Ten Year Crusade goal set by the on Guam for the restaurant he built in the
Guardian for the Mariana Islands had been village of Inarajan, the building which now
for one pioneer to reside in the area. The serves as the Inarajan Baha'i Center. His
goal was exceeded three-fold within the first Swedish pancakes were so renowned that
three years with (1) the establishment of the Olie often remarked that he hoped he would
902 TI-IE BAHA'i WORLD

be remembered for those services he had wife attended, along with other dignitaries .
rendered the Cause, rather than for the pan- In 1984, another public commemoration was
cakes that he had made! held, noting the 30th anniversary of Cynthia's
Those services were considerable. He arrival in the Marianas.
travelled to teach extensively in the Pacific A few days before the 11th National
region, including a six-month trip in 1969 Baha' i Convention, marking the first decade
to many of the islands of the South Pacific. of a national community in the Marianas,
Everywhere he went, he was involved in Cynthia Olson passed away. Appropriately,
proclamation and publicity activities for the her funeral was held as part of that Conven-
Faith, especially in the realm of presenta- tion, and was attended by Baha'is from
tions to prominent public figures. He was a throughout the Marianas as well as by many
member of the Local Spiritual Assembly neighbors and government officials. It also
of Guam, which fonned the same year he received extensive media coverage in Guam.
arrived. In 1971, when smaller Assembly Her qualities of perseverance and persisareas were instituted, he became a member tence, and of devotion to detail, contributed
of the Local Spiritual Assembly of the more to the progress of the Cause in the
Baha'is of Inarajan, serving on that body Mariana Islands than possibly any other acts
until the time of his death. Olie was instru- by any other believers. Even when homemental in the acquisition of the property bound and later bed-ridden, as she was for
for both the Temple site and the National the last few years of her life, always her first
I:fa~iratu ' l-Quds on Guam, and for the erec- question when greeting visitors was, "What
tion of the present National Center on that is new with the Faith?" Her regret that she
island. He also ananged for the purchase was no longer able to be actively involved in
of a Temple site and endowment land in service to the Cause during those last years
Taiwan, Republic of China, on behalf of the was acute.
Universal House of Justice. On 21May1988, the Knight ofBaha'u'llah
Cynthia was elected to the National to the Mariana Islands was laid to rest on a
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the beautiful hill in the central portion of Guam,
North West Pacific Ocean when it was fulfilling her earnest wish to "bury my bones
formed in 1972, embracing the Marshall, at my post." Upon learning of her passing,
Caroline and Mariana Islands, and she con- the following cable was sent on 19 May by
tinued to serve as a member until the the Universal House of Justice:
National Spiritual Assembly of the Mariana
Islands was formed in 1978. She was then GRIEV ED LEARN PASSfNG DEARLY LOV ED
elected to the Marianas Assembly and KNIGHT BAHA'U'LLAH CYNTHIA OLSON
served for the first two years of its existence. WHOSE DEVOTED SERVICES FAITH SPANNED
During this time she was also active as a NEARLY HALF CENTURY, THIRTY-FOUR
member of various national committees and YEA RS OF WHICH WERE SPENT AT HER
Local Assemblies and made several teaching PIONEER POST fN G UA M WHERE SHE SERVE D
trips throughout the Pacific, as well as attend- ON FIRST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY NORTHW EST
ing many international conferences and the PAC IFIC OCEAN. ASSU RE LOVING FERVENT
International Convention of 1973. PRAY ERS HOLY SHRIN ES PROGRESS HER
In 1978, the Baha'i community of the IMMORTAL SOUL ALL WORLDS GOD. KIN DLY
Mariana Islands gathered for a banquet to CONVEY CONDOLENCES TO HER DEAR
honour their Knight of Baha'u'llah, to mark HU SBAND EDGAR AND HER FRI ENDS.
the 75th year of Cynthia's life, her 40 years
as a Baha 'i, and 25 years as a resident at her In spite of his beloved wife 's death and
pioneer post. The Governor of Guam and his his own ill-health, Edgar Olson remained
IN MEMORIAM 903
active to his last days , completing a trip to The boat was about to cross the Atlantic, and
Palau and Yap just before departing on his her friend, who said she would tell Thelma
last vacation. He had even planned to speak about Baha 'i when they arrived in New
to the children of the Inarajan Baha'i School York, took her to visit the Kinneys at their
upon his return from vacation. home on Riverside Drive. This notable
This was not to be, however. Olie passed Baha' i couple loaned Thelma their copy of
away in his sleep while visiting Baha'i friends The Dawn-Breakers, which she read in the
in Nova Scotia, Canada, on the morning of early hours of each morning after returning
5 September 1989. He was laid to rest in from various New York night clubs. On one
Maple Wood Cemetery on 8 September, the occasion tears streamed down her face as
first Baha' i to be interred in a recently pur- she realised the truth of the Faith.
chased Baha'i burial plot. While in America, Thelma met May
Many exemplary qualities come to mind Maxwell and Sylvia Matheson, as well as
when describing Olie. He was steadfast, au- many other Baha'is, to whom she promised
dacious, and extremely dedicated. Olie often that she would visit Clara and Hyde Dunn
asked a great deal of those around him, but when she returned to Sydney. The Dunns,
not nearly as much as he asked of himself. who had brought the Baha'i teachings to
It was always more impmiant to him to have Australia in 1920, were then living in Randdone his best for the Cause than to have wick. They later moved to Kiribilli on the
accolades for his work. As one believer on north side of the harbour, close to Thelma's
Guam noted, Olie's life showed what one residence in Mosman. Thelma thought them
ordinary person whose life was completely such wonderful people, she happily became
consecrated to the love of Baha'u'llah can Clara Dunn' s driver and helped the Dum1s
and did accomplish. in whatever way she could, but it was not
Compiled from memorial articles by until early 1947 that she declared herself a
SHERYL MELLOR AND THE NATIONAL SPIRITUAL
Baha'i.
ASSEMBLY OF TH E MARIANA ISLANDS
Between 1947 and 1953, the Australian
Baha'is pursued a six year teaching plan in
which Thelma's support for Clara Dunn, and
THELMA PERKS companionship with her during innumerable
1901- 1988 teaching trips, was invaluable. Together they
visited Baha'i communities in such far-flung
With the passing of Miss Thelma Perks on places as Wollongong, Adelaide and Brisbane.
21May1988, the Australian Baha' i commu- At Ric:Jvan 1948 they flew, together
nity lost one of its remaining links to the first with Mariette Bolton, to participate in the
pioneers to this vast continent, Clara and formation of the Woodville Local Spiritual
Hyde Dunn. Assembly in the suburbs of Adelaide, South
Thelma was born on 21 July 1901. Her Australia. At this time Thelma served on the
affluent background allowed her to travel Library Committee of the National Spiritual
extensively in Europe and North America Assembly, on the Regional Teaching Comas a young woman, just as it later enabled mittee for New South Wales, and on the
her to devote all her time and energy to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Sydney. She
propagation and administration of the Baha' i helped organise National Conventions at the
Faith throughout the Australasian region. l:la~iratu ' l-Quds at 2 Lang Road, Paddington,
She was on a ship sailing from South- and participated in summer and winter
hampton to New York when she saw a schools at the Yerrinbool Baha'i School.
photo of 'Abdu'l-Baha in a friend's cabin Meetings were conducted at "Bidura",
and remarked, "That's an interesting face!" Thelma 's residence at Bowral close to the
904 THE BAl-IA'i WORLD

Yerrinbool School, and at her home in the two revisited Victoria and Queensland.
Mosman. In 1950, she donated severa l acres In 1955, Thelma visited New Zealand, and
of land to the YeITinbool School on the con- late in 1956 she made her first visits to
dition that the fact not be publicized and that Noumea, New Ca ledonia ; Port Vila, New
the land not be named after her. Hebrides; Papeete, Tahiti; Apia, Western
Great efforts were being made at this time Samoa; and Suva, Fiji, before returning to
to establish Baha' i communities in the larger Sydney via Auckland.
cow1try towns, away from the big city centres No one was more capable of raising the
where large communities already existed. spirits of the isolated pioneers, of cheering
Thus, in January 1952 Thelma was in their hearts, and comforting them in the
Ballarat for World Religion Day, and in midst of their physical hardships and depri-
March she and Dulcie Dive visited Wollon- vation. And yet, no more incongrnous scene
gong and secured the Miners' Hall for that can be imagined than this woman, regal in
community's holding of Feasts and special appearance, gracious in manner, and elegant
anniversaries for the remainder of the year. under all conditions, travelling and living in
In 1953 , at the close of Australia 's Six Year circumstances of exháeme discomfort and
Plan, Thelma moved temporarily to Grafton improvisation. No one enjoyed this paradox
in northern New South Wales, to fulfil her more than Thelma herself.
commitment to establishing a locality there. She later recalled her first visit to Knight
During the World Crusade, Thelma served of Baha'u' llah Bertha Dobbins who had
simultaneously on the National Spiritual settled in P011 Vila in the New Hebrides
Assembly of Australia and New Zealand, (later known as Vanuatu). For ten days in
and as an Auxiliary Board member to the 1956 she slept on three boxes in a spider and
Hand of the Cause of God Clara Dunn. She cockroach infested room beneath swarming
was first elected to the National Assembly mosquitoes, in a mosquito net full of holes.
in January 1954, when a by-election was "Once I got into that bed", she recalled, "I
held to replace five members who had just lay still. I wouldn't stick my big toe out
chosen to pioneer in the Pacific. At this time for anything ... because the rats were mighty
the relationship between the two arms of the things. Bertha had slung a wire across the
Administrative Order was evo lving, and room with a bit of a cm1ain and the rats used
Clara Durm announced the appo intment of to walk up and down that wire while you
Thelma Perks and Collis Featherstone as her were just sitting there" . Such situations were
Auxiliary Board members during National encountered in many other locations during
Convention in 1954. After explaining to the the next two decades.
assembled delegates and observers that the In 1957, Thelma attended the first New
Guardian wished her to appoint two assis- Zealand National Convention before moving
tants, she placed her hand on the shoulder on to Fiji, Samoa, the Cook Islands and
of Collis Featherstone who was sitting beside Tahiti. While in Fiji visiting Irene Williams
her as chairman, and sa id, "I appoint Collis, and the Fijian Baha'is, she stayed overnight
and Thelma Perks, standing at the back of in a traditional village. In the evening she
the room!" joined in háaditional dancing and singing
From that time forward, Thelma travelled until midnight. She regarded the landscape
constantly both in Australia and around of Papeete as the most glorious of any nahuáal
the Pacific, visiting Baha ' i communities to settings she ever experienced.
encourage them in their work. In 1954, she It was in 1957 also that Thelma first
accompanied Clara Dwm in visiting Baha' i vis ited Alvin and Gertrude Blum in the
communities in Queensland, Victoria , South Solomon Islands, and Violet Boehnke and
Australia, and Tasmania; the following year, Rodney Hancock in Papua New Guinea. A
IN MEMORIAM 905

trip organised by Rodney Hancock to take For many years during the 1950s and
Thelma to meet the Baha'is on New Ireland 1960s, she continued to share responsibility
provided yet another tale which she later for the National Teaching Committee, the
enjoyed retelling. In order to make the trip National Reference Library, the National
down New Ireland's only and remote road, I:Ia'.?iratu'l-Quds, and the care of Clara Dunn.
Rodney hired a utility on which Thelma rode She also shared responsibility for the events
in comfort seated on a lounge chair placed related to the opening of the Baha'i House
on the back. When a jeep appeared travel- of Worship in Sydney in September 1961.
ling in the other direction and the two It was in 1961 that Thelma first visited
vehicles had to slow to pass each other on Haifa. Clara Dunn had often asked when
the single track, an Australian man observed she was planning to go, and when Thelma
Thelma with her white raincoat, red umbrella, learned that the Universal House of Justice
all dressed up for any type of weather, and was to be elected in 1963, she thought that
called out, "What are you doing here?", to she should go before then. She turned to
which Thelma replied, "Well, I'm staying Greta Lake during a National Assembly
with friends of mine". He said his wife was meeting and asked "How about going to
up ahead and that she was welcome to stay Haifa?" to which Greta replied, "All right".
with them, or call on them if she needed Thus Greta and Aub Lake went on pilgrimhelp, to which she replied that she was with age with Thelma in April 1961.
her Baha' i friends and that they were all When both women were once again
brothers and sisters. Many such tales did elected to the National Assembly in 1962,
Thelma have for the telling. Greta turned to Thelma and said, "We'll be
In 1957, at the instruction of the Guardian, going to Haifa for the International Conventhe Auxiliary Board was expanded. Collis tion". En route, Thelma visited Vietnam, rode
Featherstone was appointed a Hand of the elephants in Cambodia, and crnised through
Cause, and the two Hands in Australia, Clara Greece. In Haifa, she enjoyed sharing a room
Dunn and Collis Featherstone, appointed with Bahiyyih Ford from South Africa.
Thelma an Auxiliary Board member for During the Nine Year Plan, Thelma
Propagation. Thus while still a member of continued to serve as an Auxiliary Board
the National Assembly of Australia, Thelma member. In 1964, she attended the establishwas occupied throughout Asia and the Pacific ment of the National Spiritual Assembly of
as deputy for two Hands of the Cause. In the Southwest Pacific in Honiara, Solomon
September 1958, she represented the Auxil- Islands, and visited the Baha'is in the Papua
iary Board members in Australia at the New Guinea cities of Por1 Moresby, Lae,
Intercontinental Conference in Singapore. Madang, Manus, and Rabaul. She continued
Within Australia, Thelma continued to to travel within Australia, although in 1965
travel to various states explaining the plans she resigned as chairman of the Temple
of the National Spiritual Assembly. During Services Committee when the Universal
1959- 60, she visited more than 20 Baha'i House of Justice decided that Auxiliary
communities in cities and towns in Western Board members could no longer also be
Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New members of such committees.
South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian In 1968, Thelma was appointed to the
Capital Territory. In 1961 , she visited the Continental Board of Counsellors for Aus-
Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasma- tralasia, together with Howard Harwood
nia, and Victoria. While in New Zealand and Suhayl 'Ala'i. The Australasian region
with Nell McMiles in 1962, Thelma visited included Australia and New Zealand, plus
nearly all of the Baha'i communities in that all islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans
country. lying south of the equator and between
906 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

of the Faith ... There are many Baha'is
moving about, footloose and irresponsible. We must be disciplined people. How
are we going to bring in the World Order
of Baha'u 'llah if the Baha'i Faith comes
last in our lives? ... Let us have more
enthusiasm! We must draw upon each
other. When we think each day of our
bounties, it gives us new life. This Cause
can renew every atom of the body ... Call
on us (the Counsellors) to help you to
serve.
Thelma was loved and respected by the
Austráalian Baha'i community because she
led by example. Although weighed heavily
with responsibilities as Counsellor, Thelma
continued to travel throughout Australia and
the Pacific. In 1971, she was accompanied
by Nell McMiles to the Oceanic Conference
in Sapporo, Japan. Soon after their appoint-
Thelma Perks
ment, the Counsellors ananged in conjunction
with the National Assembly a conference in
longitudes of 80 degrees east and 120 degrees Melbourne to mark the 150th anniversary of
west including Portuguese Timor and the the Birth of the Bab. It was Thelma's privi-
Gilbert and Ellice Islands, but not including lege to introduce to the conference the Hands
Indonesia. Thelma was designated Trnstee of of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qasim Fayc:Ji and
the Continental Fund. Collis Featherstone.
When addressing Baha'i gatherings, Thelma The Counsellors organised oilier major
reminded the friends of the responsibilities conferences, including one immediately foland the devoted work of the Hand of the Cause lowing the annual convention in Melbourne
of God in Australia, Collis Featherstone. She in 197 4 to mark the commencement of the
was able to draw the attention of the friends Five Year Plan, attended by the Hand of the
to their high calling, and enthuse them about Cause of God Dr. Ral~rnatu'llah Muhajir and
the tasks at hand. The words with which she some 500 participants. In October 1974, the
closed the Australian community's National Counsellors organised a conference in Sydney
Convention in 1970 convey something of the to coincide with the 155th Anniversary of
uplifting effect she had on the community. the Birth of the Bab, which was attended by
She began by reminding her listeners that 200 Baha'is. Thelma closed the conference
the Dum1s were the "spiritual conquerors of by saying:
a Continent" and that Shoghi Effendi had
given nobody else this station. She went on The Five Year Plan has something perto say: sonal about it- it touches our hearts.
Self-sacrifice is at the core of every-
The Guardian used to praise the Austra- thing-sacrifice of our time, energy and
lian Baha'is-we must justify his faith resources. This is the challenge of each
and confidence in us ... If we do not arise one of us. We have the inspiration of the
to serve, 'Abdu'l-Baha says we fall to the pioneers that have gone out. Each one can
rear in the Army of Life-perhaps go out do something, according to our capacity.
IN MEMORIAM 907
Early in 1974, the Counsellors met in JOANNE L. M ENKING
Noumea, then visited the New Hebrides. Knight ofBaha' u' llah
Thelma and Vi Hoehnke went on to visit the 1927- 1988
Solomons, where about 60 islanders became
Baha'is dming a conference. The two women JoAnne L. Kinsey was born to Wylton and
then moved on to Papua New Guinea. Leila Kinsey on 29 April 1927 in Harlan,
In January 1977, all the Counsellors of Indiana, U.S.A. She and her two brothers
the Australasian Board attended the Sixth grew up during the Great Depression, and
International Teaching Conference, held in her hard-working Protestant parents showed
Auckland, New Zealand. love with strictness as did many parents of
Thelma's retirement from the Continental that time and place. That encouraged inde-
Board of Counsellors was announced by the pendence, and JoAnne and her brothers were
House of Justice in a letter dated 3 November on their own at a young age .
1980. Thelma spent her years ofretirement in When she was eighteen years old, JoAnne
her Mosman home, and continued to visit the began a new job as a secretary at Interna-
House of Worship and participate in Baha'i tional Harvester in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
activities in the Sydney area. There, she met a young woman named Betty,
Thelma retained her dignified bearing and whose first impression of JoAnne was her
cheerful nature in her final years, though overwhelming physical beauty and, despite
hampered in her movements and activities that beauty, her humility. The two started a
by a paralysing stroke. She will be remem- friendship that lasted for more than forty
bered as a pure soul and a gracious lady. years. They became integral parts of each
Following her passing, the Universal House others lives, sharing many common interests
of Justice sent a message to the National such as sewing and entertaining.
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia JoAnne met Howard E. Menking on a
on 25 May 1988 which read: blind date during a furlough from his U.S.
WE ARE DEEPLY GRIEVED TO LEARN OF Navy service, before he depa1ied for the
THE PASSING OF THELMA PERKS WHOSE OUT- Pacific front during the second World War.
STANDING SERVICES FOR THE PROMOTION OF They met again after the War through a
THE FAITH IN AUSTRALASIA WILL LONG BE chance meeting in a drugstore in Fort Wayne.
REMEMB ERED. HER LOV ING CA RE OF HAN D They were married on 28 May 1948.
OF TH E CAUSE CLARA DUNN, HER DISTIN- JoAnne and Howard were joined on their
GU ISHED WORK AS A MEMBER OF TH E FIRST honeymoon by JoAnne ' s friend, Betty, and
CONTINGENT OF AUXILIARY BOARD MEMB ERS her new husband, Bud (Robe1i) Hopkins.
FO LLOWED LATER BY HER APPOINTM ENT They went to Chicago, and as they were
AS A MEMB ER OF THE FIRST BOARD OF COUN- driving along Lake Michigan, north of the
SELLORS IN AU STRALASIA, TOGETHER WITH city, they passed an unusually beautiful
HER MANY YEARS OF SERVICE AS A MEMBER structure. JoAnne stuck her camera out of
OF TH E NATIONAL SPIRITUAL AS SEMBLY OF the window and took a blurred and crooked
AUSTRALIA, STAN D AS SOME OF THE HIGH- photograph that, for her family, serves as
LIGHTS OF HER DEVOTED LABORS. PRAY ERS a remnant of the moment the seed of
ARE BEi 'G OFFERED IN THE HOLY SHRINES Baha'u'llah's Revelation was planted in their
FOR TH E PROGRESS OF HER SOUL IN THE lives, as that building was the Baha' i House
ABHA KING DOM . ADVISE HOLD A BEFITTING of Worship.
MEMORIA L SERVICE IN HER HONOUR IN TH E Back in Fmi Wayne, the two new couples
MAS l-IRIQ U'L-ADHKAR, A SIMILA R SE RVI CE IS settled down. JoAnne continued working for
BEING REQUESTED IN SAMOA. International Harvester and Howard sold
GRA HAM I-I ASSAL L and repaired Royal typewriters . On one of
908 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

assuring her he would pray for their marriage. Miraculously, their difficulties were
resolved by a course of events initiated on
that date penned by the Guardian.
Together JoAnne and Howard attended
the dedication of the Mother Temple of the
West, which JoAnne had photographed during their honeymoon. This took place during
the Jubilee Convention in 1953, and they
joined in the mood of the American Baha'i
community that was both compelling and
historic. Baba 'is literally went to the front of
the auditorium in answer to the Guardian's
call for pioneers during the Ten Year Crnsade.
JoAnne and Howard stayed quiet, after
their experience in Brazil, but at one point
Dorothy Baker approached them and asked,
"When are you two going to stand up?"
Exactly what happened next is a matter of
debate, but that winter the Menkings were
JoAnne Menking sailing towards a Pmiuguese penal colony
300 miles off the coast of West Africa.
his sales calls Howard met an elderly Baha'i The Menkings anived in Cape Verde in
woman who took an interest in him. Once a January 1954. Life was difficult for them,
week, on Wednesday nights, she would join and JoAnne did not like the place. To her
the four young people in the Hopkins' home it was dry, miserable and tedious, but she
and talk to them about the Baha ' i Faith. found comfort in her sewing and the friend-
With infinite patience she met with them ships they made. Howard, on the other hand,
every week for a year. That woman, respon- loved Cape Verde as for him it was chalsible for nearly single-handedly raising up a lenging, exciting, and a virgin tenitory for
thriving Baha'i community in Fort Wayne, the Faith. A pattern developed of JoAnne
was Pauline Roth. serving as gracious hostess to guests Howard
JoAnne and Howard emolled in the Faith met and brought home.
in 1949, during a special fireside with a Although they made friends, they could
Baha ' i pioneer to South America. That same not find anyone interested in the Faith.
night they decided to pioneer to Brazil, Howard was having a difficult time earning
and within a few months they had travelled a living and he wrote to the Guardian, asking
to New York to board a ship to Sao Paulo. his permission to leave and join the Baha'i
While in New York the couple met Juliet teachers on the mainland of Africa where
Thompson in her apaiiment there. Howard had experience with Mtisa Banani
Despite the adventure and romance, in enrolling large numbers of believers in
JoA1me and Howard found it impossible the Gambia. The Guardian advised them,
to make a living in Brazil and returned to difficult as it was, to remain at their post,
Indiana. They discussed beginning a Year of recalling the prophecy of Daniel that in the
Patience and JoAnne, requesting clarification last days the angels of the Lord would spread
on this law from Shoghi Effendi , received a to the four corners of the ea1ih. Theirs was,
letter written on behalf of the Guardian in as all the Knights of Baha'u'llah, the fulfilwhich he added a postscript in his own hand ment of this prophecy.
JN MEMORIAM 909

JoAnne had been told that she was medi- affluent suburb named University Park and
cally incapable of bearing children. But in it was there that the Menkings settled in
Cape Verde they met a young Angolan doctor 1959. In 1964, JoAnne gave birth to her
in exile, trained in Lisbon, who, upon hear- third child, Cornell Howard Menking, coning ofJoAnne's problem, offered to examine ceived upon the Menkings' return from the
her. To everyone's amazement, she consented first Baha'i World Congress i.J.1 London,
to exploratory surgery right there in Praia. England.
Whatever the mysterious operation, it JoAnne's passion and devotion in life
resulted in the birth of Cristina Pauline became her children. Inspired by 'Abdu'l-
Menking, a namesake of Pauline Roth who Baha, she served the Cause through example
had taught the Menkings the Faith. Cristina's and hospitality. For the next thirty years
birth date was 25 December 1955, and the JoAnne graciously served as hostess for the
Cape Verdeans embraced her as "our little Baha'i community in University Park. Her
caboverdeana". They also embraced the home was open to those of every race, reli-
Baha'i Faith: "How could these people, with gion and class, striving to have what Shoghi
such a beautiful child-born on our soil on Effendi called "a háue fortress upon which
Christmas Day- be heathens as the church the Cause can rely while planning its
says?" campaigns".
The little caboverdeana provided exactly JoAnne was a háustworthy, humble, truthwhat the Faith needed to take root in Cape ful and loyal woman whose love for justice
Verde . Some months later Frutuoso ("fruit- dominated her daily life. She was an imful") became the first local Baha'i, and by peccable dresser, always punctual, and an
Ri<;lvan 1956 the fust Local Spi.J.itual Assembly immaculate housekeeper. A practical woman
was forn1ed in Praia. when it came to truth, she wondered why
Feeling that the Faith was established everyone couldn't see as she did. "Anyone
in Cape Verde, JoAnne decided that their with half a brain should be a Baha'i", she
job was done. When Cristina was strong wou ld say. It was simple for her.
enough to travel, JoAnne set off for the The Menkings' life developed a routine,
United States while Howard stayed behind to which is how JoA1me liked it. She loved
complete his work and arrange for a passage stability and the education of her children
back. While still in Praia, he received corre- was of the uhnost importance to her. One of
spondence from the Guardian giving his best her grandmothers had been a librarian and
wishes to their "children" in a hand-written her brother was a respected judge in Indiana,
postscript. This seemed like a mistake as yet she, herself, had been unable to complete
they only had Cristina at the time. high school due to a double case of scarlet
Upon returning to America, Howard and rheumatic fever when she was seventeen
learned that the beloved Guardian had passed years old. She was actively involved in the
away and that their second child had been children's education, putti.J.1g all three through
conceived. The Guardian's wishes had been Southern Methodist University by working
conveyed even before JoAnne 's pregnancy as a secretary to the Provost, taking advanhad been confirmed by doctors. Named after tage of tuition benefits for dependents of
an early Cape Verdean Baha ' i, Claremundo university employees.
("light of the world"), Clare Howard Menking The Menkings raised thei.J.á children to
was born in Clarksville, Tennessee on 27 Jan- have open minds and hearts , free from hate
uary 1958. and free to choose their own destinies. All
Following a brief stay i.J.1 Clarksville, the tluáee arose to serve the Faith, and this is how
Menkings joined the Hopkins in Dallas, JoAnne would like to be remembered- by
Texas. Pioneers were badly needed in an the fruit she yielded.
910 THE BAH A' i WORLD

0 ye loving mothers, know ye that in 'Aziz had the bounty of going on pilgrim-
God 's sight, the best of all ways to wor- age for the first time in 1936, when he was
ship Him is to educate the children and honoured by being in the beloved Guardtrain them in all the pe1fections of ian ' s presence for eleven days . He had
humankind; and no nobler deed than this the privilege of meeting the Guardian for a
can be imagined. second time in 1953, after attending the
- 'Abdu'l-Baha 1 inauguration of the Templ e in Wilmette,
Illinois, U.S.A.
JoAnne Menking died in Dallas, Texas,
On the first day of Ri<;lvan 1955,
on 26 May 1988-two days before her fortieth
' Azizu ' tlah Shayani left Tihran to begin the
wedding anniversary. She is buried beside
successful teaching and pioneering efforts
her son , Clare.
which were to last close to 30 years. He
C ORNELL M EN K fNG
went first to Cairo, Egypt, on his way to
attend the National Convention, then to
Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.
'Azizu'LLAH SHAYANi When after three months he found he could
1900-1988 not renew his visa, he left Madagascar for
Mauritius. After a three month stay, he set
'Azizu ' llah Shayani was born on I 0 January out for Reunion. On each of these three
1900, in Ramadan, Persia. He was from a islands he was successfu l in teaching many
Jewish background, and on ly his father, Aqa souls and form ing Assemb lies.
Ra~itn, and one of his uncles had become 'Aziz pioneered next to Asmara, Ethiopia.
Baha'is. 'Azizu'llah personally took on the Later, he set out fo r Nairobi, Kenya, and
task of independent search after truth and continued his teaching efforts there. While
attended the classes and firesides ofI:Iaji Mihdi in Nairobi, he carried out certain assign-
Arjumand (author of Gulshan-i-Haqa 'iq). ments as requested by the Hands of the
After a thorough investigation of the Faith, Cause of God residing in East Africa. As a
he embraced the Cause wholeheartedly. result, in addition to hi s teaching efforts, he
As a result of his extreme enthusiasm and travelled to Mogadishu, Somalia, and other
intelligence during his yo uth, ' Abdu ' l-Baha parts of East Africa .
acknowledged 'Azizu'llah in rep ly to a letter After a short trip to Tihran to consult with
from I:Iaji Amin , saying, "In truth, th is youth the pioneering committee, 'Aziz set out for
is worthy of affection". Following this, ' Aziz Italy to await the adv ice of the Hand of the
chose Shayani as his surname. (Shayan Cause of God Dr. Giachery about moving to
means "worthy" in Persian.) Portugal. Dr. Giachery, however, rather than
Upon completion of his studies, including suggesting Portugal, recommended pioneerlearning the French language, in I:Iarnadan, ing to Sicily with the hope of forming the
'Aziz moved to Tihran with his fami ly, Assemb ly in Pa lermo. After ' Aziz had stayed
where he worked in trade, importing electri- in Palenno fo r two years and had helped
cal supplies. He actively served the Faith in establish an Assembly there, Dr. Giachery
Tihran, particularly in the area of education. proposed he pioneer to Torino in Italy. ' Aziz
In 1922, he married Jan Khanum , and they stayed there for six years, where he was
raised four children dedicated to the Cause. quite successful in teaching the Cause.
Jan accompanied and aided him through In 1968, 'Aziz attended the Palermo Con-
30 years of pioneering. ference, then had the bounty of having a
third pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Whi le
1 Selections jiwn the Writings of 'A bdu '/-Baha there, a member of the Universal House of
(Haifa : Baha ' i World Centre, 1982) , p. 139. Justice suggested that he take on the task of
IN MEMORIAM 911

establishing the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Malagasy Republic and overseeing
the construction and repairs on the National
I:Ia~iratu'l - Quds in Antananarivo. He accepted the challenge and was in Madagascar
until 1974. In addition to constructing and
repairing the I:Ia~iratu' 1-Quds, purchasing
the land for the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, making
the preliminary anangements for making the
Baha'i Faith official in Madagascar, and
attending the International Convention, 'Aziz
was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly
of the Madagasy Republic in 1973. During
these six years, he travelled to teach in Ethiopia during the rainy season in Madagascar.
He also made two more trips to Reunion and
Mauritius in this period.
When 'Aziz left Madagascar, he visited
the friends in Uganda, Nigeria, Senegal and
Mali, then took residence in Casablanca,
Morocco. He participated in teaching trips 'Azizu 'llah Shciyani
in West Africa in 1975, but after attending
the Paris Conference in 1976, he was hospi- DEEPLY SADDENED PASSING STAUNCH STEAD-
talized and underwent surgery in the city of FAST PROMOTOR FAJTH AZIZOLLAH SHAY AN!.
Montpelier. His health began to deteriorate HIS PIONEERING SERV ICES OVER THREE
after this illness, and he was not able to DECADES IN AFR ICAN CONTINENT LOVINGLY
travel any more. REMEMBERED. ASSURE MEMBERS FAM ILY
In addition to having the bounty of being FERVENT PRAYERS 1-IOLY SHRJNES PROGRESS
in the presence of the beloved Guardian HIS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM .
twice, ' Aziz had the privilege of pilgrimage
on three other occasions. He was also able MR. LOTFOLLAH SCHAYANI AND

to attend the dedication ceremonies of the DR. NOSRATOLLAH SCHAYAN I
(Mr. Lutfu'llah Shayani and Dr. Nu~ ratu' ll ah Shayani)
Temples in Chicago, Sydney, and Frankfurt, Translated from the Persian by Goli Yazdani
and to attend the World Congress in London
in 1963. His other trips included such destinations as Japan, India and Pakistan.
He was a devoted and active Baha'i who,
in his 30-year-long pioneering endeavours ,
was engaged day and night in teaching and
promoting the Cause. Among his other services was the donation of a chandelier to the
Sluáine of the Bab.
He passed away on 11 June 1988 in his
home in Casablanca. His funeral was
conducted in utmost dignity at the Baha'i
cemetery in Casablanca. The following telegram was sent by the Universal House of
Justice on 13 June:
912 THE BAHA'I WORLD

ADIB RADHI BAGHDAD! ' Akka and spent almost all that he had to
(Adib Rac;li Bag!!_dadf) assist the friends to visit BaM'u' llah. It was
Knight ofBaM'u ' llah this heritage of service rather than material
1905- 1988 wealth that he left for his children.
The earliest memory that Adib had was
We are saddened to learn of the passing of being held by his mother while 'Abdu ' l-
áof Knight of Baha'u ' llah Adib Baghdadi Baha took coins from His pocket to play
whose services in the pioneering field will with the child. The last time he saw 'Abdu'lbe lovingly remembered. We will offer Baha was as a university student shortly
our prayers in the Shrine of Baha'u ' llah before the Master's ascension. But Adib
for the progress of his soul in the world never claimed special privileges by his
beyond .... descent; he rather made his family feel en-
Universal House of Justice nobled to have had spiritual forefathers of
4 July 1988 such stature, and by the example of his
devotion he showed them how to be faithful
Shortly after his birth in ' Iraq during the to this inheritance.
early years of this century, Adib Bag!!_dadi's Adib's father died when Adib was just
parents, as was the custom among some a boy, so Adib took an early graduation to
of the eastern Baha'is of that day, asked teach school to support his family and assist
'Abdu ' l-Baha to name their son. The name with the education of his brothers and sister.
'Abdu' l-Baha chose was "Adib Rac;li": the While still young he became the secretary of
pleasing one. No man was ever more faithful the National Spiritual Assembly of ' Iraq and
to his name and to a trust placed on him for many years corresponded in that capacity
than Adib Bag!!_dadi was to the Master and with the Guardian, having the opportunity
to His gift. A man of extraordinary patience to meet Shoghi Effendi twice. He was
who avoided giving offense to any person transformed by the dynamic vision of the
and whose life was marked by devotion and Guardian, crediting Shoghi Effendi's influsacrifice, Adib pleased all who knew him. ence with having recreated him.
He could trace his family lineage through While a teacher in 'Iraq, he pioneered
three generations of faithful servants to the in the north of that country in Mosul and
Cause. His great grandfather, Mul)ammad Sulaymaniyyih. In I 953, he resolved to attend
al-Shibi, was the first Arab to become a the conference in New Delhi that was to
Babi. It is his son, MuJ:iammad Mu~tafa inaugurate the Ten Year Crusade. When he
Bag!!_dadi, who is characterized by ' Abdu ' l- was refused leave, he quit his job of32 years.
BaM in Memorials of the Faithful as having While in India, before the conference began ,
recognized Baha' u' llah 's station before He he had a dream in which the Guardian called
publicly declared, and as the only Baha' i in for pioneers to virgin territories. When that
Bag!!_dad during those early years who stood historic summons did in fact arrive from
his ground in the face of opposition. When Shoghi Effendi urging the assembled Baha'is
Baha' u'llah sent instructions to the Baha'i to open the remotest regions of the world
community of 'Iraq to put aside its weapons, to the Cause, Adib chose one of the most
MuJ:iammad Mu~tafa called the believers inhospitable goals and left directly for
together, collected the arsenal of the com- Hadramut (now South Yemen).
munity in his cloak, and threw it into the He could not find work in Hadramut for
Tigris Ri ver. Defenseless, the Baha' is of a year, in a country so desolate that when
Bag!!_dad often turned to him for the protec- he was finally able to send for his wife,
tion of his indomitable personality. He became VaJ:iidih, she used to keep an onion in a glass
a way station to the Baha'is travelling to of water just to see a green growing thing.
IN MEMORIAM 913

As there were no schools there, they had the Writings and did so with the greatest
their three oldest children board at the New humility. Having been in the presence of
Era School in India. Adib was not able to see 'Abdu ' l-Baha several times, he always carthem for almost four years. He remained at ried with him the inner conviction and calm
his post for six years, not leaving until he was of those who knew the Master. In his chosen
sure that the Cause of God would remain corner of the edifice ofBaha'u'llah's Adminestablished in that land. It was for this service istrative Order, Adib laid his bricks humbly
that Adib and Val)idih Ba@dadi were made and without ostentation.
Knights of Ba ha 'u ' llah and had their names In many ways he reaffirmed the sacrifices
inscribed on the Roll of Honour deposited in of his grandfather, and in a spirit appropriate
the Shrine ofBaha'u'llah at Bahji. to this generation of the Formative Age.
When pioneers were needed in northern Just as Mul?ammad Mu~tafa had plunged his
' Iraq, the family went there. Five years later weapons-the means and symbols of his
they went to Kuwait, and another six years strength and independence-into the Tigris,
later to Lebanon. Each time when they were Adib in both word and deed put off all
called they left to go to another remote and pretention: he wore no armor to impress.
often hostil e environment. But the protection Gracious and generous, no matter how little
and divine help that Adib and his family ex- he had, he was as detached from the treaperienced often reminded them of the promise sures of this world as was his grandfather.
of Baha'u'llah to those who would arise to For those who knew him, he was indeed a
test the power of His Cause. "pleasing one". He kept calm in the eye of
It was during those years that his two the storm, and was an anchor of certitude
younger brothers, Dr. 'Abbas and Dr. Jamil, in the communities in which he served.
who had served the government and peopl e Having served selflessly and for most of
of' Iraq loyally and selflessly for many years, his adult life on Baha' i administrative bodwere imprisoned for their religious beliefs. ies, including National Spiritual Assemblies,
Dr. 'Abbas died in prison; Dr. Jamil spent and having undertaken the most arduous
six years there. Adib and his family were pioneering challenges, he continued to the
forced to leave Lebanon when the 'Iraqi end of his life to protect and teach the Cause
government refused to renew the passports of God. For the last three years of his life,
of Baha' is li ving abroad. They went as refu- when he was past 80, at a time when even
gees to Canada, leaving behind any hope of heroic men become captive to their mortalpension for their many years of service in ity, he served as an assistant to the Auxiliary
those countries, bringing with them only a Board, travelling in North America and
small savings. speaking throughout Ontario and New York.
It requires time and care to appreciate the His love for Shoghi Effendi was consumcontributions and influence of steady and ing; he could not speak of the Guardian
self-effacing men and women such as Adib without experiencing great emotion. Some
Bag!!dadi who quietly fu rther the goals of 35 years before his death Adib had seen
civilization. He was fluent in five languages, Shoghi Effendi in a dream. The Guardian
especially so in the three languages of the was climbing ahead of him effortlessly up a
Faith. He taught himself Persian by sh1dying steep grade. Adib felt himself falling behind,
the Kitab-i-iqan in both Arabic and Persian; overwhelmed by the enormous slope ahead.
Shoghi Effendi described his communica- Shoghi Effendi turned back, and with the
tions and translations in English and Arabic gentlest words encouraged him. The dream
as both accurate and literary. ended when he lost sight of the Guardian
Adib was always ready to share his who had pressed on ahead . This dream of his
profound knowledge and understanding of Beloved returned to him once again just two
914 TH E BAHA' I WORLD

ROSE HAWTHORNE
1882- 1988

Rose Hawthorne, born Rose Elizabeth
Brooks, was one of nine surviving children
born to Margaret and David Brooks, farmers
from Booleroo Centre, South Australia.
Born on 1 August 1882, Rose astonished her
elders while still a young girl by walking
down the street in a skirt which displayed
her ankles . This small episode, recounted
as she neared the age of 100, was indicative
of her desire to break with past traditions,
particularly those which inhibited the advancement of women.
The Brooks family was one of strong
Christian belief, and Rose 's father regularly
recited Bible passages to his children. He
frequently read aloud and pondered over
the passage, ''The Glory of God will cover
Adib Radhi Baghdadi the eaiih, even as the waters cover the sea".
Most of the Brooks children retained their
weeks before he died. In this last dream he interest in religion as they matured, although
was climbing the same steep slope, this time Rose, who married Will Hawthorne when
further up, but again despairing of reaching she was 26 and moved to his property
the top . On looking up he saw Shoghi adjoining the township of Yaninee on the
Effendi standing only a short distance away Eyre Peninsula, had given up all hope in
at the summit. As he watched, the Guardian the established religious and secular leaders.
reached down, and taking Adib by the hand, The loss of a brother, Norman, in the first
gently lifted him up . World War, contributed greatly to the fam-
As always, he had anticipated the sum- ily's disillusionment with the condition of
mons of his Lord. On the third day of Mercy the world.
in the Year 145 B.E. , within three days of In about 1930, Rose 's brother David
his 84th birthday, and the day after attending began attending meetings of"New Thought'',
an international Baha'i picnic where he saw and Rose herself went to a meeting on the
many friends for whom he was a spiritual New Thought platfom1 addressed by Clara
father, Adib BagQdadi died suddenly of a Dunn. She returned home to tell her sister
hea1i attack. Faithful and courageous to the Hilda of this woman who had spoken of a
end, his last words were, "I am a Baha'i". man thrown into prison. Lucy Trueman, who
NATIONAL SPIR ITUAL A SSEMBLY OF was also attending the New Thought meet-
THE BAH1\' is OF CANADA
ings at that time, told Hilda that an American
woman, Keith Ransom-Kehler, was about to
visit Adelaide to speak further about the
Baha'i religion. Thus, although they already
knew of the Baha'i Faith from Clara Dunn,
it was principally through Keith Ransom-
Kehler's lecture tour of 1931 that Rose and
Will Hawthorne, Rose's sister Hilda, Mrs.
IN MEMORIAM 915

Lucy Trueman, and eventually the remain- Assembly, Rose acted as her loyal and
der of the Brooks family, became Baha'is. competent assistant. At first she fulfilled this
Hilda Brooks, who lived in Adelaide, soon function informally but the importance of
became a member of the Adelaide Assem- her role was later recognised by the National
bly, and when the first National Spiritual Assembly, which officially appointed her as
Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia and clerical assistant to the National Secretary.
New Zealand was formed in 1934, she was Throughout the same period Rose worked
elected as its first secretary. Rose and Will with her sister to carry out significant and
Hawthorne had travelled with Hilda to effective teaching activities.
attend the historic first National Convention In 1941, for instance, Rose accompanied
in Sydney, and were among the few Adelaide Charlotte Moffitt and Hilda Brooks to Bris-
Baha'is present. bane to undertake the first teaching work
Although not wealthy, the Hawthornes there since the Dunns had lived in Brisbane
were sufficiently comfortable financially to more than a decade previously. The three
undertake inter-state teaching trips. Early in women stayed one month in Brisbane, and
1939 they had the privilege of accompany- Hilda and Rose organised public meetings in
ing Martha Root from Adelaide on her Melbourne on both the forward and return
lecturing visits to Melbourne and Hobart. journeys, in April and June. Two years later,
Miss Root had arrived in Adelaide from in September 1943, Rose and Hilda visited
Perth on 28 January 1939. Afflicted with the Broken Hill, where they again met up with
cancer which was to claim her life before Mrs. Moffitt, and with Miss Gladys Moody,
year's end, she was barely able to complete for another teaching campaign.
her schedule of public appearances. Only the In 1944, Rose assisted in Adelaide comkindness and care shown her by such munity' s planning for celebrations marking
Baha'is as Stanley Bolton, Hilda Brooks, the Centenary of the Declaration of the Bab.
and Rose and Will Hawthorne permitted her She continued to hold firesides and to travel
to continue. Shoghi Effendi later thanked the following her husband's passing in July
Hawthornes for the kindness which sus- 1947.
tained her during this period. It was Martha In addition to working with her sister, and
Root's heroic example that sustained Rose with other Baha 'i friends, Rose maintained
in her subsequent years of ceaseless eff01i her individual teaching efforts. For a period
to promote the teachings in which she so of eight years in the 1950s Rose travelled
whole-heaiiedly believed. regularly to Clare, a small country town far
Eventually, Rose and Will retired to the from Adelaide, to hold public meetings.
Adelaide suburb of Millswood; they had Departing Adelaide on Thursday night laden
never had any children. Over a period of with books, pamphlets, crockery and cakes,
many years they donated Baha'i books to the she conducted public meetings and returned
library at Adelaide University, and to inter- home on Sunday evenings. Often such meetested seekers in Adelaide and elsewhere. ings occurred in the Mayor 's parlour, which
Throughout the 1940s, Rose contributed to Rose rented for the occasions. The meetings
the functioning of the Adelaide community. were often chaired by a prominent non-
She was not a public speaker as was her Baha ' i businessman of the town whom Rose
sister. She preferred to offer practical assis- had befriended. Although audiences never
tance, such as being responsible for the fell below four or five, and sometimes rose
organisation of the Feasts, social activities, to seventeen or eighteen, the tangible results
and the Baha' i library. were few. Australian country towns were
Through the many years that Hilda notoriously conservative, and the influence
Brooks served as secretary to the National of the churches remained strong.
916 THE BAHA' I WORLD

is exactly what the Master and the
beloved Guardian told us would happen
when the Cause emerged from obscurity.
These attacks will not halt the spread of
the Faith; on the contrary, they will hasten the day when the people of the world
will in large numbers accept the Message
ofBaha'u ' llah.
Together with Ewaii and Hilda Thomas,
Rose travelled to teach in other South
Australian country towns, including Quorn,
Port Lincoln, and Yaninee. When the original Adelaide community evolved into smaller
communities based on municipal boundaries,
Rose became a founding member of the
Unley community.
Rose continued to serve the Faith right
up to the end of her life. When she began to
go blind, she would ask people to read to
her, always from the Baha' i Writings, intro-
Rose Hawthorn e ducing them to the Teachings that way. Rose
remained alert and a source of wisdom to the
When the editor of Clare's paper, the Adelaide Bah:i' is. She died 7 July 1988, at
Northern Argus, printed a lecture which had the age of 105.
been delivered by Hilda (who was now mar- GRAHAM H ASSALL

ried to Ewart Thomas), he was confronted in
his office by the clerics of the town's seven
Christian denominations. Their intolerance ELEANORE LORRAINE (RENE)
so outraged him that he informed Rose he HOPPER WELSH
would print "anything Mrs. Thomas cared 1903- 1988
to give him". No fewer than 15 articles subsequently appeared in the paper, provoking Rene, as she was known and loved, was born
continued persecution from an incensed body in Paris, France, on 25 February 1903 during
of clergymen. In March 1956, Rose received a time when her father, Herbert Hopper,
a cable from Shoghi Effendi which read and her mother, Marie Squires Hopper, were
"Assure Fervent Prayers Shoghi". studying there. Her parents had met at a
Before retiring from the Northern Argus, Baha ' i gathering in the Paris home of May
the paper's editor printed in instalments the Bolles, after which Herbert made a pilgrimentire work by George Townshend entitled age to 'Akka to visit the Master, returning
Christ and Baha 'u 'llah-a feat due entirely to Europe in the company of Thomas Breakto Rose's persistent effo1is in the town, and well. While in Paris he finished his studies
to her ability to convey to others the absolute of architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts .
conviction of her faith. This success, and the While Rene was still very young, the
opposition it provoked, caused the Hands of Hoppers returned to the United States where
the Cause residing in the Holy Land to state her father began to practice his profession
in a letter to Rose in October 1958: until his untimely death from tuberculosis
The wide-spread opposition which you when Rene was approximately five years old.
have encountered from mihodox elements Marie supported herself and her daughter
IN MEMORIAM 917
pamtmg portraits and teaching art while
living in Champaign, Illinois, and later on
the East Coast. Rene grew up hearing her
mother and friends speak of 'Abdu '1-Baha
constantly, to the point that she identified
Him as a father figure. Once when her mother
asked her to learn a prayer, Rene said that is
was too long. She said that if 'Abdu ' l-Baha
wanted her to learn a prayer He would reveal
one for her because He would know what
she wanted to say. When the next pilgrim,
Lua Getsinger, returned from the Holy Land,
she brought Rene's prayer, a prayer which
she used constantly and repeated during the
last hours of her life.
Rene was nine years old when 'Abdu'l-
Baha made His historic journey to the West.
Whenever possible, the Baha'is flocked to
the cities where He was visiting, hoping to
catch a glimpse of Him or to attend a meeting. The majority of the early Baba' is in the Eleanore Lorraine (R ene) Hopper Welsh
United States knew each other and offered
hospitality to each other. For example, an two other occasions stand out in her mem-
English friend who worked for the Library ory. One time, when He was speaking from
of Congress invited Marie and Rene to a public platfmm, the children were seated
Washington, D.C., to share her apartment. on the steps leading up to the stage. As He
Marie took her cook, Eurithra, to one of the spoke, He walked back and forth emanating
meetings and when they returned she told tremendous force and power. Rene's shoul-
Marie, "He is my Lord, He is my Lord". der was level with the platform where the
Since both Marie and Eurithra desired Master was speaking with such eloquence
to serve 'Abdu'l-Baha with their own hands, that he held everyone spellbound. As he
He was invited to tea at the apartment. He walked and turned she felt pressure on her
accepted on the condition that some black shoulder, and she realized that if she kept
people be invited. The only black person firm she would have the strength to meet
Marie knew, besides the cook, was Louis that holy test, a lesson she remembered all
Gregory, who was invited. When the blessed her life.
afternoon came, all Euritlu:a's family were In May 1912, Rene and her mother were
present and Marie was able to serve them granted an interview with 'Abdu ' l-Baha.
all with her own hands. They were all As it was the custom in the United States at
speechless with joy and Rene sat with the that time for the children to make baskets
other children as close as possible to 'Abdu'l- filled with flowers for their friends, Rene
Baha, almost afraid to breathe and bother made one for her "Very Special Friend," and
Him. He patted the children and put candies filled it with pansies and violets. His room
in their mouths while He was talking to the was at the end of a short hall, and when they
adults and then told the children to go out were announced and Rene saw Him standing
and play. in the door, she ran down the hall into His
Rene had the privilege of being in 'Abdu 'l- outstretched arms with her nine-year-old
Baha's blessed presence several times, but hea1i bursting with love. He hugged her and
918 THE BAHA'I WORLD

patted her saying in English, "Herbert's Summer School Committee, on the Regional
daughter, Herbert's daughter". His room was Teaching Committee, and as a delegate to
like a garden filled with flowers, and only state and national conventions.
the spirit and love of that blessed occasion, In 1953, Pete made a documentary on
not the words, remain. the dedication of the Temple in Wilmette.
But as was so often the case, another In 1969, they sold their photographic studio
lesson was learned that day. After their visit, and pioneered to El Salvador. After learning
the next guests were another mother and her enough of the language to become independaughter. The little girl had beautiful golden dent, they became homefront pioneers,
curls and blue eyes in contrast to Rene's moving to San Juan Tepezontes. Even though
straight black hair and grey-green eyes. Rene they could not speak the language well, they
was a beautiful person physically as well as served any way they could and have left the
spiritually, but when she was nine she defi- beautiful legacy of two slide programmes,
nitely fe lt inferior. Rene and her mother had one about the Life of the Bab and the other
asked pe1mission to stay in the waiting room about Baha'u'llah, both partially illustrated
for the hope of another glimpse of the with Rene's pastel drawings.
Master when He went for His walk. But In April 1980, Pete was the first pioneer
before that blessing, Rene first saw the little laid to rest in El Salvador. He was joined by
girl with the golden curls walking down the Rene on 3 August 1988.
short hall, carrying with such joy the flower JEA NN E FARRAN D

basket that Rene had made with all her love.
This is when Rene began to meditate on her
actions and began to learn the true spirit of DORA (DEE) WORTH LAMB
giving. She said she learned from this one 1903- 1988
experience lessons for the rest of her life.
'Abdu'l-Baha gave Rene the name of Dora Worth Lamb, generally known as Dee,
Nuriyyih, "follower of the Light." She was was born 17 March 1903 on a fann near
too shy to use a Persian name when she was Moran, Kansas, U.S.A. A few years later,
growing up, something that she regretted the family moved to Oskaloosa, Iowa, where
later in her life. she grew up . As she told it, she was deeply
When Rene became a young adult she concerned at an early age about what she
moved from Urbana, Illinois, to New York was going to do with her life. She was deter-
City, where she was a member of some of the mined not to stay in Oskaloosa and become
early Local Assemblies. In 1926 she married a "drndge'', and finally opted for music and
Clarence Loher Welsh, known as Pete, who voice with which she was enamored. With
was a commercial photographer. At that time the aid of a partial scholarship and working
Pete had not accepted the Faith, although as a private secretary, she was able to study
they met because he had come to a meeting at the Conservatory of Music at Appleton,
in Urbana to investigate the new religion. Wisconsin, and graduate with honors. She
Rene followed the career of commercial continued her voice lessons in California,
art, making use of her talent and helping her becoming a soloist in several churches in
husband in his career as he progressed from Los Angeles.
still black and white photography to colour, As a youth, Dee had been very active in
and then to motion pictures. In 1936, they the Methodist Church. One day she confided
moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, where in in her pastor that she wanted to know more
1946 Pete accepted the Faith. They helped to about God, and she put to him some very
establish the first Local Assembly and Rene sincere questions . He refused to answer,
served for many years on the Green Acre telling Dee just to accept what she had been
IN MEMORIAM 919
taught and not ask questions . This started and the Antilles, and one year on the
Dee's search which was to lead her many National Spiritual Assembly of the same area.
years later to the Baha'i Faith. She decided In 1956, she transfened to the Dominican
that she was going to throw out all creeds Republic to help with the formation of the
and limitations until she found something first National Spiritual Assembly of the
that would satisfy her spiritual inquietude. Greater Antilles, serving on that body as
The search included Theosophy, which she secretary. In 1958, she returned to Central
studied intensively for four years with the America, to El Salvador, for her maniage
grandson of Madam Blavatsky, its founder. to Artemus Lamb who was then pioneering
According to Dee, Theosophy was a useful in that country. The following 30 years were
stepping stone which aided her to enlarge spent with her husband in different countries
her vision of life and the universe, but it still in Cenháal America, serving the varying
left her soul unsatisfied. needs of the Faith, including the filling of
While she was still studying Theosophy, many administrative posts.
a friend, a former Theosophist, told Dee Dee's entire Baha'i life was centered
about the Baha'i Faith, giving her the book around serving the Faith with all her heart.
God Passes By. Dee said she had no real In addition to devotion and steadfastness,
interest but felt that it would be prejudiced one of her outstanding qualities was an outto make any judgment without an investiga- going love for people which she constantly
tion, so she read the book, according to her expressed and which automatically attracted
"combing Persian names out of my hair in to her persons of all ages and walks of life.
the process." Later, she asked her friend why Since her own long search had been a deeply
she had selected that particular book to start, spiritual one, she was particularly apt in
and the friend answered that it was to show counselling individuals on personal problems
Dee that the Baha'i Faith was something and sharing with them spiritual solutions.
entirely different from anything she had Another outstanding quality was her cheerknown so far. It worked, and Dee bought a fulness and radiant spirit. She constantly
number of Baha'i books and started her wore a smile and possessed a very infectious
search in earnest. After an exhaustive inves- laugh, and was always ready to hear the
tigation, she knew that this was what her humorous side of things.
soul had been looking for and she formally In later years, arthritis and other infinnientered the Faith in the summer of 1953 in ties increasingly cut down on her physical
Beverly Hills. activities, so she spent more and more time
In November of the same year, her future praying for others and for the institutions
husband visited Beverly Hills immediately and work of the Faith. Even though confined
following his pilgrimage to the Baha'i World to a wheelchair and racked with illness, she
Centre. It happened that Dee was on vaca- usually managed to attend Nineteen Day
tion so she offered to drive him around to Feasts and other imporiant Baha'i activities.
the different communities to share his expe- During her final months of existence on
riences and the latest news of the Guardian. this earthly plane, when she could no longer
She became so fired up that she made her really function physically, she constantly
offer to go pioneering anywhere in the expressed her gratitude to Baha'u'llah for
world. Some six months later she anived in His goodness to her. It is this loving and
Costa Rica, on the first lap of her pioneer radiant spirit that people almost always
life which ended only with her passing to the remember when they mention Dee 's name.
Abha Kingdom. On 14 August 1988, her soul passed to
In Costa Rica, she served on the National the Abha Kingdom, leaving "her bones" in
Teaching Committee for Central America La Ceiba, Honduras, in accordance with
920 THE BAHA'I WORLD

SHIRLEY LINDSTROM
(Adaz Ayamdagoot)
1937-1988

Shirley Lindstrom was born to Peter and
Agnes Johns of Carcross, Yukon, Canada,
on 19 July 1937. She was a member of the
Daxlawedi clan under the Gooch (Wolf)
nation moiety of the Tlingit people. Her
tribal name, Adaz Ayamdagoot, meant "it
got up with a purpose and walked away
from there". She lived up to this name by
embracing the Baha'i Faith in 1963 and
walking with the purpose of taking the Faith
throughout the world.
Shirley was raised in the Carcross area.
During 1957 she married Claire Lindstrom
and together they raised a family of six children: Darla-Jean, Beverly, Ralph, Calvin,
Colin, and Tim. She was a wonderful, loving
Dora (Dee) Worth Lamb mother, not only to her children but to the
many people with whom she came in conthe wishes of the beloved Guardian for all tact. She always had time to hear a person's
pioneers, as expressed through the Hand of joys or sorrows and to assist in the healing
the Cause of God Amatu ' l-Baha Rul~iyyih process of that individual.
Khanum during the All-American Teaching Shirley and Cal moved to Stewart Cross-
Conference held in Wilmette, Illinois , in ing in the Yukon, and during this time they
195 3. became Baha'is. Several Baha'i travelling
The following cable was sent by the Uni- teachers had given the message to Shirley,
versal House of Justice on 26 August 1988 but it was not until her father, aunt, and
to the National Spiritual Assembly of the other elders accepted the Faith that she
Baha'is of Honduras: declared her belief in Baha'u ' llah. Once
they embraced this trnth, Shirley and Cal
DEEPLY SADDENED PASSING OUTSTANDING moved to Mayo to open this community to
MUCH-LOVED VETERAN PIONEER TEACHER the Faith, and assisted in the fom1ation of
CAUSE GOD DEE LAMB. HER LONGTERM AND the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is
EXEMPLARY SERVICES, STERLING QUA LITIES of Mayo. Shirley served on this sacred insti-
AND UN FLAGGING RAD IANT DEVOTION WIL L tution for many years.
LONG BE REMEMBERED. ASSURE ARDENT Shortly after becoming a Baha' i, Shirley
PRAY ERS HOLY SHRINES FOR JOY AND UP- made her first pilgrimage to Haifa, Israel,
LIFTM ENT HER CHER ISHED SOUL ABHA to visit the sacred shrines and lands of the
KINGDOM. KINDLY EXTEND OUR HEARTFELT Faith. It was the incredible love and strength
CONDOLE CES DISTINGU ISHED HUSBAND AND she received that drew her back to the World
GRIEVING FRIENDS. Centre a second and third time. On her sec-
ARTEMus LA M B ond pilgrimage she also vis ited the House of
the Bab in Shiraz, Iran. She was one of the
first indigenous North Americans to visit the
birthplace of the Baha'i Faith.
IN MEMORIAM 921
Shirley's thirst to serve the Cause of
Baha'u'llah took her to many places around
the world, such as to Mexico and Europe,
and she travelled extensively throughout
Canada and the United States. Because of
her love for her Indian brothers and sisters
and her desire for their spiritual education,
she served as the director of the Fort
Qu 'Appelle Institute for two years. She was
a major participant in the proclamation in
the Yukon in the early 1970s, which resulted
in the enrolment of more than 100 Baba'is.
She made every effort to educate the people
who accepted Baba'u'llah. These efforts
finally led to the construction of the Yukon
Baha'i Institute at Lake LaBarge-a dream
come true.
Shirley served Baba'u'llah in many ways.
She was entrusted by the people of the Yukon
to act as their representative at the sacred
elections of the National Spiritual Assem- Shirley Lindstrom
bly. She carried out this duty with dignity,
love, respect, and honour. In the latter part After her death, a tribal elder bestowed
of the 1970s, she became an assistant to Shirley's name upon the Yukon College.
the Auxiliary Board member for the Yukon, Thus her name lives on, giving knowledge
Howard Brown of Alaska. She served in this and enlightenment to the people.
capacity until 1985, when she herself was
asked to take on the duties and responsibili- MARK WEDGE

ties of an Auxiliary Board member.
Shirley's life was devoted to the service of
this mighty Cause, a service which she car- MELITON SAAVEDRA GALLARDO
ried out joyfully. She was constantly moving 1910-1988
from one area to another until, shortly after
returning from a teaching trip, she was hos- Melit6n Saavedra was born 15 March 1910
pitalized and was no longer able to travel. in the village ofTapalilla, located in the prov-
By becoming a well-known and devoted ince of Oropeza, department of Chuquisaca,
international Baha'i teacher, Shirley lived up Bolivia. His native language was Quechua,
to her Indian name. She moved with a pur- but he learned a little Spanish while he was a
pose and a sháong conviction the world over, soldier during the Chaco War (1932-1935).
spreading the healing Message ofBaba'u' llah. Melit6n was a prisoner of war for two years
She will always be regarded as a valiant, in Paraguay. He and other indigenous people
noble servant of His Cause and will continue suffered intensely during this period, when
to be honoured and loved by those many they were forced to endure hard labor with
nations to whom she was a guest. Even in only bread and water to eat. Melit6n said
her tin1es of suffering and illness, she contin- that if it hadn' t been for his faith and God's
ued to be a selfless and radiant spirit, passing help he would surely have died during that
away peacefully in her sleep on 17 August time. He always wondered why one must
1988. suffer and even die for a piece of land that
922 THE BAHA'i WORLD

This group fervently recalled their fom1er
culture and also the promises and principles
of their previous religion, such as (ama sua)
do not steal, (ama llulla) do not lie, (ama
qhella) be diligent in your work. These principles continued to inspire them. They still
believed in the prophecies of Wiracocha,
the Inca prophet, who spoke of His people's
return to their former greatness, and the
return of the dignity of their race . Another
prophecy they remembered said that a messenger would come from across the sea to
instrnct and protect them.
Melit6n wanted to meet people of other
nations so he joined a group of Protestants
led by foreign missionaries. A short time later
he was criticized for his ideas and ostracized. One night he had a dream in which
many of his people wore their hair with
yellow, black and white braids and he heard
Melit6n Saavedra Gallardo a voice that said, "Don't feel sad, because
I will send you a religion of unity." Thus,
doesn't belong to him. After Melit6n was when Melit6n heard the Message of
liberated he returned to Bolivia, settling in Baha 'u'llah about unity of all the races as
Sucre. one family, and of His plan for world peace
It was because of these experiences that and justice for all the nations, he understood
Toribio Miranda, a wise man and spiritual that his dream had been fulfilled. After three
leader of a large group of indigenous people days of inquiry and discussion, he entered
known as "Alcaldes Mayores Particulares," the Faith in July of 1960.
chose Melit6n to help him guide the people Soon after entering the Faith, Melit6n
of indigenous villages toward freedom and arose to spread the Teachings ofBaha'u'llah
justice. They climbed to the top of the across the mountains and valleys of Chumountain, killed a rooster or a lamb as a sac- quisaca, usually alone and on foot. For many
rifice begging God (Janajpacha Tatanchej), years he and his wife Ricarda, later an Aux-
Father Sky, or Father Sun and Mother Earth iliary Board member, opened their house in
(la Pachamama), that they be protected and Sucre and it became a major teaching center
blessed in their path. This deeply spiritual for the next 28 years.
movement bridged five of the nine depart- In 1962, the Central Union for Indigenous
ments in Bolivia and gathered thousands of Peoples accused Melit6n of confusing and
indigenous peoples who said they walked misleading the people in various provinces
with the spirit. The Quechua word they used with the Baha'i teachings. Because of this
for spirit could also mean "to fly." Their he was held in jail for three days, once again
enemies used this double meaning to accuse on a diet of bread and water. During those
them of flying as evil demons. The native days he was kicked and beaten. He suffered
authorities along with the department leaders and lamented because of this unjust punishin the capital didn' t understand them; they ment, but he never lost faith . After several
persecuted them, and to this day the names months ofrecuperation he began again walkof the ma1tyred are remembered. ing through the mountains teaching the Faith
IN MEMORIAM 923
and inviting the friends to his home, where When the Universal House of Justice
they would deepen in the Faith each night. heard of his passing, it sent the following
In 1964, when Melit6n heard that the message to Bolivia on 7 October:
Hand of the Cause of God Amatu 'l-Baha
Rul;iyyih Khanum would visit Chuquisaca, DEEPLY SADDENED LEARN PASSING OUT-
he refrained from cultivating his parcel of STANDING QUECHUAN PROMOTER FAITH
land in order that a huge conference of MELITON SAAVEDRA OF CHUQUISACA. HIS
indigenous people could be held there. STEADFASTNESS UNDER PERSECUTION HIS
On one of his teaching trips to the moun- COURAGEOUS DEFENSE CAUSE OVER EXTEN-
tains, Melit6n rode in the back of a truck SIVE PERIOD OF SERVICE WILL BE LONG
loaded with cement. The truck turned over, REMEMBERED. HIS ENCOURAGING INFLUENCE
causing the bags of cement to fall on top AMONG HIS FELLOW BELIEVERS WILL BE
of him and break his hip. From then on he SORELY MISSED. KINDLY EXTEND OUR DEEP
had trouble walking and suffered great pain, HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES GRIEVING FRIENDS
but he continued travelling to teach in spite AND MEMBERS HIS DISTINGUISHED MUCH-
of his physical handicap. Melit6n always LOVED FAMILY. ASSURE ALL OFFERING FER-
had an illumined spirit, a love of God, and a VENT PRAYERS FOR THE BOUNTIFUL REWARD
desire to lead people toward their spiritual COMFORT AND PROGRESS HIS SOUL KINGDOM
path. Along with the friends in Chuquisaca, ON HIGH.
he always wanted a center of education for
indigenous people which he referred to as Amatu 'l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum and
"The House which Illumines the World." Counsellor Mas 'lid Khamsi sent the follow-
With this goal in mind, he and his family ing cable:
donated a piece of land and a bull to the
National Spiritual Assembly. ... KINDLY EXPRESS TO HIS FAMILY OUR DEEP-
Toward the end of his life, Melit6n suf- EST SYMPATHY PASS ING SUCH COURAGEOUS
fered from cancer, but he remained steadfast FAITHFUL BAHA'I TEACHER WHOM WE
with an attitude of detachment and prayer KNEW, TRA YELLED WITH AND LOVED FOR
because he knew he was nearing the AbM MANY YEARS. ASSUREDLY THIS EXEMPLARY
Kingdom. During the last few days of his SERVANT BAHA'U 'LLAH RECEIVING RICH
life he asked that his Baha'i credentials REWARDS HIS SERVICES ABHA KINGDOM.
be sent to Sucre from La Paz, in case MAY FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOLLOW HIS
Baha'u'llah asked for them. The last day he EXAMPLE OF SACRIFICIAL SERVICE TO FAITH.
called his family and told them to continue LOVING CONDOLENCES ENTIRE BOLIVIAN
teaching in his name, that, against custom, COMMUNITY LOSS THIS OUTSTANDING FOL-
no alcoholic beverages should be served at LOWER BAI-IA'U'LLAI-1.
his funeral, that he be buried according to ATHOS COSTAS

Baha'i Jaw, and that his Baha 'i credentials
be buried with him. With steadfastness and
serenity, in spite of great pain, Melit6n JOHANNE H0EG
passed to the next world on 6 October 1988. 1891-1988
Playing a funeral march, veterans of the
Chaco War accompanied the funeral proces- Johanne H0eg passed away shortly before
sion through the streets of Sucre to the midnight on 13 November 1988, and with
cemetery, where they bid him a soldier's her passing, the first link of the Baha'i hisgoodbye. After the Baha'i funeral , our dear tory of Denmark was gone. Mrs. H0eg, born
friend, Meliton, was given to the care of Johanne Sorensen on 5 January 1891, had
Baha 'u 'llah. learned about the Faith at a public talk given
924 THE BAHA'I WORLD

by Orcella Rexford in Honolulu, Hawaii, in Denmark, insisted on accompanying her, and
1925 and had accepted it immediately. After they were able to have a number of public
her first pilgrimage to Haifa, she had brought meetings at stops the boat made along the
the Faith to Denmark and for 22 years was coast en route from Godthab to Holsteinsthe only believer in the countly. borg. Later, Mrs. H0eg helped John and Lotus
Although she was alone she served the Nielsen move to Greenland as pioneers.
Faith in many ways. As early as December Mrs. H0eg was a remarkably humble per-
1925 Johanne wrote to the Guardian asking son who had neither time nor inclination to
for advice and guidance. Through him and speak of herself, but when the Cause was
others to whom he refeITed her, she arranged involved she forgot all about her shyness
for a number of Baha'is to visit Denmark and with determination and courage took on
and give public addresses . When Martha great tasks, persevering until the charge was
Root visited Scandinavia in 1927, she was brought to perfect conclusion.
Johanne's guest and the Message was deliv- Her deep social insight and warm underered to King Cluáistian X. During the same standing made her a tiáue citizen of the
trip the two women visited Iceland. world . When she was faced with what we
Johanne focused her energies, however, on call a "cultural cleft", she bridged it in her
ensuring that Danish readers had access to own way, going to the country where she
Baha'i literature. In 1926, she translated and had encountered the problem and finding out
sponsored the publication of two pamphlets. about the background.
In 1932, Baha 'u 'llah and the New Era was Her love for the Greatest Holy Leaf, and
tiáanslated into Danish and published through for the beloved Guardian who maintained a
her efforts. She had the Kitab-i-Iqan tiáans- long and precious correspondence with her,
lated directly from Persian and Arabic by the gave her strength and support.
renowned orientalist, Arthur Christensen. In After her passing the Universal House of
1947, Johanne arranged for another Oriental Justice cabled:
scholar, Professor Raj Barr, to translate the
three daily obligatory prayers to be distrib- GRJEVED NEWS PASSING JOHANNE H0EG,
uted in booklet fonn . Finally in 1948, The DEVOTED MAIDSERVANT BAHA'U ' LLAH. HER
Hidden Words was translated from Arabic EXEMPLARY STEADFASTNESS SERVICE CAUSE
and Persian by Professor Barr. GOD OYER PERJOD SIXTY-THREE YEARS, FOR
In 1945 Johanne married a physician, FIRST TWENTY-TWO OF WHICH SHE STOOD
Dr. J.C. Jfoeg, and moved with him to a ALONE UPHOLDING LIGHT FAITH HER HOME-
small Danish island and subsequently to LAND, CONSTITUTES UNIQUE CONTRIBUT ION
Jutland. She was an excellent housewife and ANNALS THAT COUNTRY, FULLY ENTITLES
maintained a wam1ly hospitable and beauti- HER BE REGARDED AS MOTHER DANISH
ful home. COMMUNITY. HER UNSWERVING DEYOT!ON
Mrs. H0eg sent Baha'i literature and a BELOVED GUARDLAN, HER CHERISHED LINK
picture of 'Abdu'l-Baha to all radio stations WITH GREATEST HOLY LEAF, HER THREE
and outstations in Greenland, and for more PILGRIMAGES TO THE WORLD CENTRE, HER
than 15 years corresponded with the Green- INDOMITABLE DEDICATION TASK TRANSLA-
landic translator, Mr. Hendrik Olsen, who TION BAHA'i LITERATURE DANISH LANGUAGE,
became the first native believer in Greenland. HER COLLABORATION WITH RENOWNED
Nearly 75 years old at the time, Mrs. H0eg ORIENTA LISTS ARTHUR CHRISTENSEN AND
went to Holsteinsborg, now called Sisimiut, KAJ BARR, HER ASSOCIATION MARTHA ROOT
to meet him personally and accept his de- AND JOHANNA SCHUBARTH, HER PROMOTION
claration of faith according to his wish. TEACHING WORK IN DENMARK AND HER PART
Dr. Hushang Raf at, then a young pioneer to IN ESTAB LISHMENT FAITH IN GREENLAND,
IN M EMORIAM 925
SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS AS STAL WART
PILLAR AMERICAN BAHA'i COMMUNITY DURJNG
CRITICA L DECADES ITS EARLY ADMlNISTRA-
TIVE DEVELOPMENT AND AS SINGLE-MINDED,
ENERGETIC, RESOURCEFUL PROMOTER EURO-
PEAN BAI-IA' i COMMUN ITY WHOSE RJ SE AFTER
SECOND WORLD WAR IS FOREV ER LINKED
WITH HER EXTENS IVE ACTIVITIES FOR SEVEN-
TEEN YEARS BEHALF EUROPEAN TEACHING
COMMITTEE. HER TWENTY-TWO YEARS
ON. NATIONAL SPIRITU AL ASSEMBLY UNITED
STATES AS ITS RECORDING SECRETARY
INDICATE HOW lNTIMA TE WAS HER INVOLVE-
MENT lN SHAPING BAHA' i COMMUN ITY THAT
COUN TRY. HER MEMORABLE MEMBERSHIP
CONTlNENTAL BOARD COUNSELLORS NORTH
AMERJCA AND TRUSTEESHIP CONTlNENTAL
FUND CROWNED CENTURY-LONG, EXEMPLARY
LIFE WHOLLY WORTHY HER ILLUSTRIOUS
BAHA'i HERITAGE.
Johann e Heeg PRAYING FERVENTLY HOLY SHRINES HER
LUMINOUS SOUL MAY BE ACCORDED JOYFUL
ALL LOVINGLY RECALLED. PRAYING SACRED REUNION HER DISTINGUISHED MOTHER AB HA
THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOU L KINGDOM AND MAY EVER PROGRESS TI-ffi.OUGH-
ABHA KJNGDOM. ADVISE HOLD BEFITTING ME- OUT DIV INE WORLDS.
MO RJ AL SERV ICES ALL BAH A' I COMMUN IT! ES EXTEN D HEARTFELT SYMPATHY HER RELA-
DENMARK AN D GREENLAND. KINDLY CONVEY TIVES. ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL GATHERINGS
SYM PATHY MEMBERS HER FAMILY BEHALF lN HER HONOUR AT MOTHER TEM PLE WEST
BAHA'I WORLD. AND IN LOCAL COMMUN ITIES THROUGHOUT
INGER HJ ELME UN ITED STATES. ALSO ADVISING OTHER
COMMUN ITIES NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE
HOLD SIMILAR GATHERINGS.
EDNAM. TRUE Universal House of Justice
1888- 1988
Edna Miriam True was born 29 July 1888, in
MAGNITUDE LOSS DEARLY-LOVED, STEADFAST, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A., where her
DEVOTED, HIGHLY RESPECTED MAIDSERVANT parents had moved and where they remained
BAHA'U 'LLAH EDNA M. TRUE PRO FOUNDLY until early 1891 when they returned to Chi-
FELT. RECALL WITH DEEP APPREC IATION cago. This city, and its suburbs of Evanston
RADIANT, DIGNIFIED COUNTENANCE OF ONE and Wilmette, were their home for the
WHOSE EVENTFUL LIFE SPANNED MORE THAN remainder of Edna's life, although the world
THREE DECA DES HEROIC AGE AN D SIXTY- became her arena of activity.
SEVEN YEARS FORMATIVE AGE. HER LONG Edna's mother, Corinne Knight True,
PERIOD OUTSTANDING DEDICATED SERVICES became interested in the Baha'i Faith about
CAUSE, ESPECIALLY ILLUMINED BY HER AT- 1899. From that time, Edna was brought
TAINMENT PRESENCE BELOVED MASTER AND up under the influence of the Teachings of
PERSONAL ACQUAINTANCE SI-IOGHI EFFENDI, Baha'u'llah. Although she was not quite
COMPRISED WIDE RANGE HI STOR ICA LLY four years old when the Blessed Beauty
926 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

ascended, the child must have been richly Service to others was an outstanding
blessed to be alive while He walked this quality of Edna True throughout her life.
earth. She became a dedicated servant of She became engaged in social work among
His Cause. 'Abdu'l-Baha also blessed this children and youth in Chicago. During the
daughter of Corinne True, the handmaiden first World War she joined the Smith
whom He called "O thou who art turning College Relief Unit, a volunteer service in
unto God." 1 France that resettled people driven from
Edna graduated from Smith College in their homes and villages. ' Abdu ' l-Baha gave
1909 where she was outstanding in many her His approval and praised her for this
ways, especially in sports, having become action. The Unit also helped to establish
captain of her basketball team. After gradu- canteens for the American troops, cared
ating she accompanied her younger sister, for the wounded and provided transport to
Katherine, to Rome where they both entered hospitals. The Unit was awarded a silver
school and where Edna took some post- medal from the French government, the
graduate courses before returning to the "Reconnaissance Francaise."
United States. When concluding her work in France,
When 'Abdu' l-Baha was in America in Edna received an invitation from 'Abdu'l-
1912 He was a guest in the True home on Baha to visit the Holy Land, an invitation
one of His trips to Chicago. Edna was in later extended to include her mother. This
contact with Him many times in both pilgrimage, Edna's second encounter with
Chicago and New York, and she attended 'Abdu 'l-Baha, was made in early 1919. She
the meetings at which He spoke. This was a went directly from France. It was also her
time when there were indications of unfaith- first of many contacts with Shoghi Effendi,
fulness among some of the believers, and under whose guidance she served the Faith
after one of these meetings 'Abdu'l-Baha until his death in 1957. Her last pilgrimage
requested her to follow Him, and He intro- to the Holy Land was in 1986 when she was
duced her to a woman, placing their hands almost 96 years old.
together and remarking that He wished them In the 1920 's Edna opened a travel
to become close friends. Edna did not under- agency in Evanston, Illinois, the first such
stand the reason, but she attempted to agency on the north shore of Chicago. In
comply with the Master's wishes . Finally, addition to becoming a prestigious travel
however, the friendship dwindled away and bureau, her "North Shore Travel Service"
Edna was left wondering about the purpose was of special service to the Faith in securof the Master's request. Later, possibly ing travel arrangements for many pioneers
when she was in Haifa in 1919 and the at a time when the means of travel were very
opportunity arose, she asked Him, and His difficult to obtain. Even before and during
reply was that He was "trying to save her" the first Seven Year Plan (1937-1944) Edna
for the woman had become an associate of made the services of her travel agency availthe Covenant-breakers. Edna never waivered able to the believers and to the institutions
in her faith and was confirmed even more of the Faith, thereby adding greatly to their
strongly when in later years she became convenience as well as to the economy of
fully conscious of what she referred to as the the Faith.
"peace program" given in the Teachings of Edna was elected to the National Spiritual
Baha'u' llah and further strengthened by the Assembly of the United States and Canada
interpretations of 'Abdu ' l-Baha. in 1946, following service in the Latin American field, and was immediately appointed to
Corrine Tru e (Oxford: George Ronald, Publi shers, the European Teaching Committee, serving
1987), p 46. as its chairman through the years of attaining
JN MEMORIAM 927
the goals set by the beloved Guardian Assemblies. I feel confident that your
fo r what became known as the "European splendid and indeed historic achieve-
Campaign" in the "war-torn, spiritually ments in connection with the Latin
famished European continent", the "most American work will prove but a prelude
afflicted, impoverished, and agitated conti- to still mightier achievements in the
nent of the globe" as described by the European field, and will greatly enhance
Guardian in his Messages to America. the record of services associated with
These duties took her to Europe at least your dear family ever since the early days
once a year, as well as to Haifa many times of the Faith in the Western Hemisphere. I
to visit the beloved Guardian. She turned to will continue to pray for your success and
him for his guidance whenever any new or the fulfilment of every hope you cherish
special activity arose: opening of an office in in the service of our beloved Faith.
Europe for the European Teaching Commit- Your nue and grateful brother, Shoghi
tee; settling of pioneers; publication of an
information organ for the pioneers and later January 27, 1948
for the communities; establishment of con- Dear and valiant co-worker: I trust and
ferences , schools; formation of Assemblies. pray that the work so splendidly initiated
In fact, she turned to him for guidance in all will steadily expand and will be rapidly
aspects of reaching the goals of this second consolidated, and bear the fairest fruit in
Seven Year Plan. She reported immediately the years immediately ahead. The flow of
and fully to the Guardian following each pioneers, the visits of itinerant teachers ,
event or project. He never failed to respond, the extension of teaching activity, the
first to extend his guiding hand and give translation, and the dissemination of suitencouragement and then to express his able Baha'i literature, the deepening of
congratulations and appreciation whenever the faith and of the understanding of the
appropriate, oftentimes in the form of new believers, must uninterruptedly concablegrams. tiirne and culminate in the formation of
This exchange of correspondence between solidly established Assemblies and of
the Guardian and Edna or the European perhaps a few nuclei of future groups and
Teaching Committee commenced at the very Assemblies in each of the ten designated
beginning of the work and no doubt lent tre- counnáies. The greatest care and the
mendously to Edna 's capacities and strength utmost effort must be exercised and
in accomplishing this arduous task. Usually, exerted to ensure the success of the forthhis many letters were written on his behalf coming Conference which will constitute
and he would then add a postscript in his a landmark in the history of this newly
own handwriting. For example: launched and historic campaign in
Europe. I will pray from the depths of my
September 2, 194 6 heart for its success and for the realiza-
Dear and valued co-worker: I fee l that tion of every hope cherished by those
your contemplated trip to Europe will be who organized it, as we ll as those who
most valuable, and will enable you, on direct the activities and co-ordinate the
your return to the States, to conduct the effmis of all those who pa1iicipate in the
affairs and activ ities of the cornn1ittee execution of this vital aspect of the secwith greater understanding and effi- ond Seven Year Plan.
ciency. All efforts must be concentrated Your nue and grateful brother, Shoghi
on the formation of strong and permanent
groups in carefully chosen localities, As a member of the National Spiritual
which will rapidly evolve into stable Assembly of the United States, Edna partici-
928 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Continental Conferences called by the Universal House of Justice during its Nine Year
Plan for the Expansion and Consolidation of
the Baha'i Faith. One talk was on "The
Relationship of the Continental Boards of
Counsellors to National Spiritual Assemblies." Edna felt this to be a ve1y important
subject because the Boards of Counsellors
was a new institution (since 1968) and there
was confusion about its relationship to other
institutions in the Faith.
Edna had been working on this address,
in addition to other duties , for days and days
and had planned to leave home early, spend
a few days in Luxembourg with a pioneer,
Honor Kempton, and then proceed with her
to Iceland. Edna was not at all happy with
the talk she had prepared and felt it needed
fu1iher work; therefore, on the morning
planned for her departure she decided not
Edna True to go to Luxembourg but to stay at home for
the few remaining days and use that quiet
pated in the first election of the Universal time to work on the talk. It was a wise
House of Justice in 1963 , and in 1968 that decision, for her talk was a great success
Body appointed her as one of the tluáee and was later prmted in The Bahd 'i World,
members of the Continental Board of Coun- volume XV.
sellors for North America, naming her Her other talk given in Reykjavik was
Trustee of the Continental Fund. She contin- equally successful. It was about the beloved
ued her service as Counsellor and Trustee Master, 'Abdu'l-Baha, and was later pubtluáough the many changes which took place lished in the U.S. Baha'i News.
in that Board until 1980 when she was past Edna 's talents were many and varied. She
92 years of age. had an extraordinaiy organizational ability
One of the Counsellors once stated that evidenced in the very early years of her
Edna charged a room with spirit: when she service on the editorial conunittee of Star of
entered, the whole atmosphere and direction the West; in her organization and planning
of the meeting would change, although she of her se1vices in South America and for
was unconscious of it. the 1944 Convention and Centenary celebra-
In all her services to the Faith she loved tions ; in the work in Europe; in the finishing
so well, Edna strove for perfection in both work on the Temple in Wilmette; in the
spirihial and material aspects. She felt all work of establishing the Baha'i Home, the
her talks, reports, articles, correspondence, first dependency of the Temple; and, lastly,
conferences, selecting and settling of pio- in her work as Counsellor and Trustee of the
neers, etc., should be as perfect as possible, Continental Fund.
and she was willing to sacrifice her own Although she bore herself in a regal
personal wishes to achieve it. This was dem- manner, she also possessed a deep humility,
onstrated in September 1971 when she had even timidity. She often stated that any recbeen invited to give two talks in Reykjavik, ognition given her was due to her mother's
Iceland, at one of the eight Oceanic and accomplishments. She used to woITy some-
IN MEMORIAM 929

what about whether her station was so far ing seems evident just from knowing that by
below that of her mother's that she might not the time she became a Baha'i at the age of
have the blessing of associating with her in 27, she had already been a member of the
the next world. She never claimed any credit Church of England as well as a Theosophist,
for herself or her own abilities. Yet, the had journeyed throughout Europe as a secrerecords evidence that she earned all the tary for an acting group, and had travelled
esteem and honor given her. the length of Canada as a cast member of
The quality of humility became increas- the Montreal Community Players. Of these
ingly apparent during the last years of her early experiences she later wrote that "witlife. She grew even more loving and tender nessing the World War of 1914 in Europe
and grateful to all, and loved, especially dur- and living in Russia during the first part of
ing the last two years, to laugh with anyone the Revolution brought conviction of the
with whom she came in contact as though utter ineffectiveness of orthodox religion or
she wished, not so much to be happy herself, such movements as Theosophy to cure world
but to make them happy. chaos".
When Edna's very frnitful life came to Elsa learned of the Baha'i Faith in Montan end on 9 December 1988, the Hand of real. Among her first teachers were May and
the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha Rul;iyyih Sutherland Maxwell, in whose home she
Khanum sent the following message: spent a great deal of time. She also worked
with the first youth groups in MontJ.:eal, and
DEEPLY SHARE SENSE LOSS WITH NORTH later served on that city' s Local Assembly.
AMERJCA BAHAi COMMUNITY PASSING EDNA In 1928, Elsa moved to New York City
TRUE LAST VALIANT MEMBER OLDER GENER- where she worked as an interior decorator. It
AT ION TRUE FAM ILY, WHOSE DEVOTION AND is not clear whether it was here or elsewhere
SERV ICES TO 'ABDU'L-BAHA CENTER COVE- that she also gained experience as a literary
NANT AND LATER HI S SUCCESSOR SHOGH I researcher and a writer, but she later pub-
EFFENDI THE GUARDIAN MARK THEM AS lished at least one book.
ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED BAHA'i It was at the Baha'i Center in New York
FAMILIES OF THE WEST DURING FORMATIVE City that Elsa met Dudley Moore Blakely, a
AGE FAITH. ARDENTLY HOPE YOUNGER nephew of Lua Getsinger. Dudley, whom
GENERATION BELIEVERS WILL PAY BEFIT- Elsa described as a man of limitless gentility
TING TRIBUTE MEMORY THIS OUTSTANDING, and generosity, was an accomplished artist
EXEMPLARY SERVANT AND ARISE AS NEVER and a Fellow of the prestigious Royal
BEFORE TO SPREAD THE CAUSE OF GOD Society of Arts of Great Britain. The couple
AMONG THE MASSES OF EVERY COLOUR was married in June of 1934. Although they
RACE AND BACKGROUND IN THE UN ITED never had any children, they later raised
STATES AS A WORTHY REMEMBRANCE THIS Elsa's niece and nephew to adulthood .
WONDERFUL SOUL. Elsa served the Faith in many capacities
D. THELM A JA CKSON during this period and the years which
followed. She was elected a member of
Local Spiritual Assemblies in New York
ELSA LILLIAN (JUDY) BLAKELY City, Detroit and Eliot, Maine, in addition to
Knight ofBaha'u'llah Montreal. She served on the Michigan and
1895- 1988 Central States Regional Teaching Committee,
the Maine and New Hampshire Regional
Elsa Lillian "Judy" Blakely was born in Teaching Committee, and the Green Acre
London, England, on 11 July 1895. That she School Committee. She was also a delegate
was adventurous, inquisitive and enterpris- to several national conventions.
930 THE BAHA'I WORLD

achieve the goals ere the conclusion of
the opening year of the decade-long,
greatest collective enterprise since the
memorable episodes associated with the
Dawn-Breakers of the Heroic Age.

Elsa and Dudley were among the Baha' is
who answered the soul-stirring call, and
were consequently designated as Knights of
Baha'u'llah.
Why the Blakelys chose Tonga is not
entirely clear, although Elsa once recounted
being quite captivated by a picture of
Tonga's Queen Salote which she had seen
during the coronation of Elizabeth II of
England in 1952. Whatever their reasons,
they set out in the spirit that Tonga would
become their new homeland and arrived
in the capital city of Nuku'alofa on 12 July
1954.
Elsa Lillian (Judy) Blakely While Dudley pursued his painting and
sculpture as well as applied his engineerng
At the encouragement ofLoulie Matthews, skills to several diverse projects which benethe Blakelys undertook a teaching háip in fitted Tonga, Elsa was active in teaching and
1936 to Venezuela and Guyana (then British promoting women's rights. She became
Guiana). A letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, acquainted with Queen Salote and had the
dated 6 March 1936, expressed his enthusi- honour of frequently visiting the palace,
asm for their journey into "virgin soils" and often for tea. An institute for women was
declared that they were undertaking "the formed by the Queen and she directed Elsa
work of a h1.1e pioneer". They made numer- to employ her writing skills to produce a
ous trips to South America during the next monthly newsletter for the fledgling organitwo decades to help with the formative stages zation. Elsa also wrote a pamphlet, The Faith
of the teaching work there. of Balui 'u 'llah, Abraham's Descendent,
It was in 1954, however, that Elsa and which was translated into Tongan by the
Dudley began a teaching project which would islands ' first native believer.
immo11alize them il1 Baha'i histo1y. The pre- Not only did Elsa and Dudley hold numervious year Shoghi Effendi had inaugurated ous teaching and proclamation meetings in
the Ten Year Crnsade, calling for the estab- their home, they frequently journeyed to
lislunent of the Faith in 29 virgin tetTitories. remote villages and built friendships with
One of these was Tonga, a group of islands countless Tongans. Their reports to the Holy
with a land mass of 270 square miles located Land elicited assurances from Shoghi Effendi
some 2,800 miles south-west of Hawaii. of his high regards for their efforts and the
On 28 May 1953, Shoghi Effendi cabled importance of the Polynesian peoples emthe United States, encouraging Baha'is to bracing the Faith.
travel to the distant lands he had designated. By the latter part of the decade the Faith
began to grow rapidly in Tonga. The first
Would to God that Baha'i warriors ... will Local Spiritual Assembly was formed in
promptly arise and enroll themselves to Nuku'alofa in 1958 and a second at M'ua
JN MEMORIAM 931
two years later. In 1959, the Regional Spiri- that had believed in Him at the time He was
tual Assembly of the South Pacific was a prisoner within the walls of 'Akka. $alal:i' s
formed, encompassing 10 territories includ- ancestors had gone to 'Akka from Egypt in
ing Tonga. When Elsa and Dudley departed 183 2, with the Egyptian army that fought the
from Tonga in 1963 they left behind a Turks and occupied 'Akka under the comstrong Baha'i community. mand of Ibrahim Pasha.
After living for a while in Hawaii, the The first member of the family to believe
Blakelys returned to the American continent in Baha'u'llah was Al:imad Jarral:i, an officer
and established residence in Bennington, in the Turkish army. Al:imad's brother
V e1mont. They pioneered again in September Khalid-who was the personal physician
1977 to the Bahamas (Elsa was 82 years of Baha'u' llah and of whom it is reported
old), but unforeseen circumstances forced that Baha'u 'llah said, ' With his coming,
their departure in less than six months. They there is healing '-was $alal:i's grandfather
moved to Savannah, Georgia, and then on his father 's side. A third brother, Amin,
homefront pioneered to nearby St. Simons who was head of the Arab community of the
Island, Georgia, becoming an integral part of city of ' Akka, was $alal:i's forebear on his
that community for many years. Elsa passed mother's side. It is repmied that Baha'u'llah
away in St. Simons on 31December1988. said, 'The family of Jarral.i are the stars of
During the early days of the Ten Year 'Akka,' referring to the three brothers.
Crusade, Shoghi Effendi exhorted the $alal:i was born in 'Akka on 6 March 1918,
Baha'is of the world: the eldest child of Mu'ayyad Jarr::il.i and
F::itimih Jarra~1. On that day his grand-uncle,
.. .never to tum back in the entire course
Al:imad Jarral:i, suggested that the family ask
of the fateful decade ahead until each and
'Abdu'l-Baha to name the child, as was
every one will have contributed his share
the custom in those days . $alal.i's fatlier said,
in laying on a world-wide scale an
'I will go to see 'Abdu 'l-Baha. But today a
unassailable administrative foundation for
peace treaty was signed [probably, the Peace
Baha'u' llah' s Christ-promised Kingdom
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed between
on earth .. .
Russia and the Central Powers on 3 March
Knight of Baha'u'llah Elsa Blakely con- 1918] and I want to name him $alal:i' (a
tributed her share and far more not only name derived from the Arabic word for
during the wondrous years of the Crusade peace). When the two men went to see
but throughout the nearly seven decades she 'Abdu'l-Baha, He said: "A peace treaty has
steadfastly served her Lord. just been signed and therefore let the boy be
BRUCE WHI T MORE called 'Ali $alal.ii 'd-Din." His father did not
utter a word, but was obviously very moved.
$alal.i became a believer at an early age,
SALA.H JARRAH following the devotion of his mother, who
C;ialal:ii'tl-Din Jarr~l:i) had declared her faith in Baha'u'llah in 1913.
1918- 1989 When he was 12 or 13, his father asked him,
"Are you a Baha ' i, like your mother?" $alal:i
$alal:ii'd-Din Jarral:i, whom all the Baha'is replied, "I am a Baha' i, like your father."
who visited the resting place of Shoghi [Khalid Jarr::il.i]
Effendi from 1983-1988 remember with $alah was educated at the regional school
great affection and respect, was a descen- in 'Akka and later at the Government College
dant of one of the very few Arab families in in Jerusalem. He was excellent at mathemat-
'Akka that had recognized the Station of ics, and was called 'Mathematics Champion' .
Baha 'u' llah, and possibly the only family In 1935, when he was 17 years old, his
932 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

father died so $alaJ:i was obliged to abandon in the various and sundry tasks undertaken
his studies and go to work to support the for the beautification of the Holy Places. For
family. He got a job as a postman, and gave example, it was $alaJ:i 's joy to nail pictures
his entire small salary to his mother. Even at on the walls of the Mansion, with his
this young age, his high sense of duty and beloved Guardian standing behind him to
his generous nature were evident. judge the correct position for each frame .
When $alal.i's sister, I:Iayat, was 14, she How he loved the Guardian! He himself
finished school in 'Akka. In those days, the has testified to the sense of joy and happionly hope local girls had for continuing ness he experienced in his presence. His
their education was to be admitted to the greatest pleasure was to complete each task
Women's Training College in Jerusalem. given him by Shoghi Effendi as quickly and
Normally, each year the best students from as well as possible so as to be able to ask for
the first class, one Christian and one Muslim, more work. Whatever the Guardian asked
were selected. But the year I:Iayat finished, him, he would answer, 'Yes, my Guardian',
no one was taken. She was very upset before even thinking whether it would be
because she longed to go back to school. possible or not.
When the srnnmer ended and she saw the Once, Shoghi Effendi mentioned that he
boys and girls carrying their books on their needed 70 cypress trees two metres in height
way to school she burst into tears. She delivered to Haifa in a few days. As usual,
would have been happy to repeat the same $alal.i answered, 'Yes, my Guardian'. Then
studies she had already completed, but that he began to think. They had a small nursery
was not allowed. at that time in Bahji, but in it there were only
When $alal.i saw I:Iayat's sadness he told tluáee cypress trees. What could he do? He
his mother, 'I will do whatever I can so as went to a nearby kibbutz and discovered a
not to leave her broken-hearted.' He con- great number of cypress trees, many of
tacted a nun from Haifa, Sister Elia Saati, which met the height which the Guardian
the Headmistress of Schmid ts Girls College, had specified. He sought permission to buy
the best private girls' school in Jerusalem. some. The one responsible invited him to
She told $alal.i that there was one vacant take all he wanted, and free of charge. He
place and he could bring his sister. The cost, arranged for workers to dig up the trees and
no doubt, was an added burden to $alal.i, the next day in the afternoon was able to
who still was supporting his mother and a transport them to Haifa. Shoghi Effendi ' s
younger sister and brother, but whenever he words to $alal.i, 'very well done', were worth
was praised for his gallantry and self-sacri- more to $alal.i than all the treasures in the
fice, his only words were, 'Astag!!firu'llah', world.
which literally means 'I seek refuge in God ' Besides his role in razing the three old,
but which in common usage is an expression dilapidated houses of the Covenant-breakers
of self-effacement. which detracted from the beauty of the Man-
$alaJ:i served the beloved Guardian directly sion of Baha' u'llah and the Shrine at Bahji,
for 15 years, from 1942 to 1957. During the $alal.i played an important pa1t, with the
disturbances in 1948, he carried Shoghi beloved Guardian's permission, in arranging
Effendi's mail from Haifa to Beirut by way for the two Covenant-breakers who were
of small fishing boats, in the face of innu- living at Bahji to move. His success in
merable dangers and risks. In that same year this difficult task brought Shoghi Effendi
he and his mother were appointed caretakers i1nmense relief.
at Bahji, where they sought to protect the Although he gave thought to marriage on
Shrine and the Mansion, and to serve the pil- several occasions, he put the idea behind
grims. Besides this, he served the Guardian him so that he would be able to give his
IN MEMORIAM 933

undivided attention to his duties as Custodian of the Holy Places.
After the passing of Shoghi Effendi,
$alal:i assisted the Hands of the Cause in the
Holy Land in fulfilling some of the plans for
the Holy Places which the Guardian had left.
Then in 1958 he pioneered to Djibouti in
Africa. He remained there for ten years,
until he was involved in an accident. He was
hit by a French military vehicle and subsequently taken to France for treatment.
Following the acquisition of the House
of 'Abdu ' llah Pasha in 1975, the Universal
House of Justice took steps for its restoration. The advice and assistance of Amatu'l-
Baha Rul:iiyyih Khanum were sought, and
she felt that once the House was restored
$alal:i would be the best person to help her
buy some of the furniture . Before there
was time to ask him to come, a cable was
received from $ala~ saying he was out of $ala~ Jarra~
the hospital and asking where the House of
Justice would like him to go. Thus, in 1976 Deeply grieved passing outstanding faithhe went to the Holy Land to serve the Uni- ful servant Cause Salah Jarrah in tragic
versal House of Justice. car accident. His exemplary custodian-
In 1982, upon the advice of the Universal ship resting place beloved Guardian was
House of Justice, he transferred his residence culmination of lifelong record loving selffrom the Holy Land to London near the New sacrificing exertions at World Centre,
Southgate Cemetery, the resting place of the chiefly as caretaker Shrine Baha'u'llah,
Guardian. There he served as custodian, an followed by devoted pioneering services in
appointment made by the House of Justice. Africa. Convey members his family deep
Here again, he showed his trustworthiness sympathy. Praying Holy Shrines eternal
and loyal character. In small ways, such as progress his noble soul Abba Kingdom.
in arranging the flowers which the friends Universal House of Justice
brought to the resting place of the Guardian, Based on biographical infonnation
and in his concern for dignity and respect, he PROVIDED BY H AYAT ]ARRA!~
tried to do what would be pleasing to the
Guardian and in the best interests of the
Faith.
During the winter of 1988-89, $alal:i was DR. HARILAL M . MUNJE
in the Holy Land. On 12 January he was 1911-1989
shuck by a car and died instantly, leaving
in the hearts of a multitude of believers in Dr. Harilal M. Munje will long be remembered
both the Holy Land and the United Kingdom as one of the Indian Baha'i community's
a sense of deep loss. most outstanding teachers, consolidators,
The following message was sent by the and scholars of the Faith. He was born in
Universal House of Justice on 13 January Bombay on 27 November 1911 to parents
1989: who were both noted Baha'i teachers. His
934 TH E BAHA'I WORLD

and Kanpur. Often other doctors refeITed
difficult cases to them for treatment, and
many doctors were Harilal's patients.
Dr. Munje helped establish a homeopathic
medical college in Kanpur. He also established Bio-Science Research, and patented
several medicines.
Dr. Munje always mixed his profession
with his Faith and modified his practice,
with the invaluable help of his devoted wife,
so that he could be away from his home base
much of the time. He valued his independent
service to the Cause and wanted to stand on
his own feet financially so that he was not
dependent on the Fund. He would caITy a
box of medicines with him on his travels so
he could work whenever there was time or
opportunity.
Dr. Munje understood the philosophical
pulse of the Hindu. He was tremendously
Dr. Harilal Munje interested in Hindu prophecies and was the
first scholar to relate the advent of the Bab
father, Meher Ali, was originally a Hindu and Baha'u'llah to Hindu prophecies. He
who then became a Christian, a Muslim, and discussed Baha ' u' llah and Hindu beliefs at
finally a Baha ' i, while his mother, Mariam, great lengths with Hindu pundits.
was a Muslim who became a Baha ' i. He could also bring both Hindus and
From an early age, at his father's sugges- Muslims together, demonstrating to them
tion, the boy began learning languages and that the two religions are one. In his deepenstudying the scriptures of the world 's great ing classes Dr. Munje could convince the
religions, in time becoming fluent in 14 lan- followers of both Faiths of the reality and
guages including English, Arabic, Persian, coming of Balla 'u' llah.
Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Pali, Sanskrit, and Dr. Munje's deep knowledge of the
Urdu. As an example of his linguistic abili- Baha'i Faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinties, he translated The Hidden Words of duism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism, and other
Baha 'u' llah from Arabic, Persian and English religious teachings, and his constant zeal
into Sanskrit. This book was praised by a in teaching the Cause and deepening the
professor of Sanskrit at Fergusson College believers, enabled him to effectively convey
as "reading just like the Vedas". the Message of Baha'u ' llah on various
In about 1937, he maITied Nalini Irani, levels to what must have been hundreds
the youngest daughter of Bomas and Mor- of thousands of people over his lifetime.
warid Irani, Baha'is of Parsi background. He was one of the first believers in Bombay
Nalini was a very helpful, kind, and thought- who started mass teaching. For 50 years
ful person who was a pillar in the Baha'i there was not one month during which he
communities in which she Jived. The couple did not leave his home to serve the Cause.
had three children. His humility was evident in his willingness,
Both Harilal and Nalini became homeo- despite his broad knowledge, to learn from
pathic doctors, practicing first in Bombay others. He even sought knowledge of the
and then at their pioneering posts in Benares Faith from Baha ' i youth.
IN MEMORIAM 935
With individuals or small groups, he of that time as chai1man. In consultation he
would listen to people for hours. Then when would stress the fundamentals of the Faith
he spoke to them, they were enthralled by from the Writings. He would never get angry
his knowledge. He would literally spend or annoyed at others. At times he travelled
weeks, months, or even years teaching an and carried out tasks at the request of the
individual at any time of the day or night, Assembly.
often discussing the Faith with a man all In 1987, his beloved wife died. Then in
night. 1988 he went on his first and only pilgrim-
Dr. Munje was a spellbinding, powerful, age to the Holy Land. During his last days,
and well-organized public speaker, capable bedridden in a hospital in Kanpur, Dr. Munje
of expounding on a wide variety of subjects, gave no sign that he wanted or expected to
convincing the masses listening to him. Often die. But he passed away in the aims of one
one or more speakers following Dr. Munje of his grandsons on 19 June 1989. A very
on a program would take his lead and great man had gone to the Abba Kingdom.
reinforce what he had stated. He spoke to DR. H.T.D. ROST
general audiences as well as specialized
groups with equal confidence. He also travelled to teach in such countries as Kenya, ZLMARIAN STOAKLEY WALKER
Malaysia, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Uganda. 1944-1989
Dr. Munje's devotion to the Faith was
unquestioned. He would arise before dawn DEEPLY SADDENED PASSING SELFLESS RADIANT
for prayers each day and would pray for long PROMOTER CAUSE GOD ZLMA RJAN WALKER.
periods of time. He would not attack or con- HER DEVOT ED LONGTIME PIONEER SERVICES
demn any institution or individual; instead BRAZLL UNFORGETTABLE. HEARTFELT CO -
he remained silent. DOLENCES OFFERED YOUR COMMUNITY THIS
He wrote several important Baha'i book- LAMENTABLE LOSS. KINDLY EXTEND LOVING
lets, including "The Whole World is But SYMPATHY HER FAMILY. ASSURE FERVENT
One Family'', "1844: Pinpoint Target of All PRAYERS HOLY THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER
Faiths", and "The Reincarnation Mystery SOUL KINGDOM ON I-IIGH.
Revealed", as well as a chapter relating the Universal House of Justice
Baha'i Faith to Hinduism that was added to 10 July 1989
the Indian publication of Bahti 'u 'llah and
the New Era in Hindi and English. At times Peace education has always been implicit in
he included his own in1portant translation of the Baha ' i Cause, but the peace education
portions of sacred scriptures, particularly movement in Brazil and elsewhere owes
from Hinduism, in these publications. much to the efforts of Dr. Zlmarian Walker.
Dr. Munje did not go on pilgrimage to the In the 1980s, when the concept was still
Holy Land during Shoghi Effendi's lifetime, new in Europe and practically unknown in
but he carried on an extensive correspon- Brazil, she grasped its potential for direct
dence with the Guardian. In approximately and indirect teaching.
37 letters Shoghi Effendi encouraged him to The Escola das Na96es, the international
pioneer, to write books, to research Hindu- school of Brasilia where she taught, provided
ism and how it related to the Baha'i Faith, an ideal setting for introducing and developand to teach Hindus. ing the idea of peace education, together
For over 20 years-from 1960 to 1986 with that of cooperative learning. With stu-
(except for the years 1965- 66, 1966-67, and dents of many different nationalities, races,
1977- 78)- Dr. Munje was a member of the and religions, it served as a kind of laborato-
National Spiritual Assembly of India, much ry. However, to have an impact on the
936 TH E BAHA ' I WORLD

blacks to the heart of the Deep South, won
the profound admiration of the friends gathered at the National Convention that year.
In 1967, Zlmarian was manied to Robert
K. Walker in a beautiful ceremony in the
garden of the House of Worship, uniting the
extended families of both races . They were
to be blessed with two daughters: Shanta
Navvab, born 1970; and Leili Leonora, born
1976.
In 1973, Zlmarian and Robert received
their Doctor of Education degrees at the
University of Massachusetts, where they
participated in the development of the Anisa
Model of education, under the direction of
the late Dr. Daniel Jordan. Zlmarian became
an assistant professor at Texas Southern
University in Houston, and vice-director of
the Multicultural Teacher Corps Program,
where she was able to develop principles of
Zlmarian Walker multicultural education. These she canied to
her pioneering post in Brazil, where she
nation, it would be necessary to introduce moved with her family in 1974.
the idea into the public schools . There proved As a Latin American Teaching Fellow
to be tremendous receptivity in schools at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio
throughout the land, as well as in other Grande do Sul, and subsequently as a visitcountries of Africa and Latin America, ing professor at the Federal University of
where Zlmarian made numerous presenta- Rio Grande do No1ie, she was able to comtions under the auspices of National and bine graduate teaching and research with
Local Spiritual Assemblies. Even wider Baha'i and family activities. She also lived
audiences were reached through peace con- in Vitoria for two years before joining the
ferences and exhibitions. It wou ld often Escola das Nac;:oes in 1981. She served as a
happen that after a number of rather "dry" member of the National Spiritual Assembly
academic presentations, the warmth and en- from 1985 until her passing.
thusiasm ofZlmarian's talks would captivate Dr. Walker 's booklet, "World Peace
conference participants. Her genuineness of through World Education", was published in
character, as well as her public speaking Portuguese in 1986 by the Brazilian Baha'i
ski lls , enabled her to break through racial Studies Association. An interview with her
baniers and appeal directly to the heart. on the topic was published in the volume,
Zlmarian was born on 15 April 1944 in Perspectives on Peace Education (Ake Bjer-
Washington D.C. She had fond recollections stedt, ed.), published in 1990 by the Malmo
of the dedication of the House of Worship in School of Education in Sweden. At the time
Wilmette in 1953, to which she was taken by of her death, which occuned 9 July 1989,
her fami ly, who were Baha' is. she was working on a handbook in Portu-
When she was 12, Zlmarian pioneered guese on peace education. This manual was
with her family from Batavia, Illinois, to completed by Josephine Kuntz, Jeannine
Mississipi. This courageous initiative, involv- Sacco and Fabienne Lopez, of the Escola
ing an unheard-of migration of ánorthern das Nac;:oes. The continuing effmis in the
IN MEMOR IAM 937
field of peace education by the National BEATRICE NEWMAN
Spiritual Assembly and Baha' i communities 1898- 1989
all over Brazil are another part of her legacy.
The first year of the pilot teaching proj ect Grieve passing of the maidservan t of God
in Guyana, launched in 1989 under the Miss Beatrice Newman . Her devoted serausp ices of the Baha' i World Centre, was vices to the Cause of God stretching over
dedicated to the memory ofZlmarian Walker three decades are fondly remembered.
and a Guyanese Baha' i, Kenneth Brisport. Her zeal and enthusiasm in teaching the
An old friend who came to visit the proj ect Faith in Wa les, her exemp lary pioneering
brought two pictures of Zlmarian wearing a activities undertaken at an advanced age
sari at Green Acre Baha'i School, in 1968. in England and Ireland, her deep love for
The photographs, one of whi ch shows her Baha' u ' llah which dominated her life, all
with her head bowed and another with it have considerably contributed to the
lifted , inspired her daughter, Shanta, a par- advancement of the Fa ith in the British
ticipant in the project, to write the following: Isles. Praying at the Ho ly Shrines for the
progress of her radiant soul in the Abha
Kingdom.
Sitting
Un iversal House of Justice
The field so vast, 7 September 1989
The green so fresh ,
A queen, Beatrice Newman was born in 1898, one of
Examining every flower in her garden, seven children, in Pontypridd, Wales, a land
The sari wrapped aro und her body, of music, literature and poetry. The Welsh
Like the sky invo lves the birds. are a deeply religious people, and in the
And now you lift your head. middle of the nineteenth century religious
I see you smile. fervour in Wales was heightened by a strong
Are you singing? conviction that the return of Christ was
Or does the music come from your imminent. To focus attention on this, Big
stance? Tent Missions were set up. As the move-
Is the sun really so bright, ment grew, more permanent accommodation
Or is your face of ebony lighting the day? was needed, and throughout Wales stone
The flowers are so bright, so fresh, so full chapels were erected, often several in each
oflife, town or village. Each had a date inscribed
Like your laughter. into the stonework and many were dedicated
I feel I could almost touch them. 'To the Glory of God". The dates ran from
Oh, was it really just yesterday, the late 1840s to the early 1890s. A revival
Mother? in 1904 produced even more chapels.
It was into such a background that Beatrice
0 Lord, glorify his station, shelter him
was born. Both her father and mother were
under the pavilion of Thy supreme mercy,
Deacons of the Welsh Baptist Chapel in
cause him to enter Thy glorious paradise,
Cilfynydd, a mining village on the outskirts
and perpetuate his existence in Thin e
of Pontypridd. In time, Beatrice too became
exalted rose garden, that he may plunge
a Deacon of the Chapel. Having trained as
into the sea of light in the world of
a teacher she began a career in education ,
mysteries. 1
R OBERT WALKER
eventually becom ing headmistress of the
Hawthorn School near Cilfynydd .
1 In such a coal mining community joy was
Selectionsfro111 th e Writings of 'Abdu '/-Baha
(Haifa: Baha'i World Ce ntre, 1982), p 197. often mixed with sadness as mining disasters
938 THE BAHA'i WORLD

were not uncommon. The pit at Cilfynydd the chairman of the Cardiff Assembly, and a
was a deep one and it was not spared its conversation with him revealed that there
share of calamity. Thus Beatrice developed would be a weekend school in Porthcawl
a deep sense of compassion and love for in a week' s time. Beatrice decided to go,
those around her and an awareness of the receiving a warm welcome from a delighted
omnipresence of God. Along with this she Cardiff community who found that she
also developed a delightful wit and sense of already had an excellent knowledge of the
humour. teachings of the Faith.
Beatrice first heard of the Faith in 1948. The intervening years since her first con-
The Local Spiritual Assembly of Cardiff, tact with the Faith had seen remarkable
Wales, had been forn1ed , and Claire Gung changes. Her mother, now in her 90s, was
(later to be a Knight ofBaha' u' llah for South- able to accept Baha ' u ' llah as a Messenger of
ern Rhodesia and designated the Mother of God. The congregation of her Chapel had
Africa by Shoghi Effendi) was undertaking split into two opposing factions, each with
extension teaching in Pontypridd. To gain its own minister insisting that he was the
financial support, Claire was working as a only one with the right to preach the Gospel
seamstress and was recommended as such there. Beatrice had decided to announce her
to Beatrice. The Welsh are often eager to resignation so that she could become a Baha' i
know as much as possible about the people but had been dreading the moment. When it
they meet, and Beatrice was no exception. came, there was such a commotion and con-
With each visit, the amount of dressmaking fusion between the two congregations that
diminished so that more questions could be her voice was barely heard. She was at last
answered about the Faith and the return of able to make her declaration as a Baha'i and
Christ. she was accepted into the Faith in January
Beatrice was enchanted with the beauty 1959, becoming the first Welsh-speaking
of the Message and the way in which long- Baha'i in Wales.
cherished prophecies had been fulfill ed. Such was Beatrice's enthusiasm that by
However, there was one serious impediment. August of that year the local newspaper
If one agreed to serve as a Deacon of the reported that there were now four declared
Baptist Chapel, it was a lifetime commitment. believers there, including Mary Newman,
Also her mother, in the closing years of her one of Beatrice's si sters. By Ric.Jvan 1961 it
life, would never be able to understand if was possible to forn1 the first Local Spiritual
Beatrice changed her Faith, to say nothing of Assembly of Pontypridd. At that time, the
the members of the Chapel who were her Assembly was unique in the British Isles as
close friends. it had been formed entirely oflocal believers
Claire Gung left for Africa, and for a time without any pioneer move to establish it. The
she and Beatrice lost touch with each other. Assembly included all three Newman sisters:
Nonetheless, the spark she had ignited in Beatrice, Mary, and Flo.
Beatrice's heart was still there when next Beatrice' s love for Baha' u' llah inspired
she saw the name Baha' i eight or more years her to be ever active in His Cause. Apart
later. The Cardiff Assembly had been holding from the many pioneering moves and teacha series of meetings and teaching in Ponty- ing trips she made, she actively promoted
pridd, and Beatrice noticed that a friend of the translation into the Welsh language of
hers was reading an introductory pamphlet prayers and introductory literature. These
on the Faith. Asked if she could see it, the were used extensively at exhibitions set up
friend gave it to Beatrice saying that "it was by the Welsh Baha' i community at National
no use to him". An address and phone num- Eisteddfods, many of which Beatrice
ber on the back was that of Dr. Ernest Miller, attended.
IN MEMORIAM 939
In January 1961, she attended the dedication of the Mother Temple of the African
Continent, in Kampala, Uganda, as one of
the four representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles. These
were, befittingly, one each from England,
Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Beatrice took
with her the precious gift from the National
Assembly of the original cable from the
beloved Guardian inaugurating the Africa
Campaign for which the British Isles had
'chiefresponsibility'.
In 1962, Beatrice and her sister Flo were
the first Welsh Baha'is to go on pilgrimage
from Wales. In 1963, Beatrice attended the
World Congress in London. The year 1964
saw her pioneer to Inverness, Scotland, and
also attend the dedication of the Mother
Temple of Europe at Langenhain, Germany,
near Frankfurt. In 1965, she pioneered to
Southport and later that same year to Lland- Beatrice Newman
udno in North Wales.
The Pontypridd Assembly had grown by In September 1971, Beatrice attended the
this time so that both Beatrice and Mary were Oceanic Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland.
able to pioneer to Winchester, the ancient In 1972, all three sisters made their second
capital of England, with two other pioneers pilgrimage, and in March 1973 Beatrice and
from Wales to save the Assembly there. Mary made a teaching trip to Malta. Seeing
They were to have their home there for the urgent need to form the Assembly, they
more than ten years, Beatrice serving as the decided to remain there as pioneers and so
Assembly chairman for several years. Dur- were members of the first Spiritual Assembly
ing this time she made many teaching trips, of Malta. When they were able to be released,
including those to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, they went back home to Winchester.
and Zanzibar. In 1975, Beatrice and Mary moved their
In 1969, all three sisters pioneered for six home to Poole in Dorset, pioneering once
months in Cork, in the Republic of Ireland. again to save the Assembly. They were joined
There, Beatrice arranged for and gave an by Flo a year later. Despite her age, Beatrice
illustrated talk, the first Baha'i public meet- continued to be very active and the home in
ing held in Cork. Nearly seventy people Poole became a centre of attraction both for
attended who were nearly all of Catholic the local community and those interested in
background. Before leaving, Beatrice per- investigating the Faith.
suaded the carillonneur of Shandon Church Eventually, unable to take an active part
to play Allah'u'Abha on the church bells in affairs, she kept in touch with her Baha' i
while she prayed for the spread of the Faith friends in the United Kingdom and overseas
in that country. The bells can be heard all by correspondence. Always her warm friendover the city, and the carillonneur said that liness and radiant personality remained with
after they had left he would be glad to play her until she passed away just before her
the tune each day until the Birthday of 92nd birthday. There is no doubt that the
Baha'u'llah. Baha'i community is poorer for her loss.
DAVID LEWIS
940 THE BAHA'i WORLD

RODDY DHARMA LUTCHMA YA member of that Church from childhood. He
1932-1989 was always interested in religious and spiritual matters.
At the gate of the garden some stand In 1956, he and a group of friends listened
and look within, but do not care to enter. to a talk on the Baha'i Faith and universal
Others step inside, behold its beauty, but brotherhood given by an American doctor
do not penetrate far. Still others encircle who was staying in Mauritius, after having
this garden, inhaling the fragrance of pioneered in Reunion Island. The whole
the flowers , but having enjoyed its full group was conquered by the principles of the
beauty, pass out again by the same gate. Baha'i Faith, and Roddy the more so because
But there are always some who enter, and of his Christian background and his already
becoming intoxicated with the splendour profound knowledge of the Bible. He acof what they behold, remain for life to cepted the Faith in November of that year.
tend the garden. He had always been an earnest seeker
after tmth, so once he was convinced of the
This quote, atháibuted to 'Abdu ' l-Baha in a importance of the Baha'i Faith-that it was
pilgrim's note, 1 beautifully describes the in tmth the religion of the New Age-he dil-
"gardener's life" of Roddy Lutchmaya. The igently studied it and put his trust in God,
flowers he tended with so much care and love until he had an exceptionally deep underwere not only the men, women, and children standing of its outer and inner significance.
in his island-home of Mauritius, but those Because of this spiritual endowment, and
living in the other islands of the Indian Ocean because of his complete tJ.ustworthiness, his
as well. His every action was an expression innate capacity, and his great sincerity and
of love and kindliness , and he was never faithfulness in his Baha'i services, he became
happier than when serving Baha'u'llah and a much-respected and honomed servant of
the Baha'i friends. the Cause. He manifested at all times devo-
Roddy was born on 7 June 1932 in Mesnil, tion, vigour, and intensity in his services.
St. Paul, Mauritius. He was the sixth child in His firnmess in the Cause was exemplary
a family of nine children. His formal educa- and many of the young Baha' is who were
tion ended at the age of 17, and at 18 he closely associated with him learned what it
joined the Government Service as a clerk. A meant to be a loyal and sincere follower of
few years later he was recmited as a senior Baha'u' llah.
officer cadet in the Prisons Service and From 1957 until his appointinent as a
underwent a one-year training in England in member of the Continental Board of Counprison management. sellors in 1985, he served on Local Spiritual
After being appointed Superintendent, and Assemblies, first in his home town ofQuatre
then Deputy Conmlissioner of Prisons, Roddy Bornes and then in the town of Beau-Bassin/
became the first Mauritian to be appointed Rose Hill. He was also a member of the
Commissioner of Prisons, a post wllich he National Spiritual Assembly of the Indian
held from 1967 until he passed away. He was Ocean from its inception in 1964 until 1972,
also the first Conm1issioner in the annals of then a member of the National Spiritual
the Prisons Service in Mauritius to occupy Assembly of Mauritius from its inception in
this high office for such a long time. 1972 until 1985.
Roddy came from a fanlily that belonged In his capacity as member of the Contito the Church of England, and was an active nental Board of Counsellors for Africa,
he contiáibuted enmmously to bringing the
First printed in Th e Garden of the Heart, comp iled Baha'is of the Indian Ocean islands closer
by Frances Esty and publi shed in New York in 1930. together.
IN MEMORIAM 941
life, and devoted service to the Cause of
Baha'u'llah. He said,
Roddy possessed a rare and exceptional
gift as a shepherd. His motive was always
pure and his spirit lofty. People were
happy and comfortable in his company.
His great quest for unity and brotherhood
amongst men brought him early in life to
embrace the Baha'i Faith. And very soon
he became one of its most ardent promoters and fearless defenders.
The funeral was attended by hundreds of
people from all strata of the Mauritian society, including government ministers, heads
of departments, high government officials,
a host of Baha'i friends from far and near,
and many of the men and women he had
/ _,,,,,, / befriended.
The Universal House of Justice paid trib-
Roddy Dharma Lutchmaya ute to Roddy's memory when it cabled on
25 September 1989:
Roddy was ttuly a remarkable man, judged DEEPLY GRIEVED SUDDEN UNT IMELY DEA Tl-I
by any standard. He possessed that rarest of DEVOTED PROMOTER FAITH RODDY LUTCI-1-
combinations: a spiritual and pious nature, a MA YA. HIS INCESSANT INTENSIVE EFFORTS
joyous, kindly and radiant heart, and a TEACHING FIELD MAURITIUS FROM EARLY
sound, discreet and well-balanced mind. In YEARS ESTABLISHMENT FAITH THAT ISLAND,
everything he did there was a special mark HIS LONG RECORD ADMINISTRATIVE SER-
of quality, of excellence. VICES ON NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY,
In 1966 he had married Premabye Appa, CULMINATING JN HIS MEMBERSHIP ON BOARD
and together they had had four children. He OF COUNSELLORS JN AFRICA, WILL ALWAYS
enjoyed his life fully and had a genuine and BE LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. HIS HUMILITY,
enthusiastic interest in many things. For STEADFASTNESS, PERSEVERANCE UN FORGET-
example, he was a founding member of the TABLE. HIS REWARD ABHA KINGDOM UNDOUBT-
Amateur Dramatic Club of Mauritius. He was EDLY BOUNTIFUL. MAY RISING GENERATION
like a fountain, constantly giving of himself, BAHA'iS ISLANDS INDIAN OCEAN FOLLOW
forever doing something for someone. He HIS NOBLE FOOTSTEPS.
always had a large and friendly smile and a PRA YJNG HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS RADI-
kind word for all he met. ANT SOUL. CALLING FOR SPECIAL MEMORIAL
His honesty, integrity and love for human- GATHERINGS MOTHER TEMPLE KAMPALA
ity won for him the ttust and respect of his AND IN BAHA'I COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT
fellow men (Baha'is and non-Baha'is alike), AFRICAN CONT INENT. CONVEY RELATIVES
high government officials, and the people HEARTFELT SYMPATHY.
who worked under him.
At his Baha'i funeral service, a friend who NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
had known him very closely for more than OF THE BAHA'iS OF MAURITI US
thirty years movingly eulogized Roddy, extolling his outstanding character, exemplary
942 THE BAHA ' f WORLD

New York, she lived with her husband of
thirty years, Paul Edwards Evans, and her
mother-in-law. On Esther's prompting, John
explained the idea of progressive revelation,
and as he spoke of the Prophet Mul)ammad,
she accepted Him immediately. Esther recalled later, in an interview, that as John
spoke of the Bab and Baha'u' llah, she was
"suddenly filled with tremendous joy and
was enveloped in great, golden light. I felt as
though there was no me and I was conscious
of nothing about myself. I heard myself saying, 'John, this is the truest thing that was ever
said. ' And I believed. This was my answer."
The following year, Esther attended the
Temple dedication in Wilmette, Illinois, on
2 May 1953. She had had no intention of
pioneering then, but a call for pioneers was
made at the conference following the dedica-
-• Esther Evans
tion. She remembered Amatu 'l-Baha Rul.riyyih
Khanum saying, among other things, "Now
you old girls that have independent means
ESTHER Ev ANS and can do this, go to the far places of the
Knight ofBaha'u'llah world, stay there, live there, put your roots
1899- 1989 down, die there. Perchance, someone might
come along and say, 'Who is Baha'u'llah?
On 29 March 1899, Esther Marie Evans was What is a Baha'i?' You'll be able to tell
born in New York City. Her family was them.... "
Roman Catholic and her father had even Esther, accompanied by her friend Mrs.
studied for the priesthood. Esther herself had Lillian Middlemast, arrived in St. Lucia on
always been a seeker, and her first major 13 October 1953. Thus the "Helen of the
break with traditional thinking occurred at West," as St. Lucia is known, was blessed
about age 35, after a discussion with her with the Message of Baha 'u'llah. She refather who had studied the world 's religions . called later that although she had not heard
Esther had asked him, in a teasing way, what of St. Lucia before making the decision to
he thought was the true religion, and he had pioneer, upon her arrival there she felt as
answered: "Well, it would take a lifetime though she had landed in paradise.
to study the religions of the world, but I've As Knights of Baha' u'llah for the
made a superficial study and I believe that Windward Islands, Esther and Lillian were
it's the Muslim Faith." Esther had been instrumental in bringing the healing Word of
deeply impressed as this was certainly not a the Blessed Beauty to all St. Lucians. Upon
popular or well-known concept in the United Lillian 's return to the United States due to ill
States at that time. It left the way open for health after 10 months of pioneering, Esther
her to later accept the idea of progressive remained at her post.
revelation. Esther's warm, gracious personality en-
Esther was introduced to the Faith when deared her to young and old alike. She was
she was about 53 years old, by John and in touch with persons of influence and prom-
Valerie Woolson, on whose farn1 near Victor, inence in St. Lucia and established the good
IN MEMORIAM 943
name of the Faith among her wide circle of around the Faith and the family, from childfriends. In later years she regularly hosted hood to the end of his life.
Baha'i meetings at her home for friends and In December 1956, soon after the death
seekers. During her lifetime, Esther witnessed of his father, Ii?san travelled to New York
the growth and fruition of the seed planted City for his internship and surgical residency
by her arrival in St. Lucia. The National at New York City Hospital at Elmhurst. He
Assembly of the Baha'is of St. Lucia was married Veronica and they returned to Iran
inaugurated in 1983, 30 years after her arrival in 1962. Acutely aware of the beloved
there. At the time of her death in 1989, Guardian's admonition to the Persian friends
believers numbered over 1,800. to move out of Tihran, IJ:isan accepted the
Upon receiving news of her passing on position of chief surgeon/administrator of
17 October 1989 at the age of 90 after a the 150-bed Red Lion & Sun Emergency
short illness, the Universal House of Justice Surgical Hospital in Abadan, southern iran.
cabled the following message: There he became a very active member of
the local Baha' i community and well-known
GREATLY SADDENED PASSING VA LIANT KNJGHT for his services to the poorer people of
SA HA ' U' LLAH ESTHER EV ANS. HER MANY Abadan; it was unheard of that a surgeon at
YEARS STEADFAST DEVOTED SERV ICES EV I- this non-profit making hospital should work
DENCED BY ADMIRABLE GROWTH COMMUN ITY as many hours, as skillfully as though he
ST. LUC IA. KINDLY CONVEY HEARTFELT CON- were in private practice.
DOLENCES HER SON AND FRJENDS. ASSURE Hi s reputation grew, and in the manner
AR DENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS prejudices can be set aside when the skill of
HER NOBLE SOUL AB HA KINGDOM. the Baha' i is exceptional, the people became
fond of him. Not far north, along the Euph-
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY rates, stood Khurramshahr, at that time
OF THE BAHA ' i s OF ST. L UC IA
Iran 's main port. There--;n elderly Arab had
built a simple 20-bed hospital, and he was
looking for a doctor he could trust to be
EHSANOLLAH MALAKOOTI his partner. He heard of IJ:isan MalakUti in
(IJ:isanu ' llah Malakliti) Abadan and sent a very frank invitation, the
1932- 1989 gist of which was, ' I have searched long and
hard and cannot find an honest doctor of my
IJ:isanu' llah Malakuti was born in Kirman- own faith. I know Baha'is are honest and
shah, Persia, in 1932. His family soon after I've heard you are a good man so come see
moved to Tihran where he was educated, to my hospital'.
the completion of medical school at Tihran Not everyone in Khurramshahr was as
University. He was in that bl essed generation liberal as the good I:Iaj i, and for the first few
of Baha'is who could happily recall Friday months after his arrival friends regularly
classes with Mr. Fun'.1tan and Mr. Fay<;li, reported talks given at the local mosques
while he himself progressed to teach the aga inst "the Baha' i surgeon who will kill all
earl y grades whilst attending the senior the true believers". But 'Abdu ' l-Baha tells
Baha'i classes. He would recount precious us how we must each live and serve so that
memori es ofTihran Youth Committee mem- anyone coming to a town will know we must
bers standing on stools perilously perched be Baha' i, and so it was . Dr. MalakUti 's home
upon chairs , balanced on card tab les to hang was always full of friends, committees, the
their creation, the handmade chandelier that Local Assembly, distinguished Baha'i guests,
swung so elegantly from the dome of the future maiiyrs, M uslims, Christians, Jews;
I:Ia'.?iratu ' l-Quds in Tihran. Life revolved even deposed Arab royalty graced hi s house.
944 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Dr. MalakUti's knowledge of the Faith as
well as his use of it in his daily life were
outstanding even in that community rich in
knowledgeable and sincere believers. He
served on the Local Assembly and as delegate
to the National Convention until leaving Iran
in 1970.
By 1970, the MalakUtis had two sons,
ages three and six, and they had decided
to move to the United States until the boys
were well along in their education. But then
they heared Counsellor ' Aziz Yazdi speak
about the urgent need for pioneers to Africa.
The decision to go to Africa was made the
very evening Mr. Y azdi spoke in Khunamshahr.
After settling down to a private medical
practice in Nakurn, Kenya, Dr. MalakUti
served with devotion members of the African,
Asian, and European communities for nine-
Ehsanollah Malakooti teen years. Before being appointed to the
Auxiliary Board for Protection in 1976,
On occasion, when pressure would come Dr. MalakUti had been a founder-member of
from Tihran, and the local government offic- Nakurn's first Local Spiritual Assembly,
ers were forced to take action against the member of the Nakurn District Teaching
Baha'is, Dr. Malakl1ti would go to the police Committee, the National Teaching Commitstation to plead for the release of Baha' i tee, and the National Legal and Properties
properties or visit the local education officer Committee. Despite his very full practice (it
to ask that the Baha'i children not be humili- was very rare for him to have an unbroken
ated in class or beaten. When the local night's sleep in his entire adult life), he was
police chief apologized for confiscating all very active in Rotary International. One of
the Baha'i books from their storeroom on his happiest experiences was serving as the
the piece of land the community owned for first non-British Chairman of a Rotary Club
its future I:Ia~iratu ' l-Quds , Dr. Malakllti, as in Kenya. His hobby throughout his life, but
chairman of the Local Spiritual Assembly, most particularly in Nakuru, was his garden.
asked the chief to read The Hidden Words He rarely spent fewer than two weekday
and see for himself what he was doing. evenings and at least half the weekend in the
The doctor's good humour, candour, love villages, teaching, deepening and consoliof people and devotion to His Faith stood dating. On the afternoons when he travelled
him in good stead with everyone. After quite to the villages, the doctor would close the
a short time in -Khunamshahr - the same office early, fill up the car with local
mullas who had denounced him came to him Baha'is, many of whom he had taught and
for treatment. When the ousted King of Abu deepened, and drive out of town, dropping
Dhabi was exiled to Khunamshahr, it was off a Baha' i at a village where there was a
the local magistrate who brought the King's contact to be met, or perhaps a community
family to Dr. Malakuti as the physician who to be deepened. When the car was empty, he
wouldn 't disgrace Iran by cheating the King would teach at the last village, and later
and his family. begin the drive back, picking up the friends
IN MEMORIAM 945
he had earlier dropped off. His seemingly disadvantageous, were made unquestioningly
tireless energy was an inspiration to many after guidance from an institution.
Baha'is, as was his capacity for patience and The Universal House of Justice sent the
loving understanding. It is not easy to return following message to his wife on 24 October
to the same village again and again for many 1989:
years, encouraging, always patient, full of
love, planting the seeds for the future. DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING DEARLY LOVED
Dr. MalakUti had a unique rapport with STEADFAST EHSAN MALAKOOTI. HIS GEN-
the African friends; much love and respect EROUS NATURE, HIS COMM ITMENT TO HIS
was felt on both sides. RESPONSIBILITIES IN PIONEERING FIELD,
He tried to be generous in all ways and HIS STRENUOUS SELFLESS SERVICES, HJGHL Y
to inspire others to vision, and so the Nakuru VALUED, LOVINGLY REMEMBERED. EXTEND
Centre, with a meeting room for 200, a YOU , DEAR SONS, MEMBERS FAMILY HEART-
dormitory for 100, a covered dining area, FELT SYMPATHY. PRAYING HOLY SHRINES
and an office for the Local Assembly of PROGRESS HIS RADIANT SOUL ABl-IA KING-
Nakuru, was built which serves the more- DOM.
than 35 Local Assemblies around Nakuru as
well as hosting most national conferences Il)sanu'llah MalakUti lies buried in a
and National Conventions. Well-known for beautiful garden facing the Olympic Mounhis frugality, Dr. MalakUti couldn 't bear to tains of Washington, to the end a selfless,
see Baha'is rent facilities they should own! loving husband, father, and servant of His
Dr. MalakUti became ill and travelled to servants.
the United States for treatment but died VERONICA M ALAKOOT I

on 22 October 1989 at University Hospital, (Veronica Malakuti)
Seattle, Washington. Three months later,
when his wife returned to Nakuru, more than
600 persons attended his memorial, and the KAZEM KAZEMZADEH
speakers were of all colours and creeds. (Ka?-im Ka?-imzadih)
Baha' i, Christian, Hindu, and Muslim 1898- 1989
prayers were read. Representatives of the
Kenya National Medical Association and Ka?-im Ka?-imzadih was born in 1898 in
the Moslem Medical Association spoke of 'Ishqabad, Transcapia (now Turkmenistan),
his unselfish services. But above all, the when it was a recently acquired possession
Baha'is, who had an additional memorial of Russia. His grandfather, I:Iaji Mul)ammad
meeting at the I:Ia?-iratu'l-Quds, appreciated Ka?-im, like many Persian Baha'is, had found
his services to the Baha'is of Kenya. refuge there from persecutions at home.
At one of the memorial meetings in As a youth in I~fahan, I:Iaji Mui;iammad
Kenya, Isobel Sabri, a member of the Inter- Ka?-im had attained the presence of the Bab,
national Teaching Centre, said that the and later of Baha ' u'llah in Baghdad and
characteristic she most associated with him in 'Akka. His son, Aqa Mul)ammad Ri~a,
was "absolute integrity". The other attribute known as Arbab, was among the founders
which characterized his every action was his of the 'Ishqabad Baha'i community and the
absolute and loving obedience to the institu- builders of its House of Worship.
tions of the Faith based on his love for Ka?-im's mother was Liqa'iyyih Khanum,
Baha'u'llah. Whether it was deciding to set- granddaughter of Mir Jalil, who was martle out of Tihran, or to move to Africa, or tyred in the siege of Zanjan, and his wife,
to settle outside a capital city in Africa, these 'Anbamisa, known to Baha'i history as
moves that at the time appeared to be Umm-i-Asluáaf. Liqa ' iyyih Khanum's father
946 Tl-I E BAHA ' I WORLD

was f:Iaji Iman, a survivor of the siege of others sent to concentration camps where
Zanjan and of the martyrdoms of 1896 in many perished. Ka?'.im became a link
Tiluáan. between Baha'i prisoners and the outside
At the age of five, Ka?'.im entered the world. The Ka?'.imzadih home was used to
school run by several outstanding Baha'is, make packages of food and warm clothing for
among them Shaykh MuJ:iammad 'Ali Qa ' ini, shipment to camps in Siberia and Northern
posthumously designated by the Guardian an Kazakhstan.
Apostle ofBaha'u'llah. It was from him and In Persia, Ka'.?im served on a number of
other Baha'i scholars that Ka?'.im acquired Baha' i national committees, on the Local
his mastery of Persian, his love of poetry, Spiritual Assembly of 'fihran, of which he
and his knowledge of classical Arabic. was chairman for several years, and on the
At 13, Ka?'.im was emolled in a Russian National Spiritual Assembly, frequently
classical gymnasium, a school designed to discharging the duties of its secretary. With
provide a European education for the sons of the establishment of the Auxiliary Boards of
Russian officials in this Asian province. the Hands of the Cause, Mr. Ka?'.imzadih
Inshl.1ction was in Russian, a language Ka?'.irn was made a member of that institution. He
learned to perfection. He had acquired Azeri worked on translations of Baha'i literature
Turkish as a child, and later in life French into Russian, and taught classes for Baha ' i
and English as well. It was at the gymna- youth of college age . The alumni of those
sium that Ka?'.im was exposed to western classes remember them with gratitude and
science and culture and decided to pursue delight.
higher education in Moscow where he stud- In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Persia
ied law and international relations. While was in tum10il. The Shi'ite clergy had made
at Moscow University, he manied Tatiana a political comeback and was influencing
Romanovna Yevseyeva, a fellow student and the government and provoking attacks on
one of the early Russian Baha ' is. the Baha'is. There were killings by mobs,
On completing his studies, Ka?'.im was but there were also pseudo-judicial proceedemployed by the Persian Embassy in Mos- ings designed to desháoy Baha' i institutions.
cow and continued to serve there until 1940, One such case was the háial of the members
when he moved to Tihran, left the Ministry of the Spiritual Assembly of Yazd who were
of Foreign Affairs, and dedicated virtually accused of provoking murders in a nearby
all his time to the service of the Cause, only town.
occasionally practicing law. The members of the Y azd Assembly were
He had begun to serve the Cause in his tried in 'fihran in an atmosphere of haháed
early youth as a teacher in the Baha'i school and intimidation. Non-Baha'i lawyers, with
in 'Ishqabad, as editor of the Russian ver- one notable exception, refused to defend the
sion of the Baha'i newspaper, Khurshid-i- accused even if their irmocence was patently
Kluivar, and as a participant in various youth clear. Mr. Ka?'.irnzadih led the defense team.
activities. In Moscow he was elected to that In a courtroom packed with mullas and street
city's first Spiritual Assembly, serving until toughs shouting imprecations at the defenits dissolution in 1929. dants and their counsel, Mr. Kazirnzadih
In 1928, Ka?'.im made his first pilgrin1age rose to his full stature as a defender of the
to Haifa. Meeting Shoghi Effendi then, and Cause. He addressed the court over the
again in 1941 , were the high points of his life. screams of the mullas and their henchmen,
By the mid- l 930s, all Baha ' i activity in many of whom brandished knives. The
the Soviet Union ceased, as thousands of judges, instructed by the government, caved
Baha ' is were arrested and imprisoned in the in and found the defendants guilty, but no
Great Terror. Some were deported to Iran, one doubted the injustice of the verdict.
IN MEMORIAM 947

In recognition of Mr. Ka?'.imzadih 's role
in this and other cases, Shoghi Effendi
called him the "Shield of the Cause of God."
In 1956, Mr. Ka?'.imzadih moved to the
United States. He was in poor health and
underwent surgery. When his health improved, he was able to resume normal
activity. He taught Persian at Harvard and
at the University of California, Los Angeles,
contributed to World Order magazine,
taught at the Green Acre and Bosch Baha'i
Schools, travelled to Canada to teach
Russian-speaking Dukhobors, served on
Local Spiritual Assemblies in New Haven,
Connecticut, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and
Santa Monica, California, and was the first
Trustee of I:Iuququ'llah in the Western
Hemisphere, serving in that capacity for
many years. When open teaching was
allowed in the former Soviet Union, a pamphlet that he wrote in Russian proved very Kazem Kazemzadeh
useful.
One cannot conclude this brief sketch with- ASSEMBLY TI-IAT COUNTRY, HIS TRA NSLA-
out mentioning Mr. Ka?'.imzadih's personality TION WORK INTO RUSSIAN, HIS UNDEVI ATING
and character. A true aristocrat of the spirit, LOY ALTY INTERESTS BELOVED CAUSE AT ALL
courtly and dignified, he was entirely free of TIMES, ARE IMPERJSHABLE TOKENS OF HI S
arrogance or pride. His integrity, gentle- SELF-SACRIFICING EN DEAVORS OY ER SEVER-
ness, and humility endeared him to all who AL DECADES. HIS REWARD ABI-IA KINGDOM
knew him. Indeed, he was a man without UN DOUBTEDLY ABUNDANT. PRAYING PRO-
enemies. Deeply devoted to the principles of GRESS HI S NOBLE SOUL WORLDS BEYOND.
the Faith, he was never fanatical, and never CONVEY DEAR MEMBERS HIS FAMILY OUR
forced his opinions on others. LOVING SYMPATHY.
Ka?'.im Ka?'.imzadih died of heart failure DR. FJRUZ KAZEMZAD EH

on 14 November 1989, at his home in Pacific (Dr. FirLIZ Ka'.?imzadih)
Palisades, California, and was buried at the
Inglewood Cemetery a few feet from the
grave of Thornton Chase. HABIB HABIBI
The Universal House of Justice cabled the (I:Iabib I:Iabibi)
National Spiritual Assembly of the United 1912- 1989
States on 16 November:
I:Iabib I:Iabibi was born in Ramadan, Persia,
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING GREATLY TRU STED in 1912. His father, Mashiya, was of the
STEA DFAST PROMOTER FAITH KAZEM Jewish Faith but became a Baha ' i at the age
KAZEMZADEI-1. HIS DISTINGU ISHED SERVICES of 94. His mother, Shamsi, was a Baha'i.
RUSSI A, HI S EXEMPLARY PARTICIPATION IN Habib was very active as a young man of
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITI ES FRI EN DS IRAN, 17 or 18 years in Tihran, serving on the
INCLUDIN G DISC HARGE HI S RESPONSIBILI- National Youth Committee and the Social
TI ES AS SECRETARY NATIONAL SPIRITUAL Service Committee.
948 THE BAHA'I WORLD

many pioneers went out from Manchester.
l:fabib was one of these; he rented a small
flat in Chester, where he spent some time
each week, together with his son Jimmy.
Business commitments did not permit full
time residence there, but their sojourn was
sufficient to establish Assembly status.
l:fabib always wanted the Manchester
Local Spiritual Assembly to have its own
Baha'i Centre, and he was one of the initial
instigators to bring that dream to fruition.
A large Victorian house was purchased in
Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, the ground floor
was converted, and the National Assembly
granted pe1mission for this to be designated
as the Manchester Baha'i Centre. He was
proud that the Centre has been used most
fully over a great many years.
His services to the Faith continued
throughout the British Isles until, in Septem-
Habib Habibi ber 1971, l:fabib went on his first extended
teaching trip for four months in Africa. A
In the early 1940s, the House of year after his return, he again left England,
Baha'u'llah in Tihran was purchased for the this time for about six months in Africa and
Faith. I:Iabib was the principal contributor, Portugal.
and his contribution was made under great He served the Faith with distinction in
financial sháess. Belgium and Malta, then for the last 10 years
l:fabib went to Manchester, England, of his life pioneered to India. In Himachal
which was a very active community. He was Pradesh, he attracted many dignitaries to
soon elected to serve on the Local Spiritual the Faith, and in 1983, he launched the first
Assembly, and gave his valued support to medical eye camps in India-Mysore and
the many activities upon which the Manchester Mandya- in the State of Karnataka. These
community ventured, not the least of these were the beginnings of service efforts which
being the 1953 Baha'i Centenary Exhibition treated thousands of people, and which sucstaged at the Manchester Baha' i Centre. cessfully operated on hundreds of others.
In another area of service, l:fabib sup- He served on many Local Spiritual Assemported the move of the Baha' i Publishing blies and one State Baha' i Council in India.
Trust from the warehouse of Jacob and His last pioneering post was Goa, in which
Ibrahim Youseph (Jeff and Albert Joseph), he donated two Baha'i Centres.
to larger premises. Because of ill health he was forced to
The Assembly spent a great deal of time go back to Karnataka to a more temperate
discussing the letters received from the climate. Then, he passed away suddenly on
beloved Guardian, which included plans to 21 November1989 while in England for one
set up goal areas. One goal area was an adja- of his regular medical checks.
cent town, Stockport, and Habib volunteered Of his loving devotion to the Faith and
to pioneer there for a short time. its many needs there is ample confirmation;
The development of the Guardian' s Plans at no time did a call for help go without
called for more goals to be established and response. This service was fully reflected
IN MEMORIAM 949

in the following cable received from the At 21, he was elected to the New York
Universal House of Justice: Spiritual Assembly, and, as the youngest
member, served with many of the early dis-
GRIEVE PASS ING STEADFAST STALWART tinguished Baha'is such as Horace Holley,
SERVANT CAUSE GOD HABIB HABIBI. HIS UN - Philip Sprague, Mirza 'Ali-Kuli Khan, and
TIRING EFFORTS RELATED ACQUISITION ONE others. At this time he decided to give up
OF THE HOLI EST SITES IN IRAN, HIS DEVOTED any aspirations á toward an acting career so
BAHA'I ACTIVITIES ENGLAND, HIS PIONEER- that he might devote more time to Baha'i
IN G TO MALTA AND INDIA, HIS GENEROUS activities. During those early years, he was
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CAUSE OF GOD, actively involved with the Green Acre
ARE FONDLY REMEMBERED. PRAYING HOLY Summer School where he studied with many
SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHA KlNGDOM. early disciples of 'Abdu ' l-Baha who would
KINDLY CONVEY OUR LOVING CONDOLENCES eventually be responsible for the spread
ALL MEMBERS FAMILY. of the Faith throughout North and South
PAULrNE SENIOR AND WILMA HABIBI America and abroad.
In 1941, he married Keith Gettinger to
whom he taught the Faith, and they became
the parents of Philip James, Kirnon Joseph
ROBERT JOSEPH QUIGLEY and May Maxwell Quigley. During World
1912-1989 War II, he enlisted in the non-combatant
branch of the United States Navy where he
Robert Quigley was 19 years old when he served for three-and-a-half years . Shortly
first heard of the Baha'i Faith. He was acting after being discharged, Bob and Keith started
in a show in Washington, D .C. , when he a television production company, which
was offered a ride to his home in New York became highly successful over the years.
City by Philip Sprague, a prominent Baha' i In May of 1956, Shoghi Effendi gave perteacher who, as a young man, had met mission for Bob and his wife to travel to the
'Abdu'l-Baha when He visited New York. Holy Land for pilgrimage. While there, Bob
Bob Quigley frequently referred to this jour- was inspired to join his close friends, William
ney as the turning point in his life. and Marguerite Sears, who were pioneers to
En route to New York, Mr. Sprague ex- South Africa. Within three weeks Bob too
plained the Station of the Bab, Baha'u'llah was in South Africa, to be joined shortly
and 'Abdu'l-Baha and answered the young after by his wife and three children. They
actor's questions. Although he had been remained in Johannesburg for over three
raised a Roman Catholic since his birth on years, where Bob served as an Auxiliary
13 March 1912, and he was not consciously Board member as well as a member of the
seeking an alternative religion, Bob could National Spiritual Assembly of South Africa.
hardly believe what he heard. As soon as When the Quigley family returned to the
they arrived, he went directly to St. Agnes United States in 1960, Bob resumed his
Church where he and his family had been career in television and his production commembers for years . He knelt at the altar and pany reached even higher peaks of success,
opened the Baha ' i prayer book Mr. Sprague resulting in several "Emmys", the prestigious
had given him, and his acceptance of award given for excellence in the television
Baha'u ' llah and His Faith was instant. industry. He was elected to the National
Shortly thereafter he was enrolled as a Assembly of the United States and served
Baha'i youth and became very active in for five years . Throughout this period he
teaching, his natural charm and radiant spirit continued his long collaboration with the
attracting many seekers . Hand of the Cause of God William Sears
950 THE BAHA' I WORLD

DEEPLY SADDENED PASS ING DEARLY LOVED
ROBERT QUIGLEY. PROFOUN DLY GRATEFUL
HI S LONG YEARS CONSTANT DEVOTION
CAUSE BAHA' U'LLAH DISTINGUI SHED BY HIS
OUTSTANDING, SACRIFI CIAL SERVICES AS
PIONEER AFRICA TOGETH ER WITH HAND
OF TH E CAUSE WILLIAM SEA RS AND HIS
MEMBERSH IP NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASS EM-
BLY UN ITED STATES. HUM OR WITH WHICH
HE ENCOURAGED SERVICE AN D LIGHTENED
BURDENS OTHERS WARMLY REM EMBERED.
ARD ENTLY PRAYING PROGRESS HI S RADI ANT
SOUL DIV INE WORLDS. KINDLY CONVEY OUR
LOVING SYMPATHY DEAR KEITH AN D FAM ILY.
PHILIP O ' B RI EN

ROBERT W. MCLAUGHLIN
1900- 1989

Robert Joseph Quigley Robert William McLaughlin was born in
Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.A., on 24 June
producing audio-visual mate1ial, books, plays, 1900, but most of his childhood was spent in
films, and other teaching aids and projects Brooklyn, New York. His father was a wellwhich were used throughout the world. Using known Congregational minister and author
his outstanding creativity as a television pro- who, in his books, strove to demonstrate that
ducer, he was dedicated to advancing the Christ's perfect character and perfect teachawareness of the Faith through the media. ing had been "the two supreme events of
His enthusiasm and dedication remained history", and had shaped world events ever
constant for over 50 years as he witnessed since. Growing up in this atmosphere, young
the Faith grow into a world-wide commu- Bob and his three sisters were shielded
nity, resulting in the dedication of Houses of against the agnosticism which was then
Worship in Wilmette, Kampala, Sydney, becoming fashionable in the United States .
Frankfurt, and Panama, in addition to many After receiving his bachelor's degree from
world conferences, all of which he felt privi- Princeton University in 1921, Bob found his
leged to have been able to attend. Many plans for graduate studies in architecture
have heard him speak of his unforgettable inte1rupted by tuberculosis, which he overmeeting with the beloved Guardian. He came by spending two years at a sanatorium
always felt that his Baha'i life was filled with in Saranac Lake, New York. During this
unlimited bounties. period of enforced rest, he read voraciously
Bob Quigley passed away on 27 November and corresponded widely, developing a love
1989 and was buried at Inglewood Cemetery for literature and scholarship that was to
in California, near the grave of Thornton distinguish him throughout his life. After
Chase, the first American to embrace the regaining his health he returned to Princeton
Revelation ofBaha'u ' llah. and received his Master of Fine Arts degree
When his physical life ended, the Univer- in architecture in 1926.
sal House of Justice cabled the following In 1931 he married Katherine Lockwood
message: Thurber, known as Kakine, who was to be
IN MEMORIAM 951
his life-long partner in all things-especially ti on of the interior of the House of Worship
in service to the Baha'i Faith. in Wilmette. He published several articles
During the 1930s and 1940s, Bob prac- about the architecture of this Mashriqu'lticed architecture with increasing success Adhkar (The Bahci 'i World, volume XI), and
and prominence. His more traditional designs often used it as a theme in public lectures
ranged from family residences to large about the Faith.
corporate and public buildings. At the same In 1948 the McLaughlins left Bedford
time, he developed new pre-fabrication Village where they had been isolated believtechniques for low-cost housing, and was ers and moved to Greenwich, thereby
awarded more than 20 patents in that field. helping to strengthen the Baha'i community.
He was also known for studies of construc- Then, in 1952, Bob was invited by Princeton
tion techniques, climate control, and what University to become Director of the School
would today be called the "ergonomics" of of Architecture. Knowing this demanding
buildings. He was a complete architect, pos- position would reduce his time available for
sessing a broad knowledge of architectural teaching the Faith, he sought advice from
history but willing and able to use the the beloved Guardian, who replied by cable:
newest techniques and materials. He was not ADVISE ACCEPT PR fNCETON POST LOVTNG
beholden to the architectural fashions of his PRA YERS- SHOGHI.
day.
During 1944, Bob and Kakine became Bob served as a member of the National
dissatisfied with what they saw as un-Chris- Spiritual Assembly of the United States for
tian attitudes prevalent in their Christian almost four years, from late 1953 until midconununity of Bedford Village, New York, a 1957, when he resigned because of other
community which rejected a proposal by the commitments. From 1957 until his retire-
United Nations to establish its world head- ment from Princeton in 1965, he divided his
quarters in that part of New York State. The time between university duties and travel-
McLaughlins began to search for a religion ling with Kakine to teach the Baha'i Faith,
whose adherents would embrace the entire mostly in Mexico, Central America, and the
world, and were soon introduced to the Caribbean. During his many trips to Mexico
Baha'i Faith by Peter and Rene Welsh of and Central America, he became knowlnearby Greenwich, Connecticut. edgeable in Mayan art and architecture. In
Bob became a Baha'i in October 1944, 1965, he donated to Princeton University
and Kakine followed suit a few weeks later. a photographic index of some 20,000 pre-
In the summer of 1945, the McLaughlins Columbian artifacts that he had analyzed.
attended Green Acre Baha'i School, begin- In 1965, the McLaughlins moved to York,
ning a relationship with G1:een Acre that Maine, where Bob had lovingly restored an
would span four decades. During the 1950s old farmhouse not far from Green Acre.
they returned to Green Acre several times Freed from the demands of university life,
with their two children, Meredith and the McLaughlins used their farmhouse as a
Robert. base for local, national and international
In November 1945, Bob and Kakine were Baha'i activities and as a quiet haven for
appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly Baha' i visitors from all over the world. In
to the Regional Teaching Committee for the about 1970, the McLaughlins helped to form
State of New York. During the next seven a Local Assembly in York.
years, they were both active in teaching In 1962, the International Baha'i Council
activities throughout the State. had requested Bob's help in confronting a
Starting in 1947, Bob McLaughlin served serious threat to the Baha 'i properties on
on a Technical Advisory Board for construe- Mount Carmel: plans by local Haifa authorities
952 THE BAHA'I WORLD

decision to begin the selection of a design for
the Seat of the Universal House of Justice,
the House generously noted:
.. .MOVED PAY TRIBUTE EXPRESS HEARTFELT
GRATITUDE OUTSTANDING SERVICES ROB ERT
MCLAUGHLIN IN PREPARATION FOR TJ-IIS
HISTORIC UNDERTAKING.
Bob also served as architectural consultant to the Universal House of Justice for
the building of the Panama Temple. In 1964,
Bob had advised the Universal House of
Justice about solicitation of design proposals
for the House of Worship in Panama, then
from 1966 to 1972 he worked closely with
the architect, Peter Tillotson, and with the
National Assembly of Panama, to ensure
that the instructions of the House of Justice
were followed and that the Temple was
ready for its joyous dedication in Riqvan of
1972.
Robert W McLaughlin In 1977, Bob served as consultant to
the Universal House of Justice in evaluatto "improve" existing roads running through ing several designs submitted for the
those properties and to add new ones. In Mashriqu'l-Adhkar in Apia, Samoa. None
1964, the Universal House of Justice had of the designs submitted that year was
amplified this request, calling for a master judged adequate, but the process of evaluaplan that would show the long-term develop- tion helped to clarify architectural options,
ment of the Sacred Properties, including and thereby contributed indirectly to selection
new terraces, buildings, monuments and of the superior design that was later submitgardens that would one day adorn Mount ted and built.
Caimel. After moving to Maine, both McLaughlins
Bob first submitted such a plan to the taught courses and gave lectures at Green
House of Justice in 1965. In subsequent Acre. Bob served on the Green Acre Council
meetings with local authorities in Haifa, his and helped the school on questions of
gentle manner and impressive knowledge construction, renovation and landscaping. In
of city planning helped to convince them 1980 he received the Reimer A ward from
that the long-term interests of Haifa would the Green Acre Council in recognition of
be better served by a verdant and beautiful dedicated services to that school over many
Baha'i World Centre, open to all, than by a years.
series of little roads that would do little to Throughout his years as a Baha'i, Bob
alleviate the city's growing traffic problems. was fascinated by the richness and power
From 1964 through the mid-1970s, Bob of the language used in the Baha'i Writings.
continued to serve as architectural consult- As he studied copies of the Sacred Texts he
ant to the Universal House of Justice for the am1otated them in his fine architect's hand,
development of Baha'i properties on Mount adding thousands of definitions, derivations
Carmel, visiting Haifa many times to offer and cross-references. In 1977 he informally
his suggestions as new challenges arose. In circulated to some Baha'i friends copies of
June 1972, in a cablegram announcing its Words about the Word, a compilation of
IN MEMORIAM 953

uplifting passages drawn from the Sacred STATES AND ACTIVITIES CONNECTED WITH
Writings. GREEN ACRE SCHOOL AND AS TRA YEUNG
In subsequent years, he devoted himself TEACHER GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGED. AR-
to analysis of a single passage that appears DENTLY PRAYING HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS
HIS NOBLE SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. OUR
three times in the Writings of Baha'u'llah,
LOVING SYMPATHY SURROUNDS DEAR
and of which Bob wrote: "This Tablet stands
KATHERINE AND FAMILY FOR WHOSE CONSO-
as a pinnacle from which salient points of
LATION AND WELL-BEING PRAYERS ARE ALSO
past Revelation may be viewed. About it
BEING OFFERED.
are spread the fertile plains, towering peaks
ROBERT T. MCLAUGHLIN
and flowing streams of the Revelation of
Baha'u'llah. Each word of these verses is a
sign-post leading to riches in His Word."
The resulting study was published as These PA TEPAERU ARIKI
(Lady Davis)
Perspicuous Verses (George Ronald, 1982).
1922-1990
During his later years, Bob became
intrigued by similarities between some of
It is recorded in a letter from Edith Daniel-
President Woodrow Wilson's "14 Points and
son dated 21 January 1960 that: "Pa Ariki,
subsequent addresses", as enunciated in
queen of the Ngatangiia District of Raro-
1919-especially those describing a League
tonga, Cook Islands, has become a Baha'i".
of Nations-and the principles of the Faith.
Edith became acquainted with Pa Ariki
He began to investigate whether President
Wilson or his close associates had any in 1953, shortly after Edith had arrived in
Rarotonga. "She was one of the very few
contact with Baha'is or access to Baha'i
who asked about the Faith," Edith wrote She
literature. After considerable research he
found a possible connection through, the read Baha 'u 'llah and the New Era. Before
President's first wife, Ellen Wilson, an artist long she was speaking of the Faith and
who before her death in 1914 had close con- expounding its principles far and wide.
tacts with at least one Baha'i artist. Before One day I asked her why it was that she
his passing Bob prepared a short monograph believed but did not affiliate. She had two
on this subject, identifying additional leads problems. One was being of the nobility.
that future researchers might follow. It was her ancestors who had welcomed
Shortly after Bob McLaughlin 's passing the first Christian missionaries (London
on 30 November 1989, the Universal House Missionary Society) to the island and
of Justice cabled: became pillars of the church. The second
problem was that by tradition, if she were
DEEPLY DEPLORE LOSS STEADFAST, OUT- to change her religion, at least the elders
STANDING SERVANT BAHA'U ' LLAH ROB ERT of her district would be duty bound to fol-
W. MCLAUGl-ILlN. GENTLENESS, DILJG ENCE
low where she led and this was not the
CHARACTER IZED HIS UNSTINTING SERV ICES
Baha'i way of independent choice. I
CAUSE OF GOD OVER PERIOD MANY YEARS,
remember the many star-spangled eve-
DISTINGU ISHED BY EXPERTISE WH ICH AS
nings and even rainy nights we drove
ARCH ITECTURAL CONSULTANT I-I E LENT TO
about the island talking, finally ending up
MANY BAHA'i PROJECTS, I CLUDING TEMPLES
WILMETTE, PANAMA CITY, APIA AND WHICH
in her front yard sitting in the little car,
INVOLVED HIM PROMINENTLY IN CREATION
talking until two or three in the morning
PRELJMINARY PLANS TOWARDS REA LlZATION about the Faith, the world, the education
CONCEPT FOR DEVELOPMENT SACRED PROP- of people. Once she asked permission to
ERTIES MOUNT CARMEL. HIS MEMBERSHIP use Baha'i material in a talk she was
NATIONAL SP IRJTUAL ASSEMBLY UN ITED going to give. On Sunday afternoon or
954 THE BAHA'I WORLD

evening each village holds a meeting at During the hours that we sat and talked,
which a speaker is elected to pose ques- she often expressed her great desire for
tions prepared by the Oramatua (minister), her people to advance and her islands to
and one question of his own, then general prosper. She was immensely proud of her
discussion follows. Pa had been asked heritage.
many times but had always refused. She In 1984, the people of Samoa welcomed
said she had never felt she knew anything Pa Tepaem Ariki for the dedication of the
about God and was not qualified to speak Baha ' i House of Worship near Apia. On that
but 'now,' she said, 'I know something occasion she insisted on remaining with the
about Him and I want to tell it! ' When I Cook Islands contingent at a simple dwelling,
bade her a reluctant farewe ll in March rather than an acconunodation for dignitaries
1958 she said, ' I think I will be a Baha'i as befitted her rank. This was typical of her
some day, but there are some things I feel humble attitude.
I must work out in my mind.' She was a member of the Local Spiritual
Pa Tepaeru Ariki became a Baha' i on Assemblies of Te Au 0 Tonga and Takitumu.
4 October 1959. In 1985, she was elected to the first National
Tepaeru had been born 14 August 1922. Spiritual Assembly of the Cook Islands.
Her mother was Takirikou Potikitaua Mana- Pa Ariki rendered many important services
rangi, ofRua-o-te-Tonga, and her father was to the Baha' i Faith, attended many confer-
Taike Ariki M itiau, of Takitumu. Tepaeru ences and represented the Cook Islands in
was only nine years old when she received the Pacific. In 1985, she presented the Procthe title of Pa Ariki . From that time on she lamation ofBaha'u' llah to the Prime Minister
knew that she would become the Takitumu of the Cook Islands on behalf of the Universal
leader and was trained accordingly. She re- House of Justice and the National Assembly
ceived her education in New Zealand. of the Cook Islands.
In later years she became the distinguished The climax of her life came in 1986, when,
President of the House of Ariki- the house accompanied by her distinguished husband,
of the traditional chiefs-and was affection- Sir Thomas Davis, then Prime M inister, she
ately known by her people as "Aunty Pa." paid a visit to the Holy Land and the Univer-
"During the 30 years that I knew Pa sal House of Justice at its seat on Mount
Ariki," Suhayl 'Ala'i recalls, "I witnessed the Ca1m el, followed by a brief pilgrimage to
love and affection she showered upon every- the Baha' i holy places.
one in her charming and joyful manner. She Ever mindful of her position in Cook
was so proud of her extended fami ly. Islands society, Pa Ariki often called attention
"On my vis its to the Cook Islands she to a passage from the Tablets of Baha 'u ' llah
would often say to me, ' Let us walk through addressed to the kings and rulers of the
the town and meet some of my people'. We world:
would walk through A varue, stopping here
and there, and she would introduce many Fear the sighs and tears of this Wronged
of her family and friends. One, and lay not excessive burdens on
Pa Ariki was a staunch and outspoken your peoples. Do not rob them to rear
defender of her ideals. Her membership in palaces for yourselves ... Thus We unfo ld
the Baha'i community and her familiarity to your eyes that which profiteth you, ifye
with its principles greatly influenced her but perceived. Your people are your
way of thinking. She sháongly supported treasures.
the rights of women, the ideal of the one- These words governed all her actions.
nes s of humanity, the oneness of religion, Pa Tepaem Ariki passed away suddenly
and the rights of the individual. on 2 Febrnary 1990 at the age of 67 while on
IN MEMORIAM 955
His restlessness and advanced ideas led
him to study Esperanto and to correspond in
that language with 72 people around the
world. One of his correspondents was a
Baha'i Esperantist in the United States, who
gave his address to Virginia Orbison when
she decided to pioneer to Spain in December
1946, thereby opening that country to the
Faith. Mrs. Orbison was responding to the
call of the Guardian who had asked the
American Baha' i community to send nine
pioneers to Europe during the second Seven
Year Plan undertaken by the American
believers.
From the moment Manuel heard of the
Faith, he felt captivated by it and lived dedicated to its service. He accepted it formally
on 5 July 1947, becoming the third believer
to embrace the Faith in Spain. He was then
24 years old.
Pa Tepaeru Ariki His family rejected him for his decision,
and he began a new life in connection with
a visit to New Zealand. The Cook Island the Faith. He participated actively in all
News reported: "As day breaks tomorrow, the teaching plans that Shoghi Effendi trans-
Rarotonga will be half way through eight mitted to the cornnmnity in the Iberian
hours of solemn ceremonies to mark the Peninsula, and he represented the Spanish
return home of the late Pa Tepaeru Ariki, community on various occasions at many
Lady Davis." international Baha'i events. He was a mem-
She was accorded the largest state funeral ber of the first National Spiritual Assembly
ever seen in the Cook Islands and the only of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Pmiugal),
one recognised by an official day of mourning. elected on 24 April 1957.
LILI AN ' AL1\'i Later in 1957, Manuel married Emilia
Garro Bermejo, and the couple pioneered
to the Dominican Republic, where Manuel
MANUEL GARCIA VAZQUEZ became the secretary of the first Local Spiri-
1923-1990 tual Assembly of Santiago de los Caballeros.
They set up a school for native radio an-
Manuel Garcia Vazquez was born to Maria nouncers in their home, and their first
and Juan Garcia in Cabreiros, Orense Prov- daughter, Zoraida, was born there.
ince, Spain, on 20 August 1923. He lived in After the National Convention of the
that locality until he was 20 months old; then following year, he and his family left for
he lived in Chipiona, Cadiz, where his father Ciudad Trujillo as pioneers.
had moved as a teacher of primary school. Manuel served as secretary of the National
In 1939, Manuel moved with his family Spiritual Assembly of the Dominican Repubto Madrid, where he began to work for the lic and as a member of the first National
Hispano-American Bank, becoming secretary Radio Teaching Committee. The programmes
to the regional director of the central office about the Faith he created for radio were
of that banking corporation. broadcast on many stations. In 1962 he was
956 THE BAHA'i WORLD

provinces of Spain, from the border with
France to that of Portugal, to teach and open
those provinces to the Faith.
In 1980, the family moved again to Saragossa, where Manuel served as secretary of
the Local Assembly until 1989. In that city,
he created the Sisfor Institute, a centre which
conducted personal development courses for
groups of professionals.
The course of Manuel Garcia Vazquez's
Baha'i life was truly exemplary. He was an
untiring, sincere, dedicated, and enthusiastic soldier for the Faith from the time, at
23 years of age, when he read, in only one
night, Dr. Esslemont's book Baha 'u 'llah
and the New Era.
Responding to the news of his death on
9 February 1990, after an illness, the Universal House of Justice sent the following
message on 16 February to the National
Manuel Garcia Vazquez Spiritual Assembly of Spain:

appointed to the Auxiliary Board. SADDENED NEWS PA SS ING STALWART
In 1965, he, his wife and their four chil- SERVANT BAHA' U'LLAH MANUEL GARCIA
dren-Zoraida, Juan Manuel, Alberto, and VAZQUEZ, ONE OF THE FIRST TO EMBRACE
Kasim-were forced to leave the country TH E CAUSE IN SPAIN. HI S RECORD DEVOTED
due to the revolution, and to leave their SERV ICES SPANN ING OVER FOUR DECADES
publicity business which had a staff of 32 UNFORGETTABLE. HI S MEMBERSH IP HISTOR IC
people. They returned to Spain, settling first FIRST LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMB LY MADRID,
in Madrid, and later in Zaragoza where SECRETARY FIRST NAT IONAL SP IRITUAL
Manuel served as Secretary of the Local ASSEMBLY IB ERIAN PENINSULA, HI S PIONEER-
Spiritual Assembly. ING DOMINICAN REPUBLI C AN D SEVERAL
Responding to the need for pioneers in HOM EFRONT GOAL TOWNS, HI S UNTIRING
the Basque area of the country, he settled EFFORTS TEACH ING , DEEPENING FIELDS
with his fami ly in Algorta, Vizcaya, in 1969, ARE WARMLY REMEMBERED. PRAYI NG HOLY
where they remained for nine years. At that SHRINES PROGRESS HI S RADLANT SOUL ABHA
time, he was a member of the National Radio KINGDOM. CONVEY LOV ING CONDOLENCE
Committee, to which he devoted much time MEMBERS HIS FAMI LY.
and energy. He created programmes for ZORA IDA GARCIA GARRO AND

radio and attended all the Baha'i schools EM I LI A GARRO B ERMEJO

held in Liria so that he could tape the sessions for broadcast afterwards for those who
were unable to attend, or for the believers
in general. He carried out this activity for
14 years.
While living in Algorta, he travelled each
week to one of the capitals of the northern
IN MEMORIAM 957

KHODADAD H. V AJDI
1928-1990

Born of Zoroastrian parents in Bombay,
India, in 1928, Khodadad Vajdi lost his
mother at the tender age of two and was
brought up by his aunt, Mrs. Daulat Vajdi,
who was very devoted and the only Baha'i
of the family. When Daulat went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1931, she took
Khodadad, who was then three years old,
and the child had the privilege of sitting on
the lap of the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahiyyih
Khanum. The Greatest Holy Leaf was reported to have said that he would grow up to be
a devoted and sincere servant of the Faith.
Upon completing his high school education at the age of 18, he offered his services
as one of the first pioneers from Bombay
to Dehra Dun in Uttar Pradesh in 1948-49,
under the Four-and-One-Half Year Teaching Khodadad Vajdi
Plan of the National Spiritual Assembly of
the Baha'is of India. He remained there for His love for mass teaching and his enthuone year, then had to return to Bombay to siasm in spreading the Faith in the vast
join his aunt's business. virgin land of India made him restless to
In 1953, Khodadad pioneered to East open new tenitories. He went to the north-
Africa under the Ten Year Plan of the eastern areas of India in 1964 where he
beloved Guardian. He opened Zanzibar, and took with him the available manpower from
was also responsible for opening Mafia and Madhya Pradesh, in consultation with the
Pemba islands to the Faith. His pioneering National Spiritual Assembly, and settled them
services were greatly appreciated by the as pioneers in Nagaland, Tripura, Assam,
Guardian. He returned to Bombay in 1955 as Manipur, and the border of Bhutan. He was
he could not extend his visa. Thereafter, he elected to the National Assembly oflndia in
served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of 1962, and served on this august institution
Bombay until 1959 and finally pioneered to until 1985 when ill health made it necessary
Ujjain after his maniage to Tahirah Boman, for him to resign.
daughter of Bahman and Shirin Boman. His international teaching trips extended
Inspired by the Hand of the Cause of God to Sikkim, the Andaman Islands, Mauritius
Ral.rmatu'llah Muhajir, Khodadad and Shirin and the Seychelles, Tanzania, Australia, and
Boman initiated the mass teaching campaign Fiji.
in Ujjain and Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in Khodadad was a man of the masses; they
1961. Later, Khodadad encouraged a few adored him from their hearts. He would
Baha'i friends from Bombay to undertake confer with them, sit with them, and share in
mass teaching activities in the Saurashtra their joys and sonows. During mass teachand Dang areas in Gujarat, Balia in Uttar ing the villagers would listen to his talks on
Pradesh, and Rajasthan. He also contributed the Faith with rapt attention, as he had the
to opening the tribal areas of Bastar and art of capturing the minds of audiences. His
Jhabua to the Faith. talents were also exhibited in his book
958 THE BAHA' I WORLD

Human Happiness , wherein he traced the friend of Kathryn Frankland, one of the dishistory and teachings of the Faith in lucid tinguished early American believers. With
style. Kathryn' s help, Mabel began to serve the
His temperament and technique of reach- Faith quite diligently. She held firesides and
ing the elite classes was also noteworthy. study classes in her home, and became
He endeared himself to the audience with his active in women's organizations.
scholarly discourse punctuated by wit and On 18 October 1912, having heard that
examples from daily life. People remember 'Abdu ' l-B aha was in Los Angeles, Mabel
him for his illuminating talks which left took Edris and Colston to the hotel where
indelible impressions on their minds . the Master was staying. They spent over an
A selfless and devoted Baha' i, Khodadad hour with 'Abdu ' l-Baha in His room. Both
passed to the Abha Kingdom on 16 February Edris and Colston sat on 'Abdu ' l-Baha 's
1990. As a tribute to his services to the knee and were given cookies. Some years
Cause of God, the following message was later, in response to a letter from their
sent by the Universal House of Justice: mother, 'Abdu ' l-Baha bestowed the name
Rawshan ("brilliance") on Edris, and Rul_J.i
GRJEVED PASSING KHODADAD VAJD I DEDI- on Colston, and revealed in their honor the
CATED SERVANT FAITH !NOIA WHOSE UN- well-known prayer for children that begins:
INTERRUPTED SERV ICES PARTICULARLY IN "O my Lord! 0 my Lord! I am a child of ten-
TEACHJNG, PIONEERING FIELDS WILL EVER der years . Nourish me from the breast of
BE REMEMBERED. HE IS NUMBERED AMONG Thy mercy ... "
THOSE FEW STALWART PROMOTERS FAITH The family moved to Detroit, Michigan,
ASSOCJA TED WITH PROCESS MASS TEACHING in 1914, and during the next few years,
IN IN DIA. HI S EXPLOITS IN EXPANS ION CON- summers were passed at Green Acre Baha ' i
SO LIDATION PROJECTS AMONG RURAL AND School where Edris and Colston spent much
TRJBAL AREAS BLESSED Tl-IE lND IAN COMMU- time with many of the most distinguished
NITY WITH OUTSTANDING VICTOR IES. ASSURE of the early North American believers: the
LOVING PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS Maxwells, Haneys, Randalls, Obers, and Keith
HIS RADIANT SOUL AB HA KINGDOM SOLACE Ransom-Kehler, among others. Theron and
BEREAVED FAM ILY. Mabel eventually divorced, and in 1920,
OR. TAH I RAH VAJDI Mabel married Howard Colby Ives.
Edris graduated in 1927 from Vassar
College, then entered Cornell University
DR. EDRIS RA WSHAN RrCE-WRA Y Medical College. She soon transferred to
1904-1990 Northwestern University Medical School,
there receiving her medical degree in 1932.
Edris was born in Newark, New Jersey, On 30 March 1929, she had married Robert
U.S .A., on 21 January 1904, to Theron Carson, and later bore two daughters, Lynn
Canfield and Mabel Rice-Wray. She had and Barbara.
two brothers, Landon Carter, who died as a In the midst of this intense period, she
child, and Colston, two years younger than was a devoted Baha'i, speaking on occasion
Edris. Mabel had become a Baha' i sometime at the House of Worship in Wilmette. She
before 1900, a few years before her mar- was famous for her hospitality, sometimes
riage. Although Theron never became an having guests for months. One frequent
active Baha'i, he held 'Abdu ' l-Baha in great guest was Dorothy Baker, who often stayed
esteem. with Edris during the late 1930s when she
In 1909, the family moved to the Los was in Wilmette for the meetings of the
Angeles area where Mabel became a good National Spiritual Assembly. During this
JN MEMORIAM 959
period Edris deputized her mother's and
Howard Colby Ives' teaching trips, and
later, when they were living with her, Edris
persuaded Mr. Ives to record his memories
of the Master, resulting in the much loved
book, Portals to Freedom.
After a residence in medicine, and 15 years
of practice as an internist in the Chicago
area, Dr. Rice-Wray moved to the Caribbean
in answer to the call of the Guardian for
pioneers to Latin America. She arrived in
Puerto Rico in 1948 with her two daughters
(she and her husband had divorced), and she
accepted a position with the Health Department of Puerto Rico. This change to the field
of public health brought forth her organizational skills, her zeal and public spirit as she
became Director of Field Training for the
Health Department.
She accepted a scholarship in Public Health
at the University of Michigan, receiving her Dr. Edris Rice-Wray
Master's degree in 1950 and qualifying for
the American Board of Preventive Medicine. and the Margaret Sanger A ward from the
Plunging into service to the disadvantaged, Planned Parenthood Federation a few years
she found the grave problems of poor and before her death.
ignorant mothers to be an overwhelming con- On her retirement in 1973, she became
cern, and she seized upon the resolution of professor of population studies at the Unitheir material problems as her primary inter- versity of the Americas in Puebla.
est for the remainder of her professional life. Dr. Rice-Wray's Baha'i activities in Mexico
In 1956, Dr. Gregory Pincus enlisted her continued apace with her busy professional
services as a research collaborator for field years as physician, pioneer, mother, and
tests of Enovid, the first endocrine contra- teacher. She was elected to the first National
ceptive agent which permitted rational Spiritual Assembly of Mexico in 1961 , and
family planning for needy women. Moving continued to serve on it for the fo llowing six
with her two daughters to Mexico City in years. She was also very active in many
1957, she accepted a position with the World women's organizations, speaking at confer-
Health Organization. ences and events, including the First Asian
In Mexico City, Dr. Rice-Wray opened Baha'i Women's Conference, held in India
a family planning clinic, organized the first in 1978.
national Family Planning Association for On 19 February 1990, Dr. Edris Rawshan
Mexico, established a Maternal Health Rice-Wray passed away at her pioneering
Association, and later a Foundation for Pop- post in Puebla, Mexico. The National Spiritual
ulation Studies. She published a number of Assembly of Mexico received the following
scientific papers, and received international message from the Universal House of Justice,
recognition and a number of awards including sent on 22 February 1990:
the Sesquicentelillial Award for "Knowledge, Wisdom and the Comage to Serve" SADDENED NEWS PASSING DEDICATED VET-
from the University of Michigan in 1967, ERAN PIONEER TIRELESS DISTINGU ISHED
960 THE BAHA'I WORLD

PROMOTER CAUSE GOD DR. EDRJS RICE-WRAY.
HER LONG RECORD UNFORG ETTABLE SERVICES
BOTH TEACHING AND ADMINISTRATNE FIELDS
ESPEC IALLY MEXICO HOLDS PROMISE BOUN-
TIFUL REW ARD. OUTSTANDING SCIENTIFIC
SERVI CES MANKIND ALSO RECALLED. FER-
VENTLY SUPPLICATING SACRED THRESHOLD
PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOUL WORLDS BE-
YOND. KINDLY CONVEY HEARTFELT SYMPATHY
HER RELATIVES AND FRJ ENDS.

Adapted from Tributes by
MRS. JEANNE SERRANO AND D R. D A VI D R UHE

APARICIA ORTIZ GUTIERREZ
1957-1990

Aparicia Ortiz Gutierrez was born in Honduras in the Garifuna village of San Pedro de
Tocamacho, municipality of Iriona in the Aparicia Ortiz Gutierrez
Department of Colon, on 14 February 1957.
Her parents were Mr. Maximo Ortiz and permanent teaching team was established in
Mrs. Paula Gutierrez. the village of Sambo Creek, and Aparicia
Her childhood was spent in the place of decided to give two months of her time to
her birth, and she attended primary school to work on this group. The team consisted
grade five . Her mother was a Baha'i, and in of six Garifunas drawn from around the
her youth Aparicia was devoted to teaching country. She was the heart of the team: an
Baha'i children' s classes in addition to dem- example of purity, devotion, self-sacrifice,
onstrating to her own people and to strangers and dedication for all the others. In all the
the qualities and virtues pointed out in the towns she rapidly won the respect and admi-
Sacred Writings. ration of the people for her radiant example
Aparicia married Daniel Martinez and of service and sacrifice.
gave birth to four children: Patricia, Claudia Then in February, the National Spiritual
Ondina, Julia Vanessa, and Melvin Omar, all Assembly of Honduras decided to send a
of whom became believers. When her sister team of Garifuna ttáavelling teachers to the
passed away, Aparicia also adopted her sis- Garifuna people of Livingston, Guatemala,
ter's twins: Juan Eloy and Juan Guillermo. for the first time. Although Aparicia was
Following ancient customs, she worked in eager to return home to be with her children,
planting and harvesting the root vegetable she agreed to travel to Guatemala to serve
yucca, and preparing cassava . She did not her Lord in the new field of service.
neglect her good habits and the fulfilment of Nearing Livingston, she fell ill from a pain
her material and spiritual duties, particularly in her heart. Three hours after arriving, she
in the raising of her children and assisting her died suddenly of a heart attack. She had a
mother at home with support of the family. Baha' i funeral at the cemetery of Pue1io
In January 1990, a new national teaching Barrios in Guatemala. She is survived by her
1111tiatlve was launched by the National children and by her siblings: Jorge, Nolasca,
Spiritual Assembly of Honduras. The first Edna, and Jeronimo.
IN MEMORIAM 961
Aparicia was the first Garifuna believer distinguished him in his personal, social, and
to give her life for Baha'u ' llah . As one of spiritual life.
her companions on the team expressed, "she As a child his parents, especially his mother
was too good and pure for this world". who was from the renowned religious family
Upon hearing of her passing, the Universal of Arjumand, had inculcated in him love and
House of Justice sent the following message respect for the Faith and he was always
on 16 March 1990 to the National Spiritual filled with devotion. When he obtained his
Assembly of the Baha'is of Honduras: first automobile and worked as a taxi driver,
on any trip when he took passengers to ' Iraq
DEEPLY TOUCHED ACCOUNT LOVE DEVOTION or Lebanon, he would take the opportunity
APARICIA ORTIZ. MAY HER EXAMPLE BE to visit the Holy Places of the Baha'i Faith
SOURCE STRENGTH FOR BAHA'I COMMUN ITY as a pilgrim and had the privilege of many
HONDURAS ENSURING HER LABOURS IN CAUSE meetings with the beloved Guardian .
MAY YIELD ABUNDANT HARVEST. KINDLY I:Jabib married Bahereh (Bahirih) Khamsi
ASSURE FAMILY FRIENDS OF APARI CIA OF of Rasht, the daughter of Siyyid AlJmad
PRAYERS IN HOLY SHRINES FOR PROGRESS Khamsi Baqiraf, a prominent Baha'i and a
HER SOUL IN ALL WORLDS OF GOD. companion of'Abdu ' l-Baha in Paris, Germany,
Austria and Budapest. Her grandfather was
NAT IONAL SPIRITUAL A SSEMBLY Sadat Khamsi , a title given by the Blessed
OF HO NDURAS
Beauty. I:Jabib and Bahirih had two sons,
Iradj (Iraj) and Hormoz (Hurmuz).
I:Jabib began his career in a bicycle repair
HABIB SABET shop, subsequently becoming the founder
(I:Jabib Thabit) of a woodworking factory and over 40 com-
1903-1990 panies, amongst which are Television of Iran,
the Pepsi Cola subsidiary in Iran, General
I:Jabib Thabit was a distinguished Iranian Tire, and Iran Volkswagen. He was a mem-
Baha'i, an entrepreneur and an industrialist. ber of the Board of Directors of Iranians'
He was born in a modest family in Tihran Bank, the Industrial Mining and Developin 1903 and passed away in Los Angeles, ment Bank, and the Bank of Iran. He was at
California, U.S.A., on 20 February 1990. the same time Board member of many other
The more successful he was in material companies and prestigious banks of Iran as
gain and fame, the more enthusiastic he was well as the Baha' i Children ' s Saving Comin his service to the Faith of Baha'u'llah, pany ofNawnahalan.
especially to fulfil the wishes and plan s of When the Shah closed the Baha'i schools
his beloved Guardian, Shoghi Effendi. There- in Persia in 1934 and communication with
fore , to describe the life of I:Jabib Thabit, the Baha'i World Centre was cut off, I:Jabib
one should write about the parallel progress and Bahirih, on instruction of the National
of the material and spiritual. Spiritual Assembly of Persia, immediately
A self-made man, I:Jabib only had the departed from Tihran and reached the Holy
privilege of a few years of education , first Land within 48 hours . They presented the
at the Tarbiyat Baha'i School, and then at plea of the National Spiritual Assembly and
the Saint Louis French School in Tihran received the answer and guidance for them.
which he attended while receiving payment On this occasion the beloved Guardian
as a private tutor of affluent children. There- showered love and bounty on the couple and
fore, it was neither his education, nor his told them that they were the first to reach
family background which brought him to the the World Centre so quickly. He said that
highest position of entrepreneurship, nor soon they would be able to have breakfast in
962 THE BAHA 'i WORLD

the second Baha'i century, and coinciding
with the termination of the first year of
the World Spiritual Crusade ... The site of
the Siyah-Chal-that pestilential subterranean Pit, the scene of the birth of
Baha'u ' llah's prophetic Mission, and the
holiest place in the capital city of His
native land-has been recently purchased,
together with the surrounding area, involving an expenditure of approximately four
hundred thousand dollars contributed by
a Persian follower of the Faith ...

For over 20 years, I:Iabib Thabit served
as a member of the National Spiritual
Assembly of Persia, often using his good
relationship with the authorities or friends
to protect the Baha'is from persecution. In
1955, the Baha'is of Persia were endangered
when Shaykh MuJ:iammad Taqi Falsafi made
Habib Sabet false accusations against the Baha'i Faith on
the government radio and incited the people
Tihran and lunch at the World Centre. This to massacre the Baha'is and confiscate their
was realized within a few years when the air precious centres and properties, a plan in
service was established between Persia and which the Shah, the government, and the
the Holy Land. clergy became involved.
While expanding his commercial activi- Mr. Thabit, under the guidance of the
ties, I:Iabib was proud that thousands of Guardian, and without regard for the danger
Baha'is, who were not able to work as civil and risk to his life, met with the authorities,
servants or at private jobs, could make their including the Shah, government ministers,
living by working in his companies and fac- and influential friends. Consequently, along
tories. This was a great service in those days with other measures taken at the instruction
of bitter animosity toward the Baha'is. of the Guardian, such as appeals to the Shah,
I:Iabib's wealth and wise behaviour to- Parliament, and the United Nations by all
wards prominent people allowed him to Baha'i localities in the world, the situation
befriend them, socially or officially, includ- changed and instead of massacre, the army
ing the highest government officials. This received orders to protect the Baha'is.
helped him to protect the Baha'i friends and On that occasion, Shoghi Effendi sent to
to accomplish the most difficult goal Shoghi Mr. Thabit the following cable:
Effendi assigned to Persia during the Ten DEEPLY APPRECIATE OUTSTANDING SERVICES.
Year Plan. He managed by long, wise, and On the eve of the last day of Mr. Thabit's
careful planning to purchase the Siyah-Chal, last pilgrimage, on 17 December 1956, the
the dungeon in Tihran. The Guardian, in a beloved Guardian, in the presence of other
message to the Baha'i world on 6 April 1954, pilgrims, stated: "He is the standard bearer
stated: of the oppressed, defender and helper of the
Faith ." Then turning to Mr. Thabit, the
On the eve of this Ric;!van Festival mark- Guardian said, "Your title will be Na~iri ' d­
ing the opening of the second decade of Din" (Defender of the Faith).
IN M EMORIAM 963

Mr. Thabit resided in the United States ROSTAM SABET
for some years before the Islamic revolution (Rustam Thabit)
and never returned to Iran after 1978. The 1902-1990
new government confiscated all his assets,
companies, factories , properties and private Rustam Thabit was born in Poona, India, on
residences, and so on, which he had acquired 15 July 1902. His father, Khusraw Biman, a
over 70 years of struggle and personal initia- Zoroastrian farmer who emigrated from Pertive . Consequently all the Baha'is working sia to escape religious persecution, had been
in these establishments were discharged, led to embrace the Faith of Baha'u'llah in
without compensation for their many years India through his contacts with I:Iaji Mirza
of labor and without pensions, and several Siyyid Afnan. His mother, Sarvar, worked
were subsequently executed. unceasingly to help run the family business
When Mr. Thabit passed away, the Uni- and to rear their seven children to be dediversal House of Justice sent the following cated believers, thus enabling her husband to
message to his widow on 22 February 1990: be free to teach the Cause.
Poona had a flourishing Local Spiritual
Share your grief passing veteran servant Assembly by the time Rustam finished his
Cause Habib Sabet. His steadfastness secondary education. He has written:
in devotion Beloved Guardian, his coura- I was 18 when the first general letter of
geous efforts in defense community cradle the Guardian to the Baha'i world was
Faith, his unique role in acquisition vital received, followed by others, and by his
sacred site Teheran lovingly remembered. superb translations of some of the Writ-
Offer heartfelt condolences to you and ings of Baha'u ' llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha.
through you to entire family. Praying Holy How captivating they were, how enthral-
Shrine progress his soul Abha Kingdom. ling. Like a magnet they gripped one and
you could not put them down till you
At his funeral at the Los Angeles Baha' i reached the end. I well remember starting
Center, over 3,000 people, including the on the Kitab-i-Iqan in the afternoon of the
Baha'i friends of California and nearby states day it was received and reading on until
and a great number of non-Baha'is, were the early hours of the next morning.
present and witnessed the simplicity and Rustam enrolled in Bombay University in
dignity of a Baha'i ceremony. Mr. Thabit 1918, but his formal education ended after
was buried at the Inglewood Cemetery near one month when he got typhoid, and then his
Thornton Chase's grave. brother Suhrab died, requiring him to return
N ewspapers, including the New York home to help with the business. In 1926, he
Times of24 February 1990, radio and televi- married Banoo (Bami), who came from
sion broadcasters announced his death and Yazd, Persia, and their union brought forth
praised his life. In New York, the Canadian two children, Mary and Ruhi (Rul;i) .
Ambassador to Iran, a former Prime Minis- After working assidiously for the Faith,
ter, and prominent personalities spoke at a he was elected to serve on the National
Baha'i commemoration service attended by Spiritual Assembly of India and Burma in
over 1,000 persons. 1933, and was duly elected secretary. On
HORMOZ SA BET 28 December 1935 , he arrived in Haifa for
(Hurmuz Thabit) his first pilgrimage and meeting with the
Guardian, whom he would come to correspond with often in the following years.
Rustam served as the secretary of the
National Assembly oflndia and Burma until
964 THE BAH A' I WORLD

National Assembly and resumed the arduous
task of secretary. It was around that time that
the Assembly transferred its headquarters
from Poona to New Delhi. Evidently when
the move was completed, the Guardian sent
a message to the Assembly to the effect that
the Baha 'is of India were at last emerging
from the confusion which had surrounded
their community since its birth in their native
land, followed by a gracious line of praise of
Mr. Thabit's contribution to this transformation.
After a time, Rustam approached Shoghi
Effendi for permission to move from India
and was advised that he could go to Europe.
The last letter he received from the Guardian
while in India, dated 4 November 1950,
included these words:
Dear and valued co-worker:
I wish to assure you in person of my
Rostam Sabet
deep and abiding sense of appreciation of
your long record of historic services to
1938, when the Thabits joined Rustam's
our beloved Faith, and of my loving and
brother and his wife and moved to Persia.
ardent prayers on your behalf, that you
Before making the trip, they cashed in their
may, wherever you may labour in the
insurance policies to use for acquiring Holy
days to come, be graciously assisted to
Places in Persia, saving only enough cash
enrich this splendid record, and render
for their own travel expenses and enough to
still greater services to the infant institusurvive for a few weeks.
tions of our glorious Faith.
Rustam took employment with the Anglo-
Your hue and grateful brother, Shoghi.
Iranian Oil Company, and became known
for speaking up for the rights of labourers. The Thabit family left India in December
He was also known for his honesty and 1950, and initially took up residence in
integrity, which caused him to be promoted Brighton, England, where they helped form
several times until he was offered a top the Local Assembly. The scarcity of work
management position in Qazvin. But because forced them to move to London where,
pioneers were not needed in that city, he among other jobs, Rustam sold insurance.
rejected the job and applied for a visa to pio- Their time in London was followed by varineer to Quetta in Baluchistan, India, where ous moves to at least 15 different locations
he and his family anived in April 1944. In in the United Kingdom, some of which were
all, during his lifetime, he and his family pioneering posts, including the towns of
completed eight moves from one country to Hove, Reading, Corby, and Wokingham
another, twenty-one moves within countries, Rural Distiáict. The family spent 12 years in
and occupied forty-two houses. Hamilton, Scotland, and were instrumental
Rustam arrived in India in time to partici- in forming the Local Assembly of East
pate in the Baha' i Centenary celebrations Kilbride .
which were being held in Bombay. Quite In his later years, Mr. Thabit's services
soon, he again found himself elected to the mainly involved his amazing capacities for
IN MEMORIAM 965
reviewing and editing, much use being made the Faith to thousands of country folk, and
of his exceptional personal library, where he helped to open up many difficult areas
his immense knowledge of the Baha' i Writ- throughout Ecuador.
ings and his eagle eye for errors proved He had been taught the Faith by Counsellor
invaluable. At one point he was invited by Raul Pavon, who later related how Rufino
the Universal House of Justice to spend six suffered in some areas from the hands of the
precious months at the Baha' i World Centre people he went to teach, and how in one
proofreading material for The Baha 'i World. village they beat him until he was uncon-
Rustam Thabit passed away on 21 March scious and left him for dead. Raul said when
1990. The following message was sent by he tried to encourage Rufino to return to that
the Universal House of Justice: village, Rufino feared being killed, but after
a year he found strength and courage to
GR IEVE D NEWS PASSING DEVOTED PROMOTER return. To hi s surpri se the people came run-
CAUSE GOD ROSTAM SABET. HI S SfNCERE ning to greet him and wanted to know where
SE RVI CES DURI NG HIS ENT IRE Lll'E MAN IFOLD he had been and why he had not returned
CA PA CITI ES UNFORGETTABLE. CONVEY SYM- to tell them more about the Faith. On this
PATH Y LOVE RELATIVES FRIENDS. ASSURE trip the whole vill age accepted the Faith and
ARDENT PRAYERS PROGRESS HIS NOB LE SOU L treated him royally.
AB HA KI NG DOM . On another occasion Rufino and the
renowned Baha'i teacher, Teresa Jara, were
Based on in formation provided by the LOCAL
SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAH A 'is OF BRIGHTON,
imprisoned because the police suspected
ENGLAND, and on the memoirs of Mr. Thabit. they were communists. The police brought
him to Quito and put him in prison. They
finally said he could go free if he paid a
RUFINO GU ALA vrsf FARIN AN GO small fine, but Rufino said he was innocent
1905- 1990 of wrongdoing and would not pay anything.
When the National Assembly heard that he
UN IVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTI CE was incarcerated, they sent a commission to
DEA R RUFfNO GU ALA VIS! TREASURED MASS get him out of jail. The commission was suc-
TEAC HER INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF ECUA DOR cessful in obtaining his release, but Rufino
PASSE D ABHA KINGDOM MARCH 23 . REQUEST had already charmed the guards and the pris-
YOUR PRAYERS FOR TI-LE PROGRESS OF HIS oners by telling them about the Baha'i Faith
SOUL. and reading prayers to them. The prisoners
NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY asked him if he could stay longer and teach
OF THE BAHA' is OF ECUADO R them some more prayers and he was allowed
to stay two more days!
The renowned indigenous Baha' i teacher, When he left prison he went directly to
Rufino Gualavisi Farinango, passed away the home of the Auxiliary Board member in
on 23 March 1990 in Otavalo, Ecuador. His Quito smiling and as happy as he could be.
wife, Alejandrina de Gualavisf, was with A number of friends present gathered around
him, and pioneers Ralph Dexter and Nooshin him to listen to his account of his experi-
Burwell were at his bedside praying softly ences during the previous ten days. All were
and continuously the Greatest Name as he awed, for they had only heard of the martyrs
winged hi s flight toward his Beloved being happy in prison!
Baha' u' ll ah. Almost everyone who met Rufino felt he
Rufino was without a doubt on e of was "special" because he was so courteous,
Baha' u ' llah's most radiant, audacious, yet considerate, and kind, and the pioneers and
humble, and persevering teachers. He taught visiting teachers felt that it was a privilege to
966 THE BAHA'i WORLD

go on a teaching trip with him. He seemed and placed at the Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih
never to get tired and would laugh at the Khanum Institute in Otavalo as a symbol
younger teachers who could not keep up of the indigenous teacher. The night before
with his pace. It would take a book just to Dr. Muhajir passed away, the members of
mention the highlights of his teaching activi- the Continental Board of Counsellors, the
ties as a Baha'i! Auxiliary Boards, and the National Spiritual
It was announced in August 1970, at the Assembly of Ecuador were convened by the
Continental Conference in La Paz, Bolivia, Hand of the Cause for a meeting in Quito.
that Rufino, among others, had been made an Rufino arrived last and Dr. Muhajir beck-
Auxiliary Board Member for Propagation. oned to him and said "Come and sit beside
The next day, the President of Bolivia me, Samandari." Then he said to everyone
graciously invited the Baha'fs who were still present, "I want you to have a statue made of
in the city to the Presidential palace. A large Rufino ."
number of friends, led by the Hand of When Rufino was sent by the National
the Cause of God Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Assembly to open up the province of Loja
Khanum, were warmly received by the Pres- where the Saraguro Indians live, he found
ident. Among the indigenous believers who them very receptive, and two of the more
went forward to greet him personally was outstanding ones wrote a letter to Raul
Rufino. It is doubtful if anyone could hear Pavon, whom they had met, saying:
what Rufino said to the President because he We have heard the Message brought by
spoke so softly, but everyone could see his our brother Rufino and it has filled our
radiant face and the happy smile of the Pres- hearts with joy to hear that the Glory of
ident who, after listening to Rufino 's words, the Father, our Redeemer of the World,
lifted him up from the floor in a warm who is Baha'u'llah, has arrived.
embrace and kissed him on both cheeks. He During the last few years of his life,
later said he thanked the President for his Rufino suffered from dizziness and was
kindness. unable to function to the extent he had been
Rufino seemed to have had all of the accustomed to. This caused him great anxiqualities which the beloved Guardian said a ety and frustration. Finally, he passed to the
Baha'i teacher should have-and his love Abba Kingdom on 23 March 1990. His body
for Baha' u' llah and His prayers knew no was interred in the beautiful Remembrance
bounds. The Hand of the Cause of God Park cemetery in Quito, Ecuador, in a plot
Dr. Ral:imatu'llah Muhajir and Rufino adored adjoining the resting place of the Hand of
each other. On one of his visits Dr. Muhajir the Cause of God Dr. Muhajir. He was surbegan calling Rufino "Samandarf." He said vived by his wife and three children.
Rufino reminded him so much of the beloved When the Hand of the Cause of God
Hand of the Cause Tarazu'llah Samandarf, Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum learned of
both in spirit and stature, and he was sure his death, she wrote the following historic rethat the Hand of the Cause would not mind if miniscences of him to the National Assembly
he gave a Baha'i like Rufino his name. He of Ecuador on 9 April 1990:
said he fe lt sure that if Mr. Samandari had
the opportunity and the strength, he would My dear Baha'i Friends:
have been in the countryside helping Rufino The news of the passing of dear Rufino
to teach! Gualavisi brought back many memories,
From that time on, whenever he arrived in and I decided not to cable your National
the country, Dr. Muhajir would always ask Spiritual Assembly but rather to write you
about his "Samandari." On one of his visits, this letter in more detail. I have known
he said that a statue of Rufino should be made him since I first went to Ecuador in 1968
IN MEMORIAM 967

when I visited the Baha'is in the Otavalo
area, and later had the opportunity to be
with him at the Convention in Quito in
1970. I remember on that occasion, when
at times the consultation had a tendency to
be rather heated (there had been a certain
amount of inharmony at that period in the
community) and invariably Rufino, who
was a delegate, rose to his feet and suggested we have a prayer. It put the lid on
all the emotions, everything quieted down
and it did a great deal to help the situation.
I can also remember visiting his home
in the mountains above Otavalo; I was
going to go on a trip in the area and his
wife strongly objected to his being absent
so long from his fields and his flocks and
leaving all the work to her. You remember what a gentle soul Rufino was, but I
clearly recall how he seemed to agree very
sweetly with all her remarks, but when I Rufino Gualavisi Farinango
left, he was one of my party! He sneaked
away and accompanied me wherever I work. He should be remembered in deeds,
was going! not words. After all, Baha'u'llah Himself
Another of my very happy memories says, "Let deeds, not words, be your
of him was when the Bah:i'is of Ecuador adorning." Wishing you all every success
arrived by bus in Cuzco, Peru, to attend in your teaching activities,
the indigenous conference which took With most loving Baha' i greetings,
place there at the end of the Green Light (signed) RuJ:iiyyih
Expedition. I can hear myself shouting
After Amatu'l-Baha Rul)iyyih Khanum
"Rufino! Rufino! Rufino!" when I saw
had addressed the convention of 1970 in
him get off the bus!
Quito, which she mentions in her letter,
He was a small person but a very pre-
Rufino, who was noticeably moved, asked if
cious package. I can see him sitting with
he might speak for a moment. His request
other Quechua-speaking Baha'is trying to
was granted, and he arose so tranquil and
work out the possibility of a common
radiant and recited a beautiful poem which
Quechua publication that could be underhe had composed, after his prayer during the
stood by the Quechua-speaking Bah:i'is of
consultation, for his beloved Hand of the
Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Truly he was
Cause of God.
a heavenly soul and I am sure is associating now happily with other heavenly souls Ru~iyyih Khanum has brought us light
in the Abha Kingdom-but I miss him. and understanding
The best memorial to Rufino 's memory We must welcome this mysterious unfathis to encourage the Baha' is in the Otavalo omable message of God and Bahri 'u '!!ah.
area to retrace his footsteps and bring Divine Wisdom, Mother and Queen of the
back into the Faith some of the many entire worldhundreds who embraced it owing to his Amatu '!-Bahri Ru~iyyih Khrinum! 1
and other Quechua Baha 'is' teaching
Free trnn slation of the poem by Helen Homby.
968 THE BAHA'i WORLD

In honour of the dearly beloved Rufino, Denigrated as traditional misfit, Solomon's
on 27 March 1990 the Universal House of attachment to the church grew stronger and
Justice telexed this exalted condolence: stronger. At the age of 23 he was admitted
into the seminary, though he pulled out
DEEPLY SADDENED NEWS PASSING OUT- shortly after due to incongruities. "It looked
STANDING SACRJF!CIAL TEACHER CAUSE GOD like employment", he said.
RUFINO GUALA VIS!. HIS NOBLE QUALITIES, By 1937 he had started plantation farm-
HIS LOVING NATURE, HIS IMMENSE SERVICES ing with the Germans in Tombel. That same
IND IG ENOUS MASSES NATIVE LAND NEVER TO year he found his spouse, Esther Agbortoko,
BE FORGOTTEN AND WORTHY SOURCE PRJDE in Mfaitock Village. The couple had eight
YOUR COMMUNITY. URGE HOLD BEFITTING children, five of whom had died before
MEMORJAL MEETINGS HIS BLESSED MEMORY Solomon's own passing.
THROUGHOUT COUNTRY. ASSURE FERVENT His years as a lukewarm Christian were
PRAYERS HOLY THRESHOLD FOR PROGRESS brief. With an insatiable desire for the spir-
!áTI S RADIANT SOUL KINGDOM ON HIGH. KINDLY itual, and the Bible his cherished consort,
EXTEND HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES FAMILY he returned to the seminary in Nyassoso in
AND FRIENDS. 1943. This time he completed the three year
HELEN HORNBY course and gained "employment" in Tombel
and later in Douala as catechist. But the
"irreconcilables" persisted. Among these
SOLOMON T ANYI T AMEE were dreary rituals and a strange realisation
1912- 1990 within church ranks that "not every cleric's
turban is a sign of continence". Once again
Solomon Tanyi Tambe was born in 1912 in he was thrown in the lurch of unacceptables.
Bakebe Village in the Manyu Division of the At this point, by 19 50, he was resolute to
Republic of Cameroon. He died in Messing "quit catechism" and "return home to subsis-
Bakebe on 2 April 1990 at about 3:30 p.m. It tence farming".
was a quiet and peaceful death for a loving If Solomon was not a ready soul for the
servant of the Faith whom the Hand of the Cause of Bah:i'u'llah, he was certainly a
Cause of God Enoch Olinga had called man of sane judgment. He had demonstrated
"one of the pillars of the Baha'i Faith in remarkable courage several times against
Cameroon". despondent traditions and mortifying rituals .
From his teenage years Solomon had He was always quiet in meetings but affable
been attracted to deism, and in 1932 he was in reply to committee puzzles. His opinion
baptized by a Basel Mission Missionary. in most cases was respected as he was a
He returned home and immediately started cool-humoured man of wisdom.
gathering people to the church. This action His encounter with the Faith was quite
sent shock waves th.rough the family, and peculiar. One fine morning, in December
particularly tluáough his father, Tambe Eyong 1954, he woke up to find a vehicle standing
Enow, who was a combatant, a healer in in front of his door, off the roadside . The
traditional medicines, and a polygamist. occupants- a man and a lady whom he rec-
Solomon was not physically large or strong. ognised later as Enoch Olinga and Valerie
He was the only child of his mother, Eno- Wilson-had just wakened. The man crossed
wambane, who was the first of six wives to to a neighbour, requested water from the old
his father. Consequently his father could not woman, and then left with his companion on
hand down much of his traditional skills: it their day 's journey towards Mamfe.
was like a curse which he endured to his Solomon noticed a foreign accent and a
grave. certain reverence in the stranger, but he
IN MEMORIAM 969

ignored them and went to farm. All the
same, the circumstances remained enigmatic
in his mind. Who were these intruders? Why
had they stationed themselves only in front
of his door? Why had he failed to talk to
them?
That evening, while visiting a friend,
Sampson Agbortoko, at Bakebe Comers,
he was presented with a leaflet left by the
stranger. "Solo" suddenly found himself
captivated, attracted to the spell of its wording: " .. .a rose has the same fragrance no
matter in which orchard ... Man must be a
lover of light whether it comes from the east
or west". The pillars of faith remain shining
no matter from which heart, especially a
heart led by the spirit of God. Solomon's
immediate remark was, "Whoever is the
author of this leaflet has the same authenticity as the Bible." His embrace of the Faith
came with a stark sense of responsibility and Solomon Tanyi Tambe
a loyalty even greater than to his catechism.
In the wake of the early spiritual fire that National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is
blazed through West Africa with Baha'u'llili's of Cameroon Republic for 1967 to 1968. His
Teachings, Solomon played his part. Some services figure conspicuously in the decree
Cameroonians, including his family mem- recognizing and incorporating the Baha'i
bers, responded to the call of the Guardian to Faith in Cameroon. From 1969 to 1973 he
open virgin territories but back home it was was the first Cameroonian appointed to be
necessary to have the Faith's administration an Auxiliary Board member for Propagation,
built and Solomon Tanyi was one of its serving alongside Jaward Mughrabi who
indigenous architects. was an Auxiliary Board member for Pro-
By 1955, eleven people including himself tection.
had become Baha'is in Bakebe and were Besides his mother tongue, Kenyang,
having regular meetings. By Ri~van 1956, Solomon could speak Ejagham, Douala,
18 believers had made a joint declaration, English, and German. His appellations, "Ta
permitting them to elect their first Local Mfaw Tanyi" ("teacher"), and "Solomon"
Spiritual Assembly with Solomon as secre- are indicative of a remarkable quality associtary. Other of his early activities included ated with a man who could literally sail in
participation in extensive teaching projects all winds and who was a father of wisdom
with Enyand Basi and Joana Ngo Mpek in dearly missed.
the Mamfe-Kumba-Victoria areas, the open- The following message was sent on 30 July
ing up of Mamfe, including Kendem and 1990 on behalf of the Universal House of
parts of the northwest, and translations of the Justice:
Holy Writings into the Kenyang language.
Solomon served on the National Spiritual ... the Universal House of Justice was
Assembly of the Baha'is of West Central very saddened to learn of the passing of
Africa from its inception in 1964 until 1967, dear Mr. Solomon Tanyi Tambe who is
and then was elected to the newly formed so fondly remembered for his historic
970 THE BAHA'i WORLD

services to the Cause of Baha'u'llah in
Cameroon.
Kindly assure his wife, his three sons and
his grandchildren of the ardent prayers of
the House of Justice in the Holy Shrines
for the progress of his pure soul in the
realms above.
SAMUEL T ANY! TAMBE

DORIS LOHSE
1899-1990

GRIEVED LEARN PASSING DEVOTED RADIANT
PIONEER DORIS LOHSE. HER LONG RECORD
SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICE CAUSE GOD PIO-
NEERfNG FIELD, THE SPIRJT OF fNFECTIOUS
JOY WITH WHICH SHE CONVEYED MESSAGE
FAITH UNFORGEITABLE. ASSURE PRAYERS
SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER NOBLE
SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. Doris Lohse
Universal House of Justice
21May1990 1948, 100 years after the historic conference
ofBadasht. The conference took place in the
Doris Lohse was born on 7 October 1899 Hotel de la Paix in which 'Abdu'l-Baha had
in Brussels, Belgium, the daughter of a re- stayed during his trip through Europe. Doris
spected family from Berlin. She and her was one of the American pioneers who, in
siblings spent their youth in Belgium under response to the call of the Seven Year Plan
the shadow of the disturbances created by of the Baha'is of America (1946-1953), setthe first World War. tled in 10 European countries.
She learned of the Baha'i Faith in the After her first pioneer posts in Belgium
1920s and immediately embraced it. Shortly and Luxembourg she went to Zurich,
after, she emigrated to the United States Switzerland, at the request of the European
where she pursued her studies and for many Teaching Committee of the National Spiriyears worked for the National Geographic tual Assembly of the United States. For the
Society in Washington, D.C. , as a translator. then four-strong Baha'i group in Zurich,
In time, her entire family joined her in hearing that she was coming was wonderful
America and, in tum, each one of them news!
accepted the Faith. A period of fruitful teaching activity began
All of her love was dedicated to Baha'u'llah for Doris, pursued steadfastly in spite of the
and to serving His Cause. In her free time fact that only a handful of people showed
she fully engaged herself in promoting race interest. Doris's knowledge of English and
unity and in teaching countless children's German and her firm grasp of Baha'i history
classes. Even in her later years she always and teachings proved invaluable. As a result
felt a very strong connection with young of new enrolments, the first Local Spiritual
people. Assembly of Zurich was established, with
Doris Lohse attended the first European great joy, in 1950. Doris later moved to
Baha' i Conference held in Geneva in May Gemrnny and pioneered to Bonn. She was
IN MEMORIAM 971
also elected to the National Spiritual Assem- HIM, IN HER LATER YEARS MOSTLY AS A
bly of the Baha'is of Germany and Austria. DEVOTED PIONEER IN EUROPE. HER SELFLESS
In 1962 Doris settled in Switzerland, first SPIRIT, AMIABLE AND UNASSUMING PERSON-
in Biel and then in Lucerne. "With indefati- ALITY, UNFLAGGING DEVOTION TO SPREADING
gable devotion", wrote Josef Aregger in the THE FAITH SI-IE LOVED SO WELL, FOR MANY
Swiss Bahti 'i News after Doris 's passing, YEARS, WITH THE DIRECT APPROVAL AND EN-
"she continued to serve the Cause, giving COURAGEMENT OF HER BELOVED GUARDIAN,
talks, organizing gatherings, going out of her NO DOUBT NOW ENTITLE HER TO TH E RE-
way to strike up conversations with people, WARD OF THE FAITHFUL AN D DISTINGUISHED
dedicating much time to translation and to the SERVANTS OF THE BLESSED BEAUTY IN THE
comparative study of religion. Her thoughts ABI-IA KlNGDOM. WOULD DEEPLY APPRECIATE
and her actions were tempered by her hospi- YOUR ASSEMBLY PLACING SOME FLOWERS
tality and her sense for the universal." ON HER GRAVE IN MY NAME.
After National Spiritual Assemblies had RUI-IIYYIH
been established in all ten goal countries of
the second Seven Year Plan and when Doris DR. M ASSOUD BERDJIS
had, so to speak, reached retirement age, the (Mas ' i'.1d Bi1jis)
National Spiritual Assembly of the United
States suggested, offering financial support,
that she return to her second homeland, EPHRAIM TE PAA
having successfully fulfilled her assignment, 1904-1990
to enjoy some well-deserved peace and quiet. Ephraim Te Paa was born at midnight on
Her response, "That doesn't even come into 1 January 1904, as the old year passed and
question'', still rings in my ears. She really a new one dawned. His birthplace was the
did want to serve Baha'ullah to the very last remote settlement of Rangikohu, a small
breath. Maori village in the far north of New
During the fall of 1987 the infirmities of Zealand. Ephraim was one of many children,
old age began to manifest themselves, and in his family having lived in that area for many
April of 1988 a move to the EichhofNursing generations. He left school at the age of 12.
Home became necessary. Here she was lov- His father died during an influenza epidemic
ingly cared for and she would often say: "I and so, at the age of 14, Ephraim took over
am so happy, so grateful, that I am permitted many of the family responsibilities.
to be here in Switzerland, in Lucerne." Like other Maori children of the time, his
Her passing on 18 May 1990 saddened school years were difficult, as the children
all who had known her. Her humble, joyful were beaten for using their native tongue,
spirit and her example in the pathway of even though this was the only language
service will serve as a shining star in the fir- they knew when they first arrived at school.
mament of European Baha'i history. Of all Nevertheless, throughout his life, Ephraim
the statements of appreciation Doris Lohse displayed a command of both English and
received, the most beautiful came in the form Maori that others admired. As a young man
of a telegram from the Hand of the Cause of he attended St. John 's Theological College
God Amatu ' l-Baha Ru~iyyih Khanum: in Auckland, a city several days journey
from his home. However, due to the barriers
DESIRE PAY TRIB UTE DORIS LOHSE MY OLD imposed by a limited education and the need
PERSONA L FRLEN D WHO CAME FROM DISTIN- to take on the responsibilities imposed by
GU ISHED EARLY JEWI SH BAHA' i FAMILY IN his father ' s death, he did not complete his
BERLIN . DORJS, WITH A HEART FULL OF LOVE training, but instead served for many years
FOR BAHA'U ' LL!\I-I , CONSTANTLY SERVE D as a lay reader in the Church of England.
972 THE BAHA'I WORLD

His marriage in 1928 to Hariata Hunia, a the Christian belief in a time when swords
young Maori woman who had been one of would be beaten into ploughshares. It was
his childhood companions, was the begin- known as the Staff of Seers, but was rening of a lifetime of commitment and service named at the time of presentation as the
both to his ever-growing family and to the Staff of Hope.
community in which he lived. After their At the ceremony, Ephraim was told that
marriage, Ephraim and Harriet, as she came he was the recipient of the testimony of foreto be called, moved to Ahipara, a small bears and that he held this staff on behalf of
coastal settlement near the sparkling Ninety the people. The message he was given with
Mile Beach, where they ran a dairy farm the staff was: "Proceed to the Mountain and
until the mid- l 970s. They were blessed with let your staff be the staff of Hope, but be ye
15 children, 48 grandchildren, and more than robed with the cloak of Love."
20 great-grandchildren. Several of these off- Realising the importance of his mission,
spring accepted the Faith. but being unsure of his direction, Ephraim
Ephraim and Harriet were an integral part began an intensive study of both Christianity
of their community, working in many areas and the history, myths, and legends of his
of development for the benefit of their people. own culture, seeking answers. He also t:J.áav-
Much of this work was carried out through elled the perimeter of New Zealand searching
their close association with Te Ohaki Marae, for the mountain referred to in his message,
the Marae being a place which serves as but without success.
both the physical and spiritual centre of In June 1955, Ephraim heard of the Baha'i
Maori community life. A unique feature of Faith and inquiried about it. The National
Te Ohaki Marae was the carved figurehead Teaching Committee sent two couples to
on the highest and most prominent patt of give him the Message-Margo and Joseph
this sacred building which, in a bold depar- Been and Leonie and Be1tam Dewing- and
ture from Maori tradition, symbolised the they were received with great warmth. Many
equality of men and women. hours were spent in discussion that week-
The far north had always been geographi- end, and when the visitors left they had the
cally isolated from the rest of the count:Iy by impression that here was a searching soul
reason of its mountainous terrain. Ephraim that just could not believe that his search
was part of a work gang which succeeded was nearly over.
in building a road through the Mangamukas, In the late 1950's, Ephraim met Les
a high mountain range which had previously Sinm1ons, a healer from Whangarei, some
only allowed access by horse and cart and 100 miles distant, who was visiting the area,
thereby maintained the isolation of that and staying at nearby Pukepoto. Ephraim
region from the outside world. Ephraim was had been told by his sister that this man
able, throughout his life, to foster a balance could cure his arthritis. Ephraim arrived in
which supp01ted the preservation of his own Pukepoto and went to the Robson house,
unique Maori culture whilst incorporating where Les was staying. He was ushered into
such new ideas as would benefit the growth the room where Les practised his healing.
of the community. As soon as Les laid eyes on Ephraim, he
In his middle years, Ephraim was chosen exclaimed "God has sent you to me!"
by the elders of his t:J.áibe to be presented with Ephraim was bewildered, but felt drawn to
a taiaha, a wooden weapon or staff that was this unusual man.
for ceremonial purposes only, and never for In the following weeks, the two men
the t:J.áaditional use in battle. The taiaha sym- began what became a mystical walk, beginbolised a vision handed down by successive ning with an ascent of the mountain that
generations of his ancestors, which mirrored overlooked the community marae and then to
IN MEMORIAM 973

other often remote and uninhabited areas of
significance, the sites of ancestral homes
and burial grounds.
On the mountain of Whangatauatia, Les
Sinm1ons told Ephraim that he could see a
purple haze sunounding the Marne, and a
spring that had been long overgrown about
to gush forth with life-giving waters of spiritual regeneration for the people. He said he
could see the people preparing a feast, but
that the cooking stones were not yet hot
enough; the food not yet ready to be given to
the people. Ephrain1 remembered these words
until the close of his earthly life. They seemed
to symbolise the readiness of the Maori people to assimilate the Message ofBaha'u'llah.
During their time in the wilderness, Les
Simmons had visions of ancestors dressed in
full ceremonial costume. Ephraim was often
discomforted by these experiences, but felt
compelled to continue, being swept along by Ephraim Te Paa
the escalating chain of events.
They returned to Ephraim's home where, prepared for Enoch Olinga. Inspired by the
only a few days later, Les Simmons suddenly Book of Isaiah, Ephraim called out to the
announced that they must proceed many people gathered that he had come to sound
hundreds of miles south to Turangawaewae the trumpet to all four corners of the court
Marne at Ngarnawahia, which was the seat of Maoridom, and that his message was:
of the Maori King, and the collective spiri- "Open, o ye gates of old, and the King of
tual heart of his followers. Ephraim was Kings will enter". Presently, he was led into
loathe to do this, as approaching another the King's chamber and then, he recalled, a
tribal area without invitation was unheard of mystical rain swept the court and the place
in Maori protocol. However, upon reflection where, shortly afterwards, he was to make
Ephraim realised that he did indeed have his first acquaintance with Enoch Olinga.
tribal connections with King Koroki, through Ephraim was often to recall his reception
two female ancestors, Reitu and Reipae. in honor of Enoch Olinga, who spoke of his
Therefore, it was appropriate for hin1 to ask wish that "this table could extend to all corfor an audience with the court of Maoridom. ners of the earth and all peoples could share
Ephraim then sent a telegram to Ngaruawa- in this bounty". Ephraim was profoundly
hia and received an i11ID1ediate reply. The moved by this meeting, and renewed his
invitation was for a week's time. Little did investigation of the Baha'i teachings.
Epluáaim know that his appointment was to For five years he continued to study the
coincide with the official welcome of Hand Writings and to observe the Baha'is he met.
of the Cause of God Enoch Olinga, who was He knew he could make no mistake in his
visiting New Zealand to proclaim the Baha'i assessment of this new religion as he would
message, including a proclamation to the be held up to public scrutiny, his actions
Maori Sovereign and his people. being viewed as an example by some, and
Ephraim 's formal welcome took place the provocation of opposition and derision
only about two hours before the welcome by others.
974 THE BAHA'i WORLD

His final acceptance of the Baha'i Faith 1985, he met with the Governor-General of
came in 1962 when he was visited by New Zealand, Sir Paul Reeves, to present him
Dr. RaJ:rmat'u'llah Muhajir, who stayed for with a copy of Th e Promise of World Peace.
several days at Ephraim's tiny farm cottage. In May 1985, he was to realise the ful-
When Dr. Muhajir read the Tablet of Al). mad, filment of his mission as holder of the Staff
Ephraim was deeply affected from the very of Hope, when he proceeded to the mountain
first line, which refers to "the Nightingale of of the Lord, Mount Carmel in Haifa. Here,
Paradise". Once again, Ephraim heard ech- Ephraim was later to recount, the myths of
oed the voice of his ancestors, and shortly the ancestors became a reality. His pilgrimafter Dr. Muhajir had departed, on 10 March age was a journey of awe and wonderment
1962, sent him this "note of submission" via which words cannot capture. Strangely, the
Douglas Weeks, a Baha'i pioneer who had "staff' disappeared at some stage of his jourbecome a close friend of Ephraim. ney to Israel, but he was unconcerned as
the Elders had intimated when giving it to
Dear friend,
him that it would reach its destination but
Greetings. Please convey and transmit
not return to them, as would have been usual
this information to the President or the
with most ceremonial treasures.
Hand of the Cause.
Ephraim's services to his people were
The voice of the 'Huia,' the nightingale
recognised in the New Year's Honours List
of the spirit, is heard in this court, calling
of 1987, when he was awarded the Queen's
the peoples to assemble in the Unity of
Service Medal. He was also recognised as
Love, Peace and Concord, is received,
one of Maoridom's foremost authorities on
accepted and recorded.
Maori folklore and oral history, language
Signed Your friend, Ephraim
and theology, and many considered him one
Ephraim was privileged to receive a of the last of the great orators of his Te
number of the Hands of the Cause of God in Rarawa tribe.
his home, including Amatu 'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Harriet accepted the Faith on 21April1990,
Khanum during her visit in 1979, and Collis and shortly thereafter, on 19 May 1990, and
Featherstone. Of course, he met many other following a brief illness, Ephraim's soul took
distinguished Baha' is as well. One of these its flight. He had called family members into
was Richard St. Barbe Baker, who visited his bedroom to say prayers and asked his
Ephraim and Harriet on several occasions. granddaughter's husband, an Anglican min-
In 1963, Ephraim was invited to attend ister, to say a prayer from his Baha'i prayer
the Baha'i World Congress in London to book. During the prayer for unity, Ephraim
represent the Maori people, but was unable departed from this life.
to go. In his place, he sent the following For three days, Ephraim's body lay in
message in his Maori tongue: "All praise be state on his Marne, during which time a conto God. Greetings and love to all people.' tinual flow of mourners arrived to pay their
In 1984, at the request of his National respects and to mourn their loss. Many reli-
Assembly, Ephraim travelled extensively gions were represented during the three days
around New Zealand with respected Maori of continual services and tributes , including
Elder, Mary Fox, and a group of younger Baha'i, Ratana (a respected Maori religion),
Baha'is. The purpose of the trip was to visit and Christian. As Ephraim's coffin was
other tribal groups, government officials, and borne into the carved meeting house where
local authorities, sharing pertinent Baha'i those who loved him would say their final
teachings related to youth, race relations, farewells on this earth, it was preceded by
women' s issues, and encouraging the people a fantail bird, spiritual portent of the Maori
to work towards the unity of mankind. In people and a Messenger of Joy, which
IN MEMORIAM 975
accompanied his body into the house and felt the presence of a spiritual aristocrat. In
remained in that place for several hours . his later years, when he was frail, this nobil-
On 22 May, the Universal House of Justice ity acquired such a transparent quality that
sent the following message to the National one could discern through it the essential
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of New purity of a child which the worldly wisdom
Zealand: of the man might have belied.
Salim Nounou was the eldest son of a
... we are distressed to learn of the passing well-to-do Jewish family in Baghdad. His
of Mr Ephraim Te Paa, whose steadfast father was a successful merchant and his
services to the Faith for several decades mother was refined and well educated, and
have made a distinctive contribution to to these gifts of business acumen and culture,
the unity of the races in New Zealand. he himself added the quality of passionate
Prayers will be offered in the Holy Shrines commitment to a cause. He was born somefor the progress of his soul. Kindly con- time in December 1907, during the period of
vey our condolences to the members of Hanukkah, but after he became a Baha' i on
his family. 8 March 20 years later, he adopted that day
SUZANNE WORTERS for his birthdate. It was typical of him to
call this fudging of official records "cheating" by his own admission, for he was a man
SALIM NOUNOU completely honest and scrupulous in all his
1907- 1990 dealings . And yet it was also characteristic
that he should have done so, for his life as a
In Memorials of the Faithfit!, 'Abdu ' l-Baha Baha'i was his only life, and he attributed all
distinguishes those who have lived as lovers his material successes to his spiritual comof the Cause by the stature of their faith. mitment to the Faith.
Their spirits soar like cypress trees . Their He was just 18 years old when he first
souls expand in seas of exaltation. They heard of the Teachings from Daoud Toeg, a
scintillate like stars. They bloom in the heart Baha' i of Jewish background who was one
of the hundred-petalled rose. And having of the pillars of the community in Baghdad
thus conjured them from the Concourse, He and who had business dealings with his father.
then lays their lives to rest with the gentlest Mr. Toeg, Mr. Ishaq Banani, and Mr. Ezra
of benedictions. He seats them at the ban- Soffer, who were at least 30 years older than
quet-table of their Lord. He gives them to the impressionable Salim, first attracted his
drink of "the wine that has been tempered attention by the fact that they were altoat the camphor fountain". He blesses them gether different from the other clients and
with the sweetest of sleeps after their tireless business partners who came to his father's
services. But even when a cypress sleeps it offices. Through their enthusiastic discusstill stands sentinal. sions they befriended and then gradually
Salim Nounou had a cypress tree in convinced the young man that "the Baha'i
his soul. It was rooted in humility, soaring religion was the real thing" and that he had
towards the infinite, and always with that to study its teachings seriously. Although
delicate bending of the head that denoted he initially kept his convictions private in
complete submission to the will of his Lord. order to protect his family from scandal in
It was not only his physical build that recalled the Jewish community of Baghdad, he began
the cypress-for he was tall and slim and to frequent Baha'i meetings, make friends
always elegant- but he also seemed to bend among Baha' is of Muslim and Christian
over the souls around him in a manner both backgrounds, and in 1928 started to work on
unassuming and protective. With him, one the art of becoming a Baha'i himself.
976 THE BAH k i WORLD

mentioned, were Persian men such as Mr.
Dhikru 'llah Khadim, Mr. Ni'matu 'llah Khan
'Ala'i, Mr. Abu'l-Qasim Fayc;li, and others.
Salim acquired Persian citizenship and
lived in that country between 1932, when he
started a business with an Armenian partner,
and 1964, when he moved to France, which
became his second home. Although he kept
all his connections in the Jewish community,
both through his marriage and his successful
business, and was well respected, he also
maintained a passionate love for the Arabs,
their religious fervour and their language.
During his last years he served as the liaison
between the Universal House of Justice and
the Arabian Baha'is who corresponded with
Haifa through his telex in Nice. By the time
he retired, as a widower in England, he
had truly mastered the art of transcendence
without the loss of his culture. A Jew from
Salim Nounou Bag.Qdad who spoke fluent Persian as well as
Arabic and who was as much at ease in
The art of becoming a Baha'i, according France as he was in England, Salim Nounou
to Shoghi Effendi, requires transcending was first and foremost a Baha'i. Nothing
one's cultural and religious background. In less could have contained his soaring aspirathe late 1920s and early 1930s the Baha' is tions or his love for Shoghi Effendi.
in Bag.Qdad and Tihran were Jewish Baha 'is, That love was first imprinted on his heart
Christian Baha'is and Muslim Baha'is, ac- on a silent winter's day in Palestine when
cording to Mr. Nounou. They brought all he entered the courtyard of the home of
their prejudices with them into the Baha'i Shoghi Effendi in Haifa and stepped, as he
community. To be a Baha'i first, and an 'Iraqi himself put it, into "another world". It was
Jew or a Persian Muslim second, in such a 11 o'clock in the morning, in December 1937,
context, was not easy. In the early years after and he was 30 years old. The sky was blue
his acceptance of the Faith, until his first pil- and the trees rippled in the pale sunlight.
grimage in 1937, Salim Nounou served his Time seemed to hold still in this place, and
apprenticeship in that art. when he heard the step and saw the youthful
He first transcended culture and language face of the beloved Guardian he found
when he began to travel between the two himself curiously affected. The question of
capitals of 'Iraq and Persia, and sensed the obedience dominated his pilgrimage: obedifreedom which this gave when he served ence to parental consent for Baha'i maras a translator for Western Baha'i visitors riage, obedience to the laws of Balm 'u 'llah,
sent by Shoghi Effendi. One of these was the and most significantly, obedience to the
great teacher Martha Root who came to Covenant.
Bag.Qdad in the winter of 1929, and another When the 19 days of his pilgrimage were
was Keith Ransom-Kehler, whom he met over- days of complete solitude, (for he
in Tihran in 1932. But the great influences was the only Eastern pilgrim to have the
on his spiritual life, after the patriarchs of privilege at this time), punctuated by a
the Baha'i community in Bag.Qdad already tumultuous visit to Cairo during which all
IN MEMORIAM 977
the issues of obedience were tested-Salim, There was one particular service which
a transformed man, returned to Ba~dad , to Salim Nounou rendered the Faith, however,
the home of his father. In his own words, "I among many others, which might be characwas like a piece of clay in the hands of the terized as having been perfectly filled by
beloved Guardian , and he moulded and him . It was his service as Deputy Trustee of
imprinted on me the intense love and desire I:Iuququ' llah. He received his training from
to behave as a Baha'i." Although he had a Mr. Valiyu'llah Varga himself, whom he
second pilgrimage, the time he met Shoghi assisted from time to time, and with whom
Effendi in 1940 was a completely different he developed a deep and abiding friendship,
experience for he was not alone: he was but it was a service for which his whole
in the company of many others from Persia. life seemed to have been a preparation. Both
It was an opportunity for that initial seal of temperament and culture had given him a
love to sink even deeper in his soul, but the marvellous sense of what he called valuesimprint was unchanged. a sense of the true worth of things that com-
From this point on, Salim Nounou's life bined several dimensions of the word. And
throbbed with this love for Shoghi Effendi years of business experience had sharpened
and this desire to be obedient to his instruc- his judgment to such a degree that he seemed
tions. The trip he took throughout Persia in to see past the literal transaction to its
1939, sharing his pilgrimage with the spiritual worth. He could feel the weight
friends, and the subsequent trip he took in of people. The intensity of his devotion
1950, when, with the Guardian's approval, combined with a generosity of spirit to prohe visited the Baha' is all over Europe in the duce a servant of the beloved Guardian and
company of his wife who was not a Baha'i, later of the Universal House of Justice so
were characterized by this intensity and this true and so trusted, that according to the
desire . words of the cable sent at his passing on
Years of service on the National Spiritual 20 June 1990:
Assemb lies of both Persia and France were
... THE SPIRIT OF TOTAL DEDICATION, DEEP
also stamped by this fervor and passionate
HUMILITY AND UNSHAKABLE LOYALTY
commitment. It is typical of Salim's ex-
WHI C H HE EV INCED, WILL ALWAYS BE RE-
quisite fair-mindedness that in his brief
MEMBER.ED.
memoirs written for his children, he asks
Baha'u' llah's forgiveness for the very inten- B AHi YYIH N AKHJ AVAN i

sity of his commitment, which he admits
was not always wise in relation to his Jewish
family. He deplores the fact that his imper- MAHV ASH MASTER
fections may have been an impediment to 1941=1990
his dear wife's willingness to accept the
truth ofBaha'u' llah's Revelation, but finally This is the story of a unique and most remarkconcludes: able lady upon whose passing to the Abha
When one is a perfectionist, he may lose a Kingdom the Universal House of Justice sent
lot of chances while the other person, the following message:
who lets things go and gives full vent to
his feelings, may do a lot more errors, but SADDEN ED PASS ING MAHVASH MASTER. HER

perhaps he may do something good at the CEASELESS DEDICATIO N TO TEACHING WORK

same time which will recompense all the MA NY PARTS WORLD, HER DISTINGUISHED

errors he has made. I wonder if I was that SERVICES AUXILIARY BOARD AND HER RADI-

much of a perfectionist, would I have ANT SPIRIT ARE WORTHY EXAMPLE OTHERS,

ever become a Baha'i? CONVEY BEREAVED FAMJL Y FRIENDS DEEPEST
978 TH E BAH A' I WORLD

one of the monarchs of the Qajar Dynasty.
Her mother remained a Muslim until she
met the Guardian in 1955. Her father, on the
other hand, was the grandson of a devoted
believer at the time ofBahit' u'llah who was
honoured by Baha'u 'llah with a few Tablets
and the title of $affar, meaning coppersmith.
He was the son of Ni'mat 'ullah $affar, a
renowned calligrapher who copied by hand
the Bab's and Baha'u' llah's Writings and was
an expert on the Writings and the Revelation
of the Bab.
When she was a 14-year-old child on
pilgrimage with her family in 1955, Shoghi
Effendi pointed to a group of children, which
included Mahvash, and said "These children
will be successful in teaching the Cause of
God". It seems as if this statement became
the motivating force of her life. She knew
she would be successful as long as she arose
Mahvash Master to teach, and because the Guardian had
uttered these words she felt deeply and yet
SYMPATHY, PRAYING HOLY SHR IN ES PRO- gloriously obliged to do so.
GRESS HER SOUL ABHA KINGDOM . After pilgrimage, Mahvash ' s family, con-
26 July 1990 sisting of herself, four brothers and her
parents, pioneered to Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Mahvash was so much in love with the A few months later, the family transferred its
Cause of the Blessed Beauty that nothing was pioneering post to Freiburg, West Gern1any.
strong enough to prevent her from sharing In August 1956, Mahvash ' s father died in
His Message. In the St. Vincents Hospital Basel, Switzerland, from a heart attack while
in Karlsruhe, Germany, where she spent the on his way to visit iran.
last two weeks of her life, she gave all Mahvash studied physiotherapy, while
of the staff, including specialists, doctors , ensuring that her studies did not deter her
nurses, orderlies and visitors , the Message of from her teaching activities. She and her
Baha 'u' llah. She did this until her last four brothers were deeply involved in Baha' i
breath. Indeed when she was failing and did activities , and their home was practically the
not have the strength to speak audibly, two Baha'i centráe ofFreiburg.
Catholic nuns came into her room to give On 21March1961 , Mahvash married Iraj
her their blessings. Mahvash whispered in (Iradj) Master, and they moved to Bonn. At
her husband ' s ear, asking him to give the the end of 1964, Mahvash, along with her
nuns pamphlets and to tell them about her husband and their baby son, returned to iran
dream the previous night when she saw where fraj was appointed as Associate
Baha'u'llah and Jesus conversing together. Professor at the University of Shiraz. Baha'i
Mahvash was born in Tiluáan, Persia, on activities, such as children' s classes, firesides
22 January 1941 , into a family with two and deepenings, continued to be a major part
ve1y different and distingujshed backgrounds . ofMahvash' s life.
Her mother was a very staunch Muslim with Professionally, Mahvash became very sucroyal blood, a descendant ofFatl)- 'Ali Shah, cessful in Shiraz, and she was the co-founder
IN MEMORIAM 979

of the Physiotherapy Department of the Uni- arranged and organised public teaching
versity Hospital in Shiraz. She was renowned activities , pamphlet distribution, and held a
for her healing hands. fireside meeting at least once a week in her
The oppressive conditions for teaching home.
the Faith in Shiraz were a challenge for Soon her teaching activities stretched
Mahvash, who was used to the freedom of beyond the borders of the State. First, she
teaching in Europe. Although Baha'is in started to travel to Tasmania at least twice
Iran in those days were very active within a year to teach. She used to relate a dream in
the community, there were great pressures which 'Abdu'l-Baha was showing her a map
on them from various Muslim groups and of the Australian continent; He was pointing
government circles preventing them from to Tasmania and telling her that Tasmania
teaching. was important and that she should study the
In spite of extremely favourable eco- Book of Certitude. A number of Baha'is in
nomic, social, and professional conditions Tasmania who became Baha'is through her
and success, Mahvash and family pioneered efforts recall their encounter with Mahvash
to Melbourne, Australia, in late 1968. In with affection and delight.
those days Australia was in need of assis- Crossing the state borders was not enough
tance, as the Melbourne Metropolitan area for Mahvash ' s high fl ying spirit. In 1973,
had only two Local Spiritual Assemblies, she travelled to Germany to participate in
and indeed in the whole State of Victoria their teaching activities to complete the final
there were only three or four. year of the Nine Year Plan. She travelled
Mahvash's teaching efforts continued in alone with great difficulties to the remote
Australia and she never failed to make the island ofBorkum in the North Sea to form a
most of any opportunity that presented itself. Baha'i group there. She managed to achieve
For example, in 1969, when her husband that after a few days on that island.
was a visiting Senior Research Fellow with Mahvash had an extraordinary love for
the Melbourne University, one of the daily Aborginals, and she repeatedly reminded
newspapers approached the University and herself and others of the impo1iance of
asked for the names of academic women teaching indigenous people as mentioned
from overseas to be interviewed for the so often by the Guardian of the Faith. In
paper. For some unknown reason they con- Melbourne she was always searching for the
tacted Mahvash's husband and ended up Aboriginals, and one summer day in 1974
interviewing her, and she did not miss the she came home with a whole family consistopportunity of proudly mentioning the Faith. ing of the parents and six children. She
This was the start of a number of interviews explained to her husband that she had met
she obtained on radio stations, and opened them in the supermarket and had helped
the way for Mahvash to use the media for them to carry their shopping home. This was
teaching the Faith. the Langley family from Mornington Island,
Mahvash had a great organising capacity who had come to Melbourne with other
and while she was deeply involved in teach- Aboriginals for an exhibition of Aboriginal
ing work she could ably manage her own art and dancing. During their stay in Melhome and family. In addition she sponsored bourne the Langleys and a few other
and greatly assisted her mother and her two Aborigines became Baha'is and returned to
younger brothers to happily and successfully Mornington Island.
settle in Australia. Even after the birth of her Prior to the return of the Langleys , Mornthird son, she embarked on unprecedented ington Island, with a population of 800
mass teaching in Melbourne and country Aborigines, had only seven or eight Baha' is.
areas of Victoria. Mahvash persistently Mahvash kept in touch with the Langleys ,
980 THE BAHA'I WORLD

and three years later, in 1977, she, with great enthusiasm, and sincerity when she spoke of
enthusiasm, chartered a small four-seater the Faith she lived for, and it was this quality
plane and with three other Baha'is flew to that was almost infectious and drew people
Mornington Island to teach the Aboriginals. to her. In her physiotherapy practice, no
While there, during only eight days , several patient could leave without being taught the
Aborigines accepted the Faith. Faith in a loving and interesting manner.
In the same year, the Hand of the Cause She constantly reminded the friends of
of God Amatu'l-Baha Rul;iyyih Khanum the urgency of teaching, and would repeatedly
went from Japan to Australia to recuperate quote from Th e Advent of Divine Justice
from an illness, and she urged the National (p. 39) where the Guardian wrote:
Assembly to have the Local Spiritual Assem-
The field is indeed so immense, the period
bly of Mornington Island formed. Mahvash
so critical, the Cause so great, the workcould not stay quiet. Two months later her
ers so few, the time so short, the privilege
husband and three other Baha'is went to
so priceless, that no follower of the Faith
Mornington Island, with the result that a
of Baha'u'llah, worthy to bear His name,
significant number of Aborigines became
can afford a moment's hesitation.
Baha'is.
Mahvash continued to travel to Mornington In conformity with this quote she would
Island. In Normanton, the last stop before often state the following in her talks: "This
Mornington Island, she emolled several day and age is of such importance according
more people in the Faith, and her travels to to Baha'u'llah that the prophets of the past
northeast Australia became a regular event. would love to be back for one moment so
She never stopped teaching the Aborigines, that they could serve. We don' t realise how
and without any doubt a great number of privileged we are to live in this day and age.
Aboriginal Baha 'is throughout Australia Please put the Faith as the first priority in
came into the Faith through her efforts. your life before everything else."
In 1974, she was appointed Auxiliary She also used to say that every single day
Board member for Propagation in the state in one 's life was a bonus and the opportuniof Victoria, and served in that capacity until ties should not be missed. Mahvash followed
1988. Of course, the additional duties of a this advice herself very religiously .
Board member did not diminish her teaching One of her very many remarkable achieveactivities, or her activities as a wife, mother ments was that in 1976, while on a visit to
of three boys, and physiotherapist. She still Iran and on pilgrimage, she managed to perfow1d the time to write repotis and articles suade her father-in-law, Ardishir Master, to
for the Baha' i magazines and gain publicity purchase a house in Malvern (a fairly central
for the Faith through government and com- suburb in Melbourne) and donate it to the
mercial media. Baha'i community. This was the first Baha'i
She had no difficulty in approaching CentTe outside Sydney to be wholly owned
people high or low, rich or poor. Even when by the Baba ' i commW1ity of Australia.
the family was living in a rented home without With t1emendous energy and persistence,
adequate facilities, she would not hesitate she worked to have this house renovated and
to invite people for firesides or dinners. The made suitable for teaching and other Baha'i
Speaker of the Australian Parliament, journal- activities. She was the motivating force behind
ists for the Australian Broadcasting C01poration the grand opening of Baha' i House in 1978,
and commercial media, and "modest" peo- officiated over by the Mayor of the City of
ple all had lunch or dinner at her home. Malvern in the presence of the Local Mem-
Mahvash was a very attractive and vital ber of the Australian Parliament, reporters
personality. She "bubbled" and radiated love, for the Australian Broadcasting Cotporation,
IN MEMORIAM 981
newspapers, local radio, and representatives doctor became very upset, but she consoled
of the National Assembly, as well as a great him and told him that she believed in life
number- ofBaha'is and non-Baha'is. after death and she would be happier in the
Furthermore, Mahvash was the major other world.
initiator and consistent supporter of Baha'i Mahvash always, and especially during
children' s classes, using the Baha'i House as her illness, implored the friends to teach
the venue. She would encourage every parent while they enjoy their good health.
to send their children to the Baha'i classes Kate Dwyer, a respected ex-Catholic
every Sunday. Mother Superior who became a Baha'i wrote
On one memorable occasion, Mahvash to Mahvash's family:
and her husband were attending an anniver-
Only one of the many, many, people she
sary celebration at the public school their
helped, I could never forget her kindness,
children attended. The guest of honour was
especially in the early days of my Baha'i
the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Ninian
life in 1972. Mahvash did all in her power
Stephen. Mahvash rather honified iraj by
to stráengthen and deepen my faith in
saying, "We will go and tell him about the
Baha 'u'llah and His great Cause and I
Faith". The security guards were not so
watched that dear soul do likewise for so
impressed with people wanting to speak to
many others.
their charge but that did not deter Mahvash.
With Iraj following behind she seized the Mahvash was like a candle burning heropportunity and introduced herself to Sir self to diffuse light and brighten others, and
Ninian and told him about Baha'u'llah's finally she burned herself out in Germany
call. Sir Ninian was interested and respectful and her soul flew to the Abha Kingdom on
and thanked Mahvash. He said she had 25 July 1990, at the age of 49 years.
reminded him that he had an invitation to Perhaps her short life can be as a message
visit the Sydney Temple soon and he would to us all to serve the Cause of Baha' u'llah
look forward to that visit. while we can.
Mahvash became afflicted with breast Mahvash, in her last statement, said,
cancer in January 1985. This calamity did ... don't ever feel sad for me, instead say a
not become a reason to stop her from teach- prayer for my soul.
ing. On the contrary, she expanded her BILL JOHNS ON

activities. She added New Caledonia to her
travel list and visited that country several
times. Friends who became Baha'is through
her are now active in various parts of that JANE VILLIERS-STUART
country. 1919-1990
She organised groups of youth, including
her own children, to travel to Hong Kong, Jane Villiers-Stuart was born into the Fowler
Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan to teach. family in Kells, County Meath, Ireland, on
She encouraged her sons to learn the Chi- 29 September 1919. The Fowlers were a
nese language in order to be able to teach the well established family in the Protestant
Chinese people. Her last trip overseas con- Anglo-Irish tradition, which tended to be
sisted of teaching activities in the United land-owning, English-educated, and staunchly
States; she appeared on television in Atlanta, loyal to Monarch, Empire and Church. Life
Georgia, and was planning to teach in East was privileged, conformist and imbued with
Germany. Alas , this wish was not fulfilled. a sense of upper-class exclusiveness. Such
She fought her illness with great courage. was the ambience in which Jane was brought
When it recurred for a second time, her up.
982 THE BAHA'i WORLD

However, Jane was 20 years younger than Three years later, having explored the
her nearest brother, her father died when she teachings of the Faith with the aid of George
was eight, and her mother, having witnessed Townshend, Adib Taherzadeh, and Lady
the carnage of the first World War, sanc- Hornell, she declared on the day of the Feast
tioned a somewhat unusual upbringing. She of Questions. She said that she knew she had
was tutored at home to the age of 14. She to make a decision, and had gone to the local
was encouraged to roam and explore and run church to pray for the right answer. As she
free in the unspoiled countryside of County prayed she felt as if she were being lifted
Meath. She became an experienced horse- up to heaven. This experience, coupled with
woman. Then her further education took her natural sympathy with Baha'i princ iples,
place in a boarding school in the south of confirmed to her the truth ofBaha'u'llah and
England. It all allowed for the flowering of His Revelation.
a personality sensitive, inquiring, rebellious The rest of her life became an expression
in defence of her own and others' freedom , of her commitment to the truth of His Revefull of imagination, and wonderfully uncir- lation. Along with Lady Hornell and Lizbeth
cumscribed by the inhibitions developed by Greaves, she became a most potent invigoramore formal upbringing. tor of the Irish Baha'i community. She
In 1940, family reasons bound up with involved herself fully in the domestic nittythe second World War caused her mother gritty of building this still fragile community.
to leave the neutral Irish Republic and settle Any soul who showed the slightest interest in
in Northern Ireland. Jane, who had lived a the Faith would receive her total and loving
life of leisure until this time, was drawn into attention . Nothing would be too much trouble
the war effort. She worked as an orderly in a if it helped to confirm that interest.
hospital in London. When she moved to the Jane discovered that she had a great skill
north of Ireland, she ran a mobile canteen for bringing people together. She began to
for the troops. It was here that she met use this skill in making connections between
Michael Vil liers-Stuart. He was then in the the many different social classes, interest
Royal Navy, but had previously moved from groups and nationalities that inhabited her
the south to the north of Ireland to help de- social world. Her home became almost the
velop the family nicotine insecticide business. 20th century equivalent of an 18th century
Jane and Michael were married in 1943 . salon. The sewing lady would have tea with
Sally was born in 1945, Virginia in 1947, the Wing Commander, the poet would dis-
Garry in 1949, and Katherine in 1951. They cuss Vietnam with an aristocratic Persian
set up home in a house called Loughside lady, the business consultant joke with an
on the shores of Belfast Lough. It was their African student, the wild and uncultured
home for the next 38 years. "new estate" boys share cake with respect-
Jane first read about the Baha'i Faith in able aging lady inquirers.
1948, in an article in a local paper which The house, blessed by the Grace of
sympathetically reviewed The Promise ofAll Baha' u'Jlah and energised by Jane's gener-
Ages, by George Townshend. Two years later, ous hospitality, hosted innumerable morning
on a journey to London on the occasion of devotions, tea and lunch parties, musical eveher great aunt's 80th birthday, she shared a nings, buffet suppers, and firesides. Every
cabin with Ursula Newman, who was then a moment of her life, and all events organised
pioneer in Belfast and a member of the in it were seen as occasions when the Baha'i
National Spiritual Assembly of the British Revelation and its implications could be
Isles. For both the meeting was significant, discussed and explored. Loughside became
and it marked a new phase in Jane's spiritual an unofficial hotel for travelling teachers
journey. going to Northern Ireland. Its visitors ' book
IN MEMORIAM 983
read like an unofficial "Who's Who" of
the Baha'i world. Amatu'l-Baha Rul:iiyyih
Khanum, George Townshend, l:fasan Balylizi,
Tarazu'llah Samandari, Hermann Grossmann,
Ral:imatu'llah Muhaji..r, and others, were
visitors at vaiious times. The number of
grace-filled moments during these times
cannot be computed.
Jane's official Baha'i life was also ever
full. For example, she set up and supported
countless firesides , both in the Province and
in the Irish Republic. She helped to organise
the first n01ihern Irish summer school. She
helped to form the first Local Spiritual
Assembly in the area in which she lived (the
fourth in Northern Ireland). For many years,
almost until her death, she was elected as a
N01ihern Ireland delegate to the National
Baha'i Convention of the United Kingdom.
She became the official Travel Teacher
Coordinator for the Province. Rich were the Jane Villiers-Stuart
many itineraries she organised, and brilliantly successful she was in gaining media although she later admitted that she found all
coverage for both these travelling teachers these demands difficult to cope with at times.
in particular and the Baha ' i community in She became a much loved and respected
general. local figure.
When "The Troubles" (that is, violent Jane served for many years on a commitinter-religious conflict between the Catholic tee that attempted to proclaim the Faith to
and Protestant communities) flared up again important public figures. Her wide family
in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, Jane dedi- connections enabled her to do this in a succated more of her time to help the cause cessful manner. In the early 1970s, through
of peace. Her contribution was particularly her efforts and contacts, she enabled the
effective in the area of hosting events in the Tablets of Baha'u 'llah written to the Kings
community and in her house to which both of Europe to be unofficially presented to
Catholics and Protestants would come. It Queen Elizabeth II. She also arranged for
was not unknown for the "wild boys" as she the formal presentation of the same book to
affectionately called them, from both sides Eamon de Valera, the President of Ireland.
of the community divide, to serve tea to each In the early 1980s, she organised a very sucother during a fireside, and to wait to ambush cessful meeting in the House of Lords as a
each other after it was over. way of drawing attention both to the Baha' i
As a result of "The Troubles'', one of her Faith and to the plight of the Baha'is in Iran.
cars was hijacked and used as a car bomb, During the last years of her life she
and another was turned on its side and used travelled to India to teach the Faith, and also
as a road banicade! Despite all these com- to represent Northern Ireland at the 1978
plications, Jane remained cheerful and full Asian women's conference in New Delhi.
of laughter. She seemed able to absorb the Later, she was invited to represent Northern
pressure and tensions of such an environ- Ireland at an international women's peace
ment and fit it into her hectic domestic life, conference in Dallas, Texas, U.S .A. During
984 THE BAHA'I WORLD

the last months of her life, while battling HEDA YA TO ULLAH AHMADI YEH
against a creeping cancer, she involved her- (Hidayatu'llah Ahmadiyyih)
self in the organisation of a cross-border 1933-1990
Irish women's peace conference. Her room
in the Hospice where she stayed for some PROFOUNDLY DEPLORE TRAGIC CIRCUM-
weeks became a focus for visitors near and STANCES SUDDEN PASSING DEARLY LOVED ,
far, and each found in her a rich source of WHOLLY DEVOTED, !NDEFATIGABLE SERVANT

inspiration. For the last week of her life she BAHA'U' LLAH HEDA YATO ULLAH AHMADIYEl-I.

was cared for by her family in the prayer- HIS CONST ANT PROMOTION SACRED CAUSE

filled atmosphere of her home. THROUGH HIS INTENS IVE IMMENSELY SUC-

When Jane passed away in August 1990, CESSFUL INVOLVEMENT TEACHING WORK

her funeral became a wonderful proclama- INCLUD!NG HIS AUTHORSHIP WIDELY USED

tion. The local people in the small town TEACHING BOOKLET WAS AT CORE HI S

where she lived were amazed at the number DYNAMIC SERV ICES AS CONT!NENTAL COUN-

and diversity of people who came to pay SELLOR IN AMERICAS, AS MEMBER AND

their last respects. CHAIRMAN FOR MANY YEARS OF NAT IONAL

Jane's life was filled with love and laugh- SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY BELIZE AND AS PIO-

ter and happiness and a passionate sense NEER DURING HIS YOUTHFUL YEARS IRAN.

of justice, all of which spilled over into and OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS HIS EXTENS IVE

touched the lives of the many souls who TEACHING TRIPS THROUGH CENTRA L, NORTH

were lucky enough to come into contact with AND SOUTH AMERICA WILL FOREVER BE

her. There can be no more fitting epitaph to ASSOCIATED WITH BRILLIANT CHAPTERS

her life than the message sent by the Univer- DEVELOPMENT FA ITH THESE AREAS. DEEPLY

sal House of Justice to the National Spiritual SYMPATI-IIZE MEMBERS HIS BELOVED FAMILY

Assembly of the United Kingdom on 24 August WHOSE WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT HIS

1990, on the occasion of her passing, which ACTIV ITIES WAS EXEMPLARY.PRAYING HOLY

read: THRESHOLD THAT HIS SOUL MAY RECEIVE
RICH REWARDS MAY BE IMBUED WITH
ETERNAL 1-IAPP!NESS THROUGHOUT DIVINE
Grieve passing stalwart promoter Faith
dearly loved Jane Villiers-Stuart. Her WORLDS.
exemplary life of service to the Cause and ADVISING MEMOR IAL SERV ICES BE HELD
TEMPLES PANAMA CITY AND WILM ETTE AND
fellow human beings, her loving nature
and passionate love for Baha'u'llah, IN COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT AMERICAS IN

her tireless unceasing efforts teaching HIS HONOUR.

proclamation are fondly remembered. The Universal House of Justice
shining record services Cause she loved 29 August 1990
so dearly served so nobly are indelibly
recorded history Faith British Isles, and Hidayatu'llah Al)madiyyih was born into a
will serve as befitting example for pro- Persian Baha'i family on 11 July 1933, in
moters Cause Baha'u'llah to emulate the village of"fizi1jan, near the city of Yazd.
in those Islands. Praying Ho ly Sluáines Both of his parents had become Baha'is on
progress her radiant soul. Kindly convey their own, and were the only Baha' is in their
loving sympathy her beloved family. families.
Although his parents practised the Faith,
GARRY VILLIERS-STUART they would not talk about it to the children,
fearing that they would speak to their schoolmates and cause difficulties and persecution.
As a result, Hidayatu'llili and his older
IN MEMORIAM 985

brother, being under the influence of their anything else and other youth likewise
maid who was a devoted Muslim, were should follow the same path. [Translated
brought up as Muslims and practised Islamic from the original letter in Persian.]
laws. After receiving these instructions, he
The family moved to the small town of became very anxious and restless. After one
Barn in the province of Kirman. When year of unsuccessful efforts to arrange a
Hidayatu ' llah was 11 years old, a pioneer pioneering post, he decided to continue his
family moved to Barn and encouraged the sh1dies and also to pursue his pioneering
Al:unadiyyihs to send their children to goal on the homefront. Immediately after his
Baha'i children's classes. The first class that acceptance at Shiraz University, he, along
Hidayatu'llah attended brought many ques- with a group of Baha'i medical students,
tions to his heart, and it was then that his pioneered to a nearby village called Qa~ru' dmother explained the Faith to him. Dasht and formed a new Local Spiritual
He studied the Faith for several years, and Assembly there.
was intellectually convinced but still had The following year their number increased
doubts. Then one day, at the age of 16, he to 11 students and two Baha'i families.
was studying The Dawn-Breakers when he Since they were not all needed in that
came across the story of the seven martyrs locality, they encouraged and invited other
of Tihran. Among these martyrs was J:Iaji friends from Shiraz to pioneer to new locali-
Siyyid- 'Ali, the uncle of the Bab, who ties. These efforts resulted in the formation
was His custodian from His childhood. of five new Local Spirihial Assemblies.
Hidayatu'llah was shaken by the story of his Hidayatu'llah moved to a village called Pushtmartyrdom, and, his heart moved, he became i-Mulih. Among the individuals on this new
convinced of the truth of the Cause of God. Assembly was Mr. Mihdi Anvari who, years
To him, the conclusion became clear; even later, gave his life heroically as a martyr.
if thousands of martyrs could have been After graduating from medical school in
deceived by the Bab, His uncle who was like 1960, Dr. Al:unadiyyih passed the Educational
a father to Him, could not have been. Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates
Hidayatu'llah's conviction was so strong examination and left for the United States in
that nothing could change it. He became 1961 to further his education.
very active in the Faith and served on sev- He studied for five years in the pediatric
eral national committees in Tihran. He was field. After passing the American Board
in the last year of high school when the Ten of Pediatrics examinations with excellence,
Year Crusade began. He became very he was awarded the Diploma of the American
anxious and eager to leave everything Board of Pediatrics. While in the United
behind and go pioneering, but the national States, he served on the Local Spirihial
committees and institutions of the Faith that Assemblies of St. Louis, Missouri, and
he consulted advised him to continue his Nashville, Tennessee.
studies. Upon finishing his studies in 1966, he
Hidayah1'llah wrote to Dr. Lutfu'llah decided to go pioneering. He wrote a letter
J:Iakim requesting him to ask the beloved of inquiry to British Honduras [known as
Guardian about his obligations and the obli- Belize after June 1973], and when the friends
gation of the other young students like him. there responded his decision was made.
The answer written by Dr. J:Iakim was brief He arrived in British Honduras in Decembut clear: ber 1966. He had to wait for two years
Write to Mr. Al:imadiyyih that he should before he was given permission by the govnow concentrate all his thoughts on pio- ernment to work. Finally, he was hired as a
neering because it is more important than Medical Officer in the Belize City Hospital.
986 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Island, Peru, Brazil and Guyana. Later he
travelled to Paraguay and Bolivia.
In 1971, after receiving the news of the
passing of his father, he made a trip to Iran,
and it was there that he manied Ri~van
RaJ:iimi, who had been pioneering in India.
Dr. Al)madiyyih travelled again in 1974.
This trip lasted for six weeks, and took him
to Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, Dominica,
Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis, Panama, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, and
St. Vincent.
In October 1976, he was appointed to the
Continental Board of Counsellors in Central
America.
Towards the end of the Five Year Plan,
in 1978, he closed his medical practice for
eighteen months and travelled extensively in
Central America and among the Caribbean
islands trying to help the friends to win their
Hedayatoullah Ahmadiyeh teaching goals. At the end of September of
the same year, having instructions from the
Working with much dedication, he became Universal House of Justice and an invitation
known as "Angel of Mercy" by the nurses from the National Spiritual Assembly of the
with whom he served. United States, he visited that country, and
At that time, the population of British with the active participation of the friends
Honduras was only 140,000, with 80 believ- and constant help and guidance from the
ers and two Local Spiritual Assemblies . National Assembly and the National Teaching
Most teaching efforts had been concentrated Committee, more than 320 Local Assemin the areas of Belize City and Bunell Boom. blies were formed in eight weeks. Later, in
Dr. Al~madiyyih travelled around the country December 1978 and then in February 1979,
taking the Message of Baha'u' llah to the he visited Canada and helped the friends
towns and villages. Soon two more Assem- there attain all their teaching goals.
blies were formed, and the National Spiritual In November 1980, the Universal House
Assembly was established in April 1967. of Justice appointed five Boards of Cow1sel-
The first National Convention of Belize lors , one for each continent. Dr. AIJmadiyyih
was held in the presence of the Hand of the was appointed to the Board of Counsellors
Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery. Dr. AJ:imadiyyih for the Americas, and was reappointed in
was elected to the first National Spiritual November 1985. He was also a Deputy of
Assembly and was its chairman tmtil 1969, I:Iuququ' llah. for seven countries in Central
when he was appointed to the Auxiliary America for several years .
Board. As an Auxiliary Board member he He travelled very often to the countries
was very active and made regular trips to assigned to him as Counsellor; especially to
the villages and towns in Belize and also El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. He
travelled abroad. also made occasional háips to other countries
In 1970, he made an extensive teaching in the Americas, such as Brazil, Canada,
trip th.rough Central and South America, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama,
visiting Colombia, San Andres, Providencia and the United States. His private practice
JN MEMORIAM 987
was affected by these repeated absences and tool, so a copy was sent to the Universal
they caused financial difficulties for him and House of Justice in 1978, and the booklet
his family, but this fact was accepted by all was then printed in different languages and
involved. adapted for use in many countries around the
During the last two months of his life, world.
he travelled to Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. Dr. Al:rmadiyyih also put together a booklet
While he was in Canada, a permanent teach- based on the Baha'i Writings for the deepening team was formed for the first time. In ing of Local Spiritual Assemblies which was
Mexico, he met with the Mayan Teaching tested in a few communities in Belize. He
Committee in Merida and a team for teach- was in the process of writing a deepening
ing among the Mayan was formed. course suited for home-based study which
After leaving the meeting of the friends was left unfinished with his untimely death.
in Merida to go back to Belize on 26 August Another achievement was his role in
1990, he met his untimely death. At the establishing permanent teaching teams in
border of Mexico and Belize, crossing the several countries in the Americas. The idea
bridge that separates the two countries, he had first been suggested by the Hand of
fell through an opening which was left un- the Cause Dr. Ral:rmatu'llah Muhajir on one
guarded and unlit and drowned in the river of his visits to British Honduras in March
below. He attained his wish, which was to 1976, and it came into reality in October
die while serving Baha'u'llah. 1988 when Dr. Al.rmadiyyih offered the idea
Among his many achievements was the during a joint meeting of the National
creation of a teaching booklet, the result of Assembly and the National Teaching Coman extensive teaching project in the Western mittee. By the end of the consultation the
Highway in Belize. The format is based on first permanent teaching team of Belize was
a quotation from a letter written by the formed. It immediately sta1ied functioning,
Universal House of Justice and sent to all with tremendous and exciting results, so
National Spiritual Assemblies on 13 July 1964: he took the idea to other countries including
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and later
When teaching among the masses .... The
to Canada and Mexico. These countries adoptprime motive should always be the reed the idea and, based on their resources and
sponse of man to God's Message, and the
needs, established permanent teaching teams
recognition of His Messenger.... The
which brought thousands of souls into the
declarants need not know all the proofs,
Faith ofBaha'u'llah.
history, laws, and principles of the Faith,
but in the process of declaring themselves
REZV AN AHM A DIYEH
they must, in addition to catching the spark (Ric;Ivan Ahmadi yyih)
of faith, become basically informed about
the Central Figures of the Faith, as well as
the existence of laws they must follow
and an administration they must obey. WINNIFRED I. HARVEY
1911-1990
The first copies were written by hand
using postcards as pictures. These were Winnifred Harvey was born on 24 Jw1e 1911
given to the graduates of a week-long teach- in Rapid City, in the Canadian province of
ing institute as gifts to be used by them. Manitoba, the eldest daughter in a family of
Soon, the National Teaching Committee of 12 children.
British Honduras had copies of the booklet As a child, Winnifred thought and read a
printed for use by teachers around the country. great deal, always searching for answers .
It proved an extremely successful teaching She found small town life very confining,
988 THE BAHA'i WORLD

and was often ill. Neve1iheless, her intelli- months of weekly talks? But she was still
gence and photographic memory were highly searching for a philosophy that made sense.
respected by her family. At the end of grade After some discussions with Rowland Estall,
11 in public school she won a scholarship, she agreed to read the Baha' i Writings and
and her uncle sold some livestock to raise became quite engrossed in her reading. The
the money for her to go to teachers' college. two often met to discuss them.
She found college especially enlightening In 1940, during this time of intense search
when she met there an instructor who intro- and confusion, Winnifred left Winnipeg and
duced her to the arts and to oriental thought. moved to the capital, Ottawa, to begin a posi-
She then taught in rnral schools for a few tion with the governrnent as a statistician.
years . Despite the Great Depression, and the There were no Baha' is in Ottawa then, so
fact that she was penniless, Winnifred decided she visited Montreal to attend an afternoon
to resign her teaching position and enrol in tea at the home of Siegfried and Florence
university to pursue a bachelor of aiis degree. Evaline Schopflocher.
University opened for her the life of the In June 1940, she suddenly experienced a
mind. Although materially barely surviving sense of conviction, and enrolled in the Faith.
on scholarships, she felt intellectually and Still, she believed there might be errors in its
spiritually nourished. Thoughts she had had teachings so she spent eve1y spare moment
for years, and kept to herself, she now found at the library hying to find inconsistencies,
in the writings of the world's philosophers. reading close to 100,000 pages of religious,
She was elected president of the student body philosophical, and historical books, includand won many medals and scholarships. ing some attacks on the Faith. Despite all her
Eventually, however, she realized that she efforts, no flaws were discovered.
had found only knowledge, and not the foun- One evening, a young woman came to
tain of wisdom for which she longed. Winnifred' s room at the Young Women' s
It was dming these years that she decided Christian Association (YWCA) to ask about
to enter an essay contest on how to achieve the Faith. When the woman left, Winnifred
world peace, sponsored by one AJ:unad Sorab. realized that it was selfish to keep to herself
She wrote for info1mation on his organiza- the greatest thing that had ever happened
tion, planning to discover its point of view to her. She left the YWCA and moved to a
so she could incorporate it into her essay, room where she could hold weekly firesides ,
giving her a better chance of winning the beginning in November of the same year.
contest and the badly needed cash prize. She continued holding regular firesides as
Because of the conespondence and informa- long as she lived in Canada.
tion she received, she quickly decided she Winnifred's services to the Cause were
did not like the organization but was attracted many. In the Ottawa area she has been
by one small book: The Hidden Words of refened to as the mother teacher of eastern
Ba ha ' u ' llah. Ontario and western Quebec. Not only was
After completing her bachelor of arts she the first pe1manent Baha'i resident in
degree in English, she taught at Dominion Ottawa, and hostess of the first firesides, she
Business College in Winnipeg. There she ananged the first public meeting in Ottawa,
attended a Baha'i public meeting, but still worked toward the foiming of the first Local
was not drawn to the Faith. Rowland Estall, Spiritual Assembly in Kingston, Ontario,
a Baha' i pioneer and fellow member of an and addressed the first public meeting in
educators' association, invited her to a series Belleville, Ontario .
of firesides , but she declined, deciding the She taught at Quebec and Ontario sum-
Baha'i Faith was something she could inves- mer schools, and gave talks on the Faith
tigate herself, so why subject herself to wherever she travelled. She is remembered
IN MEMORIAM 989
not only for her eloquent, inspired and wellresearched talks, but also for her listening
ear, quiet advice and comforting manner.
Her home at 36 Waverly St. in Ottawa was
the centre of Baha' i activity in the region for
many years. Not only did it serve as a home
for many Baha ' is, but it was also a popular
stopping-off place for Baha'i visitors from
across the country.
In 1956, she was the first Ottawa area
Baha'i to go on pilgrimage and to meet the
Guardian, bringing with her a gift of maps of
Canada, especially of the Canadian north.
Win11ifred was twice a homefront pioneer.
She moved from Ottawa to nearby Eastview
(now Vanier) in the early 1950s to help form
the first Assembly there. Then she thought
of pioneering to the maritime province of
Newfoundland, but at the Guardian's request
she went instead to Hull, Quebec. Having
moved to this French-Canadian city, across Winnifred Harvey
the river from Ottawa, she, in her 50s, had
to learn to speak French, an accomplishment and reminding all of the power of prayer and
that took enormous effort. She succeeded, the importance of teaching minorities.
however, and continued to conduct regular She touched the lives of those she met in
Friday night firesides at her Hull apartment, many ways. A fellow servant at the World
but now in two languages. Centre noted that she would be sorely missed
She served in many administrative capac- by the young security guards who were
ities. She was an invaluable member of the assigned to the "Winnie Walk," when they
National Spiritual Assembly of Canada from had a chance to speak with her alone as they
1950 to 1961, serving also on the National accompanied her up the hill to her office in
Teaching Committee and the Canadian Baha'i the Seat of the Universal House of Justice.
News Committee. Despite being diagnosed with terminal
In September 1979, Winnifred took early cancer, Winnifred continued to inspire her
retirement in order to serve the Faith at the co-workers in the Holy Land as well as fam-
Baha'i World Centre, first as a statistician, ily and friends around the world. She
and later in the bookstore. During her vaca- worked as long as her health permitted and
tions, she also took time for teaching trips in continued to give talks, especially to the
Nigeria and Ireland, as well as to Canada. youth. A few months before her death, she
She maintained a large correspondence with wrote to her largely non-Baha'i family about
Baha'is and non-Baha' is around the world, her situation, assuring them that as this world
and entertained Baha ' i pilgrims, especially was the womb of the next world, she was in
Canadians. no way perturbed by death. She looked for-
Wherever she travelled around the world ward to death as a totally new experience,
she served the Cause steadfastly, not only with the same eagerly inquiring mind that
with her eloquent talks but also by the exam- had characterized her throughout her life.
ple of her life. She never tired of reminiscing Winnifred died on the slopes of her
about her conversations with the Guardian, beloved Mount Carmel on 27 September 1990,
990 THE BAHA'I WORLD

and was buried in the Baha'i cemetery at its Manitoba. She spent her early married life
foot. with her husband, Joseph, on a Reserve just
The themes of spirituality, service, and outside of Broadview, Saskatchewan. In 1953,
devotion to truth ran through her life. Her one of her nine children died because there
final task, before she entered the hospital were not adequate hospital facilities for
for the last time, was to arrange for the sale Native Canadians, so the family moved to
of her beloved books to benefit the building Regina, Saskatchewan. But no one would
of the Arc on Mount Carmel. Just after her rent a house to Indians with a large family,
funeral, a friend at the World Centre wrote so they ended up pitching a tent on the outto Winnifred's family, enclosing a copy of a skirts of town.
Japanese print of a crane soaring over high At that time there were fewer than
mountains. It shows a plump Japanese lady 50 Native Americans in the area Dorothy
in a kimono, riding on the back of the crane became involved in the Regina Native Society
and reading a book, and had inspired one and then founded the first Indian Friendship
of Winnifred's jokes about riding a bird in Center, spending most of her evenings counheaven and reading. selling there.
On 28 September, the Universal House The family then moved to Winnipeg,
of Justice sent the following cable to the Manitoba, where Dorothy went to work for
National Spiritual Assembly of Canada: the Indian Center, first as arts and crafts manager, then as family counsellor. She became
Deeply grieved passing steadfast servant an economic development officer and Indian
Faith Winnifred Harvey. Her indefatiga- culture worker, then was elected chai1man
ble efforts in promoting teaching work of the National Arts and Crafts Advisory
Canada, her valued membership and Committee. She also served on the Ontario
services on National Spiritual Assembly Indian Arts and Crafts Advisory Board.
of her native country, her constancy, self- Dorothy was an artist, and some of her work
abnegation in discharge her responsibilities can be found in the Royal Ontario Museum
at World Centre will undoubtedly assure in Toronto.
her bountiful reward Abha Kingdom. Dorothy hosted a weekly Native cultural
Convey members her family and friends program for Canada's national radio network,
deepest loving sympathy, assurance published a book on Native legends, and
prayers Holy Shrines progress her soul in recorded Native lullabies.
all worlds of God. Dorothy became a Baha'i in 1960, taught
by Arthur and Lily Ann Irwin, and invited to
H EATHER HARV EY join the Faith by the Hand of the Cause of
God John Robarts. Confused by the conflict
between the Native and Christian cultures,
and searching for her place and the place of
DOROTHY FRANCIS her people in Canadian society, she found
1913- 1990 that the Faith not only let her keep her identity, it encouraged it.
Dorothy Maquabeak Francis was one of She was a very active Baha'i, serving on
Canada' s great Native teachers, meshing her several Local Spiritual Assemblies. She was
love of Baha'u'llah with her promotion of also elected a delegate to Canada's National
Indian culture and identity. Convention several times. She travelled to
A Saulteax Indian, Dorothy was born in many parts of the country by small plane
1913 and raised on the Waywayseecappo with Baha'i pilot Fletcher Bennet, and in
Indian Reserve near the town of Russell, in the early 1970s travelled by plane into many
IN MEMORIAM 991
... saddened news passing Dorothy Francis.
Kindly convey condolences family friends .
Assure prayers Holy Shrines progress her
soul.

N ATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY
OF HIE BAHA'is OF C ANADA

AKBAR HADDAD
1912_:1990

Akbar I:Iaddad was born on 12 May 1912 in
Tihran, Persia. He was only a child of six
when his parents embraced the Baha'i Faith.
His early education was at the Tarbiyat Baha'i
School in Tihran, and later he attended the
Persian/Gern1an technical college where he
specialised in steel fabrication. He used
this expertise in various public and private
Dorothy Francis projects, as well as in the service of many
Baha'i institutions.
remote communities in Alaska during a one- In 1936, he married Vajihih Muhajir and
month campaign for the Alaskan National from this union two sons, Fu 'ad (Foad) and
Assembly. Dhikru'llah (Zekrullah), and two daughters ,
Travelling to teach on the Canadian Tali'ih (Talieh) and Najmiyyih (Najmieh),
prairies was not always easy; she recalled were born. From their unions there came
pushing a friend's car through deep snow, nine grandchildren who became the source
and shovelling the snow to reach Native of delight and happiness in the closing years
Reserves for teaching activities. Of her of Akbar's life.
teaching trips Dorothy once said: "I had Among Akbar 's notable accomplishments
wonderful opportunities at all these places to in service to the Cause was his involvement
speak of the Faith, and it just seemed that in the construction, beginning in the late
Baha'u' llah made all our plans." 1930s, of the National Baha' i Centre in
Over the years, she promoted Indian cul- Tihran. He was instrumental in the planning
ture and identity in a variety of ways. For and design and final completion of the
that work, she was honoured in 1978 by highly complex, beautiful, and unique dome
being appointed a member of the Order of of that building. Despite many difficulties
Canada. In her later years, despite the effects and the stopping of constrnction by the
of a severe stroke, she created and organized authorities and enemies of the Faith, Akbar
a Native spirituality project that is still active persevered and the dome was finally comin the British Columbia corrections insti- pleted. (When the wave of persecution
tutes . against the Baha'i Faith once again swept
Dorothy died of a heart attack in New through Persia in 1955, one of the first tar-
Westminster, British Colombia, on 16 Octo- gets for destruction was this beautiful dome.)
ber 1990. In response to the news, the At the end of the second World War, and
Universal House of Justice sent the follow- on the advice and encouragement of the
ing message: beloved Guardian, many friends left their
992 THE BAHA'i WORLD

In 1959, during the Ten Year World Crnsade, he was again moved to participate in
the pioneering field and together with his
family left his homeland to reside in Italy,
in the city of Perngia. His family members
were the first Baha'is in that city and they
were able to establish a Local Spiritual
Assembly during the following year.
In 1964, the Italian town of Como needed
assistance. The I:Iaddad family answered
this need by moving to Como, where they
were instrumental in forn1ing the Local Spiritual Assembly.
A turning point in Akbar's life was in
1968, when he moved to Haifa, Israel, upon
the invitation of the Universal House of
Justice, to assist with the maintenance of the
Holy Shrines and Gardens. Akbar remained
in the Holy Land for 14 years, until his
retirement, when he and his wife moved to
Akbar Haddad Australia where he spent the remaining days
of his life.
homelands and settled in other countries to One of his notable accomplishments in
establish the Faith. Akbar's heart was so the Holy Land was to design and constmct
overflowing with love for the Guardian and beautiful wrought iron gates for the Baha'i
obedience to him, that he immediately gardens in Haifa and 'Akka. He also had the
responded and succeeded in settling in ' Iraq. privilege of erecting the obelisk-the marble
His devotion to the Cause was limitless. It landmark that had atTived in Haifa during
was immaterial to him where he resided. the life of Shoghi Effendi to mark the site
However, he was forced to return to his of the future Mashriqu'l-Adhkar on Mount
native land because of pressure on the part Carmel.
of government authorities. Akbar's interest in the affairs of the Faith
He continued his services to the Cause and its international development moved
in Persia until 1956, when a long-cherished him to participate in many conferences during
hope of his dear heart was achieved: he his lifetime. In 1953, he attended the Intermade a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and vis- national Teaching Conference in Kampala,
ited his Beloved. Those who knew him often Uganda. In 1958, he travelled to Kampala
recognised the influence and impact that his again for an international conference that
visit to Shoghi Effendi made on his life. was called by the Guardian just prior to
Akbar's unique memory registered every his passing. In 1963, he attended the World
word spoken by the Guardian, and he often Congress in London, the crowning glory of
repeated the words he had heard with of the World Crnsade of the Guardian. And
profound intensity and sweetness. These in 1982, he attended the historic Interremained with him all the days of his life. Continental Conference that was held in
He had also committed to heart extensive CanbetTa, Australia.
passages from the Writings of Baha' u ' llah Akbar was a man who, from humble
which he often recited. These were powerful beginnings, became a source of inspiration
instrnments for him in teaching the Cause. to many. His open-mindedness, tolerance,
IN MEMORIAM 993
broad vision, and sense of devotion and per- of Baha'i service. Kindly convey my
severance, brought him into the international loving sympathy his relatives.
arena of service on three continents of the RUI~iYY!H

globe. When he passed away on 24 October [Amatu'l-Baha RuJ:iiyyih Khanum]
1990, he brought to a close a life of devoted 10 September 1990
and loving service to all, and in particular, to
the Cause he loved and served with such Emeric Sala came into this world on 12 Novexemplary devotion. ember 1906, at the beginning of the "Century
On 28 October 1990, the Universal House of Light". The timing was propitious, for
of Justice sent the following message to the by the time he reached manhood Emeric
National Spiritual Assembly of Australia: was able to play a leading role in building
the Baha'i Administrative Order.
... deeply grieved passing staunch stead- His birthplace was an obscure Hungarian
fast servant Cause Ali-Akbar Haddad. village called Havas Dombrovica, which
His devoted services Cradle and World roughly translates into "snowed-in village''.
Centre Faith unforgettable . Convey mem- He was the first of four children born to
bers family heartfelt sympathy. Assure a Jewish lumber inspector, Adolf, and his
loving prayers progress his soul Abba wife, Charlotte. His parents later moved to
Kingdom. Herrmannstadt in Siebenbuergen, today
known as Sibiu in Romania, where Emeric
May the memory of his life of service and spent his school years.
dedication be another link in the unification After the first World War, when in his
of the peoples of the world and the cause of teens, Emeric felt intensely alienated by the
peace on this planet. prevailing militari sm and lack of personal
SUHAYL 'ALA'i freedom, as well as the social and religious
prejudices in the strife-tom Balkan countries. He was drawn to the United States, but
EMERIC SALA there was no immigration quota for him. So
1906- 1990 he made his way to the German seaport of
Hamburg where he finally landed a job as a
Grieved passing dear Emeric Sala per- ship's helper, sailing for the west coast of
sonal friend for over sixty years who Africa. The ship returned to Hamburg and
accepted Faith Maxwell's home Mont- then sailed for Montreal, Canada. When he
real. Emeric was very active member our arrived in 1927, not quite 21 years old, he
Baha'i youth group period when Baha'i jumped ship and went into hiding. He dug
youth were few in number throughout ditches and washed dishes in a small hotel,
Canada. He was a devoted, consecrated, but soon got fired because he broke too
constantly active believer until end of his much crockery.
life: he served in the pioneer field in Ven- Apart from hi s native Hungarian, Emeric
ezuela, Africa and Mexico; he was author spoke Romanian, some German, French,
of a useful and thoughtful book for truth and Italian, but he didn't speak a word of
seekers; he was an excellent speaker, and English . Learning the language became his
a very capable member of various Baha'i obsess ion . Rather than just reading books,
administrative bodies and committees and he wanted to hear people talk, so he attended
was a brilliant protagonist of our Faith in every free lecture.
every field of service. May new generation One public meeting proclaiming a new
Canadian believers follow his footsteps World Order intrigued him . In Emeric's own
and seek equal distinction in every field words, taken from his autobiography:
994 THE BAHA'I WORLD

nized youth class in the Wes tern Hemisphere.
From that youth group came a Hand of the
Cause of God, a member of the Universal
House of Justice, two members of the Continental Board of Counsellors, three members
of National Spiritual Assemblies, and the
authors of three Baha' i books. One member
of the Montreal youth group was a charming
young woman by the name of Rosemary
Gillies. In 1934, she became Emeric's wife
and they spent 46 years serving the Cause of
Baha'u'llah and one another.
The English language, once his handicap,
now became his strength. He owned a small á
import business and had occasion to travel
coast-to-coast. In some cities he was the first
Baha'i to ever give a public talk about the
Faith. In 1937, at the encouragement of May
Maxwell, he extended a European business
trip to include Haifa, where he had the privi-
Emeric Sala lege of spending an evening alone with
Shoghi Effendi. Upon his return, Emeric
A lovely lady sat in the speaker' s chair. teamed up with Siegfried Schopflocher, a
Then a beautiful 17-year-old girl got up German immigrant who had built up a large
and with the greatest of ease, without any chemical business and who later was named
self-consciousness, introduced the speaker. as a Hand of the Cause of God, to purchase
The speaker got up and with a radiant the first Canadian Baha'i property at Beaulac,
smile started to speak. She must have north of Montreal in the Laurentians, where
mesmerized me for I could not take my the first Canadian summer and winter schools
eyes from her. I was not conscious that were held.
she was speaking a language I did not By 1930, Emeric's sister had manied and
understand. I witnessed a kind of beauty moved to New York. Just before the second
and radiance in a person I had not experi- World War, he managed to bring his parents
enced before. I was also impressed by the and brothers Paul and Ernest to Canada.
close and harmonious relationship between Without his foresight, his loved ones would
the chairman and the speaker. It was only likely have perished in the Nazi death camps.
months later that I learned that the unfor- In 1940, Emeric and Rosemary pioneered
gettable speaker was Mrs . May Maxwell for one year to Venezuela and served as travand the chairman was her daughter Mary elling teachers throughout South America.
Maxwell. They both had an indelible They were the first Canadian Baha' is to visit
influence on me for the rest of my life. the grave of May Maxwell in Buenos Aires,
where May had passed away while on a
In 1929, Emeric emailed in the Faith, and teaching tour. Before leaving Monháeal, she
soon he and two other young men, Rowland had asked Emeric always to pray for her,
Estall and George Spendlove, began the first which he steadfastly did every day until he
Canadian Baha'i Youth Group in Montreal. left this world.
They began to hold classes, and soon the In 1945, as the world emerged from the
attendance was about 60. It was the first orga- global convulsion of the war and many people
IN MEMORIAM 995
were searching for a new order in the affairs addresses. He had overcome all handicaps,
of humanity, Emeric published This Earth burst the boundaries of nation and conven-
One Count1y, in which he wrote about such tional thought, and devoted his talents and
concepts as "planetary economy", "a supra- energies to the World Order ofBaha'u'llah.
national community" and "a world plan". When news of his passing reached the
Emeric and Rosemary were elected to Universal House of Justice, it sent the folthe first National Spiritual Assembly of Can- lowing message on 9 September 1990:
ada in 1948, and they continued to serve
with distinction until 1953. That year they HEARTS GRJEVED PASSING VETERAN TEACHER
responded to the Guardian's call for pio- PROMOTER FA ITH EMERIC SALA. HIS WORLD-
neers at the beginning of the Ten Year WIDE TRAVELS, HIS HlSTORJC EFFORTS IN REAR-
Crusade. Emeric handed his business to his ING ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE CANADIAN
brother, Ernest. The couple sold their charm- BAHA'i COMMUNITY, HIS SCHOLARLY WORK,
ing home on the banks of the St. Lawrence HIS ENTHUS IASM, ARDOUR AND STEADFAST-
River in St. Lambert, Quebec, and prepared NESS WlLL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED. PRAY-
to settle in the Comoro Islands off the east LNG HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS NOBLE SOUL.
coast of Africa. CONVEY FAMlL Y FRJENDS DEEPEST LOVING
However, the French authorities refused SYM PATHY.
to grant them residence status in the Comoro Compiled from material submitted by
Islands, so the Guardian asked them to settle H AR RY LIEDTKE AND J AMESON BOND
in Zululand instead. There they ran a trading
post among the Zulus at a place called
Eshowe until the South African government NORANIEH PARSA MAZZONI
refused to renew their license and they moved (Nuraniyyih Parsa Mazzoni)
on to P01t Elizabeth. They befriended many 1943- 1990
Africans who came to their home tluáough
the back door when it was dark, calling ... grieve passing stalwart maidservant of
Rosemary "Our Mother". She founded school Baha'u'llah Nura Parsa Mazzoni. Her
libraries and organized the shipment of books noble qualities steadfastness and dedicafrom North America. tion to the Cause, her devoted services
After returning to Canada briefly in the teaching pioneering, administration Faith
late 1960s, the couple pioneered again, this are fondly remembered ....
time to Guadalajara, Mexico, and travelled Universal House of Justice
extensively in Central America. Rosemary 5 November 1990
died in Mexico on 24 January 1980. Emeric
continued serving at his post and remarried Nuraniyyih Parsa was born in Sangsar, Peron 27 September 1980. His second wife, sia, in 1943, into a Baha'i family of modest
Donya, also became a Baha'i and together means. At that time her parents were getting
they travelled through America, China, India, ready to leave Tihran for Gunbad-i-Kavus
and Europe. Donya passed to the Abha at the request of the Pioneering Committee.
Kingdom a few weeks before Emeric's own Born at the beginning of a pioneering phase,
death on 5 September 1990. Nura devoted her whole life to the service of
Emeric, with his six foot, four inch frame, the Faith.
wearing size 14 shoes, always towered above Nfua spent her childhood and part of her
any crowd. He was equally a spiritual giant. adolescence in Gunbad-i-Kavlis, studying at
The poor Hungarian immigrant boy who school there. In 1956 her parents moved to
knew no English became best known for his nearby Shahpasand, but Nfua stayed behind
book, his lectures, and his stirring public with her young sisters, their father's mother
996 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Breakers band together with other young
people. This was fundamental in developing
the Italian community and in increasing the
declarations of faith.
During all of these activities for the Faith,
Nura kept up her university studies, eventually graduating in chemistry with honours.
Once graduated, Nura began a brilliant career
as a teacher, and she was much appreciated
by her pupils, colleagues, and superiors.
In 1972, she married Gianfranco Mazzoni,
a young Italian Baha'i, and they began their
married life serving the Faith as pioneers in
Scandicci, a small town near the suburbs of
Florence. Then they responded to the appeals
of the National Spiritual Assembly to go as
pioneers to the cities of Pisa and Mantova,
where their daughters, Shabnam and Sharon,
were born.
At the beginning of 1977, when the Man-
Noranieh Parsa Mazzoni tova community had become more stable,
Gianfranco and Nfua wished to serve as piotaking care of them so that they could con- neers in the international field. After loving
tinue their education. A few years later, in consultations with the National Assembly,
response to the goals of the Ten Year Cru- which advised the couple to remain in Italy
sade, the Parsa family decided to move to at least until the end of the Five Year Plan,
Turkey as pioneers. But in December 1959, they eagerly accepted the idea of adventure
when the family stopped in Tihran on the in southern Italy. This time the challenge
way to their post, they were influenced by was to open up one of the last virgin areas,
the Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali-Akbar Basilicata, with its capital, Potenza. Just
Furutan to change their goal, and they went at this time, the Hand of the Cause of God
instead to Italy, to the city of Perugia. Ral.rmatu ' llah Muhajir had a meeting with
In Italy, Nfua's presence was vital to the the members of all the National Committees
family, not only as the eldest daughter but at the Baha'i Centre in Rome to encourage
also as the only member of the family who pioneering as an urgent matter. His words on
had any knowledge of the English language. that occasion to the new pioneers were:
During the first few years in Perugia, the
Go with confidence-there is a big house
financial position of the fami ly was not good
waiting for you in Potenza!
and there were many privations.
Despite the hardships, Nura immediately And how true this was! There, as in all the
became active in the Italian Baha'i commu- other towns, Nura and Gianfranco settled in
nity, and in 1966 she became a member of immediately, and there was certainly no lack
the National Youth Committee. From this of loyal friends to enrich their lives. A new
moment onwards, she took on commitments Baha'i community was born and, at Ric;lvan
at both national and international levels. She 1978, the first Local Spiritual Assembly was
took pa1i in the activities of the musical elected. In the meantime, Nura's participagroup called The Dawn-Breakers in Europe, tion in teaching and administrative activities
and felt encouraged to get the Italian Dawn- at the national level increased.
IN MEMORIAM 997

God's plans are often shown in ways strength and determination; she was capable
which are so different from our human of alternating her roles as a careful adminisexpectations. In 1987, Nura discovered that trator, conscientious teacher, loving mother,
she was seriously ill. Yet this did not stop and wonderful wife.
her from attending, two weeks after a serious It will be absolutely impossible to fill the
operation, the most meaningful experience space she occupied in life, yet her presence
of her life-the 1988 International Conven- will be felt at all times by those who loved
tion to elect the Universal House of Justice. and admired her. The whole purpose of her
A year later, in 1989, she was elected life was to create love and unity around her.
chairperson of the National Assembly and Her conversation was always full of elevatdistinguished herself for her capacity to ing illuminating subjects. In the heart of
bring out the best in each member of that whoever came into contact with her, if only
divine institution and to create a sense of briefly, she left the desire to go deeper into
unity which brought great benefit to the the truths which enlivened her every action.
entire national community. MARIO PIARULLI
Her disease rapidly advanced until Nura
was no longer able to be completely selfsufficient, yet even in her worst moments, LUDWIG PAPAI
her service and devotion were exemplary. 1937-1990
She continued as chairperson insofar as she
was able to do so. Her love was a determin- "He was the founder of the Roma Society
ing factor toward strengthening the unity of for the promotion of gypsies and he was a
the members of that same National Assembly follower of the Baha'i Religion."
and the entire national community. These were the opening words of an
During the last months of her life on article in one of the major Austrian daily
earth, she joyously offered her sufferings to newspapers describing the funeral of Ludwig
God for the development of the Cause among Papai who, at 54 years of age, had ascended
her friends, colleagues, and neighbours. to the Abba Kingdom.
There were almost daily prayer meetings held A member of the Roma folk and a simple
on the initiative of Catholic friends, joyously man, he accepted the Faith of Baha 'u'llah
attended by children, women, priests, col- in 1986 and recognized the importance of
leagues and acquaintances in a desperate unifying the different peoples while respectattempt to keep Nura in this world. But on ing diversity. He was elected as the first
2 November 1990, her bright soul joined President of the Roma Society in Ausháia
those of the dear martyrs, with whom she and later functioned as their Honorary Presifelt so united in moments of intense suffer- dent. He was the first Roma to be officially
ing. A huge crowd was present at her last received by the President of Austria and
journey to the Potenza cemetery, which had caused the existence of this gypsy minority
never at any time witnessed so many friends in Austria to be publicly recognized and posjoined together in prayer from so many itively acknowledged.
distant cities. Born 25 July 1937, Ludwig spent his
Nura's willingness to help friends and early childhood in the concentration camp of
strangers, her calmness at school, her strong Lackenbach under the Nazi regime. After
sense of service, and her sweet nature char- a youth full of suffering and hardships, and
acterised her brief existence on this earth. upon completing his professional education,
Brief but full of intense activity- not even he married Renate from Felixdorf in Lower
one ounce of energy was spared. Of slight AustTia in 1958. Their man-iage brought forth
build, Nura possessed rare resources of three children.
998 THE BAHA'i WORLD

filled the cemetery. Dr. Kurt Sypal, the Director of the Presidential Office of President
Kurt Waldheim, spoke heartfelt and moving
words at his graveside. Journalists repmted
on his ascension, causing a wave of proclamation of the Faith in Austria in va1ious
newspapers.
Many who knew him realised it was his
Faith that gave him the strength and the
measure with which he served his people.
THE NATIONAL SPIR ITUAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE B A HA 'is OF AUSTRIA

FRANCES GORDON HELLER
Knight ofBaha'u'llah
1909-1990

Born in Avoyelles Parish in Louisiana,
U.S.A., on 16 December 1909 and chris-
Ludwig Papai tened Frances Verna Gordon in the Catholic
church, Frances was the eldest of eight
As a school caretaker, he provided all children-six girls and two boys. Her father,
his children with a good formal education Frank Gordon, was a self-taught civil engiand it was through them that he learned about neer, related to the well-known Gallo family
the Baha'i Faith in 1980. Even before he ofitaly. He worked for the Texas and Pacific
declared his faith officially, he strove Railroad, travelling around Louisiana buildbravely for its proclamation. He was loved ing levees, railroads, and bridges. Her
by all, especially for his warmheartedness mother, Elma Brulte Gordon, was French
and humble servitude. His untiring efforts Acadian, related to the Couvillions and
in teaching the principles ofBaha'u'llah and the Lady Evangeline, about whom Henry
his own example helped his neighbours to Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his famous
accept the Faith. His home became a centre narrative poem by the same name. Frances
for many Baha'i activities. grew up exploring the bayous with her
When he fell ill and was physically weak- cousins and two brothers, planning to
ened by a series of operations, he strove explore the rest of the world when she was
with even greater spiritual efforts for the old enough.
recognition of the Roma minority and taught Frances was raised a devout Catholic. She
the Baha' i Faith at every opportunity. constantly studied the Bible as a youth, and
He left this world on 2 November 1990 her keen intellect saw many discrepancies
accompanied by the prayers and loving between the teachings of Christ and the
respects of many. Many newspapers and radio practices of the priests and the Church. At
broadcasts reported that "The Founder and 16 years old, she vowed to God and to herfirst President of the Roma Society for the self that she would search for the truth until
promotion of gypsies in Austria has died .... " she found it, and she set out on a life-long
His funeral on 9 November 1990 was an study and quest for knowledge.
event of the region as hundreds of people of Frances investigated every religious
all races and Baha'is from all over Austria organization she could find, from Jehovah's
IN MEMORIAM 999
Witnesses, Christian Scientists, and Seventh
Day Adventists to Yogis, Rosicrucians, and
Theosophists. She found truth in all of them.
Still, she was not completely satisfied with
any of them.
She graduated from high school and business college in Louisiana, and found a job as
a medical secretary for the U.S. Army. She
was transferred to Chicago, where she met
and married her beloved husband, Sydney
Heller, in 1948.
In 1949, just before they moved to San
Francisco to open a music store, Frances went
to Wilmette to visit friends . They were not
home, so she decided to find out what mystery lay in the Baha' i House of Worship.
Foundation Hall, in the basement of the
Baha'i House of Worship, held a tiny bookstore. Frances spoke with the person in
charge, and then proceeded to buy two of
every book. As the storekeeper tallied the Frances Gordon Heller
books, he remarked that many people had
bought one of everything, but no one had She travelled to Rome and was being robed
ever bought two of everything. Could she and prepared to meet the Pope to ask her
please explain? Frances said, "Certainly! If questions when, suddenly, she knew the
this is as good as it sounds, then someone answers. She rushed out of the preparation
else needs to know about this. " Frances room into St. Peter' s Cathedral and there,
filled one of her suitcases with Baha'i books under the dome, declared her belief in
and set out for San Francisco. Baha' u'llah.
Frances attended her first Baha' i meeting Frances returned to San Francisco, enat Mamie Seto's house in San Francisco. rolled in the Faith, and in 1953 eagerly
She met Lucy Marshall, who became her received plans for the Guardian' s Ten Year
first Baha' i teacher and great friend, but she Crusade. She felt compelled to respond to
did not emol in the Faith. Frances was in tur- the call for pioneers, no matter what.
moil because of her Catholic upbringing. If Frances went to the Asian Intercontinental
this was the truth, why were the Catholics Teaching Conference in New Delhi, India,
not responding to Baha ' u'llah ' s Message? from 7 to 15 October 1953. On the way to
Frances was daring and courageous, fearless the conference, she obtained one visa for the
in searching for the truth, and she always Gilbert Islands, and one for Macau. At that
went to the source when investigating any- time it was extremely difficult for Americans
thing. She decided to ask for an audience to obtain visas to Macau because of the Porwith the Pope. tuguese Catholic influence so, since Frances
She planned to ask the Pope three ques- had that visa, she went directly there and
tions: "Do you know about Baha'u 'llah and was designated as a Knight ofBaha 'u'llah.
His claims? If so, do you believe they are She arrived 20 October 1953 and settled
the truth? If not, why not, and if so, why are into a large one-room apartment. She took
you not a Baha'i?" In the fall of 1951, she classes in dance and Chinese brush painting,
received an audience with Pope Pius XII. and began to teach English to children.
1000 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Frances taught the Faith to and confirmed was named Tinai, whose uncle later became
the first Chinese woman in Macau, Mary the King of Fiji. Frances brought Tinai to the
Shia, through teaching Mary's son English. Baha'i Centre and introduced her to the other
She also taught the first Portuguese Baha'i Baha'i teachers there, including Donald
in Macau, Manual Ferreira, by teaching Hancock from New Zealand. Tinai and
him English through study of the book, Donald eventually married, raised a family,
Baha 'u 'llah and the New Era. and Tinai Hancock became a member of
Other pioneers soon came to Macau: Carl the Continental Board of Counsellors in the
and Loretta Scherer, who also became Pacific.
Knights of Baha'u'llah, and then Mr. and In the spring of 1957, a freighter left Fiji
Mrs. Ishmat'u'llah 'Azizi. After a year the with Frances aboard, bound for Abaiang in
Guardian wrote Frances a letter saying, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands, later named
"You may leave your post at any time. There Kiribati and Tuvalu, respectively. She loved
are too many Baha'is in Macau." She left the native peoples and lived in a thatched
for the United States on 4 November 1954. hut close to their village, ate their food, gave
Frances arrived in the United States on them what medical care she could, and
4 December 1954 and stayed long enough to taught them English and the Baha'i Faith.
obtain a visa for a new pioneering goal in She was able to arrange with the government
Puebla, Mexico, where she arrived in March for a 99-year lease for two pieces of land for
of 1955 and directed her efforts towards Baha'i centres in the Gilbert Islands, one in
meeting and teaching the Mexican Indians. Abaiang, one in Beiginibou.
Frances taught the Faith by making friends Frances was joined by Mabel Snyder
with the native people and then finding ways in September 1957. In November, Frances
to serve them. They in turn were attracted went to the island of Tarawa where she
to the Faith by her selfless service. helped to establish the first Local Spirihial
In the spring of 1956, Frances attended Assembly. Her health gradually deterioa teaching conference for Central America rated because of the weather and food, until
and Mexico, in Mexico. A message from a local doctor ordered immediate leave from
Shoghi Effendi was received; he wanted a the Colony for complete rest and medical
pioneer to go to the Gilbert Islands to replace care. She departed in the summer of 1958,
the original pioneers, Elena and Roy Femie. bound for Hawaii and the United States.
In October 1956, she returned to the United Frances recuperated on the ocean liner
States to obtain a new visa for the Gilbert and stayed in Hawaii for a few months,
Islands. The only way to get one was to go teaching the Faith. She spent as much time
to Australia or Fiji and apply there. as possible with the Hand of the Cause of
Frances arrived in Suva, Fiji, in late 1956. God Agnes Alexander during this period.
She taught English and tráavelled by long In January 1960, she went to San Rafael ,
motor boats (Frances called them "put-puts") California, where she helped to f01m the
and ouháigger canoes to visit different first Local Spiritual Assembly in 1961.
islands, made friends with the native peoples Sydney and Frances adopted their Koreanand taught them the Faith. When visitors American daughter, Jennifer Rhea Heller,
arrived in the villages, they would have big in 1960, when Jennifer was six-and-a-half
parties in the long-houses, and cook, sing, years old. Frances and Jennifer went to
and dance all night. Frances and other pio- London in the fall of 1962, where Frances
neers often spent the night in these long helped to prepare for the first Baha' i World
houses on their teaching trips. Congress, held in London at the Royal Albert
One day Frances met tluáee Fijian teenage Hall, from 28 April to 2 May, 1963. From
girls, and spoke to them about the Faith. One London, Frances and Jennifer went on
JN MEMORIAM 1001

pilgrimage and dined with Amatu'l-Baha suffering and ready to help in whatever way
Rul;iyyih Khanum, and then they made a she could. She had an encompassing feeling
teaching trip through Norway and Scotland. of family and was a true friend. Above all,
They returned to the United States so that she was steadfastly devoted to Baha'u'llah,
Jennifer could continue her education, and to spreading His Message and to serving His
spent summers on teaching/consolidation trips: Faith to the end of her life.
to the Mexican villages of San Francisco and ]OY WIECZOREK
Chilula near Puebla; to Chichicastenango; to
the American southwest Indian reservations;
and to the Gilbert Islands.
MONIREH REzv ANI
Frances and Sydney moved to Novato, (Munirih Ri<;lvani)
California, in 1978, and in 1989 they moved 1906-1990
to Gretna, Louisiana, where Frances passed
away on 6 November 1990. GRIEVE D NEWS PASSING DEARLY LOVED
Frances had a strong intuition and spiri- CONSECRATED PIONEER CAUSE GOD MONIREH
tual connection with people. Once she was REZVANI. MOVED RECALL LONG RECORD
walking past a used bookstore, and on a HER VALIANT COURAGEOUS SERVICES INDIG-
whim decided to enter. Inside she found an ENOUS AREA IN FACE LONELINESS MORTAL
original translation of the Qur'an by Robert DANGERS ILLNESS AND DEPRIVATION CON-
Sale. It was very rare, but Frances said 'this STITUTING WORTHY SOURCE INSPIRATION
is not for me'. She decided that Shoghi HER BEREAVED COWORKERS. ASSURE FER-
Effendi should have this copy, so she mailed VENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES FOR PROGRESS
it to the Holy Land with no return address. HER RADIANT SOUL ABI-IA KINGDOM. KINDLY
Later, a friend returned from pilgrimage and CONVEY HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES HER
mentioned that Shoghi Effendi had told the DISTINGUISHED FAMILY.
pilgrims that he had always wanted a copy Universal House of Justice
of Robert Sale's original translation of the 14 November 1990
Qur'an and had just received one anonymously. It had pleased him tremendously, as Munirih Ri<;lvani was born into a Baha'i
her life of pioneering and service must have family in Najafabad (I~fahan), Persia, in
pleased him. March of 1906. Her great-grandmother was
Frances never wanted recognition for any a learned and courageous Babi and then
of her services, but almost everyone who Baha'i named Fatimih Bagum, who diswas ever close to her received some valuable cussed the Faith with the 'ulama of that
assistance from her at a critical juncture in time and held classes from behind a curtain
their lives. She taught the Faith unceasingly, for students of theology. Once, when her
and was a perpetual student, continuously husband Mulla Qasim was put in jail by
taking classes in languages, art, dance, and Zillu's-Sultan, she walked to I~fahan and
cultures. She was also a scholar of the Faith, addressed the governor. She asked him why
and had an unerring knowledge of its his- her husband was being kept in jail. When
tory, as well as its spiritual and social one of the 'ulama who was present answered,
teachings. She read all of the published "Because he is a Babi", she quoted this verse
works of the Central Figures every year for of the Qur' an, "We have obeyed our leaders
more than 20 years. and elders, but they have misguided us." The
Frances Heller is remembered by those mulla left the place in a state of fury, and
who knew her as an independent woman her husband was released. Later, she was
with great courage and a quick, deep sense of honoured with a Tablet revealed by 'Abdu 'ljustice, compassionate toward other people 's Baha telling how great the Day is when a
1002 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Tihran for Arabia, causing one of the members of the pioneering committee to write
later: "Such a courageous mother deserved a
pioneer son. She didn 't shed a drop of tears
and was very happy all the time."
A year later she also decided to participate in the Ten Year Crusade and left Iran
with another son and his wife. They first
lived in Dubai, tolerating the terrible conditions there. Later, she went with her son and
daughter-in-law and their new-born baby to
settle in Qatar. She was able to participate
in forming a goal Assembly in a village near
Dubai.
In 1968, Munirih went to Colombia, and
after a few years staying with family she
moved to the Baha'i Institute in Riohacha
in an indigenous area of the Guajira. She
was very happy there and dedicated her time
to serving the visitors because she believed
Monireh Rezvani that guests were a bounty of God. Her happiest times were when she could cook and
woman can refer to the verse of the Qur'an, serve the youth who went to the institute for
"We have obeyed our leaders and elders, but Baha'i courses. She also gave the neighbor's
they have misguided us." children literacy classes.
When Munirih was 16 years old, she was She served at the Institute with utmost
married to her cousin, Na~ru'llah Ric:Jvani, love and enthusiasm until about 1985 when,
the son of ' Ali. Six years later her husband because of loneliness and danger in the area,
died after a long period of illness, leaving she had to leave. At one point, thieves had
her with three sons, the youngest only three broken in and tied her up while they stole
months old. She never wanted to get married items; she finally managed to untie herself
again and dedicated her life to the care and and get help from neighbors. However her
education of her children. Sometimes she desire always was to be buried there. When
was criticized for working too hard and she she later became ill she moved back again
would answer, "My duty as a Baha'i is to to this area that she so loved, and after two
give at least a primary school education to months, on 10 November 1990, she passed
my children, and I have to fulfill it." away. Providentially, she was buried in the
She said that many times she was inspired indigenous cemetery, which greatly imby the talks and guidance of the Hand of the pressed the native friends who attended her
Cause of God Abu '1-Qasim Fayc:Ji which she funeral service in good number, and gave
received while attending the weekly meet- them more confidence in the Baha'is.
ings held for women, called "the assembly of HABIB R EZYA N I
the elders". She used to look at her children (l~abib Ri<;lvani)
while they slept thinking of the day when
they would be grown up and serving the
Faith. In 1953, she was ve1y pleased when
her son I:Iabib decided to pioneer during
the Guardian's Ten Year Crusade. He left
IN MEMORIAM 1003

FLORENCE E. BAGLEY 1953, both as secretary and chairman, and
Knight ofBaha'u'llah was a frequent teacher there both before and
1914-1990 after the Ten Year World Crusade.
Florence wrote in her memoirs about her
Florence Esther Johnson Bagley was born in response to the call for pioneers.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.A ., on 3 Jan-
We had all attended the Jubilee Celeuary 1914. A few years before her passing
bration and the following Conference in
on 3 December 1990, she wrote about her
Chicago. As soon as we returned home,
first contact with the Faith:
I began to so1i through my papers and
I learned about the Baha'i Faith in the books, deciding what to take with us ...
spring of 1930, at age 16. I became a We offered to go to Africa but never
believer immediately. My mother was a received acknowledgement from the Comseeker, and we had attended religious ser- mittee ... The Guardian sent a message
vices and related groups for several years, that the Americans could fill the goals of
this time attending a spiritualist meeting other countries, so we searched through
in a private home. Our hostess had met the booklet containing the goals, and by
Mrs. Elizabeth Greenleaf at the YWCA, a process of elimination, chose Sicily. I
and had invited her to speak to us about don ' t remember why. I think it chose us!
her visit to the Holy Land. This was in Flint, We left from New York on an Italian
Michigan ... she told us Who Baha 'u'llah ship, the Conte Biancarnano, on 17 October
was, and I believed her. From then on I 1953. (It was Gerry ' s 16th bi1ihday.) We
called myself a Baha'i. My mother ac- arrived at Palermo, Sicily, on 27 October
cepted a little later, and frequently became 1953 .
the hostess for travel teachers. Stan couldn't find work in Sicily and
we began to run out of savings. We had
Florence introduced her future husband,
permission from the Beloved Guardian
Stanley T. Bagley, to the Faith. They both
to change posts, and to leave Gerry in
signed official Baha' i membership cards in
Sicily. As soon as a telegram came from
April 1935, shortly after their marriage.
Horace Holley suggesting that Stan might
They both served on the first Local Spiritual
find work in France at the American Air
Assemb ly of Flint from its inception in 1935
Force Base in Chateau-roux, Stan took a
until their departure for Sicily in 1953.
ship to France that same evening, and got
Florence served as Secretary of the Flint
a job almost immediately. (The Beloved
Assembly for many years.
Guardian 's cable had said, 'Permission
The Bagleys welcomed seekers to weekly
granted- praying. ')
firesides and deepening classes and confirmed a steady stream of new believers. The Bagleys remained in Chateauroux
They hosted regional conferences for Baha'i from October 1954 to August 1963, except
youth who came from several states in the for nine months in Charleroi, Belgium, in
Midwest. Their home was dedicated to the 1959- 1960. Florence continued her life-long
service ofBaha' u' llah. habit of deeply studying the Teachings, but
Florence recounted to her children that now learned French in order to prepare study
she had worked with her mother, Genevieve courses and public talks in that language.
Elizabeth Hempftling Johnson, to provide This enabled her to render valuable services
meals at Louhelen Ranch (now Louhelen as a teacher at firesides and summer schools,
Baha' i School) during the first two summers and as a teacher travelling in the Benelux
of the school's existence. She served on the countries. She produced the French Baha 'i
Louhelen Program Committee from 1951 to Bulletin for a number of years.
1004 THE BAl-IA'i WORLD

with the same dedication in Alabama and
Georgia, teaching and serving on Local
Assemblies and committees.
In 1972, and again in 1974, Florence spent
four months travelling to teach in the French
Antilles. In 1976, she and her husband
pioneered to Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe,
remaining there for four years, and in 1980,
settled in Fort-de-France, Martinique, for one
year. She served on the National Spiritual
Assembly of the Leeward and Virgin Islands
(1976-77) and on the National Assembly of
the French Antilles (1977- 1981), as chairman during the first two years, and as
recording secretary for two years. She had
a great love for the people in her pioneering
posts, and left the foreign field reluctantly.
In 1981 , the Bagleys returned to the United
States, settling near their daughter Carol in
Ozark, Alabama. Florence's services in the
Florence Bagley Deep South continued unabated. Finally,
she devoted her last energies to compiling a
Florence served on the National Spiritual record of the family's pioneering experi-
Assembly of France from its formation in ences for the archives at the request of the
1958 until August 1963, except for the Universal House of Justice. She called this,
period in Belgium in 1960. Stan lost his job "A Family Odyssey". The first volume covin France, forcing their departure, but was ered the World Crusade and the second,
called back nine months later. This was only the years after, including family members '
one of many hardships which later proved to experiences in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador,
be providential. Not only was a strong Local the French Antilles, and Paraguay.
Assembly formed in Charleroi, but Florence Looking back on 60 years of devoted
avoided the Covenant-breaking in France, a services, she believed that the years of the
grave test for the National Assembly of that World Crusade were the most poignant. She
cow1try. responded to the beloved Guardian's call
Returning to France at the request of the and never stopped until her strength failed.
Hands of the Cause of God in Haifa, Florence First and foremost, she loved Bahi'u'llah.
joined the Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qasim She enlightened and set an example for her
Fayc;li in visiting the French believers to family. Her beloved granddaughter, Jocelyn
reinforce their steadfastness. Her daughters, Baral, together with her husband Michael,
Susan and Carol, pioneering in Orleans, pioneered to Siberia, keeping the family
remained faithful throughout this tense period. odyssey alive.
Florence was tireless in her services. Her The Universal House of Justice sent this
home was always busy with seekers, travel- message upon hearing of her passing:
ling teachers, and administrative meetings. DEEPLY SADDENED LOSS STALWART STEADFAST
She travelled frequently throughout Europe KNIGHT BAl-IA 'U' LLAH FLORENCE BAGLEY
for meetings, conferences, and schools. WHOSE srx DECADES DEVOTED SERVICE HI S
In August 1963, Florence and Stanley CAUSE 1-llGl-IL Y DISTINGUISHED BY OPENING
returned to the United States. They served SICILY, WITH HER HUSBAND STANLEY AND
IN MEMORIAM 1005
THEIR THREE CHILDREN, DURING HISTORIC a brilliant man, but writing an exact man.'
TEN YEAR WORLD CRUSADE. HER LEONINE When I confront an audience, words come
DEFENCE COVENANT FRANCE AND HER PIO- and then flow from me, but when I take a
NEERING ACTIVITIES VIRGIN AND LEEWARD pen, the words do not come easily or please
ISLANDS AND FRENCH ANTILLES ON WHOSE me either." She was a "platform speaker"
NAT!ONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES SHE SERVED par excellence.
ARE UNFORGETTABLE. FERVENTLY PRAYING Helen was born in Mazatlan, Mexico, on
PROGRESS HER ILLUMINED SOUL ABHA KINGDOM. 19 July 1905 Her father, Guy Pilkirlgton,
KJNDLY CONVEY OUR LOVING SYMPATHY was an American who traced his ancestry to
MEMBERS HER DEAR FAMJLY. one who had fought at the Battle of Hastings
in 1066. Her mother, Maria, was a Mexican
She was buried in Ozark, Alabama.
who was a descendant of a Spanish Viceroy.
GERROLD STANLEY BAGLEY Helen was the third of six surviving children.
She attended a convent school, but her
father took her out because he feared that
she would become a nun. She loved to read
HELEN PILKINGTON BISHOP and "wept over Anna Karenina and Daniel
1905-1990 Deronda" when she was eleven. She remairled an avid reader throughout her life.
After a public lecture which Helen Bishop The family moved to the United States,
delivered on the Cause of Baha'u 'llah at the and it was on the eve of the Master's ascen~
Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) sion that Helen for the first time heard of
in Los Angeles on 23 Febrnary 1939, she the New Dispensation from Orcella Rexford
received a letter from the organization's at the Fai1TI1ont Hotel in San Francisco. But
executive secretary: the "true beginning of her Valley of Search"
As a novice listener-observer, I was was in 1925- her 20th year-when "in reprofoundly impressed with your presenta- sponse to the Great Announcement" she
tion. The rhetorical and spiritual content; made her declaration. She was taught by the
magnetic warmth; all blended admirably George Latin1er family of Portland, Oregon,
to create a message of unlimited spiritual and soon had the privilege of meeting in
value. We somewhat regretted our inade- the same city other outstanding Baha'is such
quate background in the Baha'i Faith, as as May Maxwell, Louis Gregory, Horace
we speculated for a richer one upon which Holley and Roy Wilhelm.
to register your words. Louis Gregory wrote to her in Portland
from Seattle, Washington, on 7 June 1926:
That statement appropriately character-
My dear little sister. ..It has surely been
ized what made Helen so effective as a
my good fo1tune to see one so illuminated
teacher of the Faith. She possessed a marvelat so tender an age as is yours. God has
ous intellect, was well versed in philosophy,
been infinitely kind to imbue you with His
psychology, literature and art, and had a proknowledge, and you show your gratitude
found interest in religion. Though she wrote
by your wish to inspire and help others to
articles for World Order and The Baha'i
the pathway of all beauteous Light.
World and a most remarkable Introduction
to The Book of Certitude when the beloved In July 1927 Helen manied Charles Reed
Shoghi Effendi translated it into English, she Bishop (born 24 October 1889), a member of
did not cherish the challenge of writing. She one of the most distinguished Hawaiian famonce wrote to the Guardian (20 August 1946): ilies, and it was Charles who proposed that
"Francis Bacon said 'Speaking will b1ing forth his bride attend Reed College in Portland.
1006 THE BAHA'i WORLD

In September 1929 Helen enrolled. Al- reach its aim and that we have only to be
ready she had begun her correspondence with superlatively faithful and to be obedient
the beloved Guardian, and consulted with and active ...
him about her thesis on the Baha'i Faith. From 1934 to late 1937, Helen was in
When she sent her thesis to him, she charge of the International Baha'i Bureau
received a letter written on behalf of Shoghi in Geneva. It had been established to coordi-
Effendi stating, "It is hoped that all Baha'i nate Baha'i activities and establish the Cause
students will follow the noble example you in Geneva, but after more than nine years of
have set before them ... " (Letter dated 6 Au- continued support, the Bureau had failed to
gust 1933) achieve its goal; no Assembly, no group of
In December 1933, Shoghi Effendi sug- genuinely interested people was fmmed . By
gested that the Bishops go from Portland to sending Helen to Geneva, the Guardian
Geneva, Switzerland, and that Helen assist wanted to simplify the status of the Bureau;
Mrs. Emogene Hoagg in the International no longer was it to be an auxiliary center to
Baha'i Bureau in that city. "You are just the Haifa. In a letter written on behalf of the
right person who is needed now that the Guardian dated 13 June 1934, Helen was
Bureau is acquiring an important interna- asked to "help in making the Bureau a powertional status in the Administration." (Letter ful and effective machinery for co-ordinating
written on behalf of the Guardian dated the activities of the Faith in Europe". She was
23 December 1933) to travel and teach outside of Geneva, visit
Meanwhile, the Bishops were given per- various Baha'i centers in Europe, pa1iicularly
mission for pilgrimage. In January 1934 they the Balkans, Central Europe, Ge1many and
left for the East Coast of the United States, the Northern Countries. The Bureau was to
and on St. Valentine 's Day (14 Febrnary) be a center for distribution of information
they sailed on the Conti di Savoia for Haifa. and literature about the Faith.
Among other passengers on board was Chaim Helen began her task immediately and in
Weizm~n, the future President oflsrael. earnest by visiting Baha'is in the Balkans
The image of the Guardian and the and Germany. In 1934 the National Socialist
memory of that pilgrimage never faded from Party began rnling Germany, but as yet the
Helen' s mind. To Alfred Hunt, in Portland, teaching of the Faith was not totally outshe wrote: lawed. She had helped the Baha' is of Berlin
to receive permission from the city's author-
It is a great experience to go to Haifa,
ities to hold local meetings, and in the spring
and one changes one's point of view on
of 1935 she and Charles attended the
many matters. The Guardian is an exam-
Gern1an Baha'i Convention. But soon the
ple of how intellect can serve the spirit in
government's policies changed radically.
a manner we in the West have never
Police observers were accompanying Helen
known .. . I have never heard him recite an
wherever she was to give a lecture, and in
incident in which he is the major figure ...
Frankfurt the police cancelled her speaking
This may sound very naive but the point
engagements when she refused to sign the
is that Shoghi Effendi simply refutes all
article excluding "non-Aryans" from the
those theories with which our academies
gatherings and from all communications. By
are subjected that every ego is trying
late 193 S all Baha'i meetings were closed. A
merely to maximate itself... His speech is
letter written on behalf of the Guardian held
rapid and his English is stunning; when
comforting words for Helen:
he speaks the hours pass timelessly ...
Again and again he seems to convey to In fact, the more obstacles develop in
one that the Cause of Baha ' u' llah will number and in strength, the firmer your
IN MEMORIAM 1007
faith should become in the sacredness and
vital importance of the mission you have
been called upon to fulfil for the Cause in
Germany. (29 September 1935)
In the fall of 1936, Helen visited the
Scandinavian countries. In the summer of
the same year, she represented the Faith at
the World Congress of Faiths held in Great
Britain and sent a detailed report of its proceedings to Shoghi Effendi. He responded:
"I know of no one better qualified to write
such an interesting report", and he asked
Helen to write an article on the same subject.
The report was published in The Bahri 'i
World, Vol. VII.
Helen spent much of the year 193 7 in
England, travelling and teaching with great
success. Mark Tobey was, at the time, a resident teacher in Torquay, and with her help,
soon there was an Assembly there. Helen Bishop
Charles, however, never felt comfortable
in Europe, and made repeated trips back
America, friends will rejoice in your
to the United States. By the summer of 1937,
return and surely will benefit immensely
he decided to return to America, and Helen
from the presence in their midst of such
followed him in the fall. She informed
a ...devoted and loyal teacher as you.
the Guardian of her intention, and a letter
(16 November 1937)
written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi said,
In 1939, the Bishops were at home for
"deplore this quite sudden and unexpected
only four months, travelling the rest of the
turning point in the career of your internatime to teach the Faith. It took its toll, but
tional services to the Faith". The Guardian
they never complained. "A little travel",
himself added his "deepest gratitude", and
Helen wrote to Mark Tobey (14 July 1939),
expressed his appreciation for the "sacrifices
"makes one reluctant to settle anywhere; and
you have so patiently and courageously borne
I fancy a great deal of travel makes one
during these years ... " (18 July 1937). Helen
willing to settle anywhere".
left England on 30 October 1937.
In 1941, the Bishops went to Mexico on
Shoghi Effendi's secretary, on his behalf,
behalf of the National Spiritual Assembly of
wrote to Helen:
the United States and Canada.
... he cannot but deeply grieve over your During World War II, they spent most of
departure from Europe where you have their time in Pasadena, California, where
accomplished, during those years, ser- Helen visited all the surrounding Baha'i
vices that are truly unforgettable and communities and sent food and clothing
wmihy of every admiration and praise ... packages to the friends in England.
He is fully aware of the circumstances that In 1944, the new method for the election
have forced you to return to America ... of the members of the National Spiritual
For it is not so much the place where one Assembly-the holding of State Convenworks that matters . The essential is the tions and the sending of state delegates to the
quality of work one is able to attain .. . In National Convention-was inaugurated. The
1008 THE BAHA'I WORLD

first State Convention of California was held The Bishops continued their extensive
at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on teaching trips in the United States and Canada
9 April, and 22 delegates were elected. Helen where there was always great demand for
was one of the delegates, and she was one of Helen's services as a public speaker, teacher
the two speakers who addressed the public and conductor of seminars and deepening
meeting in Wilmette during the centennial classes. A letter written on behalf of the
anniversary of the Declaration of the Bab. Guardian dated 6 January 1949 stated that
For the centenary vo lume of The Baha 'i it was always Shoghi Effendi's hope that
World, she also-on a recommendation by " ... you both will be able to continue your
the Guardian-wrote "The Beloved Returns". teaching trips which have invariably been a
From Wilmette, Helen wrote a long and real and much needed assistance to the
detailed letter to Shoghi Effendi which centers you visit".
included a fascinating report of her encoun- Age did not slow down Helen's service
ter with Sir Alexander Lindsay, Master of to the Cause. For example, in 1966 one of
Balliol College, who had been the Guardian's her teaching trips included visits to Iowa,
tutor while he was at Oxford. In December Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New
1943 , Professor Lindsay gave a talk called Mexico, Arizona, and California. She con-
"Democracy and Common Man" in Califor- sidered that journey "one of the most
nia at the invitation of Athenaeum, an rewarding" of all her teaching efforts. She
affiliation of the patrons and patronesses of was interviewed by members of the press,
California Institute of Technology. After the radio and television.
talk and during his reception, Helen and Charles passed away on 9 July 1967.
Sir A lexander engaged in a remarkable intel- He had been a caring, loving, and supportive
lectual dialogue, for Helen a prelude to asking husband. Living on his family trust income,
questions regarding the Guardian. After he had devoted all of his days to the service
more than 20 years, he, indeed, remembered of Baha'u'llah. They had no chidren, and
Shoghi Effendi very well. since Helen had never learned to drive a car,
Sir Alexander told Helen that his young by necessity she had to limit her teaching
student's "idea of education was to discover trips. Yet, even in her 60s and 70s she consomebody whose opinions he valued and ducted classes in various Baha'i schools in
then question him . When Shoghi Effendi got the West Coast and elsewhere.
his answers, he wrote them all in a small When she had embraced the Faith, Louis
black book". Professor Lindsay then related: Gregory had written to her (26 June 1927):
When I had posted my schedule, Shoghi Guide my dear child, the young and the
Effendi came to me asking, 'What do you old, the wise and foolish, the guilty and
have between seven and half past eight? ' just. Transform their lives by the Elixir of
'Why man ,' I cried, ' I dine!' 'Oh,' said Life. If you lived for thousands of years
Shoghi Effendi, with obvious disappoint- in this world you could not select a work
ment, 'but must you have all that time?' I that is fraught with more far reaching and
had not found so much eagerness for eternally happy results.
knowledge at Oxford! So I gave him
Thus she lived her life.
another quarter-hour and went with less
Helen passed away on 23 December
dinner. So it was I suffered for him.
1990. She left a rich legacy for the Cause of
Then the professor commented to Helen: Baha'u'llah.
"Q uite soon after that, we lost him. He left NOS RA TOLLA H RASSEKH
(Nu~ratu ' ll ah Rasikh)
us to become the head of a religion. What a
pity!"
IN MEMORIAM 1009

ARTHUR ALLEN ZUCKER
1901-1991

Arthur Zucker was born into a Jewish family
in New York City on 17 March 1901. He
first heard of the Faith in Chicago, and studied it there for several years. In 1954, he
returned to his native New York, where,
together with his wife, Dorothy, and son,
Bill, he attended Baha'i meetings and study
classes regularly. During this time, he went
to weekly meetings at the Kinney house in
New Jersey, at the Evergreen Log Cabin in
Teaneck, as well as at the New York Baha'i
Center. He declared his belief in Baba 'u' llah
in 1956. In his twilight years, he often talked
about how he became a Baha'i and often
mentioned with regret that it took him many
years to become one, even though in his
heart he had wanted to embrace the Faith
when he heard of it in Chicago. Arthur Allen Zucker
Arthur was a salesman by profession.
He had studied drama and was an eloquent appropriate institutions, he went to the
speaker. Thus he frequently served as a Mariana Islands to pioneer. He actively
speaker in many Baha'i communities. In served and taught the Faith there to his last
New York, he and Dorothy conducted a days on this earth.
Baha'i study class on The Divine Art of Arthur passed away on 19 March 1991.
Living for more than ten years. He also When the news reached the Universal House
served as treasurer of the Local Spiritual of Justice, they sent the following message
Assembly of New York for several years. on 20 March:
Arthur was a steadfast and devoted Baha'i
teacher. He and Dorothy pioneered for a SADDENED PASSING DEARLY LOVED ARTHUR
time to the Turks and Caicos Islands in A. ZUCKER. PRA YrNG HOLY SHRJNES BELOVED

the Caribbean, then returned to the United MAY FULLY REWARD HIM FOR ALL SERVICES
States where they served as homefront HE HAS RENDERED TO THE FAITH BOTH ON
pioneers in North Carolina for many years. HOME FRONT IN UNITED ST ATES AND IN
Arthur travelled to teach in the mass teach- PIONEER FIELD CARIBBEAN AND PACIF IC RE-
ing areas of South Carolina in the 1970s. He GIONS. KINDLY CONVEY OUR CONDOLENCES
would go to retirement and nursing homes TO FAMILY.
to visit and perform Broadway musicals to
cheer up the residents. The National Spiritual Assembly of the
In 1980, after his wife's passing, when United States sent the following cable:
he was 79 years of age and in a wheelchair,
he went to Fiji to pioneer with his only son WE MOURN THE LOSS OF STAUNCH SUPPORT-
and daughter-in-law. In Fiji, he taught the ER, FAITHFUL SERVANT OF CAUSE OF GOD
Faith as umestrainedly as always. Unfore- ARTHUR ZUCKER. THE EXAMPLE OF STEAD-
seen circumstances forced him to leave Fiji FASTNESS [N THE COVENANT OF BAHA'U'LLAH,
after two years. After consultation with the UNSHAKEABLE INTEGRJTY AND LOVING SPLRJT
1010 THE BAHA'I WORLD

ARE HIS LEGACY TO PRESENT AND FUTURE Baba held no bounds. One could also feel
GENERATIONS. WE PRAY THAT HE WILL RE- it when Mona would say prayers with a par-
CEIVE HIS FULL SHARE OF DIVIN E BLESSINGS ticularly moving fervour. She knew how to
lN THE NEXT WORLD AND WE ASK THAT YOU transmit this Jove for 'Abdu'l-Baha with
CONVEY OUR HEARTFELT SYMPATHY TO HIS intense feeling to everyone she met and all
FAMILY. who were suffering.
S IEWLIA N KARYN ZUCKER She would also express her love through
her care for animals. Friends who visited
her will always remember the lost cats she
MONA HAENNI DE BONS gathered. In fact, she also cared for many a
1904-1991 human "lost cat".
Her faith was, in all viewpoints, excep-
Grieved learn passing dearly loved Mona tional. One could feel her devotion when she
Haenni de Bons. Her stalwart, distinguished gave talks or when she defended the Faith.
services to the Cause of Baha 'u ' llah in She identified herself with the Baha' i Faith
Switzerland over so many years enrich to such a point that her whole being was
annals Faith that land, constitute worthy wounded when the Faith was suffering. I
continuation historic achievements her shall never forget how she showed her
noble parents. Praying Holy Shrines pro- solidarity with the suffering of the Baha'i
gress her radiant soul Abha Kingdom. friends in iran.
Convey sympathies bereaved family. Mona had exceptional intelligence and
Universal House of Justice could analyze situations that were difficult
5 May 1991 to understand. Her intuition was extreme
and she could often read people's thoughts.
Mona Haenni de Bons-bom on 20 April She was gifted with sound judgment and a
1904 into a Baha'i family-had the honour particularly acute sense of justice: she often
of being the first Baha'i child in her com- defended victims. She also could become
munity. Her parents were among the first as enthusiastic as a child when the Faith
Baha'is of Switzerland. Her mother, who was making progress. Fidelity was one of
had become a Baba' i in Paris through her her most moving qualities. Indeed, Mona
contact with May Bolles, was brought up in was, for all those who knew her, a deeply
Paris, having a French mother and a North charming and very genuine friend.
American father. Her father, a native of Sion Her love for the Canton of Valais was
in the Canton of Valais, had declared him- very keen, and she would express it in her
self a Baba' i after their marriage. singing and in wearing the costume of Lady
When Mona was two years old, her par- of Sion with pride. We were able to proents moved to Ramleh, Egypt, to live closer claim the Faith tluáough radio and television
to 'Abdu' l-Baba. They lived in Egypt w1til on many occasions, thanks to her, because
1917. It was during that time that Mona she herself had sung many times on the
met 'Abdu'l-Baba and had the immense radio.
privilege of sitting on his lap. 'Abdu 'l-Baha However, her great sensitivity and her
autographed a photograph for her, and the wish for fulfilment as a woman were not
friends have many copies of it. always understood in a sometimes insensi-
When Mona used to speak of 'Abdu ' l- tive and male chauvinistic environment. I
Baba, one could see her whole face become often had the impression of a very great soul,
illumined and her whole being transfom1ed and of an in1ffiense potential which could not
as if, suddenly, another dimension were readily find the necessary means of expresvibrating within her. Her love for 'Abdu'l- sion. There was a .nobleness in Mona's
IN MEMORIAM 1011
also a member of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Geneva.
She moved to Sion, as a pioneer, in 1972
where she remained practically until the end
of her life. She died on 2 May 1991.
BIJAN GHAZNA V J
(Bi~an Ghaznavi)
Translated from the French by Marie-Therese Levoy

EDITH MCLAREN
1901-1991

GREATLY SADDENED LEARN PASSING DEARLY-
LOVED DEVOTED PIONEER PROMOTER CAUSE
GOD EDITH MCLAREN. RECALL WITH PRIDE
HER MANY YEARS OUTSTANDING COURA-
GEOUS SERVICES FAITH ESPECIALLY CENTRAL
AMERICA. ASSURE FERVENT PRAYERS HOLY
SHRINES FOR PROGRESS HER LUMINOUS SOUL
Mona Ha enni de Bans WORLDS GOD. KINDLY CONVEY HEARTFELT
CONDO LENCES HER DISTINGUISHED SON
personality, together with a revolutionary DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS THIS HOUR
side which wanted to change what she saw BEREAVEMENT.
as the "Establishment". Universal House of Justice
Mona married Maurice Haenni, a chemist 2 June 1991
in Geneva, on 3 August 1925, and had one
daughter, Ariane. One of Mona's greatest Edith McLaren was born on 28 July 1901 in
joys was Ariane's declaration of belief in Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., the first of four
Baha'u ' llah. Together they made their first daughters in a family having strong ties with
pilgrimage, in 1974. the Methodist Church. A few years later her
Mona served on the National Spiritual parents decided to move to the nearby town
Assembly of Italy and Switzerland in 1958, of Hamburg, where they took up vegetable
then on the National Spiritual Assembly of and fruit farnling. Although the four sisters
Switzerland in 1962-1963 . While serving on enjoyed farm life and helped their parents
the latter she had the immense privilege of with the work as much as possible, all four
attending the fust International Convention eventually chose careers as teachers.
in Haifa in 1963. She was among the first From childhood, Edith showed artistic
Auxiliary Board members of Switzerland talent in drawing, painting, and music. She
and of part of France, and served as an Aux- learned to play the piano well and won a
iliary Board member for Protection w1til she scholarship which enabled her to continue
was in her early 70s. studying piano at a well-known music school
She was a member of the Archives in New York City. However, her love for
Committee as early as 1955, then of the small children led her to study primary edu-
Translation Committee, and at last of the cation in college, after which she taught
Committee of Pensee baha 'ie, [Swiss Baha'i kindergarten for more than 25 years. She
Journal] where she served with great zeal was greatly appreciated by her students and
and enthusiasm. For a few years, she was by their parents as well.
1012 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Although an active member of her fam- In 1954, Edith made a pilgrimage to the
ily's church, Edith became disillusioned in Baha'i World Centre where she had the
her early 30s by problems of disunity within inestimable bounty of meeting the beloved
the congregation. An unhappy marriage was Guardian. This experience and subsequent
also a great disappointment and eventually correspondence with the Guardian affected
ended in separation. She turned for inspira- her profoundly and generated an intense
tion to serious study of the Bible, which desire to reach higher levels of service to the
awakened her desire for a much deeper Cause she loved so ardently.
understanding of spiritual realities. In 1958, she qualified for an early retire-
Edith 's search brought her into contact ment from her teaching position and, to
with several religious groups, but none satis- the surprise of her many friends among the
fied her longing for the tiuth until she met a school teachers, she left Hamburg and the
Baha' i who shared with her the Message of United States to settle in a pioneering post in
Baha'u' llah. After a period of intensive study, Guatemala. Thus, at the age of 57, Edith
she accepted Baha'u 'llah with all her heart. entered a new field of service which contin-
From that moment she dedicated her life to ued for the rest of her life. While learning a
the promotion of her newly-found Faith. new language and culture, she became enthu-
Over the years, Edith's home in Hamburg, siastically involved in the teaching work and
New York, became the scene of frequent development of local Baha'i communities in
firesides , children's classes, study meetings, Guatemala, gradually extending the sphere
and talks by numerous Baha'i speakers- of her activities to neighboring countries.
including the Hands of the Cause of God In 1966, Edith was appointed to the Aux-
Dorothy Baker, Louis Gregory, Horace Hol- iliary Board and, while continuing to focus
ley, and John Robarts. Initially, many of her her energies primarily on Guatemala, she
friends showed interest in the Faith, but their was also called upon to assist with the work
lack of willingness to accept Baha 'u'llah as in several other Centiáal American countries.
the Manifestation of God for this Day was Great was the mutual feeling of love and
tiuly disappointing. appreciation between Edith and her numer-
However, Edith' s faith and perseverance ous friends in Central America; in all those
were finally rewarded. After years of patient countries she was affectionately referred to
work, a small nucleus of dedicated believers, as "Dona Edith".
including two of her sisters, began to grow Visiting cities and towns , even very reuntil an active Baha'i community emerged mote villages, unconcerned about her own
with a strong Local Spiritual Assembly. Al- safety and ignoring the remonstrances of her
though her aging father remained a church close friends , she travelled by bus, boat, on
member, he was greatly attracted to the muleback and on foot, often alone, in the
spirit of the Faith and often attended Baha'i cold of the mountains and the heat of the
firesides organized by his daughters. coastal regions, meeting with the believers
With an active Local Assembly estab- of all backgrounds, encouraging them in
lished in Hamburg, the Faith soon spread to their efforts to study and serve the Faith, and
several swTounding villages. In later years, giving an understanding ear to those facing
the seeds planted in Hamburg also bore fruit difficulties or suffering. The youth were esin far-flung regions of the world, when pecially attracted to her, and eager to receive
Baha 'is from that community took up pio- her visits and guidance.
neering posts in other parts of the United Edith had unshakable faith in the power
States and in more than ten countries of of prayer. Many Baha'is and other friends
Central and South America, the Caribbean frequently asked her for prayers on their
islands , and Europe. behalf- to assist them to solve a problem, to
IN MEMORIAM 1013
find employment, to be cured of an illness,
to train their children well, to achieve victories in teaching .... All felt that Edith's prayers
had a great effect. She always carried a long
list of friends for whom she prayed regularly, an:d from personal experience she
could recount wonderful stories about the
power of prayer.
In 1973, at the request of the Continental
Board of Counsellors, Edith moved to
Nicaragua, where she was warmly welcomed and continued her services on the
Auxiliary Board. She also continued to visit
throughout Central America for many years.
During the civil war in Nicaragua, she was
obliged to leave the country for several
weeks, although this was contrary to her
desire, but she returned to Nicaragua as soon
as it was possible, eager and happy to be
back serving the friends she loved so dearly!
In 1984, while travelling in Costa Rica, Edith McLaren
Edith suffered a hip fracture as the result of a
fall. She had two operations, but her health National Spiritual Assembly of the United
gradually deteriorated, which obliged her States, in its message of condolence, stated:
to discontinue her services as an Auxiliary
Board member. Unable to visit the friends as THE WORK WITH WHICH HER NAME HAS
she had done for so many years, she now BEEN ASSOCIATED WILL CONFER UPON HER
dedicated more time to prayer and study of IMP ERISHA BLE GLORY AND HER DEEDS WILL
the Sacred Writings, and her prayer list grew REMAIN AN EVERLASTING EXAMPLE AND
longer. At this time of need, when her inde- INSPIRATION.
pendent spirit had to submit to the realities PETER MCLAREN

of physical weakness, several dear friends
responded with loving care and hospitality.
In 1986, after staying for some time with MAX KANYEREZI
two sisters in Binghamton, New York, Edith Knight ofBaha'u'llah
returned to the pioneering field in Latin 1918- 1991
America, settling in Maracaibo, Venezuela,
with her son and his family. In spite of When Max Kanyerezi was 16 years old and
advanced age and failing health, her enthusi- a student at Kings College in Budo, Uganda,
asm and steadfastness in the Cause of God he had a striking dream which repeated itself
was undiminished. However, by the time twice in the same night:
she had entered her 90th year, her soul was
A large figure stretches up and starts to
longing to fly to the spiritual world, and on
roll up the earth, as one would roll up a
several occasions she expressed this desire.
newspaper. People are running in panic.
On 26 May 1991 , after more than half a
Three officials sit on a hill where people
century of devoted service to the Faith of
are to register in the Book of Life. Young
Baha'u ' llah, Edith passed on to the Abha
Max approaches the table where they are
Kingdom. Upon learning of her passing, the
1014 THE BAHA'i WORLD

In his diary account of this meeting, Max
wrote:
There [he was] standing with his penetrating eyes together with a wonderful
smile and overflowing wann kindness
toward a stranger, a welcome and friend ly
way of treatment very rare to find .... 'Ali
greeted me in that way which remained in
my mind and will remain forever.
Max was enthralled with the love and the
character of the Na~avanis, the Bananis,
and the small group of other devoted pioneers. So great was his joy among them
that the days between the weekly meetings
"seemed like eternity'', and he earnestly
wished that he "had the powers to shorten the
days". During one particular meeting which
lasted from 9:00 one morning until 3:00 of
the next morning, Max had all of his ques-
Max Kanyerezi tions answered to his satisfaction. When
writing to the British Baha'i Teaching Cominscribing the names . The eldest tells him, mittee for Africa to become Africa's seventh
'Go and learn to register your friends, believer, Max only had one secret worrythereafter you will also be registered'. how his father would accept the fact that
he had become a Baha'i. But Max left that
Max had that dream in 1934, and he saw
problem to Baha'u'llah. This reliance and
in it a divine calling. At first he thought that
acceptance ofBaha'u ' llah's unfailing support
perhaps he should become a Christian minisand love was to become like a flourishing
ter like his father, who was one of the first
tree within Max's heart.
seven ordained Christian clergy in Uganda.
One day not long after he embraced the
When that did not work out he went to the
Faith, Max's father sent word to him to
Farmers Institute at Namutamba for two years
come. Upon arrival, his worry about his
to become a trained farmer. He had difficulfather soon turned into joy as his father
ties as a farmer and went to Kampala, where
described to Max a vivid dream which he
he found a job as a clerk in the Uganda
felt only Max could understand. In this
Company. Though happy with his work, the
dream the Lord Christ had announced to him
vividness of his dream had not worn off and
that He had "returned" in Uganda and that
he remained puzzled as to its true meaning.
all the tribes should be informed. This gave
One morning in 1952, a junior staff mem-
Max the opportunity to explain the meaning
ber in the office told him about a new Faith
of this dream to his father who then immediwhich accepted the teachings of all other
ately accepted Baha'u ' llah. Although he never
religions . Eventually he learned that one of
formally joined the Baha'i community, he
his distant relatives, C. Kajubi, knew this
was a Baha'i at heart.
Faith and, by chance, he came across Kajubi
In February 1953 , soon after Max and
who introduced him to a man who was
his wife Florence became Baha'is, the first
to become "his spiritual guide and father" ,
International Baha'i Teaching Conference
Mr. 'Ali Na~avani .
in Africa was held under a tent erected on
IN MEMORIAM 1015
the grounds of the Kampala Baha 'i Centre. CHARLES ROBERTSON MACDONALD
The spirit and enthusiasm prevailing at this 1916-1991
conference, which sounded the call to pioneer, was indescribable for Max. He found At the British National Convention in May
himself "overcoming the mountains within 1991 , Charles Macdonald and his devoted
him" and taking up the divine call to bring wife Yvonne were invited to the platforn1 by
the Faith to Brazzaville, the capital of the newly elected National Spiritual Assem-
French Equatorial Africa (later to become bly and were each presented with nine red
the capital of the Congo). This step was to roses. Charles had asked to be relieved of his
confer upon Max the title of Knight of membership in the outgoing National Assem-
Baha'u'llah, but equally important to him bly because of severe ill-health. Neither the
was to see the fulfilment of his cherished Convention nor his wife knew that he was
dream. tem1irrally ill (Charles himself knew), and so
On 30 August 1953, Max joined 'Ali and the nature of the friends' farewell tribute
Violette Na~avani, Enoch Olinga, and was far more poignant than they realised.
Samson Mungono as they set off on their Charles spoke from the platform and, impashistoric journey to West Africa. The results sioned as ever with his love for Baha'u'llah,
of their efforts went beyond anything they exhorted the friends to teach with unflagging
could have imagined. Max, without any vigour. In his own last months he seized
knowledge of French or the local languages, every opportunity to speak of Baha'u'llah,
touched the hearts of the people there and in a last letter he wrote:
through his unfailirrg prayers and reliance on
Separation will be painful but inevitable
Baha'u'llah. A Local Assembly was estaband a necessary part of the great cycle of
lished in Brazzaville.
existence for each one of us in the
Time passed, and in 1955 Max returned
approach to the brilliant new vistas which
to Uganda. He began teaching the Faith
lie ahead. Ya Baha'u' l-Abha.
throughout East Africa, often travelling for
months and enduring many hardships . His The Hand of the Cause of God George
service deepened him and prepared hin1 to Townshend, in his essay "The Genius oflrebecome one of the first members of the new land", described the "power of vision (as) an
National Spiritual Assembly for Central and Irish gift. It marked the Irish long ago and it
East Africa. Soon thereafter, he also became marks them now. " Charles was sustained by
one of the first Auxiliary Board members. an unshakeable and certain vision, a vision
Max Kanyerezi passed away on 16 June expressed by the Romantic poet Tennyson
1991 . His love, his steadfastness and his for whose writings Charles had a particular
humbleness bore rich testimony to his deep respect: "One God, one Law, one element/
attachment to his Lord throughout many And one far-off divine event/To which the
years of service, and the sweetness of his whole creation moves ... "
presence still lingers in the hearts of all Charles was born in Pietermaritzburg,
those who were touched by his life. His love South Africa, on 31 December 1916. His
for teaching never diminished. He remained father, Charles Robertson Macdonald, had
hue to his dream; that divine call to "go and only recently come from Ireland to South
learn to register your friends " . Africa to work as a journalist, but tragically
NA TI ONAL SP IRITUAL ASSEM BLY died of tuberculosis before his son 's birth.
O F TH E B AHA ' is OF U GAN DA His mother, Maude (nee Beattie), returned
with her infant son to Belfast, Northern
Ireland, where she later married Samuel
Beckett and bore five more children.
1016 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Charles received one of the very few City was to say, "What on earth have you found
of Belfast Scholarships to the prestigious now?" The Kirkwoods inháoduced him to the
Royal Belfast Academical Institution. On dedicated English pioneer to Belfast-Lady
leaving school he entered the Northern Ire- Kathleen Hornell.
land Civil Service. The threat of war made After several months, both Charles and
Charles decide to join the Royal Air Force Yvonne accepted the Cause of God with
Volunteer Reserve, and he was directly a love and commitment that was to absorb
called up to the Royal Air Force in Septem- and dominate the rest of their lives. Within
ber 1939. Charles qualified for his wings months of declaring, they sold their comfortin July 1940, the same month he married able and attractive suburban home to pioneer
Yvonne, and went on to serve in Bomber to Belfast to secure its Local Assembly. It
Command with exemplary courage, leader- was the first of many sacrifices they were
ship and skill. He achieved the rank of to make for Baha'u'llah. Charles accepted
Squadron Leader and at the end of the war much bemused derision from friends and
was awarded the D.S.O. (Distinguished Ser- colleagues, but his faith was absolute and he
vice Order) and D.F.C. (Distinguished Flying had always been his own man, never cowed
Cross) by King George VI. or impressed by orthodoxy or convention.
He was hailed in one contemporary mag- He threw himself into teaching and servazine as one of the most outstanding bomber ing the Faith with characteristic courage and
aces of the war: "To every generation belong vigour, reading the Writings extensively and
men whose deeds merit the highest praise opening his home for regular teaching and
their comrades can bestow on them." Charles ' discussions. He soon brought his talents to
photograph appeared beside that of the a variety of Baha'i committees including the
legendary Leonard Chesire V.C. (Victoria Regional Teaching Committee and the Brit-
Cross), D.S.O. and Bar, D.F.C. Such heroism ish Bah<i 'i Journal committee.
was the stuff of others' awe and respect and In the early days of his newfound Faith,
one of his crew once confided to Yvonne he received a short letter from the Guardian
that "They would follow Mac to hell and concerning the teaching work in Northern
back." After his passing many letters and Ireland. It was a deeply treasured letter,
tributes magnified this quality to inspire and when Shoghi Effendi passed away in
devotion. Charles ne\'.er ceased to be someone November 1957, Charles was overcome
who made others feel secure, worthwhile with grief for one whom he had never met.
and significant. He acted as one of the stewards at the
After the War, Charles was seconded to Guardian's funeral.
the fledgling British Overseas Airways Cor- In July 1961 , Charles was elected to the
poration (later British Airways) as an airline National Spiritual Assembly of the British
captain to assist in opening up new world Isles in a by-election to replace Mr. Ian
airline routes . However, he decided to aban- Semple, who had been appointed to the Interdon this career for a more settled existence national Baha'i Council. His subsequent
with his family, and he once again entered service to the National Assembly was distinthe Northern Ireland Civil Service. His clear guished and remarkable. He was elected
intelligence and administrative abilities were the Assembly's treasurer for several years
rewarded with swift promotion. before becoming its secretary in April 1970.
It was Yvonne's parents, William and He relinquished his senior Civil Service post
Dora Kirkwood, who introduced Charles to and career, and he and Yvonne sold their
the Baha' i Faith in 1956. They had been home in Ireland to go and live in the top flat
constant seekers throughout their lives and of the J:Ia?:iratu'l-Quds at 27 Rutland Gate-
Charles ' reaction to their latest discovery au experience akin to moving into Piccadilly
IN MEMORIAM 1017
tube station! He served the British friends
with great skill and love as an administrator,
counsellor and teacher. He was an inspired
communicator.
In 1974, Charles and Yvonne offered
themselves as pioneers to the Universal
House of Justice, which suggested they go
to India. Charles was appointed as Manager
of the Indian Baha'i Publishing Trust and
Secretary of the National Teaching Committee for India. He and Yvonne travelled
extensively to both teach and consolidate,
enduring the inevitable privations and difficulties with great spirit. For the latter part
of their stay in India, Charles was appointed
an Auxiliary Board member, and he finally
worked briefly with Fariburz $ahba, the
architect of the Indian Temple, on the temple
site in New Delhi. Charles contributed an
article to the special section of Baha'i News
India in December 1985 entitled "The Jewel Charles Macdonald
in the Lotus."
Upon his return to England in 1981, after He was a man of absolute love: for
six to seven years in India, he was once Baha'u'llah, his wife, his family and his
again elected to the National Assembly of friends. After his passing the myriad letters
the United Kingdom. Again he served as its Yvonne received testified to countless acts
treasurer and then again as its secretary of kindness and of love; Charles was diplobetween 1985 and 1987. He and Yvonne also matic, supportive and caring. Shakespeare
undertook a short pioneer move to Cyprus in provides the most appropriate quotation:
1990.
His life was gentle, and the elements so
For most of his life Charles had been
mixed in him that nature might stand up
dogged by recurring illness and pain, a fact
and say to all the world 'This was a man!'
easily missed by those who seemed to
always see a man who said he was "Fine!" It Soon after Charles' passing the Universal
was cancer that finally forced him to ask to House of Justice sent the following message:
be relieved of his Assembly duties in 1991,
and he passed away on 12 September of that Deeply grieved passing dearly loved
year. stalwart servant of Baha'u'llah Charles
In its response to Charles' passing the Macdonald. His long record distinguished
Universal House of Justice referred to his services teaching, administration fields
life as "noble". It was an apt word. He was over three decades notably enriched
both physically and spiritually noble, his annals faith British Isles, India. His lovcharacter springing from the most unpreten- ing nature, sterling qualities , radiant spirit
tious of natures and selfless service to animated by his intense love for the
others. He had great personal cha1m, crystal Blessed Beauty endeared him to his felintegrity, an outstanding sense of humour, low believers. Confident members United
and compassionate warmth. He had a won- Kingdom community will be inspired by
derful smile and a bear-hug of an embrace. his noble life.
1018 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Praying Holy Shrines progress his radiant Back in Duluth, Lotus became known as
soul Abha Kingdom. Convey loving sym- an eloquent speaker and a talented writer.
pathy his dear wife and family. Assure She was so active as a Baha'i that a local
prayers for their consolation. newspaper referred to her as "leader of
the Baha'i Movement in Duluth" . She was
IAIN MACDONALD frequently a delegate to the National Conventions, but pioneering was always first
in her mind. She longed to heed the words
of 'Abdu ' l-Baha and to serve the beloved
LOTUS NIELSEN Guardian to her fullest.
1925- 1991 Lotus soon moved to Fargo, North Dakota,
as a home-front pioneer, then in 1952 she
The Cause of Baha'u'llah owes its world- went to work at the National Baha'i Office
encompassing spread to the valiant and in Wilmette, Illinois, as a secretary. She was
courageous pioneers who, in many cases, well-liked and efficient, but the yearning to
sacrificed everything to take Baha'u'llah's pioneer could not be stilled. In 1954 she
healing Message to people in the most packed her bags and left for a pioneering
remote areas of the planet. One such pioneer post in Finland.
was Lotus Grace Nielsen. Lotus loved Finland. At first she rented a
Lotus was born on 25 March 1925, the room in the house of an elderly non-Baha'i
eldest of three children born to Grace and couple who were very kind to her. Then,
Oscar Petersen, a young Baha'i couple in during a Baha' i conference in Finland, Lotus
Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.A. Grace, her brother met a young Baha'i from Denmark, John
Eldrid Bauers, and their mother Caroline Nielsen. They were married in 1955 and
Grace Bauers had all become Baha'is around moved into the newly-acquired I}a'.?iratu'l-
1916, Grace being the first in the family to Quds in Helsinki as caretakers. Lotus served
accept the new Message. on the Local Assembly of Helsinki and was
Lotus grew up on a dairy farm on the out- later appointed to the Nordic Baha'i Council
skirts of Duluth. She loved the farm animals (the forerunner of the Regional Spiritual
and as a little girl would try to dress and Assembly of the Baha 'is of Scandinavia and
bed the fa1m cats like dolls . Baha' is in the Finland).
United States at that time were few in 1mm- In August 1956, the Nielsens' first child,
ber, so travelling Baha' is would often visit Grace, was born, and in December of that
the friends living in fairly remote areas. Thus year the family moved to Sweden. The
among the visitors to Lotus's childhood social conditions and job opportunities in
home were Martha Root, Louis Gregory, Sweden were better than in Finland, and
Roy C. Wilhelm, and Victoria Bedikian. Sweden needed pioneers as badly as its
The yearning to pioneer came at a very neighbour. In Sweden, John and Lotus
early age for Lotus. She first pioneered at served on the Regional National Assembly
the age of 17, moving with her mother to for Scandinavia and Finland and on the
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. When she Local Assembly of Stockholm. During their
was 21, she set out alone for Venezuela. years in Sweden, the family grew from three
However, the cultural shock proved too great to five, with the addition of Lisbeth and
for the young farm girl from Minnesota with Patricia.
an American/Swedish/German background, As in Finland, Lotus and John lived in
and Lotus returned home shortly after her Sweden's National Baha' i Centre. This was
arrival. She was heartbroken and felt like a a very small house on the outskirts of Stockfailure as a pioneer. holm with one room set aside for meetings .
IN MEMORIAM 1019
In effect, however, the whole house was in
use during any Baha'i function and the
Baba 'i Centre always seemed full of people.
Many stayed overnight leaving the Nielsen
family with little privacy, but each guest was
welcomed. The children often found themselves sharing one bed because their parents
had given their beds to some tired visitors
for the night.
In 1962, the Scandinavian countries elected their own National Spiritual Assemblies
and Lotus and John were elected to the first
National Spiritual Assembly of Sweden.
Once activities in Sweden were well underway, Lotus' restless pioneering soul started
to stir again. John liked the idea of moving
to Greenland because it belonged to the
Kingdom of Denmark, of which John was a
native, and one of the two official languages
spoken was Danish. Lotus liked the idea of
an unfulfilled goal! Thus it came about Lotus Nielsen
that in early April 1966, after having bidden
farewell to everyone, the family set out on room, a very tiny bedroom, and a small
its greatest adventure. kitchen with an electric stove and cold
The goal for Greenland for the Nine Year running water. There was no hot water, no
Plan, which ended at Ric:Jvan 1966, was bathroom (only a chemical toilet in the hallto have one group in the capital, Nuuk way), and no central heating (a kerosene
(Godthab), and a Baha'i in one other local- stove in the larger room provided the only
ity. When the Nielsens left Sweden, Bill heat). The house was very poorly insulated
Can, a Canadian Baha'i, was on the Ameri- and ice would collect on one wall in the tiny
can Air Force Base in Thule as a civilian, room where the children slept. A water truck
and the first Greenlandic Baha'i, Hendrik came once a week to fill the house's tank;
Olsen, was living in Sisimiut approximately the tank was made of iron and so the water
600 kilometres from Nuuk. Therefore, the always had a rust-red colour. The family
Nielsens tried to get to Nuuk. often ran out of water before the truck came,
Travelling in Greenland at any time can so water had to be fetched from the nearest
be difficult as the weather is unpredictable, pumping house . The year spent in this house
and in the mid- l 960s Greenland Air only taxed Lotus' health, and she developed mihad three 20-seater Sikorsky S-61N helicop- graine headaches from which she suffered
ters for passenger transport. Lotus and her for the rest of her life.
fa mily were held up for three weeks in John worked as a truck and taxi driver
Kangerlussuaq (S0ndre Strnmfjord) before until starting a small newspaper and working
being able to travel on to Nuuk; they anived as its editor, writer, and printer with the help
just in time to fill the goal of the Nine Year of the whole family. After several years, the
Plan. They spent their first night in the home paper was sold. Meanwhile, Lotus noticed
of John 's new boss and his family . that there was no furniture store in Nuuk so
A 36-square-metre house was waiting for the Nielsens opened one in 1967. This was
them the next day, consisting of one larger an instant success and grew to become the
1020 THE BAHA'I WORLD

largest furniture store in the country, with a have its own National Assembly. It took
branch in another town. Persian carpets were courage and soul-searching to make the
sold too, imported through a Persian Baha' i move. She was in her sixties, her children
friend in Denmark. and grandchildren were all in Nuuk, she was
The Lutheran church was very strong, living in a comfortable three-room apartand introducing a new religion turned out ment with all the amenities, and she had a
to be quite difficult. Much time and effort well-paying job. Yet the establishment of the
was spent on preparing the soil: praying and National Assembly for Greenland became
making friends. Because of the expense and the most important thing for Lotus during
difficulty of háavelling to Greenland, Lotus the last years of her life, so in 1988 she sold
and John did not see another adult Baha'i or gave away many of her belongings,
for over two years, until Else Fynbo of packed the rest in a container for sending,
Copenhagen went to visit her sister who was and went 600 kilometres north to an uncermarried to the Viceroy of Greenland. Even- tain future .
tually, after 1968, more Baha'is came to She first settled in Sisimiut where she
visit from Denmark, the United States, and rented a room in the home of Wendy and
Canada. The first believer of Nuuk declared Carsten Lind, a pioneer couple. In Sisimiut
in 1970: Else Boesen, a Danish nurse. she assisted the friends in many ways, from
During the 1970s, serious problems sur- arranging meetings to babysitting. By 1990
faced in the Nielsens' marriage, and the Lotus felt the Sisirniut community was doing
couple divorced in 1975. Lotus, who had fine and that her services were more in
been a home-maker during all her married demand in Aasiaat. She again packed all her
years, had to find a way to support herself things and headed north.
and her one child still living at home. She In Aasiaat she rented a couple of small
took over the furniture store, but eventually rooms in the home of a Baha' i couple, Marie
gave it up and purchased a small gift shop in and Ravi Butalia, until she managed to get
Nuuk called the Arctic Gallery. Every year a nice apartment which belonged to the hosshe closed the store for Naw-Ruz and had an pital. The only problem was that the hospital
ad printed in the newspaper to publicize this needed the apartment during the summer
event. The gift shop became a meeting point months for temporary staff. Thus , when
for the Baha' is and many on-the-spot fire- summer came, Lotus packed up most of her
sides were held there. In order to make ends belongings but left Baha ' i books standing,
meet, Lotus also taught English at the local and found on her return that the books had
schools. been opened and presumably read. In both
The first Local Spiritual Assembly in Sisimiut and Aasiaat, Lotus supplemented
Greenland was formed in 1979. This was a her meagre pension by teaching English,
major victory for Lotus and the first goal on babysitting, cleaning house, and doing other
a very long road. In the early 1980s, she odd jobs.
became the first Baha'i in Greenland to be Lotus' health began to deteriorate and
appointed an assistant to the Auxilia1y Board, in the summer of 1991 she went into the hosand a few years later became the first mem- pital in Nuuk for an operation. The doctors
ber of the Auxiliary Board for Propagation. suspected cancer and performed another
Around 1986, Lotus felt that the com- operation but after it Lotus slipped into a
munity in Nuuk was firmly established and coma. During her last days her family and
her pioneering spirit again started to stir. friends took turns sitting by her bedside and
She knew that pioneers were needed to caring for her. Their steadfasmess and gentle
strengthen the Assembly in Sisimiut and to acceptance of the inevitable impressed the
fo1m one in Aasiaat if Greenland were to hospital staff, and quite a bit of teaching
IN MEMORIAM 1021
took place. Some of Lotus' last words to one Board, and have earned her an undying
of her daughters, upon hearing of new teach- place in the annals of that greatly proming victories in Aasiaat, were: "Now we will ising community. We extend our loving
get our National Assembly!" sympathy to the members of her family
Lotus passed away peacefully on 25 Octo- and to the entire Greenlandic Baha'i
ber 1991, and had the honour of being the community, and shall pray at the Sacred
first person to have a Baha'i funeral in Threshold for the progress of her radiant
Greenland. Prayers were said in Greenlandic, soul in all the worlds of God.
English, and Danish, and the message of the
Universal House of Justice was read in all GRACE J. NIELSEN

three languages. More than 100 people
attended the funeral, and her passing was
mentioned on the national radio. She was MAGDALENE MARGARET CARNEY
laid to rest in the cemetery in the old part of 1929- 1991
town, a very beautiful spot overlooking the
hills and the fjord. Upon the passing of Magdalene Camey on
The following spring, Lotus ' dream of an 10 October 1991, in Haifa, Israel, the Uniindependent National Assembly for Green- versal House of Justice sent the following
land became a reality. This first convention cable to all National Spiritual Assemblies:
was a major event for the Baha'i community
and was blessed with the presence of the DEEPLY GRIEVED SUDDEN PASSING STALWART
Hand of the Cause of God 'Ali-Mu~ammad MAIDSERVANT SAHA 'U'LLAH MEMBER INTER-
Varqa. Dr. Varqa honoured Lotus and her NATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE MAGDALENE
family by visiting her resting place. M. CARNEY. HER WELL NIGH THREE DECADES
A happy, energetic person with a distinct UNBROKEN SERVICE CAUSE GOD EXERTED
sense of humour, Lotus was always looking IMMENSE INFLUENCE TEACHING WORK SOUTH-
for ways to promote the Cause. Her hospitality ERN REGION UN ITED STATES, INVOLVED
was legendary, her home always immaculate THIRTEEN YEARS MEMBERSHIP NATIONAL
and ready to receive any number of guests SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY THAT COUNTRY UNTIL
willing to hear about Baha'u' llah. Honesty, HER APPOINTMENT IN 1983 TO INTERNATIONAL
truthfulness, and loyalty were some of her TEACHING CENTRE. IN DO MITABLE FAITH, UN -
strongest characteristics. She had courage, SWERVING DEVOTION COVENANT, SELFLESS
determination, patience, and complete faith SPIRIT, OPEN CANDOUR, WHOLEHEARTED
in Baha'u'llah. COMMITMENT EDUCATION CHILDREN AND
The Universal House of Justice sent the YOUTH ARE AMONG QUALITIES THAT WILL
following message on 27 October 1991, upon EVER BE ASSOCIATED WITH GOLDEN MEMO-
hearing of her passing: RIES HER HIGHLY ACTIVE LIFE. ARDENTLY
PRAYING HOLY THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER
We are deeply grieved by the news of the STERLING SOUL THROUGHOUT DIVINE WORLDS.
passing of the dearly loved maidservant ADVISE HOLD MEMORIAL SERV ICES HER
of Baha' u 'llah and valiant promoter of HONOUR ALL HOUSES WORSH IP AND IN
His Faith, Lotus Nielsen. Her persevering, BAHA'I COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT WORLD.
highly valued services to the Cause of
God over so many years in North America Magdalene Margaret Camey, affectionately
and Scandinavia have been crowned known as "Mag", was born on 19 October
by her vital contribution to the raising up 1929 in Ringold, Tennessee. Her parents
of the Baha'i community of Greenland as were Herbert and Sallie Lisenby Camey,
pioneer and member of the Auxiliary and all eight of their children were delivered
1022 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Tennessee, with highest honors. In 1953, she
graduated magna cum laude from Tennessee
Agricultural & Industrial State University
in Nashville, with majors in English and
Spanish and minors in Speech and Drama.
She taught in elementary and high schools in
Nashville for 15 years, and served as chairman of the English Department of Cameron
High School. In 1967, she completed a master
of arts degree at George Peabody College
in Nashville, majoring in Education and
English.
Mag became a member of the American
Baha'i community during the summer of
1962 after meeting Dr. Sarah Martin Pereira,
then Professor of Romance Languages at
Tennessee State University in Nashville.
Dr. Pereira gave Mag a pamphlet, Modern
Religion for Modern Man, that summarized
the purpose of religion, outlined the essen-
Magdalene Carney tial features of a new religious system being
established in the world, and invited the
at home by a family physician with the assis- reader to investigate its tenets. Mag said,
tance of a mid-wife or close relatives. As "By the time I finished reading, I believed in
the eldest of the children, Mag was pressed the new system: the Baha' i Faith. Unimagininto service at an early age to help raise her able joy flooded my heart! " That flood of
brothers and sisters and assist her parents joy was extensively spread throughout the
with every aspect of running their farm. She southern United States as Mag became an
wrote: indefatigable teacher of the Cause that she
embraced wholeheartedly and unreservedly.
My parents placed a weighty responsi-
Over the next three decades, she served
bility on me early on. They expected me
the Baha'i Faith in many capacities on local,
to set the proper example for my brothers
national, and international levels. She served
and sisters in all matters pertaining to
on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Nashmoral and wholesome living.
ville for several years, and in 1968 she was
While she was still quite young Mag dis- appointed to the National Teaching Commitplayed determination to obtain an education. tee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the
She wrote: "I privately vowed to educate United States. In 1969, she was appointed to
myself so that I would be able to increase our the Deep South Committee and was elected
resources and thereby give our family a little to serve as its secretary, and in 1970, when
relief from dire poverty." One time, she was the Southern Office of the National Teachdetermined to go to school despite a blizzard ing Committee was opened, she became its
so her father lifted her up onto a fa1m horse, administrative assistant.
wrapped her feet and legs in burlap bags to During this time, from 1969 to 1971 ,
protect her against frostbite, and off she rode she served as Chairman of the Rogers
into the snow storm. She made it. High School English Depa1iment in Canton,
She excelled in her studies, graduating Mississippi, and in 1969 she coordinated a
from Burt High School in Clarksville, successful desegregation program in the
IN MEMORIAM 1023
Canton Public School system at the high She was a true friend. Above all, she encourschool level. Her excellence in education aged the friends to arise to teach the Faith.
was recognized with a Ford Fellowship in D R. BETH BOWEN

Educational Leadership which enabled her
to work towards a doctorate in education
from 1972 to 1977, and she received her SHIRLEY A. WARDE
Doctor of Education degree from the Knight ofBaM'u ' llah
University of Massachusetts in 1977. Mag's 1901- 1991
professional interests included the role of
ideals in human development, emotional Shirley Warde was born in Albany, New
development, the education of children, and York, U.S .A., on 23 January 1901, and was
the education of competent and compassion- brought up in New York City. She was
ate teachers. raised in the Christian Science Church, but
On 13 November 1970, Dr. Carney was by the age of 12 she was asking questions
elected to the National Spiritual Assembly to which the church offered no acceptable
of the United States, in a by-election. She answers, and she soon embarked on a quest
served continuously on the National Spiri- for rational truth.
tual Assembly for 13 consecutive years, and At the age of 14 she persuaded her mother
from 1978 to 1983 she served as full-time that acting would have to be her career, and
Assistant Secretary of the National Spiritual with that declaration she ended her formal
Assembly in Wilmette, Illinois. In 1983, she schooling and studied with excellent tutors
was appointed to serve as one of the Cow1- to pursue her goal. From small walk-on parts
sellor members of the International Teaching in big New York productions she climbed
Centre at the Baha'i World Centre, and the theatrical ladder to attain leads, then comoved to Haifa, Israel. starring parts on Broadway. Meanwhile she
Throughout her many years of service had started writing short stories for top magto the Faith, Magdalene Camey travelled azines and, with a fri end, wrote three plays,
extensively in the United States, especially two produced on Broadway and one sold to
the southern states. Once she was appointed Hollywood for a film.
to the International Teaching Centre, she Shirley was married in 1921 and had
was called upon to travel worldwide and one child, Charmian. Tluáoughout her brief
visited the Bahamas, Canada, Finland, the marriage and during the establislunent of
Gambia, Ghana, Iceland, Jamaica, Kenya, her acting and writing career, she never
Nigeria, Norway, Papua New Guinea, and neglected her search for truth. In her own
Samoa. words:
Mag radiated such warmth and friendli- ... we (Shirley, her grandmother, her
ness that everyone who met her immediately mother, her aunt, and her daughter) invesfelt at home and at ease with her. Her abun- tigated everything we could find or hear
dant love brought out the best in people, about in the way of esoteric and religious
especially young people. She adored chil- teachings, but it was not Wltil 1932 that
dren and youth and showed great affection we encow1tered the Baha' i Faith in Teafo r them. Her marvelous sense of humor neck, New Jersey, where we were then
brightened many a gathering. Her deep living. The Great Depression was on and
knowledge of the Baha'i Writings and of it was tluáough feeding a hungry man
education emiched every consultation. She that we were led to the Hand of the Cause
maintained a voluminous correspondence Roy Wilhelm, the Log Cabin Centre and
with BaM'is all over the world. For nearly adjoining pine grove where 'Abdu' l-B aha
three decades , she was a leader in race unity. had given His historic Unity Feast. The
1024 THE BAl-IA ' i WORLD

In California, Shirley and her mother
were deeply involved in Baha ' i workholding classes, giving talks, strengthening
weak Assemblies, and forming the Burbank
Local Spiritual Assembly.
Shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor,
she accepted a post with the Office of War
Info1mation in San Francisco and became
active with the Baha'is in the San Francisco
area. With Marion Holley, she wrote and
produced radio programs each week for
three years, and participated in activities
with William and Marguerite Sears, the
Leroy Ioas family, Marzieh Gail, Arthur and
Joyce Dahl, and many others. They proclaimed the Faith through newspaper
advertising as well as the radio shows, and
their public meetings often had up to 1,000
people attending. When San Francisco
played host to the nascent United Nations in
Shirley Warde 1945, the Baha'is were well represented in
various associated activities.
man had secured work painting the Wil- During the celebrations in Chicago in
helm home and told us of ' some Eastern 1944 of the Centenary of the Declaration
Cult that believed in all religions,' to of the Bab, Shirley volunteered to pioneer,
which Roy and his mother belonged. We and when the war ended she went to South
finally found the Cabin, attended a meet- America. Her main destination was Argening, borrowed books and soon knew we tina, but she also spent time in Brazil,
had ' come home ', and four generations Paraguay, and Urnguay. In spite of some
became Baha ' i in one night- my mother, trouble from secret service organizations
my nine-year-old daughter, my grand- because of her work with the State Departmother and I, plus an aunt then living in ment during the war (which led to an attempt
Teaneck. on her life), she was able to make a living in
Buenos Aires in advertising and publishing,
It was a great bounty to become a Baha'i and she also served as chairman of the Local
in Teaneck because Shirley was exposed to Spiritual Assembly.
many great Baha'i teachers, some of whom She returned to the United States shortly
were to be Ia ter named as Hands of the Cause after her mother died in 1949, but her goal
of God, as well as other early believers, many was to pioneer, and, with the opening of the
of whom had known 'Abdu'l-Baha. Ten Year Plan, she went to British Honduras
In 1932, the Depression was in full swing in October 1953, in tin1e to be named a
and the theatre badly hurt, so Shirley Knight of Baha'u ' llah by the Guardian . She
accepted an offer from the Columbia Broad- served her beloved Cause in this countly
casting System and became its first woman until her death.
writer-producer. She later shifted to adver- Simply to summarize Shirley's contributising, and in 1936 she was sent to Hollywood tion to the culture and the Faith in British
to write and produce radio programmes for Honduras [known as Belize after June 1973]
J. Walter Thompson. would require many pages. From her first
IN MEMORIAM 1025

week in the country she was active in theatre very aware of the Baha'i victories taking
by offering her services in producing a vari- place in Beli ze and throughout the world,
ety program for the Federation of Women to victories which owed their origins to those
raise funds to build a day nursery. This led who, like Shirley, dedicated their whole
to many productions of plays and variety beings to planting the seeds and watering
shows. She coached the drama group of the them with the sacrifice of their very life's
Extramural Department of the University of blood.
the West Indies. It was from her contacts She passed to the Abba Kingdom on
with this group that many of the early Bel- 10 October 1991. Her dedication and ferocious
izean believers emerged. energy will be an inspiration to Baha' is for
Shirley trekked literally from one end of many years to come.
the country to the other to teach the Faith. ERI C AN D VICKI E WILSON
Her "passport" to the villages was a small
tape recorder on which she collected the folk
EBERHARD K. FRIEDLAND
songs and stories of Belize. Some of these Knight ofBaha'u'llah
tapes are on fil e at Goshen College in Indiana, 1902- 1991
U.S.A., and also at the Folklore Museum
of the University of Indiana. She combined 0 Son of Being! Make mention of Me on
these collections from the various ethnic My earth, that in My heaven I may
groups-Creole, Garifuna, Maya, Spanish- remember thee, thus shall Mine eyes and
into a folklore fantasy called "Boss King" in thine be solaced.
1965. It was an immediate success and ran -Baha 'u' llah 1
for 19 performances, a record that was not
broken for many years. Many Baha ' is and non-Baha ' is will remem-
She continued her active teaching work ber Eberhard Friedland as a man with a
throughout the country into her 70s. After smile for everyone and whose passionate
that she " limited" her work to writing and aim was to share hi s knowledge with others.
producing weekly radio programs, serving on He was a man who continuously encouraged
the Local Spiritual Assembly of Belize City children and youth by saying "enlarge your
(1964-1983), the National Spiritual Assembly horizon" . He took this advice to heart him-
(1968-1983), and various local and national self, as the many books he left behind as an
committees. She wrote and personally add- inheritance to his friends and admirers
ressed and mailed a Baba' i news letter for testify.
several years. Eberhard was born in Germany on 23 June
She was a well-known figure on her bicy- 1902. With the outbreak of the first World
cle in the crowded Belize City streets as she War he immigrated to the United States
took care of her daily needs and pursued her where he became a citizen after some years.
other, , more important, work. On her 76th There he learned about the Baha' i Faith and
birthday she produced and directed a play for the rest of his life he chose to be guided
she had written many years earlier entitled by its principles.
"Paradise Postponed", and several years During an animated conference in the
later she produced and directed "Boss King" United States, he was insp ired to help estabfor the last time. lish hi s beloved Faith in French Guiana, an
She was in her 80s when she attended a act which earned him the title of Knight of
National Spiritual Assembly meeting during Baha ' u' llah. After some time of service
which she experienced the first of a series of in French Guiana, he went to Suriname in
strokes. For several years she lingered on the
threshold between this world and the next, I The Hidden Words of Baha'u ' l ah, Arabic No. 43.
1026 THE BAHA'i WORLD

of the latest editions and developments in
their respective fields of study.
Eberhard was blessed with a long life,
and frequently remarked that he "was living
on credit". Finally, at the age of 89, his soul
winged its flight to the Abba Kingdom.
0 my God, Thy Trust hath been returned
unto Thee. It behooveth Thy grace and
Thy bounty that have compassed Thy
dominions on earth and in heaven, to
vouchsafe unto Thy newly welcomed one
Thy gifts and Thy bestowals, and the
fruits of the tree of Thy grace! Powe1jit!
art Thou to do as Thou willest...
- Baha'u'llah
Eberhard, we will always think of you
with warmth in our hearts.
LYGI A VASILD A

Eberhard Friedland
KAZUTOMO UMEGAE
1954, where he spent the remaining years of 1924-1992
his life.
In the beginning he rented a room in the Kazutomo Umegae was among the first
capital city, Paramaribo, and held firesides members of the Ainu race to accept the
regularly. Baba 'is of those early times still Faith. He had heard of it in 1957 from two
remember the warmth, cordiality and serenity travelling teachers who had gone to Japan 's
of those evenings, which sometimes caused northern island of Hokkaido , where most of
pa1iicipants to remark that they did not feel the Ainu live, after the Guardian had encourlike going home. The spiritual atmosphere aged Baba' is to take the Faith there.
which prevailed during those meetings Various Baha' is visited the Ainu villages
worked like a strong magnet. through the years, and in December 1961
Assisted by Eberhard Friedland 's devoted six Japanese of Ainu ancestry declared their
and tireless effo1is, the first local Baha'i belief in Baha ' u'llah. Kazutomo and his
institution was established in 1966. After- wife, Taeko, were among them, as were his
wards the Faith grew rapidly, and within a mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Takeichi
few years became a community with a few Moritake. Mr. Moritake was a headman in
thousand believers and sympathizers . As a the village. A number of their other relatives
result the first Spiritual Assembly of Suri- eventually became Baha'is. Mr. Moritake
name and French Guiana was established in later said that many tourists had come to the
1977. village to see the Ainu but that the Baha' is
Eberhard was not only active directly on had been different- they had brought somebehalf of the Faith. Many non-Baha ' is will thing new.
gratefully remember the hours during which A letter written on behalf of the Guardian
he tried to teach them the English language. sa id,
He assisted many medical doctors, booksell- He [the Guardian] was greatly pleased to
ers, teachers , and students in keeping abreast learn of the contacts which have been
IN MEMORIAM 1027
He was a wood carver of some skill, and as
a businessman he was instrumental in selling
Ainu handicrafts. He also trained handicapped people in those arts.
Kazutoma travelled to many Ainu villages teaching the Faith. In 1965, he was
appointed by the Hands of the Cause as an
Auxiliary Board member in Asia. He served
in that capacity for 21 years, longer than any
other Auxiliary Board member in Japan. In
the later years he travelled and taught all
over Japan, including to the remote Japanese
island of Ogasawara.
The Universal House of Justice sent the
following message 13 February 1992 after
being informed ofKazutoma's passing:

GRIEVED PASS ING DISTINGUISHED BELIEVER
KAZUTOMO UMEGAE WHO WILL BE REMEM-
BERED IN THE ANNALS OF TH E FAITH AS ONE
Kazutomo Umegae OF THE FIRST AMONG THE AlNU PEOPLE TO
RECOGNI ZE BAI-IA 'U' LLAH AND SERVE UN DER
made by the Friends with the original HIS BANNE R OF UNITY fN VARIOUS CAPAC I-
natives of Japan, namely the Ainu people. TIES. ASSURE HIS FAMILY AN D FRIENDS
He hopes that. .. they may teach the call LOVfNG PRAYERS HOLY SHRfNES FOR THE
of God to the remainder of their people. PROGRESS OF HIS SOUL fN THE REALMS OF
There is no doubt that great results will be ETERN ITY.
achieved if this can be done. BARBARA R. SIMS

(20 October 1957)

Kazutomo said he was initially attracted SHIRIN FOZDAR
to the Faith because he saw a lack of preju- 1905-1992
dice among the Baha'is. He said that when
he was growing up there was considerable Born in Bombay, India, on 1March1905 of
prejudice against the Ainu people. In the Persian Zoroastrian parents who had con-
Meiji Era of Japanese history (1868-1911) verted to the Baha'i Faith, Shirin Behjat
the govenunent enforced a policy to tiy to Fozdar was by any measure a remarkable
absorb the Ainu into the Japanese main- person and a truly great woman. She was
stream so that the race would die out. At that taken on her first pilgrimage to the Holy
time the govenunent forbade the Ainu to use Land when she was 11 months old, and took
their language and made them take Japanese her first steps while holding onto the cloak
names and attend Japanese schools. of 'Abdu 'l-Baha. She was taken on her sec-
During the 1960s and 1970s, the preju- ond pilgrimage when she was six years old,
dice considerably lessened or disappeared and remembers meeting Shoghi Effendi,
and people became interested in the Ainu who impressed her immensely.
lifestyle and culture. Kazutomo, with his By the age of 17, Shirin Behjat had
open and wam1 personality, was featured on emerged as a strong and outspoken defender
television and in exhibitions of Ainu culture. of women's rights. The year 1922 saw her
1028 TH E BAHA'I WORLD

become one of the first Eastern women to of Hindus and Muslims. He also suggested
speak in public in the East when she that she establish institutions in Ahmedabad
addressed a meeting in the town hall of the for the upliftment of the "untouchable"
city of Karachi, the centre of Muslim influ- social caste in that whole province. Despite
ence in what was then British India. considerable personal danger, Shirin was
Karachi's mayor presided at that historic talk. singularly successful in fulfilling the behest
In 1925, at the age of 20, she married of Mahatma Gandhi, who later was reported
Dr. Khodadad M. Fozdar, a medical doctor to have said that "the Baha' i Faith is the
for the Indian Railways who was of Parsi- solace of Mankind''.
Zoroasháian background. He became a Baha'i During the 1940s, by her tireless work for
and served the Faith with great distinction; one of the cardinal principles of the Faithhe was named a Knight of Baha'u'llah women' s rights-Mrs. Fozdar won the refor the Andaman Islands. (See The Baha 'i spect of not only Mahatma Gandhi, but also
World vol. XIII, p. 892). He passed away of MuQ.ammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of
in 1958 and is buried in Choa Chu Kang, Pakistan.
Singapore. Five children-three sons and By 19 50, the F ozdars' children had all comtwo daughters-were born of that marriage: pleted their college education and entered
Jamshed, John, Minoo, Mona, and Zena. careers of their own. Then, Dr. Fozdar
In 1931, Shirin was elected to the Execu- resigned from his job in order to answer the
tive Committee of the All-Asian Women's call for pioneers, and he and Mrs. Fozdar
Conference, and by 1934 she was represent- settled in Singapore. There, in early 1950 he
ing the Asian Women's Conference at the began his medical practice while Mrs. Fozdar
League of Nations, pleading with represen- continued to work for women's rights.
tatives of the great powers at the League to On 2 April 1952, the Singapore Council
proclaim a Universal Declaration of Women's of Women was born with 2,000 members.
Rights. Shirin Fozdar was acknowledged as its
Returning to India in 1935, she accompa- founder and appointed as its Secretarynied her husband to his many postings in General, with the mandate to contact leaders
north and central India, while at the same in all walks of life as well as government
time bringing up five children, as well as officials, politicians, and members of the
proclaiming the principles of the Faith at media. Her quest was not without considerevery opportunity thrnugh personal talks and able personal physical danger since
public addresses. Her fame as the foremost Singapore in the early 1950s was beset with
champion of women's rights in India spread social unrest caused by lack of proper
to other lands adjoining the sub-continent, housing, employment and schools .
and she travelled to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) In 1954, Shirin spent four months in
and Burma, feted by members of the nascent Saigon, Vietnam, on behalf of the Baha' i
women's rights movements in those lands Faith and became the first Baha'i to step
which owed their formations to their aware- foot in what was then French Indochina. In
ness of her pioneer achievements in India. March of that same year, during a sh.mi visit
While the second World War confined to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh, she
Shirin's activities to India, in 1941 she was was decorated by Prince Norodom Sihanouk
urged by Mahatma Gandhi (later to become with a gold medal accompanied by the first
the Father of Indian independence) to go on certificate of Satrei Vatthana (Champion of
his behalf to the city of Ahmedabad, a hot- Women 's Rights). She returned to Singapore
bed of communal strife, and there to speak from Viehrnm and continued work on her
publicly on the unifying principles of the chosen goa l of women's emancipation. In
Baha'i Faith to the dissenting communities 1958 she led a delegation from Singapore to
IN MEMORIAM 1029

the Afro-Asian Women's Conference held
in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
In 1959, she was invited by the All China
Federation of Women to visit China, where
she was received by some of the top leaders
of the Chinese state and allowed to travel
extensively around the country. Upon her
return from China, she was invited by the
U.S. State Department to travel extensively
in the United States lecturing on her favourite ideals.
Back in Singapore, she strenuously canvassed for a Women's Charter and met with
Mr. Lee Kuan Yew to explain the necessity
of granting such a Charter and encouraged
the adoption of "one man one woman" on
the platfo1m of the People's Action Party.
Upon its victory in the general elections, the
Party enacted the "Women's Charter" on
6 April 1960, and monogamous marriage
thus became law. Following on its heels the Shirin Fozdar
Government of Singapore passed other acts
such as the Inheritance Act in 1966, the continued her work with the Women's
Family Provision, and acts completing ordi- Council and the expanding institutions of the
nances giving more consideration to women. Baha' i Faith there. Many accolades came
Others may have been content to rest on her way from the humble and the high, not
those laurels. Not so Shirin, who, with a only in Asia, but also from the world at large.
number of volunteers, initiated the formation Singapore 's own Sinathamby Rajaratnam,
of the first girls' club in the Joo Chiat Wel- the Foreign Minister for nearly a quarter
fare Centre in Singapore and also became century wrote:
the first woman to address an audience at
I have known Mrs. Fozdar and the single-
Changi Prison on the subject of reformation
minded way in which she struggled to
and becoming useful members of society.
promote and safeguard the rights of
In 1961 , at the age of 56, Shirin left for
women and to enhance the status of
Bangkok, Thailand, to proclaim the teachwomen in our country. She did this withings of the Baha'i Faith. There she received
out regard to race or creed and I would
an audience with His Majesty Bhumibol
like to join with the others in recognition
Adulyadej, Rama IX of Thailand. Besides
of her services to promote justice for
obtaining wide recognition for the Faith,
women in Asia". And the famous author
Mrs. Fozdar also founded the Santitham
Han Suyin adds, "All her life has been a
Vittayakom School at Yasothon in the Ubol
dedication to justice, to humanity and I
Province of northeast Thailand. This school
can never forget it. She is an example to
became the largest co-educational institution
womankind. I am happy to have been her
in the province, providing secretarial and
humble friend.
home-economic education to help youth
from straying into crime in the cities. Those of us who knew her remember that
Shirin returned to her beloved Singapore one of her favourite anecdotes was, "If Eve
after a decade of activity in Thailand and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge first
1030 THE BAHA'I WORLD

and then induced Adam to also taste of it, which time she also suffered a massive heart
did that not prove it was the woman who attack in Bombay. However, her indomitable
attained to knowledge first and that the first spirit enabled her to return to spend her last
act of obedience was by man to woman and days in her beloved Singapore.
not the other way around?'" When she died, she left behind fiv e chil-
Rare is the individual whose acts inspire dren, seventeen grandchildren, and twenty
others to dedicate their own lives to improv- great-grandchildren. There is no doubt in
ing the human condition, especially the lot their minds that, however bright their stars
of women, the world over. To those who may shine- however eminent they become
knew her, and from whose life they and in their professions or in their service to the
others to follow shall continue to draw heroic Baha'i Faith-they will be but pale reflecinspiration, Shirin Fozdar was one such tions of that brilliant orb from which it is
person. their honour to have been born.
Shirin spent the last year of her life in
Written by her children:
hospitals in India and Singapore, during J AMS HED, JOHN , MI NOO, M ONA, AND ZENA
PART SIX

DIRECTORY, BIBLIOGRAPHY,
GLOSSARY
1032 THE BAHA' I WORLD

I
I

Relics of Baha 'u 'llah, including His pen and pencase.

"Think not that We
have revealed unto
you a mere code of
la ws. Nay, rather,
We have unsealed the
choice Wine with
the fingers of might
and power. "
-Baha 'u 'llah
I
BAHA'f DIRECTORY 1986- 1992
143-148 OF THE BAHA'f ERA

1. THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE
Address: 16 Golomb Avenue, 33 392 Haifa, Israel (P.O. Box 155, 31 001 Haifa)

2. THE HANDS OF THE CAUSE
Address: 7 Haparsim Street, 35 055 Haifa, Israel (P.O. Box 155, 31 001 Haifa)

Amatu'l-Baha Rlil?iyyih Khanum
Dr. Ugo Giachery Dr. 'Ali-Mul!ammad Varqa
'A li -Akbar Furutan William B. Sears
Dhikru'llah Khadem John A. Robarts
Jalal Khazeh H. Collis Featherstone

3. THE INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE
Address: 10 Haparsim Street 35 055 Haifa, Israel (P.O . Box 155 , 31 001 Haifa)

4. CONTINENTAL BOARD OF COUNSELLORS 1

AFRICA ASIA

THE AMERI CAS AUSTRA LAS IA

EUROPE

Cun-ent addresses are ava il ab le from the Baha'i World Centre, P.O. Box 155, 3 1 00 1 Haifa, Israe l.
1034 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

5. BAHA'i INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 1

World Centre Offices: Fiji Office:
Office of the Secretary-General United Nations Office
Office of Public Information P.O. Box 15888
P.O. Box 155 Suva
31 001 Haifa Fiji Islands
Israel

New York Offices: Hong Kong Office:
Office of the Administrator-General Office of Public Information, Hong Kong
United Nations Office 2/F-B Tung Hey Building
Office of Public Information 12-22 Queen's Road
Office of the Environment East Wanchai
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 120 Hong Kong
New York, New York 10017
U.S.A.

Geneva Offices: Paris Office:
United Nations Office Office of Public Info1mation, Paris
Refugee Office 45 rue Pergolese
Route des Morillons 15 F-75116 Paris
CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex (Geneva) France
Switzerland

6. NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES

At Ric;!van 1986, there were 148 Baha 'f National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world,
and at Ridvan 1992, there were 165-47 in Africa, 43 in the Americas, 29 in Asia, 17 in
Australasia and 29 in Europe. Current addresses are available from the Baha'i World Centre,
P.O. Box 155, 31 001 Haifa, Israel.

Addresses as at 21 April 1992
DIRECTORY , BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY 1035

7. BAHA'i PUBLISHING TRUSTS 1

ARGEN T fNA ITALY

E.B.I.L.A. Casa Editrice Baha' i
Otamendi 217 /15 Via Filippo Turati, 9
1405 Buenos Aires, Argentina 00040 Ariccia (Rome), Italy

AU STRALIA JAPAN
Baha' i Publishing Trust Baha'i Publishing Trust
P.O . Box 285 7-2-13 Shinjuku
Mona Vale, N.S.W. 2103 , Australia Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160 Japan

B ELG IUM
KENYA
Maison d 'Edition s Baha ' ies Baha ' i Publi shing Agency
Rue du Trone 205 P.O. Box 47562
B-1050 Brussels , Belgium Nairobi, Ken ya
BRA ZIL
KORE A
Editora Baha ' i Brasil
Baha' i Publishing Trust
Rua Conego Eugenio Leite, 350
249-36 Huam-dong
05414 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
Yongsan-ku , Seoul 140-1 90, Korea
COTE D ' I VO IRE
Maison d 'Ed itions Baha'ies LEB ANON

B.P. 770
Abidjan 04, Cote d' Ivoire MALAYS IA

Baha ' i Publishing Trust
fill I SLANDS 4 Lorong Titiwangsa
Baha' i Publi shing Trust 5 Setapak
P.O. Box 2007 53200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Government Buildings
Suva, Fiji Islands NETHERLANDS
Stichting Baha' i Literatuur
GERMA NY Riouwstraat 27
Baha'i-Verlag 2585 GR The Hague, Netherlands
Eppstei ner Strasse 89
D-6238 Hofheim (Langenhain) , Germany N IGER IA

Baha'i Publishing Trust
IND IA P.O. Box 2029
Baha'i Publishing Trust Lagos, Nigeria
Baha'i House, 6 Canning Road
P.O. Box 19 NORWAY

New Delhi 110001, Indi a Baha ' i Forlag
Drammensveien 11 0 A
N-0273 Oslo 2, Norway
Addresses as at 2 I Apri I I 992
Address commun ications to th e Baha'i Worl d Centre, P.O. Box 155, 31 00 I Haifa, Israe l.
1036 THE BAl-IA'i WORLD

BAHA'I PUBLJSl-IING TRUSTS-C ONTINUED

P AK ISTAN T AIWAN

Baha' i Publishing Trust Baha' i Publishing Trust
P.O. Box 7420 149-13 Hsin Sheng Nan Lu, Section 1
Karachi 3, Pakistan Taipei 10626, Taiwan, R.O.C.

PHILIPPINES UGANDA

Baha'i Publishing Trust Baba 'i Publishing Trust
P.O. Box 4323 P.O. Box 2662
1099 Manila, Philippines Kampala, Uganda

SPAIN UNITED KINGDOM
Editorial Baha'i de Espana Baba' i Publishing Trust
Bonaventura Castellet 17 6 Mount Pleasant
ES-08222 Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain Oakham, Leics. LE15 6HU, England

SWEDEN UNITED STATES
Baha' i FOrlaget AB Baha'i Publishing Trust
Bjorkgatan 4 415 Linden A venue
S-753 28 Uppsala , Sweden Wilmette, Illinois 60091, U.S.A.
II
BAHA'i BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. BAHA'U'LLAH'S BEST-KNOWN WORKS

IN PERSIAN AND ARABIC

Alval}-i-Laylatu 'l-Quds. Lawh-i-Burhan.
A~l-i-Kullu '1-Khayr. LawJ:i-i-Dunya (Tablet of the World).
Az-Bagh-i-Ilahi. Lawl:i-i-Fitnih.
Baz-Av-u-Bidih-fami. Lawl:i-i-Ghulamu '1-Khuld.
Bisharat (Glad Tidings). LawJ:i-i-I:Iabib.
Chihar-V adi (Four Valleys) . LawJ:i-i-Haft-Pursish.
Haft-Vadi (Seven Valleys) . Lawl:i-i-I:laqq.
Halih-Halih-Y a-Bisharat. Lawl:i-i-Hawdaj .
I:Iur-i- 'Ujab. Lawl1-i-I:likmat (Tablet of Wisdom).
I:Iurufat-i- 'Allin. Lawh-i-Hirtik.
Ishraqat (Splendours). Lawl}-i-I:Iuriyyih.
Kalimat-i-Firdawsiyyih (Words of Paradise). Lawh-i-I:Iusayn.
Kalimat-i-Maknlinih (Hidden Words) . Lawh-i-lbn-i-Dhi
. - 'b
Kitab-i- ' Ahd (Book of the Covenant). (Epistle to the Son of the Wolf).
Kitab-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book). Lawl:i-i-Ittil:iad.
Kitab-i-Badi' . Lawh-i-Jamal.
Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude). Lawh-i-Karim.
Lawl:i-i-'Abdu'l- ' Aziz-va-Vukala. Lawh-i-Karmil.
LawJ:i-i-'Abdu'l-Vahhab. LawJ:i-i-Kullu't-Ta'am.
Lawl:i-i-' Abdu'r-Razzaq. Lawl:i-i-Malikih (Tablet to Queen Victoria).
Lawl:i-i-Al;bab. Lawh-i-Malik-i-Rus
Law~1-i-Al_rmad (Tablet of Al:imad). (Tablet to the Czar of Russia).
Lawl:i-i-Amvaj. La wb-i-Malla!;u' 1-Quds
Law~1-i-Anta '1-Kafi. (Tablet of the Holy Mariner).
Lawl:i-i-Aqdas. Lawl:i-i-Manikchi-$aJ:iib.
Lawl:i-i-Ashraf. Lawh-i-Maq ~ud.
Lawh-i- 'Ashiq-va-Ma ' shUq. Lawl:i-i-Maryam.
Lawl:i-i-Ayiy-i-Nur. Lawh-i-Mawlud.
Lawl:i-i-Baha. Lawl:i-i-Mubahilih.
Lawl:i-i-Baqa. Lawl:i-i-Napulylin I
Lawl}-i-Basitatu '1-I:Iaqiqih. (First Tablet to Napoleon III).
Lawl:i-i-Bismilih. Lawl:i-i-Napulylin II
Lawl:i-i-Bulbulu ' l-Firaq. (Second Tablet to Napoleon III).
1038 THE BAHA'i WORLD

LawJ:i-i-Na~ir. Suriy-i-Asma'.
LawJ:i-i-Nuqtih. Suriy-i-Bayan.
LawJ:i-i -Pap (Tablet to the Pope). Suriy-i-Damm.
LawJ:i-i -P isar-' Amm. Suriy-i-DhabiJ:i .
LawJ:i-i -Qina'. Suriy-i-DhibJ:i.
LawJ:i-i-Quds. Suriy-i-Dhikr.
LawJ:i-i-Rafi'. Suriy-i-Fac;ll.
LawJ:i-i-Ra'is (Tablet to ' Ali Pasha). Suriy-i-FatJ:i.
LawJ:i-i-Ra~a. S11riy-i-Fu'ad.
LawJ:i-i-Rasul. S11riy-i-Ghu ~n (Tablet of the Branch).
LawJ:i-i -RuJ:i. Suriy-i-I:lajj I.
Lawh-i-Ru'ya. S11riy-i-I:lajj II.
LawJ:i-i-SaJ:iab. Suriy-i-Haykal.
LawJ:i-i-Salman I. Suriy-i-I:Iif'.?.
LawJ:i-i-Salman II. Suriy-i-Hijr.
LawJ:i-i-$arnsun. Suriy-i-'Ibcid.
LawJ:i-i-SayyaJ:i. Suriy-i-Ism.
Lawl)-i-Shaykh-Fani. Suriy-i-Ismuna 'l-Mursil.
Lawl)-i-Sultan. Suriy-i-Javad.
LawJ:i-i-Tawhid. Suriy-i-Khitab.
LawJ:i-i-Tibb. Suriy-i-Ma'ani.
Lawl)-i-Tuqa. Suriy-i-Man'.
Lawl)-i-Yusuf. Suriy-i-Muluk.
LawJ:i-i-Zaynu '1-Muqarrabin. St'.1riy-i-Nida.
Lawl)-i -Ziyaril). Suriy-i-Nu~J:i.
Madinatu'r-Rida. S1iriy-i-Qadir.
Madina tu 't-Tawl)id. St'.1riy-i-Qahir.
Mathnavi. Suriy-i-Qalam.
Munajathay-i-$iyam. Sur i y -i-Qami ~.
Qad-IJ:itaraqa' l- Mukh li ~t'.ma. Suriy-i-$abr.
Qa~idiy-i-Varqa'iyyih. Suriy-i-Sultan.
Rashl)-i-' Arna. Suriy-i-Vafa.
Ric;!vanu'l-' Adi. St'.1riy-i-Ziyari h.
Ric;lvanu' 1-Iqrcir. Suriy-i-Zubur.
$aJ:iifiy-i-Shattlyyih. St'.iriy-i-J;': uhUr.
$alat-i-Mayyit (Prayer for the Dead). Tafsir-i-Hu.
Saqi-az-Ghayb-i-Baqa. Tafsir-i-I:Iurufat-i-Muqaga' ih.
Shikkar-Shikan-Shavand.
- - -
Tafsir-i-Suriy-i-Ya'sh-Shams.
Subhana-Rabbiya '!-A' la. Tajalliyat (Effulgences).
SubJ:ianaka-Y a-Hu. Tarazat (Ornaments).
Suratu' ll ah. Ziyarat-Namih (The Tablet of Visitation).
Suriy-i-Ahzan. Ziyarat-Namiy-i-Awliya.
Suriy-i-Amin. Ziyarat-Namiy-i-Babu ' 1-Bab-va-Quddus.
Suriy-i-Amr. Ziyarat-Namiy-i-Bayt.
Suriy-i-A'rab. Ziyarat-Namiy-i-Maryam.
Suriy-i-A~l!ab. Z i yarat-N am iy-i-S iyyidu' sh-Shuhada.
DIRECTORY , BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY 1039

IN ENGLISH, TRANSLATED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, by Kitab-i-fqan, by Baha'u ' llah. Baha ' i Pub-
Baha'u'llah. Baha'i Publishing Trust, lishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1931 ,
Wilmette, Illinois, 1941 , 1953, and other 1950, and other Baha'i Publishing Trusts.
Baha' i Publishing Trusts. Prayers and Meditations by Bahtiu '!!ah .
Gleanings fl-om the Writings of Baha 'u 'llah. Baha ' i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illi-
Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illi- nois, 1938, 1962, and other Baha'i Pubnois, 1939, 1952, and other Baha' i Pub- lishing Trusts.
lishing Trusts. Tablet of the Holy Mariner, by Baha'u'llah.
The Hidden Words of Baha 'u 'llah (Arabic Published in Star of the West, vol.XIII , no .
and Persian). Baha'i Publishing Commit- 4, May 1922, p. 75. Subsequently pubtee, New York, 1924. Baha'i Publishing lished in Prayer Books and other compi-
Committee London, 1932, and other lations.
Baha'i Publishing Trusts.

COMPILATIONS IN ENGLISH

Tablets of Bahti 'u 'lltih revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
World Centre Publications, 1978.

2. THE BAB'S BEST-KNOWN WORKS

IN PERSIAN AND ARABIC

The Arabic Bayan. Risali y-i-Dhahabiyyih.
Dala'il-i-Sab ' ih. Risaliy-i-Fiqhiyyih.
Epistles to Mu]_lammad Shah and Risaliy-i-Funi' -i-' Adliyyih.
I::Iaji Mirza Aqasi. $al_iifatu' l-I::Iaramayn.
Kha~a'il-i-Sab'ih. $a]_lifiy-i-Ja 'fariyyih.
Kitab-i-Asma '. $a]_lifiy-i-Makhzunih.
Kitab-i-Panj-Sha 'n. $a ]_lifiy- i-Ra~aviyyih.
Kitabu'r-Rul_i. Suriy-i-Tawl_iid.
Lawl_i-i-I::Iunifat. Tafsir-i -Nubuvvat-i-Kha~~ih.
The Persian Bayan. Tafsir-i-Suriy-i-Kawthar.
Qayylimu ' l-Asma '. Tafsir-i-Suriy-i-Va '1- 'A~r.
Risatiy-i-Adliyyih. Ziyarat-i-Shah-'Abdu ' l-' A~im.

COMPILATIONS IN ENGLISH

Selections from the Writings of the Bab.
World Centre Publications, 1976.

(Note : The Bab Himself states in one passage of the Persian Bayan that His writings comprise no less than 500,000 verses.)
I
1040 THE BAHA ' I WOR LD

3. 'ABDU'L-BAHA 's BEST-KNOWN WORKS

IN P ERSIAN AND ARABIC

Ad'iyih va Munajat. LawJ:i-i -Mal)il-i-Shawr.
Alvah-i-Tablighiy-i-Imrfka. LawJ:i-i -MuJ:iabbat.
Alvah-i-Va~aya. Lawl)-i -Tanzih va Taqdis.
Khitabat dar Urupa va Jmrika. LawJ:i-i-Tarbiyat.
LawJ:i-i-Aflakiyyih. Madaniyyih.
LawJ:i-i- ' Ahd va Mifuaq (Imrika). Maqaliy-i-SayyaJ:i.
LawJ:i-i- ' Ammih. Mufavic;!at.
LawJ:i-i-Ayat. SharJ:i-i-Fa~~-i-Nigin-i-Ism-i-A '~a m.
Lawh-i-Du-Niday-i-Falal) va Najal;. Sharl)-i-Shuhaday-i-Yazd va J~fahan .
LawJ:i-i-Dr. Fore!. Siyasiyyih .
LawJ:i-i-Haft Sham'. Tadhkiratu'l-Vafa.
LawJ:i-i-Hizar-Bayti. Tafsir-i-Bismi' llahi 'r-RaJ:imani 'r-Rahim.
LawJ:i-i-Khurasan. Tafsir-i-Kunh1 Kanzan Makhfiyyan.
LawJ:i-i-Lahih. Ziyarat-Namih .

(Note: The majority of the works listed above have been collected in the eight-volume series
Makatib-i- 'Abdu 'l-Baha, the first three volumes of which were initially published
under Baha'i auspices in Cairo, and the subsequent volumes in Iran by the National
Spiritual Assembly which also reprinted the first three . Developments since 1979 in
Iran have intervened to halt furth er progress of the intended project of collecting and
publishing under this title all of' Abdu' l-Baha 's important Tablets.)

IN ENGLISH, TRANSLATED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI

Tablet to the Central Organization for a Will and Testament. Baha' i Publishing Com-
Durable Peace, the Hague. Baha'i Pub- mittee, New York, 1925, .1935. Baha' i
lishing Committee, New York, 1930. Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1944,
Tablet to Dr. Fore!. Baha ' i Publishing Com- 1968, and other Baha' i Publishing Trusts.
mittee, New York, 1930.

IN ENGLISH, OTHER TRANSLATIONS

The Secret of Divine Civilization. Baha'i Some Answered Questions. First printed by
Publishing Trust, Wilmette Illinois, 1957. Kegan , Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co. Ltd.,
Originally published by Cope & Fenwick, London, 1908. Subsequently published by
London, 1910, under the title The Myste- Baha'i Publishing Society, Chicago, 191 8,
rious Forces of Civilization. Subse- and other Publish ing Trusts.
quently published by Baha ' i Publishing Tablets of the Divine Plan. Baha' i Publishing
Society, Chicago, 1918. Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1959.
DIRECTORY , BIBLIOGRAPHY , GLOSSARY 1041
A Traveller 's Narrative. Translated into Memorials of the Faithful. Translated from
English by Edward Granville Browne the original Persian and annotated by
under the title A Traveller's Narrative Marzieh Gail. Baha'i Publishing Trnst,
written to illustrate The Episode of the Wilmette, Illinois, 1971.
Bab. Cambridge University Press, 1891.
Baha'i Publishing Committee, New York,
1930.

COMPILATIONS IN ENGLISH

Foundations of World Unity; a selection of Canada and the United States in 1912.
letters and public addresses. Baha'i Pub- Baha' i Publishing Society, Chicago, 1922
lishing Trnst, Wilmette, Illinois, 1945. and 1925.
Paris Talks; a compilation of His addresses Selections fi'om the Writings of 'A bdu 'lin Paris. G. Bell and Son Ltd., London, Baha; compiled from His conespondence
1923. Subsequently published by Baha'i with individual believers, groups and
Publishing Trnst, London, 10th edition Assemblies of the East and the West.
1961 ; and in the United States under the World Centre Publications, 1978.
title Th e Wisdom of 'Abdu 'l-Baha; Bren- Tablets of 'Abdu 'l-Bahiz, vols. !, ff, !JI; a
tano 's, New York, 1924. compilation of His letters to individual
Th e Promulgation of Universal Peace, vols. believers in America. Baha' i Publishing
I, II; a compilation of His addresses in Society, Chicago, 1909, 1915, 1916.
I

4. SOME COMPILATIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF
BAHA'U'LLAH, THE BAB AND 'ABDU'L -B AHA IN ENGLISH

The Baha 'i Revelation. Baha' i Publishing Illinois, 1939, 1952, and other Baha'i
Trust, London, 1955. Publishing Trusts.
Bahiz 'i World Faith. Baha'i Publishing Com- Prayers and Meditations by Baha 'u 'llah .
mittee, Wilmette, Illinois, 1943, 1956. Baha' i Publishing Committee, Wilmette,
The Covenant of Bahiz 'u 'llah. Baha'i Pub- Illinois, 1938, 1954, and other Baha' i
lishing Trust, London, 19 50; revised, Publishing Trnsts.
1963 . The Reality of Man. Baha'i Publishing Com-
The Divine Art of living. Baha' i Publishing mittee, Wilmette, Illinois, 1931; revised,
Committee, Wilmette, Illinois, 1944; re- 1962.
vised, 1960.
Gleanings fi'om the Writings of Baha 'u 'llah.
Baha'i Publishing Committee, Wilmette,

(Note: A large number of Prayer Books compiled of prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah, the
Bab and 'Abdu ' l-Baha has been published by Baha' i Publishing Trusts and National
Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world.)
1042 TH E BAHA ' i WORLD

5. SHOGHI EFFENDI'S BEST-KNOWN WORKS

The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah. February America and the Most Great Peace. April,
1929. 1933.
The World Order of Baha 'u 'llah, Further The Dispensation of Bahti 'u 'llah. February
Considerations. March, 1930. 1934.
Th e Goal of a New World Order. November, Th e Unfoldment of World Civilization.
1931. March, 1936.
The Golden Age of the Cause of Bahti 'u-
'llah. March, 1932.

(Note: The above seven essays have been published in one volume entitled The World Order
of Bahti 'u 'llah. Baha' i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1938. Revised edition,
1955; second printing, 1965.)

Th e Advent of Divine Justice. Baha' i Pub- God Passes By. Baha'i Publishing Trust,
lishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1939. Wilmette, Illinois, 1944.
Th e Promised Day is Come. Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illinois, 1941.

TRANSLATIONS (see also p.1039, p.1040)

Th e Dawn-Breakers, by MuJ:iammad-i-Zarandi, surnamed Nabil-i-A á~am.
Baha' i Publishing Committee, New York, 1932, and other Baha'i Publishing Trusts.

SOME COMPILATIONS FROM Hrs WRTTlNGS

Baha 'i Administration. Baha'i Publishing Citadel of Faith (Messages to America
Committee, Wilmette, Illinois, 1928, 1947- 1957). Baha ' i Publishing Trust,
1960. Wilmette, Illinois, 1965.
Messages to America (1932- 1946). Baha' i Messages to Canada. á National Spiritual
Publishing Committee, Wilmette, Illinois, Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada,
1947. 1965.
Messages to the Bahti 'i World (1950- 1957). Letters ji-om the Guardian to Australia and
Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, Illi- New Zealand (1923-1957) . National
nois, 1958. Spiritual Assembly of Australia, 1970.
Principles of Bahti 'i Administration. Baha'i Dawn of a New Day-Messages to India
Publishing Trust, England, 1950. (1923- 1957). Baha'i Publishing Trust,
Guidance for Today and Tomorrow. Baha' i New Delhi, 1970.
Publishing Trust, London, 1953.
DIRECTORY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY 1043
Directives fiáom the Guardian. Baha'i Pub- Bah6. 'is of the British Isles. Baha'i Publishing Trnst, New Delhi, 1970. lishing Trnst, London, 1981.
High Endeavours: Messages to Alaska. The Light of Divine Guidance: The Mes-
National Spiritual Assembly of the sages Fam the Guardian of the Bah6. 'i
Baha'is of Alaska, 1976. Faith to the Bah6. 'is of Germany and Aus-
Call to the Nations. World Centre Publica- tria. Baha'i Verlag, 1982.
tions , 1977. Th e Light of Divine Guidance, vol. JI: Let-
The Unfolding Destiny of the British Bah6. 'i ters fi-áom the Guardian of the Bah6. 'i
Community: The Messages Fam the Faith to Individual believers, Groups and
Guardian of the Bah6. 'i Faith to the Bah6. 'i Communities in Germany and
Austria. Baha 'i Verlag, 1985.

6. LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE ACHIEVEMENTS

ONE of the goals of the Six Y:ear Plan was "Increasing the Worldwide Availability and
Use of Baha'i Literature" (see pp.157- 159). The promotion of translation has been an
imp01tant objective of the international plans conducted by the Baha' i world community
over the years, so that Baha'i Scriptures and other works may be read by the peoples of the
world in their own tongue.
Previous volumes of The Bah6. 'i World list more than 780 languages, major dialects and
scripts into which the Sacred Writings and other literature of the Baha'i Faith have been
translated; the number has now reached over 800. These achievements include translations,
publications and recordings on tape.
Infomrntion about the languages in which the Baha 'i literature is currently available may
be obtained from the Baha'i World Centre, P.O. Box 155, 31001 Haifa, Israel.
THE BAHA ' I WORLD

7. A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THESES RELATING
TO THE BAHA'f FAITH

THIS bibliography is an attempt to bring together all theses and dissertations relating to
the Baha'i Faith which have been required for obtaining university degrees, whether Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral. Entries are arranged alphabetical ly by author's family name.
Each thesis is assigned a number in sequence which begins with TH. This volume of The
Baha'i World continues the first two installments included in The Bahci 'i World Vol. XVIII
(1978- 1983) and Vol. XIX (1983-1986).

TH I 06. Ad lparvar, Kam ran. ( 1967) Baha'i tempes TH I 17. Bornstein, Yae l. ( 1990) Leaving Europe:
[sic}-B.A., University of Newcastl e upon English poet1y in Israel: an exa111ple: Awaiting
Tyne. Genesis by Reva Sharon.-B.A., Universitat
THI07. Afnan, Elham. (1987) The Good of the world Zurich.
and lhe happiness of the nations: a study of THll8. Bowen, Eli zabeth L., 195 1-. (1977) A Commodern utopian and dystopian literature.- prehensive approach to child heallh through
B.A., McMaster Un iversity. parent and teacher education. - Ph.D ., Uni-
THI08. Afshari, Moha111mad Reza. (1981) A Study versity of Massachu setts.
of the conslil11tio11al revolution within the TH I 19. Boyles, Ann . ( 1987) A Certain tall element:
fra111ewo rk of Iranian histo1y.-Ph.D ., Temp le images and e111bodime11/s of the sacred in the
University (Philadelphia, Pa.). poet1y of Robert Lowell, Robert Hayden, and
TH 109. Amini , Parivash. (1989) Analyse sociologique William Stajford.-P h.D ., University of New
des pri11cipes Baha 'is re/at ifs ala paix mondi- Brunswick (Fredericton, N.B .).
ale.-Memoire de dip!. de fin d 'etudes THl20. Brassesco, Ley la. ( 1983) Robert Hayden e
superieures, Universite de Conakry, Faculte Roger White, poeti Baha'i Nord-America11ides Lettres et Sciences Hu111ain es. Universita' Delgi Studi di Roma "La Sapi-
TH I I 0. Angus, Jacky. (I 99 1) Sh i "i lsla111for the West: enza".
the Baha'i package.-B.A. Honours, Univer- TH 121. Braswell, George W., 1936-. (1985) A Mosaic
sity of Queensland (Brisbane, Qld.). of mullahs and 111osques: religion and politics
TH 111 . Arqu illiere, Chri stophe. ( 1992) The Baha'i in Iranian Shi 'ah !slam.-Ph.D., University of
Faith, can Catholics believe in the theo1y of No rth Caro lina, Chape l Hill.
the "progressive revelation ".-Memoire de TH 122. Brilcke, Sil via. ( 199 1) Annotierte Bibliogra-
3i:111e annee-Ecole Superieure de Co111111erce phie deutschsprachiger Baha 'i-Litera/ur vo11
(Lyon). 1945- 1990: un/er besonderer Beriicksichti-
TH I 12. Ba rtlett, Jean Eleanor. ( 1986) Balza 'i world gu11g der Proble111e der i11haltlichen Erschliesfaith - a case sludy in adull socialization.- su11g. - (Diplo111a " Diplomprilfung ftir den
Ph.D. , Uni vers ity of Ca liforni a (Riverside). Dienst an wissensc ha ftlichen Bibliotheken")-
TH 11 3. Bastani Hesa ri , Hor111oz. ( 1969) Shrine of (Fachhochschule Ha111burg, Fachbereich Bib-
Bahaul/ah [sic} in the Bay of Haif [sic} liothek und ln for111a ti on).
lsrael. -Bachelor of Architecture, Iowa State TH 123. Buck, Ch ri stopher. ( 199 1) Symbolic Quranic
University of Science and Technology. exegesis in Ba ha '11 '/tah 's Book of Certitude:
TH 11 4. Bazil enko, I. V. ( 1988) (lstoriia voz11ik11oveniia the exegetical creation of the Baha 'i Faith.-
Bekhaizma): (Bekha-ulla [1 817-1892} i ego M.A., University of Calgary, Alta.
uche11ie).-Ph.D., Leni ngrad State Un iversity. TH I 24. Carney, Magdalene, 1929- 199 I. (I 977) Th e
TH 11 5. Billlllardi, Val; id. ( 1986) (al-Lughat al-!ftifiyyah Learning competence paradigm of the Anisa
wa mu!flalih-ha fl ~i 'r !bn al-Fa1"i<f).-M.A., model and the preparation of teachers.-
Arabic li terature, A111erican Un iversity of Ph.D., University of Massachu setts.
Beirut. TH 125. Casu, Jean- Christophe. ( I984-85) Le Concept
TH I 16. Bopp, Michael. (1985) Education for human de religion progressive dans la Joi 111ondiale
de velopment.-Ph.D ., Un ivers ity of Alberta, baha'ie et da11s /es oeuvres d'Amadou Ham-
Ed111onton. pa te Ba. - Doctorat de 3e111e cycle de Lettres
D IRECTORY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY 1045
Modernes, Un iversite de Paris X II (Val de dimensions and values.- Ph.D., Un iversity of
Marne). Rajasthan.
TH 126. Chou leur, Jacques. ( 1978) le Mormonisme: de TH l 42. Harrison, Jill. (1990) The Dawn of Baha'i
la secte americaine ala religion universe!le.- art.-B.A. , Radc li ffe College, Harvard Un i-
Ph.D., Universite de Paris. vers ity.
TH 127. Christensen, Pia Monrad. ( 1992) Baha'i troen: TH 143. Hassall , Graham H. (1989) Religion and
troens udbredalse pa fsland.-B.A. , Hask6 1i nation-state formation in Melanesia: 1945
islands [University of Iceland], Reykjavik. to independence.-Ph.D., Austra li an National
TH 12 8. Colon, Ariane. ( 1989) Etude approfondie de Un iversity (Canberra, A.C.T.).
questions d 'histoire et de sociologie des reli- TH l44. Haugseggen, Ka i. ( 1988) Mal og metoderfor
gions: theme: la Foi Baha 'ie. - B.A. , Univer- arbeidet i lokale andelige rad: lokale andelige
site Libre de Bruxe ll es . rad b0r fungere "Harmonisk, kraftfi1!/t
TH 129. Daliri , Farvardin. (1990) Contradictions of ogellektivt".-Statens laererl10g-skole i Han -
multiculturalism: insights fi'om th e Balza 'i del s og Kontorfag, Hoslemo , Norway.
theoretical basis of unity in diversity.- M.Ed., THl45. Hi lckmann, Stephen. ( 1987) Religion und
Monash University (A ustrali a), 1990. Frieden, heute.-Die Freie Kunststudienstatte,
TH 130. Djahanjiri, Saed. ( 1992?) Presentazione s1illa Ottersberg, West Germany.
Fede Baha 'i.-B.A.? TH 146. Hinton, Sean. ( 1990) Urtyn duu: a preliminwy
THl3 1. Duda, Barbara. ( 1987) Die Baha'i im Iran: consideration of Mongol long Song.-
eine religiose Minderh eit in historischer M. Phil., Univers ity of Cambridge (U.K.).
Sicht.- M.A., Uni versitat Gottin gen. THl47. Hubendick , Bj0rn Ivar. (1990) The Environ-
TH 132. Fil so n, Gera ld Wesley. ( 1982) A Case study of mental crisis and the Baha'i Faith.-Cand.
the role of media in an educational campaign Philo!. , Oslo Uni versity, Norway.
in the Canadian Baha'i Community.-M.A., THl48 . Ivanov, M. S. (1939) Babidskie vosstani/a v
Conco rdi a Uni versity (Mon trea l). lrane, 1848- 1852.- Ph.D. , Trudy lnstituta
TH 133. Foster, M. (1980) Social evolution: a case Vostokovedeni ia.
study of the Baha'i Faith.-M.A. , Lo ng Island THl49. lxmeier, Elisabeth. (!98-?) Mark Tobey.-
University. Ph.D., Ruhr-Universitat, Bochum.
"j'H 134. Fox, Edward A. ( 1972) Engineering analysis TH 150. Jaggi, Christian. ( 1987) Zum interreligiosen
of computerized information retrieval of the Dialog zwischen Christentum, Islam und
Baha'i writings.-B.S., Massachusetts Insti - Baha 'itum .-Ph.D., Universitat ZUric h.
tute of Technology. TH 15 1. Karl berg, Michae l. ( 1990) The Baha'i Faith
TH l 35. Gagnon, Richard . (1988) Analyse de la struc- and the vital role of religion in contemporwy
ture de l'ordre administratif Balta 'i. - Ph.D. , environmental thought.-B.A., University of
Universite Laval. Santa Cruz, Ca li fornia.
TH 136. G hanea Tabrizi, Nazi la. ( 1992) The Baha'i TH 152. Kelley, Edward Ru lief. ( 1986) Mark Tobey
concept ofpeace.-M.A., Uni versity of Leeds. and the Baha'i Faith: new per:.pectives on
THl37. Galata, Joseph A. ( 1988) Cross cultural ther- the artist and his paintings.-Ph.D., Un iverapy with culturally disadvantaged adolescents: sity of Texas at Austin.
an ontological dimensional foc us using the TH 153. Lawson, B. Todd. ( 1987) The Qur 'an comp:,ychiatric writings of Wilhelm Stekel, the mentwy of Sayyid 'Ali Muhammad the Bab.-
existential philosophy and psychology of Ph.D., McG ill University.
Viktor Frankl and the theological writings of THl54. Lawson, Lauren Valk . (1986) Characteristics
Baha 'u '/!ah.-Ph.D., Southwest[ern?] Univer- ofsocial network contacts recruited by Iranian
sity. Baha 'i refi1gees.-M.N. , Univers ity of Wash-
TH 138. Ge isler, Ramo na C. ( 1986) World govern- in gton (Seatle, Wash.).
ment.-M.A., Sch iller Internat iona l University T H 155. Lem, Kari. ( 1991) Moral education = Hovedf-
(Lo ndon). agsoppgave: a thesis.-M.A., Uni versity of
TH 139. G hadrshenass, De la var. ( 1987) Dispute resolu- Tromsoe.
tion studies in the institutions of higher TH 156. Linge, Bitten. ( 1974) Baha'i i Narge.-Un ilearning: an initial investigative study of pro- vers itetet i Bergen.
fessors' attitudes. - Ph.D., North Texas State TH 157 Littrell , Eileen. ( l 992) Qurratu '/-Ayn Tahirih:
University (Denton). a study in transformational leadership.-
TH 140. Grigoriian S. N. ( 195 1) Bekhaizm kak ideolog- Ph.D. , Un ited States International University,
icheskoe oruzhie Anglo-Amerikanskogo impe- San Diego, Ca lifornia.
rializma v lrane.-Ph.D. TH 15 8. Loeb, Laurence Delemos, 1942-. (1983) The
TH 141. Haghighat, Nejat. ( 1992) Baha'i religion: a Jews ofsouthwest Iran: a study of cultural persociological study of its institutional sistence.-Ph .D. , Co lumb ia Universi ty.
1046 THE BAHA'i WORLD

TH 159. Maher, Fataneh. ( 1982) L 'Echec sco/aire chez TH 173. Mol ineaux, Pasca l Jean, ( 1987) Fundaec in
/ 'ecolier de Brazzavi/le. -Ph.D., Universite /he Norte de f Cauca, Colombia: calalyzing
Paris V. rural development through rural educalion.-
TH 160. Mahmoud i, Hoda. ( 1979) Th e Structure of M.A. , Corne ll Un iversity (Ithaca, N.Y.).
organizations in Iran: a comparative analy- TH 174. Morisette, Jea nn ine. ( 1988) L 'Aulo-developpes is.-P h.D., Un iversity of Utah. ment au sein des projels de l'ACDI.-M.A .,
TH 16 1. Malik-Mul)ammadi, Manuchir, 1313 sh Uni vers ite Lava l, Quebec, Quebec.
[1934]. (1338 [ 1959- 60]) (Ta 'thir dastiirat-i TH 175. Mo slehi, Shanaz. ( 1986) An Iranian informal
adyan dar salamati-yi afrad-i insani). - M.D., educational network in America: a descriplive
Uni versity of Tehran. No d irect reference to sludy. -Ph.D., Uni versity of Southern Cali fornia.
Faith, but co ntains translations of excerpts of TH 176. Mowzoon, Farideh. ( 1987) The HistOJy and
Lawl)-i-Tibb. development of Baha'i educalion in th e United
TH 162. Ma louf, Diana. ( 1988) The Hidden words of States, 1892- 1986. - Ph .D., George Washing-
Baha 'u '//ah- translation norms employed by ton Uni versity (Wash ington, D.C.).
Shoghi Eflendi.-Ph.D., State University of TH 177. Nasseri , Behrouz. ( 1987) Vrijheid van godsdi-
New York at Bi nghamton. ensl in het inlemationaal recht.- L.L.M., Uni-
TH l 63. Marrero , Myriam. (1990) The Principles by versity of Leiden .
which we live: a comparison between the TH 178. Newton, Peter Cra ig. ( 1985?) In search of
Baha 'i Faith and Chinese belief and their pwpose in educa1io11: implica/ions of the
ph ilosophy. -B.A. Baha'i wrilings.- M.A., Uni versity of Ca li for-
TH 164. Marchal, Dominique. ( 1986) L 'Hygienisme au ni a (Davi s).
service de / 'humanite.-Certificate, Un iversite TH 179. Nussmayr (Nadji), Mahnas. ( 1988) Erziehung
de Psyco-somatique Naturell e de V ie et in der Baha 'i-Religion.-B.A., Karl-Franzens-
Action , Joue-l es-Tours, France. Quotations Universitat. (Graz, Austria)
from the Baha'i writings throughout. TH 180. N utako r, Eddie Mawusi. ( 1987) Recherche
TH 165. Masumbuko Mutima. ( 1984-85) Projet de reli- pour une langue 1111iverse/le: comparaison
ance d 'une economie paysanne delaissee: "cas socio-linguistique du francais et de
de / 'Assemb/ee Baha 'ie de Karava-Runingo / 'esperanlo.-M .A.?, Un iversity of Science
en Co/lec/ivile Bafulero" (Zo ne d'Uvira). - and Techno logy. (Kumasi, Ghana)
Gradue en Developpement Rura l, ln stitut TH 18 1. Oboodiat, Farideh. ( 1992) Young ch ildren's
Supe ri eur de Developpment Rural, Bukavu. understanding of peace concepls: negalive
THl66. Mboya, Ati eno. (1987) Law and the Baha'i peace, nonviolent-conflict-resolution, and
lheocracy: a jurisprudenlial perspective.- posilive peace.-Ph. D., University of Texas
LL.B ., Uni vers ity of Na irobi, Kenya. (Austin) .
TH 167. Merritt , Johanna. ( 1990) lntem alizalion of TH 182. Pappa lardo, Patri zio . (1985) E!emenli per ww
religious beliefs in Irish Baha'i adolescents.- ricerca sul movimen/o 111essianico profelico
B.A., Uni versity of North Caro lina (Chapel de/ Bab (dal 1844 al 1853): analisi lipologica
Hi ll). e s/orico-religiosa de/ primo testo de movi-
TH168. Mil ler, Carole Pritchard. (1992) Cultural plu - mento.- Tesi di Laurea, Un iversita degl i Stud i
ralism: a transformational agenda.- Ph.D., di Tori no.
Georgia State University (Atlanta, Ga.). TH 183. Parsa, Lida . ( 1986) "La Moda Persiana" ne/la
TH169 . Mil lingto n, Thomas V. ( 1986) Baha'i consul- lelleralura inglese dei secoli diciottesimo &
/a/ion and group decision dynamics : a study diciannovesimo.-Tesi di Laurea B.A . in
of the compatibility of religious philosophy Eng li sh language & literatu re, Uni versita dagli
and scienlijic research. - Ph.D. , Co lu mb ia Stud i di Fi renze.
Paci fi e Un iversity. TH 184. Pelto la, Harri. ( 1987) Babi-ja Baha'i-
TH 170. Mobi ni -Kesheh, Natalie. ( 199 1) Guided reli- liikkeiden imago suomessa Cobineausta teinogion: religious policy in old order Indonesia seen. - Uskontoti enteen pro gradu-tutkielm a,
and th e banning of the Baha 'is.-B.A. Hel sin gi n y li op isto Hi storiall is-kielitieteel-
Honours, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic .. linen osasto.
TH 17 1. Mohadjer, Sa ideh. ( 1986) Eine Deutsch- TH 185. Penn , Michael Lee. ( 1992) An Evalualion
Franzosische Terminologie w den Schriflen of the re/alionship between world view, hopeder Baha 'i-Religion.- B.A .?, Uni vers itat des lessness, /emporality, and depression among
Saarlandes. adolesce11/s and young.-Ph.D, Temple Uni-
TH 172. Mohregi, Mehrdad. ( 1984) (B i-YGd-i Tahirih) ve rsity (Phil ade lphi a, Pa.).
= A la memoire de Tahirih.-Thesis (Memoire Tl-1186. Pen-y, Mark Lloyd. (1986) The Chicago
de Troi sieme Cyc le)- Ecole d ' Architecture de Baha'i Co111m1111i1y, 1921- 1939.-Ph.D., Uni-
Na ncy. versi ty of C hi cago , 1986.
DIR ECTORY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY 1047

TH 187. Pili , Patri zia. (I 986- 1987) William Sears, outcomes.-M.A., Univers ity o f Georgia,
ii messaggio ecum enico Bahri 'i ne// 'area di Athens.
lingua inglese.-Tesi di laurea [B.A.?], Uni- TH203. Sefidvash, Mehrvash. ( 1985-86) Relazione
versita degli Studi di Cagliari. madre-bambino dura nte la gravidanza (con
TH 188. Rama n, S. Pattabi. (1974) Biological dimen- accenni da / p1111to di vista Bahrii) [sic}.-Tesi
sions of the value theo1y of the Anisa edu ca- di Iaurea [B.A. ?], Uni versita degli Studi di
tional model. -Ed.D ., Uni versity of Milano.
Massac hu setts. TH204 . Sefidvash, Shid vash. ( 198-?) L 'Educazione
TH 189. Rassek h, Chahine Rouhani Ardekan i. ( 1987) religiosa nel/a Fede Baha 'i. -B.A .? "Tes i in
Socio-economic rural development: grassroots pedagogia", Uni versita Deg li Stud i di Verona .
participation fo r social change.-M . Libera l TH205 . Sm ith , L. Douglas. ( 1987) Evaluation de la
Stud ies, Uni versity of Oklahoma. co11vert11re vaccinale clans le district rural
TH 190. Re imer, Kathy. ( 1987) The Impa ct of develop- d'Alplahoue en Republique Populaire du
ment 011 the sexual division of labour: a Benin. -Memoire, Universite Nationale du
Botswana case study.-M.A., Un iversi ty of Ben in, Cotono u.
the W itwatersrand, Johann esburg. TH206 Snyder, Channing Z. ( 199 1) Dawn of the solar
TH I9 1. Riis Zahra i, Annette. ( 1986) Evolution of the energy revolution.-M.S., Pac ific Western
Baha 'i Faith in the United States since 1960= University, Los Angeles.
Evo lutio n du mo uvement Baha' i aux Etats TH207. Soave, Fernando. ( 1988) Het Baha'i beleid als
Unis depuis 1960.- Maitrise, Civilisati on Nord- model voor een nieuwe beschaving.-Diplom a
Ameri ca ine Contemporaine, Uni versite Paris X. in Marketing, Limb urgs Hoger Hande lsin stit-
TH 192. Robarts, Adam J. T. ( 1985) "Akbar's dream": uut Hasse ll, Be lgium .
a discourse 011 the Baha 'i Temple in Wilmel/e, TH208. Stephens, K. Dean. ( 1990) Village radio: the
//linois.'-Architecture, 3rd year undergraduate development of com111u11icatio11 and the
studies, Jesus Co ll ege, Cambri dge Un iversity. commw1icatio11 of development.-Ph.D ., The
TH 193 . Rogers, Kim . ( 1989) Canada's co11trib11tion Uni on Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio.
to third world development: the case of the T H209. Stockman, Robert H., ( 1990) The Baha 'i Faith
l11tematio11al Developm ent Research Cen - and American Protestantism.-Ph.D., Harvard
tre. - M.A., Univers ity of Guelph, Ont. Uni veristy.
TH 194. Ruys, Barbara Ann, ( 1986) Green Aere TH2 I 0. Tapon , Francis A ndrew. ( 1992) The End is at
Baha'i lnstilute.-M .A., Harvard Uni versity hand: the eschatology of the Bahri 'i Faith and
(Camb ri dge, Mass.). the worldwide church of God. - B.A. with
TH 195 . Saberi , Vahi deh. ( 1987) Socio-economic study Honors, Amherst Co llege (Amherst, Mass.).
of the Baha 'is in lndia.-P h.D ., Bhopa l Uni- TH211. Taylo r, Mahdokht Martha Tebyan i. ( 1988) The
versity. Baha 'i educational ph ilosophy: its implica-
TH 196. Sabet, Behrooz. ( 1987) Curriculum theo1y and tions to values education in the Philippines.-
the Bahri 'i Faith : relationship between the Ph.D., Uni vers ity of the Philippi nes System.
phenomenal world and the spiritual reality.- TH2 I 2. To lui e, Koorosh. ( 1989) Th e Establishment
Ph .D., State Uni versity of New York at Buffalo. of a permanent and universal peace as the
TH 197. Sabet-Esfahani , Afsaneh. ( 1988) Th e Experi- supreme goal of mankind.-Ph.D., City Unience of immigration: the case of Iranian versity of Los Angeles.
women. -M.A ., University of British Co lumbi a TH2 I 3. Towfi gh, Nicola. ( 1987) Schopfung und O.ffe11-
(Vancouver). ban111g aus der Sicht der Bahri 'i- Religion
TH 198. Samandari , Maryam. ( 1970) La Foi Ba ha 'ie. anhand ausgewtih/ter Texte.- Inaugura l -Di s-
- Universite de Neuchatel. sertati on/ Ph.D., Ruhr Uni versittit.
TH 199. Sa ni ee, Mahdad. ( 1982) The Baha'i house of TH214. Ubben, Lori L. ( 1992) Development of the
worship. Edinburgh-Un iversity of Edi nburgh. Baha'i Faith in Cen tral Illinois, 1898-1957.-
TH200 . Schoos, Martin e. ( 1989) Erziehung aus der M.A., Illinois State Uni versity.
Sich t des Baha 'i Glaubens, aujgewiesen am T H2 15. Vargha, Ruhi. ( 1986) The Architectural and
Model/ der Anis-Zun uzi-Schule au/ Haiti.- symbolic sig11ifica11ce of the Baha 'i House of
B.A ., Uni versitat Bonn. Worship in Wilmette, 11/inois.-M.S ., Brooks
TH201. Sco lni k, Be rn ardo. ( 1989) Mark Tobey (1890- In stitute of Photographi c Art and Sc iences
1976).- B.A., Accademia di Be ll e Arti Di (Santa Barbara, Ca lif.).
Roma. TH216. Wa lline, David L. ( 1974) A Hist01y of th e
TH202. Sea le, Thomas Scott. ( 1980) An Examination Baha 'i National Spiritual Assembly of th e
of the science curriculum as it reflects social- United States and Canada from its origins to
industrial change: a proposal for curriculum 1937.-B.A ., Yale Uni versi ty (New Have n,
involving social interactions and utilitarian Conn.).
1048 THE BAHA'I WORLD

TH217. We in berg, Robert M., (1986) Meetings with TH220. Woodbury, Sarah . (1990) Unity in diversity:
remarkable men: a special study. - B.A., a study of belief and practice in a Baha'i
Brighton Po lytechnic. Community. - B.A ., Bryn Mawr Co llege (Pa.).
TH2 I 8. Williams, Pontheolla Taylor. ( 1977) A Critical TH22 I. Wright, Campbell Robert. ( 1987) Baha 'is and
analysis of the poet1y of Robert Hoy den education in New Zealand. - M.A ., Uni versity
through his middle years.-Ed.D ., Co lum bia of Auck land.
University Teachers Co ll ege. Tl-1222. Wyman, June R. ( 1988) Becoming a Baha 'i:
TH2 I 9. Wi se, An ny. ( 1985) Joseph and his multi- discourse and social networks in an American
coloured sto1 y: the sto1y of Joseph and his religious movement.- Ph .D., The Catholi c
brothers. - Facu lty of Co mparative Religions, University of Ameri ca (Washingto n, D.C.).
Antwerp.

8. A PARTIAL LISTING OF CURRENT GENERAL BAHA'i
P ERIODICALS

A. PRODUCED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF B AHA' i INSTITUTIONS
I. 'A ndalib. v. I, no. I (13 8, 198 1- 1982)-. Thorn hill 8. One Cow1t1y: newsletter of the Bah aá; International
Ont. : Nationa l Spiritual Assemb ly of the Baha' is of Community. v. I, no . I (Winter 1988)-. New York:
Canada . Persian language genera l Baha'i jou rnal. Baha' i Internationa l Community, Office of Publ ic
2. Baha'i Digest. (Apr. 1988)- . Kuala Lumpur: In forniation .
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha ' is of 9. One Count1y: revue de la Communautee fntema-
Malaysia. Digest of articles from Baha ' i period ica ls tional Baha 'ie. no. I (Jan./Mar.1989)-. Ed. Francaise.
around th e world . New York: Communautee Intern ationale Baha ' ie.
3. Baha'i Studies Bulletin . v. I. (June 1982)- . Newcas- I 0. Opinioni Bahri 'i. no. I ( 1973) - no. 16 (luglio 1976);
tle upon Tyne. Eng.: Stephen Lambden. Unoffic ial v. I, no. I (in verno 1977)-. Roma: Assemblea Spirjournal of Baha ' i studies. itua le Nazionale dei Baha' i d' llali a. Itali an language
4. Brilliant Star. v. 15, no . I (Mar.- Apr. 1983)- . genera l Baha' i journal.
Hixson, Tenn.: Nationa l Sp iritual Assembly of the I I. la Pensee Baha 'i. no. I (Jan. 1962)-. Berne: Assem-
Baha'is of the United States. Children's journal blee Sp irituell e Nati onales des Baha'is de la Su isse.
whi ch succeeds Child's Way. French language general Baha' i jou rnal.
5. Glo1y : Baha'i Youth Magazine. v. I, no . I (Dec. 12. Tia- n xia yljia. [On e Count1y . Chin ese, sim plifi ed
1966)-. Panchgani: National Baha' i Yo uth Comm it- script]. no . 6 (Nov. 199 1)- . New York: Baha'i
tee of India. Internati onal Community, Office of Public lnfornia-
6. Herald of the South [New series}. v. I (Oct. 1984)- . tion .
Canberra , A.C.T.: National Spiritual Assemb li es of 13. Tia- n xia yl jia [One Co11nt1y Chinese, traditiona l
the Baha'is of Austra li a and New Zea land. script]. no. I (Sept. 199 1)- . New York: Baha ' i
7. The Joumal of Baha 'i Studies = la Revue des International Community, Office of Pub lic Informaeludes Baha 'ies =la Revis/a de estudios Baha 'is. ti on.
v. I , no. I ( 1988)- . Ottawa, Ont.: Assoc iation for 14. World Order. v. I, no. I (Fa ll 1966)- . Wilmette, 111.:
Baha' i Studi es. A multi-lingua l journal of Baha ' i National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha' is of the
scho larsh ip. United States. General Baha'i journal.

B. PRODUCED UNDER NON-INSTITUTIONAL AUSPICES
I . From the !-!earls of the Handmaidens. v. I , no . I 2. Spiritual Mothering Joumal. v. I, no. I (Jan.-Feb.
(March 1989)-. Lynnwood, Wash.: Women' s Con- 198 1)-. Dover, N.H.: Melinda Armstrong.
sul tati ve Group.
DIR ECTORY, B IBLI OGRAPHY, GLOSSARY 1049

9. A PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF COMMERCIALLY
PRODUCED SLIDE SHOWS ON THE BAHA'I FAITH 1971-1992

I. 6-slide sets. (Wilmette, Ill.]: Nationa l Sp iritua l 13. Bahci 'i house of worship, Wilm el/e, 11/inois: Baha 'i
Assembly of the Baha ' is of the United States; house of worship is open to all people. [Wilmette,
(Vi ctor, N.Y.]: Internationa l Baha'i Audio-Visual Ill.]: Baha ' i Publi sh ing Trust, 1978?. I slide sho w
Center (di stributor], 1976. 54 sl ides: co l. in 2 pts. ( 12 slides): co l.
2. 24 deepening slides. [New Delhi]: Nati onal Baha' i 14. Bahri 'i house of worship, Wilmel/e, Illin ois. (Wil-
Audio-Visual Committee of India, ca . 1980. 24 slides: mette, Ill.]: Baha ' i Publi shing Trust, ca. 1970. I s li de
co l. + I sound casse tte + 24 leaves: ill. ; 8 x 22 cm . show ( 18 slides): co l.
3. 1963 International Bahri 'i Convention and World 15. Die Baha'i i111 Iran. [Ho fbeim-Langenhain]: Baha' i
Congress. [Wilmette, Ill.]: Published for the Universa l A ud io-Vi sual Committee Germany = Referat Bild
House of Justice by the National Sp iri tual Assemb ly & Ton des Nati o nalen Ge isti gen Rates der Baha 'i in
of the Baha ' is of the United States, 1964. I slide Deutschland , 1983. I slide show (94 slides): co lor,
show (82 slides): co l. + script (22 p.: ill. ; 18 x 18 b&w + I so und cassette + script (I I leaves; 30 cm.).
cm.) . 16. Baha'i International Conference. Canberra, 1982.
4. 'Abdu '/-Bahri, Lichtblicke der Vo/lko111111 enheit. [Mona Va le, N.S. W.): National Saha ' i Audio-
[Hofl1eim-Langenhain]: Baha ' i Aud io-Vi sual Com- Visua l Committee, 1982. 33 slides in box: co l. +
mittee Gerniany = Referat Bild & Ton des Natio nal en I sound cassette + script, (7 leaves ; 30 cm.).
Geisti gen Rates der Saha ' i in Deutsch land , 197-. 17. Bahri 'i principles . [Victor, N .Y.?]: Internati o nal
6 leaves; 30 cm. + I sound cassette (25 min.) + 78 Baha ' i Aud io-V isual Ce nter?, ca. 1970. 1 s lide show
sli des: col ., b & w. (8 slides): co l.
5.Arcand terraces project. [Haifa]: Baha'i World Cen- 18. Bahri 'i social and economic development. [H aifa]:
tre A udi o-Vi sual De partment. [Belchertow n, Mass.] : Baha ' i World Centre; [Thornhi ll , Ont.]: Interna-
Images Internatio nal , 1991. I slide show (20 slides): tional Baha ' i Audio-V isual Center [di stributor],
co l. Ricjvan 1987. 1 slide sho w (80 slides): col., + scri pt
6. Der Bab. [Ho ll1ei m-Langenhain]: Baha ' i Audio- ( 13, [5] leaves).
Visual Committee Germany = Referat Bild & Ton 19. Baha'i social and economic development. [H aifa]:
des Natio nalen Geistigen Rates der Baha ' i in Deut- Baha'i Worl d Centre; [Thornhill , Ont.]: Internaschl and, I 97-. 8 leaves ; 30 cm. + I so und cassette tio nal Baha ' i Aud io-Visual Center (di stributor] ,
(27 min .) + 85 slides: col., b & w. Ricjvan 1987. I slide show (80 sl ides): col ., +
7. Bahri 'i Faith I a slide lecture by Juliette Soderberg. I sound cassette + sc ript ( 13, [5] leaves).
(New York]: Sheikh Production s, 1975. I slide show 20. Bahri 'i World Congress 1963. [Victor, N.Y. ): Inter-
(32 slides): co l. + script ( 19 p. ; 28 cm.) in 3-hol e nati onal Baha ' i Audio-Vi sua l Center, 1968?. I slide
binder. (Religio ns- East and West) . show (82 slid es): co l. + script (5 p. ; 28 cm.).
8. Bahri 'i holy places, 'A kka. [Vi ctor, N.Y.]: Interna- 21. Th e Bahri 'is and the holy land. Na rrated by William
tiona l Baha ' i Audio-V isual Center, 197-?. I slide Sears, Hand of the Cause. (W ilm ette, Ill.) : Baha ' i
show (6 slides): col. Publi shing Trust, 197 1. 1 slide show (8 slides): co l.
9. Bahriá; holy places, Ball)i-Mazra 'ih. [Victor, N.Y .]: + I sound cassette + I script (4 p.; 28 cm.) .
International Baha' i Audio-Vi sual Center, 197-?. 22. The Bahri 'is and the holy land (H aifa]: Baha ' i
I s lide show (6 slides): col. World Centre- a slide program prepared by the
IO. Bal11i 'i holy places, Haifa. [Vi ctor, N.Y.]: Intern a- A udio-V isual Department. Rev., 198 5. I s lide show
tiona l Saha ' i Aud io-Visual Center, 197-?. I sl ide (76 slides): col. ; + I script (8 p.).
show (12 slides): co l. 23. Bahri 'i holy place, Haifa. [Dilsse ldorf, Ger. ]: Spa nk ,
11 Bahri 'i house of worsh ip. India. [Haifa) : Office of 197- 9. I sl ide show (6 slides): col.
Public In fo rmation. A series of co lor sli des of the 24. Bahri 'u '/lah. [H o ll1 ei111-Langenh ai n): Baha ' i Audio-
Ba ha ' i house of wo rship in New De lhi , Indi a, V isual Com mittee Ge rmany= Re ferat Bild & Ton
December 23 to 26, 1986. Photographer, Paul des Nation alen Ge istigen Rates der Baha'i in Deut-
Slaughter, 1986. I slide show (30 slides): col. + sch land, 197- . 9 leaves; 30 cm. + I sound cassette
script ( I leaf; 30 cm.). (31 min.) + 96 sl ides: co l., b & w.
12. The Bahri 'i house of worship, Sydney, Australia. 25. Birds of di verse feath ers consult together. Written
[M ona Vale, N.S .W .): Baha ' i Ho use of Worsh ip, by Dani el C. Jordan; Eng li sh narratio n by Caro l and
1982?. 6 p. fo lder: ill. ; 2 1 cm. + 6 s lides: co l. Jim All en; artwork by Douglas Honake r. (Wilmette)
1050 THE BAHA'i WORLD

National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the 38. Election de /'A ssemblee Spirituelle locale = The
United States; (Victor, N.Y].: International Baha'i Election of the local Spiritual Assembly. [Abidjan,
Aud io-Visual Center [distributor] , 1972. I slide Cote d ' Ivoire]: Centre d 'A udio-Visuel Baha ' i de
show (94 slides): col. + I sound cassette + script l'Afrique, 1984?. 8 p.: ill. ; 21 c111. + I sound cas-
(5 p.; 28 c m .). sette+ 54 slides: co l.
26 . Bonds of unity. (Wilmette, 111.]: Nationa l Spiritua l 39. Die Erde isl eine Heimat: Tonbi ld schau, D-4,
Assembl y of the Baha'is of the United States, 1977. 98 Dias, 28 min. [H ofhei111]: Baha'i Audio-Visual
I slide show (140 slides): col. + script (18 leaves). Com111ittee Gerniany, 197-?. 8 leaves; 30 cm. +
27. Call to action: revision 2. (Wilmette, Ill. ?]: National I sound cassette (28 min. )+ 98 slides: col.
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha ' is of th e United 40. Die Erzieher der Menschh eit. [Hofheim]: Baha'i
States?, ca. 1960?. I slide show ( 104 slides): col., Audio-Visual Committee Germany, 1980. I slide
b&w. show in 2 parts (79, 97 slides)+ 2 sound cassettes
28. Call to action: revision 3. (Wilmette, Ill. ?: ] Nationa l + Textmanuskript (8 leaves; 30 cm.) .
Sp iritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United 41 la Foi Balui 'ie. [Paris]: Com ite Nationa l Audio
States?, ca. 1960?. I sl ide show (87 slides): col., b&w. V isuel des Baha'is de France, 1985 . I slide show
29. Canada's six year plan. [Thornhill , Ont.]: Nationa l (78 slides) : col. + script (8 leaves).
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada, Dec. 42 . Das Geheimnis des Gartens-von Winni fried Bar-
1986. I slid e show (54 slides): col. + "slide guide" num Newman (frei Ubersetzt). [Hofheim-Langen-
(4 p. ; 28 cm.) . hain]: Ausschuss flir Bild & Ton, 1988. I sli de show
30. Cannel ... the mountain of God: the relati onship of (36 slides): col.
Mount Carmel to the Central Figures of the Baha'i 43. The Green light expedition of Riihiyyih Rabbani.
Faith. (Victor, N. Y.]: International Baha ' i Audio- [Wilmette, Ill.]: Baha'i Publishing Trust; (Victor,
Visual Center, 1969. I slide show (59 slides): co l. + N.Y.]: International Baha'i Audio Visual Cente r
script(l 8 p.: ill. ; 18 x 18 cm.). [di stributor] , 1976. 4 pts. slide show (160, 112, 160,
31. Th e Centwy of light: an introduction to the Baha'i 160 slides): col. 4 sound cassettes + scripts ((24),
Faith. [New Delhi]: National Spiritual Assem bly of (20] , (24], (24] p.: ill. ; 18 x 18 cm.).
the Baha ' is of Indi a, 1988. I slide show (159 slides): 44. The Green light expedition of R1i(1iyyih Rabbani.
col. (Wilmette, Ill ): Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1976. 4 pis.
32 . Challenge to vict01y. (Victor, N.Y .]: Internationa l slide show (160, 11 2 160, 160, sl ides) : col. + 4
Baha'i Audio-Visua l Center, 1969. I slide show sound cassettes + sc ripts ([24] , [20] , (24], (24] p.:
( 123 sl ides): co l. ill.; 18 x 18 cm.).
33 . Color slides of the Baha'i lntemational Convention, 45. Growth and development of the Baha 'i World com-
April 1988. [Haifa]: Office of Publi c In formation; munity= Crecimiento y desarrollo de la comunidad
[Thornhill , Ont.]: Internati ona l Baha ' i Audio-Visual mundial Balza 'i = Croissance et developpment de la
Center (di stributor], 1988. I slide show (20 s lides): communaute mondiale baha 'ie. [Haifa]: Baha'i
col. I p. script. World Centre Department of Statistics. [Thornhill ,
34. Convencion lntemacional Boho 'i y Congreso Mun- Ont.]: International Baha ' i Audio-Visual Center,
dial, 1963. [Wilmette, Ill.] : Publicado para la Casa 1986. 65 sl ides: co l. & English script ( 18 leaves ; 28
Universa l de Justicia por la Asamb lea Espiritual cm .), Spanish script (9 leaves; 28 cm.), French script
Nacion al de los Baha ' is de Ios Estados Unidas de ( 11 leaves; 28 cm .).
America, 1964. I slide show (82 slides): co l. + a
46. Da guerra paz-para ilustrar a mensagem da Casa
script (22 p.: ill. ; 18 x 18 cm.). Universal de Justi9a aos povos do mundo "A
35. Th e Dawning place of the mention of God. [Wil - Prom essa da paz"; crai9ao e roteiro, Luis Hennique
mette, Ill.]: Baha'i Publi sh in g Trust, 1972. I slide Beus!. [Mag i Mirim , S.P., Brasil]: Centre Baha'i de
show (80 slides) : col. +script (20, (4] p.: ill.; 18 x Produ9ao Audio Visual, 1986. I s lide show ( 11 6
18 c m.). slides): col. + I so und cassette + script ( 10 leaves,
36. Th e Dawning place of the mention of God = El 33 cm.).
Punta de aman ecer de la mencion de Dios. [Wil- 47. The Heritage of the martyrs. (Thornhill , Ont.]:
mette, Ill.]: Nati onal Spiritual Assembly of the National Spiritual Assemb ly of the Baha'is of
Baha'is of the Un ited States; (Vi ctor, N.Y.]: Inter- Canada, 1981. 1 slide show ( 140 slides): co l. , b & w
national Baha'i Audio-Visual Center [distributor], + I so und cassette + script (5 p.).
1972 . I slide show (80 slides): co l. + 1 sound cas- 48 . Holy places. [Haifa]: Baha'i World Centre Audiosette + Engli sh & Span ish scripts (4 p. ; 28 cm. Visual Department. [Belchertown, Mass.]: Images
[each]). International, [ 199 1). I slide show (20 sl ides): co l.
37. Each one teach one. (Wilmette, Ill.) : Nationa l 49. Th e Hundredth year: the 1967 inter-continental
Teaching Committee, Nationa l Education Co111 mit- Baha' i conferences commemorati ng the centenary
tee, 1975. I slide show (44 sli des): col. + 1 so und of the proclamation of Baha ' u' ll ah. [Victor, N.Y.):
cassette. Baha'i International Audio-Visual Center, 1971.
DIRECTORY , BIBLIOGRA PHY , GLOSSARY 1051
I slide show ( 11 4 slides) : co l. + script (25 p.: 8 x 18 6 1. Radio Baha'i Equa /eur. [Paris]: Com ite National
cm.). Audio Visuel des Baha' is de France, ca. 1985.
50. Huququ 'I/ah compilation. A Cod ifi catio n of the law I slide show (36 slides): col. + 1 sound cassette
of J:luququ'Ilah. History of the trustees of script (3 leaves).
Huququ ' llah. [Rocky River, Ohio]: Board of Trust- 62. The Red velvet story. [W ilmette, III.]: National Spirees of Baha ' i J:luququ'Ilah in the Uni ted States, itual Assembly of the Un ited States; [Victor, N.Y.]:
1988. 2 pt. slide show (95, 37 slides): co l., b & w + Internati onal Baha' i Audio-Visual Center [distribuguide (3 leaves). tor] , 1973. 1 sl ide show (112 slides): col. 1 sound
51 Le Jour promis. [Paris]: Comite National Audio cassette ( 19 min.) + scri pt (5 p.; 28 cm.).
Visuel des Baha'i de France, 1984. I slide show 63 . Second International Baha 'i Convention, Haifa,
(72 slides): co l. + script (8 leaves). April 1968. [Victor, N.Y .]: International Baha'i
52. Kings and rulers to whom Bah a 'u 'I/ah addressed Audio-Visual Center, 1968?. I slide show (36 slides):
messages. [Victor, N.Y.]: International Baha'i col. +sc ript (5 p.).
Audio-Visual Center, 1968?. I slide show (8 slides): 64. Si nous n 'enseigno11s pas, qui le /era? [Pari s]:
b & w +script (2 p.; 21 cm.). Comite Nationa l Audio Yisuel des Baha ' is de
53. land of resplendent g/01y. Written and photo- France, ca. 1985 . I slide show (35 slides): col. +
graphed by Guy Murchie; cassette narrated by I so und cassette+ script (4 leaves) .
Marzieh Ga il. [Victor, N.Y]: International Baha' i 65.Social and economic development. [Haifa]: Baha'i
Audio-Vi sual Center, 197 1. I slide show (258 slides): World Centre Audio-Visual Department. [Belch ercol., b & w + I sound cassette + script ( 10 p.; town, Mass.]: Images Internati onal, 199 1. I slide
28 cm.). sho w (20 slides): col.
54. literacy. [Haifa] : Baha' i World Centre Audio- 66. Temples. [Ha ifa]: Baha' i World Centre Audio-
Visual Department. [Belchertown , Mass. ]: Images Visual Departm ent. [Be lchertown, Mass.]: Images
Internati onal, 199 1. 1 slide show ( 19 slides): col. Internatio nal, 1991 . I slide show (20 sl ides): col.
55. Th e Majesty of the World Order of Balza 'u 'I/ah. 67. The Trusted ones of God. [Wilmette, Ill.]: National
[Nashua, N.H. ]: Amecap Corporation, cl989. 1 slide Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United
show (54 slides): co l. + I so und cassette + script States; [Victor, N.Y .]: Internationa l Baha'i Audio-
([2], ii , 13 [I] leaves; 28 cm.). Visual Center [di stributor], 1972. I s lide show
56. Mediterranean Baha 'i Conference, Palermo, Sicily, (50 slides): co l. + I sound cassette+ script (4 p.).
August 1968 and Centenary Commemoration of 68 . Unity in diversity: a report on the eight oceanic and
Arrival of Bahli'u'llah in 'Akka. Palestine, 31 continental conferences. [Wilmette, Ill.] : Baba ' i
August 1968. [Vi ctor, N.Y]: International Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 1972. I slide show (130 slides):
Audio-Vi sual Center, 1968?. I slide show (36 slides): col. + I sound cassette + script(32 p.: ill. ; 18 x 18 cm.).
col. +slide labels (2 leaves) . 69. Das Vermiichtnis der Miirtyrer. [Hofheim-Langen-
57. Out of God 's eternal ocean. Written and photo- hai n]: Baha ' i Audio-Visual Com mittee Gemrnny,
graphed by David Walker; narrated by Joan Bu lkin. ca. 1980. I slide show (140 slides): co l., b & w. +
[Wilmette, Ill.]: Nationa l Spiritual Assembly of the script ( 12 leaves; 30 cm.) [The Heritage of the
Baha'is of the Uni ted States; [Victor, N.Y.] : Inter- martyrs. Gem1an].
national Baha ' i Audi o-Vi sual Center [d istributor], 70. la Vie Jam ilia le Bahi 'ie: diapositi ves et cassette I
1974. 1 slide show (149 slides): col. script (6 p.). photos, Joseph Tsaka; vo ix Delphine Biteghe; texte
58. Le Pays de la gloire resplendissante. Ecri t et photo- Susan All en. [Port Genti l]: Comi te Natio nal Audiograph ie par Guy Murchie. [Victor, N.Y .]: Intern a- Visuel du Gabon, 1990?. I s lide show (35 slides):
tional Baha'i Audio-Visual Center, 1971. (258 slides): col. I sound cassette.
co l. , b & w + I so und cassette + sc ript (I I p.; 28 7 1. Women. [H aifa]: Baha' i World Centre Audio-Visual
cm.). [Land of resp lendent g lory. French]. Department. Belchertown , Mass.: Images Interna-
59.Peace. [H aifa ]: Baha ' i Wo rld Centre Audio-Visua l tional, 199 1. I sl ide show (20 slides): col.
Departmen t. [Be lchertown, Mass.]: Images Interna- 72 . The World Centre. [Victor, N.Y.]: International
tional, 199 1. I slide show (20 slides): co l. Baha' i Audio-Visua l Ce nter, 1968. 1 slide show
60.La Promesa de la paz mundial. [Bogota]: National (75 slides): col. + script (18 p. ; 18 x 18 cm.).
Spiritual Assemb ly of the Baha' is of Colombia, 73. Youth and children. [H aifa]: Baha' i World Centre
1987?. I slide show (54 slides) : co l. + 1 sound cas- Audio-Visua l Department. [Belchertown , Mass. ]:
sette+ script ( I 0 leaves). Images lntemationa l, 199 1. (20 s lides): col.
1052 TH E BAHA'i WORLD

International Baha'i Archives Building, on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.
III
ORIENT AL TERMS

1. TRANSLITERATION OF ORIENTAL WORDS FREQUENTLY
USED IN BAHA'i LITERATURE

' Aba 'Arabistan Bushnlyih Hawdaj
Abadih Asma ' I:£a ydar -'Ali
'Abbas Astarabad Chihriq Haykal
' Abdu' l-Baha ' Avashiq I:Ia'.?iratu' 1-Quds
'Abdu ' l-I:£amid Ayadi Dala'il-i-Sab'ih I:Iijaz
'Abdu ' l-I:£usayn Azal Darug!!ih Hijrat
'Abdu ' llah 'Azamat Daw lat-Abad I:£immat-Abad
Ab ha 'Aziz Dhabil_i I:£ujjat
Abu'l-Fa~l Duzdab I:£usayn
' Adasiyyih Bab
Adhan Babi Fara'id Ibrahim
Adhirbayjan Babu ' l-Bab Faran ii
Afnan Bag!!dad Farman ' Ilm
Ag!!~an Baba Farrash-Bashi Imam
' Ahd Baha'i Fars Imam-Jum' ih
AI:unad Baha 'u ' llah Farsakh Imam-Zadih
AI:isa ' i Bahiyyih Fath-'Ali iqan
Ahvaz Bahji Firdaws iran
Akbar Baluchistan Firdawsi ' Iraq
'Akka Bandar-' Abbas ' Iraqi
' Ala' Baqir Ganjih 'Iraq-i-' Ajam
'Ali Baqiyyatu' llah Gil an Isfahan
'Ali-Mul_immad Barfurush Gui ' Ishqabad
Allah-u-Abha Ba~rih Gulistan Ishraqat
Alval_i Bat{1m Gurgin Ishtihard
Alval_i-i-Salatin Bayan Islam
Amatu ' l-Baha Bayt I:£abib Isma-' iliyyih
Amin Big I:£adith ' Izzat
Amir Birjand I:£a~rat
Amir-Ni'.?am Bisharat I:£aj 1 JaiaI
Anm1 ' llah Bismi'llah I:£aji Mirza Aqasi Jamadiyu ' I-A vval
Amul Bukhara I:Iajj Jamal
Anzali Burujird Ramadan Jamal-i-Mubarak
Aqa Bushihr I:£ aram Jamal-i-Qidam
Aqdas Bushru ' i I:£asan Jasb
1054 THE BAl-IA ' i WORLD

Jubbih Mashhad Qam~ar Simnan
Mashiyyat Qasr-i-Shirin Sis tan
Ka'bih Masluáiqu ' 1-Adhkar Qasvin Siyah-Chal
Kad-Khuda Masjid Qawl Siyyid
Kalan tar Maydan Qayytim $ufi
Kalimat Mazindaran Qayytimu'l-Asma' Su layman
Kamal Mihdi Qiblih Sultan
Ka rand Mil)rab Quchan Sultan-Abad
Karbila Milan Quddus Sultanu' sh-Shuhada '
Kashan Mi'raj Qudrat Sunni
Kashklll Mirza Qum Sura tu ' 1-Haykal
Kawmu' ~-$a' ayidih Mishkin-Qalam Qur'an Surih
Kawthar Mu 'adhdhuin Qurban Si'.iriy-i-Damrn
Kazin1 Mufti Qurrah1'l-'Ayn Suriy-i- Ghu~n
Ka?imayn Mul)amrnad Si'.iriy-i-Ra'is
Khalkhal Mul)amrnd-'Ali Rafsanjan Si'.iriy-i-$abr
Khan Mul)amrnarih Rahim
Khaniqayn Mul;arram Rahman Tabarsi
Khayli Khi'.1b Mujtahid Ra hmat Tabriz
Khurasan Mulk Ra ' is Tahirih
Klmy Mu Ila Rama9an Tajalliyat
Kirman Munirih Rasht Takur
Kim1anshah Mu~tafa Rawl)ani Taqi
Kitab-i-'Ahd Mustag!!a!Q Rid van Tarazat
Kitab-i-Aqdas Muzaffri'd-Din Ruhu'llah Tarbiyat
Kitab-i-Asma' Tashkand
Kitab-i-Badi' Nab ii Sabzivar Tawl;id
Kitab-i-iqan Nabil-i-A '?'.am Sadrah1'l-MuntaM Thurayya
Ku lah Najaf $a~ibu 'z-Zaman Tihran
Kurdistan Najaf-Abad $a~ifatu '1-I:Iaramayn Ti'.1man
Naqi9in Sa'id Turkistan
Uhijan Na~ir Salsa bi!
Ur Na~iri'd-Din Samarqand 'Ulama
Lawh Navvab Sangsar Unimiyyih
Luristan Naw-Ruz Sari 'Utlunan
Nayriz Says an
Madris ih Nayshapur Sha'ban Val:iid
Mal)bilbu 'sh- Nuqtih Shah Vali
Shuhada Nur Shahid Vali-'Ahd
Mahdi- ' Ulya Shahmirzad Varqa
Mah-Ki'.1 Pahlavi Shahrud Vazir (also Vizir)
Mal:imud Pa ran Sharaf
Malayir Shari 'ah Ya BaM'u'l-Abha
Man-Yuzhiruhu ' llah Qa9i Shaykh Yal:iya
Maqam Qadiyan Shaykh-Tabarsi Yazd
Marag_hih Qahqahih Shaykhu ' I-Islam
Mar~ aba Qa'im Shi'ah (Shi'ih) Zanjan
Marv Qajar Shiraz Zarand
Masa'il Qalyan Shush tar Zaynu' l-Muqarrabin
DIRECTORY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY

2. GUIDE TO TRANSLITERATION AND PRONUNCIATION OF
THE PERSIAN ALPHABET

THE system outlined below was approved the Roman alphabet. Research by Baha'i
by the Guardian of the Baha' i Faith for use scholars has concluded that the system is
by Baha'is thr~ughout the world in tran- based on the one adopted by the Tenth Interscribing the Persian and Arabic terms and national Congress of Orientalists which was
names which occur frequently in Baha'i held in Geneva 1894, and was also adopted
literature, thus ensuring uniformity in the by the Council of the Royal Asiatic Society
practice of Baha'i communities which use in October 1896.

Character TS IPA Character TS IPA Character TS IPA

sj t ' [?] r [r] ~ f [f]
~ 0
.
'---' b [b]
~
z [z] q [q]

--
'--' p [p] -
....) -zh [3]
~
k [k]

~ g
LY"-
t [t] s [s] [g]
~ J7
~ th [s] sh [f]
J I [l]

c
- -

J [d.3]
~•
~ [s]
r m [m]

~
~
ch
- [tn ~ [z] c) n [n]

L_ h [h] t [t] _J v [v]
-
L_ kh [x] J; [z] h [h]

~
-

d [d] ,c ~

' [?]
~
0.. y [j]

~ -dh [z]
t_ gQ [y]

TS IPA Approxin1ate pronunciation in English

a [ IB] As in 'bat'
a [a:] Between the sound in 'sharp ' (British) or 'shop'
(American), and that in ' hall '
i [E] As in 'best '
i [i:l As in 'meet'
u [ :J l As in 'shot' (British) or ' short' (American)
u [u:] As in 'moon '
aw [ou] As in 'know '
ay [Ei] As in ' hay'
1056 THE BAHA'i WORLD

The first of the above tables shows the letters in the Persian alphabet, the equivalent in the
transliteration system (TS) and the sound as shown by the International Phonetic Alphabet
(IPA).
Vowels can be indicated in Persian and Arabic by signs written above or below the preceding consonant, followed, if they are long, by another consonantal letter. These vowel
signs, however, are seldom written. Therefore, for simplicity's sake, the second table shows
only their transliterated fom1 and their equivalents in the International Phonetic Alphabet.

3. NOTES ON THE PRONUNCIATION OF PERSIAN WORDS
The emphasis in Persian words is more or Similarly, the following consonants may
less evenly distributed, each syllable being all be pronounced 'ss': 'th, s, ~ '.
equally stressed as in French. For example, 'Zh' is pronounced like the 's' in 'pleado not say 'Tabriz' or 'Tabarsi'; stay as long sure' . 'Kh' is pronounced like 'ch' in Scottish
on one syllable as on the next; 'Tabriz', 'loch ' or German 'Nacht' ; do not pronounce
'Tabarsi ' . (While there are many exceptions it as 'k'. English-speakers often experience
to this rule, it is the most generally conect difficulty pronouncing '@ ' and 'q'; a guttural
method of háeating the question of stress.) French 'r' will serve here; otherwise use a
A frequent mistake is the failure to distin- hard 'g' as in 'good'.
guish between broad and flat 'a's. This dif- 'H' and 'l_i', although having different
ferentiation makes the language especially sounds in Arabic are pronounced in Persian
musical and should be observed: in the word approximately as is the English aspirate ' h '.
'Afnan', for example, pronounce the first 'a' This sound should never be dropped, even
as in ' at' and the second syllable to rhyme when it comes at the end of a word, nor does
with 'on' (American) or ' barn' (British). it lengthen a preceding short vowel.
English-speakers are apt to pronounce a In the case of double letters, pronounce
short 'a' plus 'r' like the word ' are '; this is a both as in the case of the 'nn' in the English
mistake; 'ar', as in 'Tarbiyat' for example, word ' unneeded', eg. "Abbas'.
should be pronounced as in the name 'Harry'. The characters háansliterated (') represent
The same differentiation should be ob- a pause; it is not unlike the initial sound
served in the case of long and short ' i' and made in pronouncing such a word as
long and sh011 'u'. As the guide to the háans- 'every'. The word 'Baha 'i' has a short ' a' in
literation indicates, sh011 ' i' is like the 'e' the first syllable, then a long 'a' in the secin ' best', and long ' i' like 'ee' in ' meet' ; ond, followed by a brief pause and then a
for example, 'Ibrahim' is pronounced 'Eb- long 'i'.
raheem', 'Islam' is 'Esslahm'. Short ' u' The character transliterated (') may also
being like ' o' in 'short' (American) or 'shot' be treated as a pause.
(British), and long ' u' like ' oo ' in 'moon ', As Persian writing usually indicates no
the following would be pronounced: 'Quddus' short vowel sounds and as its pronunciation
-' Qod-doos'; 'Barfurush '-' Barforoosh'. differs in different localities throughout Iran
Pronouce 'aw' to rhyme with 'low', or and the Near East as well as among individ-
'mown'; 'Naw-Ruz' is 'No-Rooz '. uals in any given locality, a uniform system
The following letters have different sounds of transliteration such as the above, which is
in Arabic, but in Persian are all pronounced in use by Baha'i communities all over the
like 'z' : 'dh, z, '.?, <;!'. world, is indispensable to the student.
DIRECTORY , BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY

4. DEFINITIONS OF SOME OF THE ORIENTAL TERMS
USED IN BAHA'i LITERATURE

Ab Father Akbar Greater, greatest. (See Allah-u-Akbar;
AM (See Abu) Kabir.)
'Aba A loose, sleeveless cloak or mantle, open Al- The definite article in Arabic.
in fron t. A 'Ia Most Exalted. (See J:Ia<;trat-i-A 'Ia;
'Abd Servant, bondsman, worshipper (of God). Qalam-i-A' Ia.)
'Abdu'l-Baha Servant ofBaha: title of the 'Ala' Loftiness: njneteenth month of the Badi'
eldest son of Baha'u'llah, and Centre of calendar. (See Ha.)
His Covenant. AJ-Abha The Most Glorious. (See Baha'u' l-
Abba Most Glorious. (See Allah-u-Abha; Abha.)
Baha'u'l-Abhli.) 'AH The first Imam and rightful successor of
Abi (See Abu.) MuJ:iammad ; also the fourth Caliph ac-
Abjad notation System whereby each letter of cording to the Sunnah.
the Arabic alphabet is assigned a specific Allah God.
numerical value. Allah-u-Abhli God is Most Glorious: The
Abu, Aba, Abi Father of Greatest Name, adopted during the period
Adhan Muslim call to prayer. of Baha'u' llah 's exile in Adrianople as a
Adib Refined, cultured, learned; writer, greeting among the Baha' fs.
scholar, man of letters: title of one of the Allah-u-Akbar God is Most Great: Muslim
early Hands of the Cause. salutation, and opening words of the call
'Adi Justice. (See Baytu'l-' Adl-i-A 'pm.) to prayer, superseded by Allah-u-Abha as
Afnlin Literally Twigs: the Bab 's kindred; a greeting among the Baha' is during the
specifically, descendants of His three mater- Adrianople period.
nal uncles and His wife 's two brothers. Al-Madinah Literally The City (of the
A.g!!a Originally Lord, nobleman; officer, com- Prophet) . (See Mecca.)
mander: placed after a woman's name Amih Maid(servant), handmaid(en).
A.g]!a is a courtesy title comparable with Amatu'l-Baha: Maidservant of Baba.
A.qa; may also form part of a compound Amatu'llah : Handmaiden of God.
proper name. Amin Faithfu l, trustworthy, honest; trustee:
Ag!!~an Literally Branches: denotes sons and title bestowed by Baha'u' llah on I:Iajf
male descendants ofBaha ' u ' llah. Shah-Mul~ammad-i-Manshadi and I:Iajf
A.H. Anno Hegirae (in the year of the Emi- Abu'l-I:Iasan-i-Ardikanf, first trustees of
gration): denotes the Muslim Era, reck- the J:luququ'llah.
oned from the year ofMuJ:iammad's flight Amir Prince, ruler; commander, governor.
from Mecca to Medina in A.D. 622. (See Anis Literally companion, friend, associate:
Hij r at.) appell ation given by the Bab to Mirza
'Ahd Covenant, bond, treaty; the Covenant MuJ:iarnmad-' Alfy-i-Zunuzf, the youthful
(of God). disciple who shared His martyrdom .
A~san u'I-Qi~a~ Literally The Best ofStories: A.qa Master; The Master: title given by
a name for the Surih of Joseph. Tafsir-i- Baha ' u' llah to 'Abdu'l-Baha. Also used,
A~sanu 'l-Qi~a~; the Bab's Commentary preceding a name, in an honorific sense:
on the Surih of Joseph, the Qayyumu '!- Mister, Sir. (See Sarka r-Aqa.)
Asma '. Aqdas Most Holy. (See Kitab-i-Aqdas.)
1058 THE BAH A' I WORLD

Ar<;I Earth, land, territory. (See ~ad; Shin; Baqiyyatu'llah Remnant of God: traditional
Sirr; Ta.) appelation of the Qa'im, derived from the
'Ashura Tenth day of the month of Qur' an; designation of the Bab as the
Mul;iarram, anniversary of the martyr- Promised One of Islam, and applied by
dom of the Imam I:Jusayn. Him to Baha'u'llah.
Asma' Names: ninth month of the Badi' ca l- Bayan Literally exposition, explanation,
endar. lucidity, eloquence, utterance: title given
Ayadi Literally hands; Hand(s) ofthe Cause. by the Bab to His Revelation, and to two
Ayyam Days. (See Ha.) of His Writings, one in Persian, the other
A'pm Greatest. (See Baytu'l-'Adl-i-A'?am; in Arabic.
Ism-i-A 'pm; ~adr-i-A '?am.) Bayt House.
'Apmat Grandeur: fourth month of the Baytu'I-' Adl-i-A '?am The Supreme House of
Badi' calendar. Justice: a title of the Universal House of
'A?im Literally mighty, great, glorious: Justice.
title given by the Bab to Mulla Shaykh B.E. Baha'i Era: denotes the Badi' calendar,
'Ali ofKhurasan. reckoned from the year of the Bab's dec-
Bab Gate: title assumed by Mirza 'A li- laration of His Mission in 1844.
MulJammad after the declaration of His Big Literally lord, prince; governor, bey:
Mission in Shiraz on 23 May 1844. placed after given name, Big was used as
Babi Follower of the Bab. a courtesy title for middle-ranking offi-
Babu'l-Bab The Gate of the Gate: title of cials. (See Khan.)
Mulla I:Jusayn, the first Letter of the Living. Bisharat Glad Tidings: title of one of the
Badi' Wonderful: (1) title of Aqa Buzurg of Tablets of Baba 'u' llah revealed after the
Khurasan, the seventeen-year-old bearer Kitab-i-Aqdas.
of Baha'u'llah's Tablet to Na~iri ' d-Din Bismillahi'r-Ral;imani'r-Ral;iim In the Name
Shah; (2) style of the new ninteen-month of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful:
calendar of the Baha'i Era. (See B.E.) invocation prefixed to all but the ninth
Bagum Lady (of rank), dame, begum: placed surih of the Qur 'an, and composed (in
after a woman's given name Bagum is a Arabic) of nineteen letters.
courtesy title comparable with Big. Caliph Vicar, deputy: successor of the
Baba Glory, splendour, light: (1) the Great- Prophet MuDammad, supreme civil and
est Name (See Baha'u'llah.); (2) first spiritual head of the Islamic world, a title
month of the Badi' calendar. claimed by successive dynasties.
Baha'i Follower ofBaha'u'llah. Caravanserai, -sera, -sary (See Khan.)
Bah:i'u'l-Abha The Glo1y of the Most Glo- Darug!!_ih High constable.
rious. Ya Baha'u'l-Abha! 0 Thou the Darvish (Religious) mendicant, dervish,
Glory of the Most Glorious! Muslim mystic. (See ~Ufi.)
Bah:i'u'llah The Glory of God: title of Dawlih State, government.
Mirza I-:Iusayn-' Ali: born in Tihran on 12 Dayyan Literally conqueror, ruler; Judge
November 1817; ascended in Bahji, near (an epithet of the Godhead): title con-
'Akka, on 29 May 1892. ferred by the Bab on Mirza Asadu' llah,
Bahji Literally delight, gladness, joy: learned divine ofKhuy.
denotes that part of the Plain of 'Akka Dhabil;i Literally slain, sacrificed, offered up:
where the Shrine and Mansion of (!) designation of Aqa Siyyid Isma'il-i-
Baha'u'llah are situated. Zavari'i, enraptured fo llower ofBaha'u'llah;
Bani-Hashim Literally Sons ofHashim (great (2) title given by Baha'u'llah to I:Jaji
grandfather ofMuhammad): clan of Quraysh MuDammad-Isma'il-i-Kashani, ardent early
from which Mul)ammad was descended . teacher of the Cause.
DIRECTORY, BIBLIOGRAPHY , GLOSSARY 1059

Dhi'b The Wolf: appellation applied by from four to five to accommodate the extra
Baha'u'llah to Shaykh Mu~ammad-Baqir day of the leap year.
who, together with Mir Mu~ammad ­ J:ladith Literally report, account; prophetic
I:Jusyan (the Ra~a), precipitated the deaths tradition: the whole body of sacred tradi -
of the King and Beloved of Martyrs, and tion of the Muslims is called the I:Jadith.
instigated the martyrdom of many other J:la~rat Literally presence: placed before a
Baha'is, particularly in I~fahan and Yazd. name, in the form of ljacj,rat-i- the word
(See Mahbtlbu'sh-Shuhada; Sultanu'sh- is a courtesy title signifying 'His Majesty',
Shuhada.) 'His Holiness ' .
Dhikr Mention, remembering; rememberance of J:la~rat-i-A 'Ia His Holiness, The Most Exalted
God; praise and thanksgiving; recital of One: a title of the Bab.
the Names of God, religious exercise or J:laji, J:lajj A Muslim who has performed the
ceremony; the Qur'an, the Word of God. pilgrimage to Mecca.
(Plural: Adhkar; see Mashriqu'l-Adhkar.) J:laram Sanctuary, sacred precinct or court.
Dhi'l-J:lijjih Twelfth month of the Muslim (See J:lill.)
lunar calendar. J:Iaram-i-Aqdas The Most Holy Court: a des-
Dhi'l-Qa'dih Eleventh month of the Mus- ignation given by the Guardian to the northlim lunar calendar. western quadrant of the garden surrounding
El-Abhli (See Al-Abhli.) the Shrine ofBaha'u'llah.
Farman Order, command, edict, royal decree. Hawdaj Howdah: a litter carried by a camel,
Farrash Footman, lictor, attendant. Far- mule, horse or elephant for travelling purrash-Bashi The head-farrash. poses.
Farsakh Unit of measurement, approxi- J:l~iratu'l-Quds The Sacred Fold: official title
mately 3-4 miles or nearly 5.5 kilometres. designating headquarters of Baba' i admin-
Fatimih Daughter of the Prophet, wife of the istrative activity in a particular country or
Imam' Ali and mother of the Imam J:lusayn. region.
Fatva A legal pronouncement or decree by a Hijrat, Hijra(h) Literally Emigration; Hegira:
Muslim mufti. the date ofMu~amrnad's flight from Mecca
Firdaws Garden; paradise. to Medina in A.O . 622; the basis oflslamic
Firman (See Farman.) chronology.
Ghu~n Literally Branch: son or male de- J:lill Non-sacred ground, an antonym of
scendant ofBaha'u'llah. (Plural: Ag!!~an.) J:laram.
Ghu~n-i-Athar The Purest Branch: title Howdah (See Hawdaj.)
conferred by Baha'u'llah on Mirza Mihdi, J:lujjat Literally proof, argument, reason:
brother of ' Abdu'l-Baha who died in the title of Mulla Mu~ammad- ' Aliy-i-Zanj ani,
Most Great Prison in ' Akka. hero of the Zanjan upheaval.
Ghu~n -i-A'~am The Most Great Branch: J:Iuququ'llah Right of God: payment by the
title conferred by Baha'u'llah on 'Abdu'l- believers, instituted in the Kitab-i-Aqdas.
Bahli. J:lusayn The third Imam, second son of' Ali
Ha The thirty-first letter of the Persian alphabet, and Fatimih, martyred on the plains of
with a numerical value of five . Ayyam-i- Karbila on 10 Mu~arram A .H.61 (A .o.680).
Ha Literally The days of Ha: the Intercalary J:lusayniyyih A place where the martyrdom
Days, so nan1ed by Baha'u'llah in the Kitab- of the Imam I:Jusayn is mourned, or
i-Aqdas, where He also ordained that they where Muslim passion-plays may be preshould immediately precede the month of sented. The term is the designation that
'Ala, the month of fasting which closes was given to Baha' u ' llah ' s Most Great
the Baha'i year. Every fourth year the House in Baghdad after its forcible occunumber of the Intercalary Days is raised pation by the Shi' ah community.
1060 THE BAHA.'i WORLD

-i- Sound inserted in pronunciation (though Jamadiyu'l-Avval Fifth month of the Muslim
not represented in Persian script) at the end lunar calendar.
of a word to indicate that the following Jamadiyu'th-Thani Sixth month of the
word stands in a possessive or adjectival Mus lim lunar calendar.
relation to it. Jamal Beauty: third month of the Badi' callbn Son. endar.
it Clan, tribe. Jamal-i-Mubarak Literally The Blessed
'Ilm Knowledge: twelfth month of the Badi' Beauty: a title ofBaha'u'llah.
calendar. Jihad Literally striving, endeavour; crusade;
Imam Head, chief, leader.(!) Muslim cleric holy war: enjoined in the Qur'an, abrogated
who leads the congregation in prayer (See by Baha'u'llah.
lmam-Jum'ih.); (2) title applied by the Jinab Literally threshold: placed before a
Shi'ahs to each of the twelve successors of name, in the form Jinab-i- the word is
MuDammad in the line of 'A li. (See 'Ali; courtesy title signifying 'His Excellency',
I;Iusayn.) ' Hi s Honour'.
Imam-Jum'ih Muslim clergyman who per- Jubbih An outer coat or cloak.
forms the Friday prayers, the leading imam Ka'bih The Kaaba: ancient sluáine at Mecca,
in a town or city; chief of the mullas, who chosen by M ul~ ammad to be the centre of
recites the Friday prayers for the sover- pilgrimage for Muslims; the most holy shrine
eign. in Islam and Qiblih of the Muslim world.
Imam-Zadih Descendant of an Imam or his Kabir Literally great, big, old. (See Akbar.)
shrine. Kad-Khuda Chief of a ward or parish in a
ln-sh:i'a'llah If God wills. town; headman of a vi Hage.
iqan Literally Certitude: title of Bahi'u' llah 's Kalantar Mayor.
Epistle to I:Iaji Mirza Siyyid MuDammad, a Kalim Speaker, inter/acuter: title given by
maternal uncle of the Bab. Baha'u'llah to His faithful brother, Mirza
lshraqat Splendours: title of one of the Musa. (See Kalimu'llah .)
Tablets of Baha 'u ' llah revealed after the Kalimat Words: seventh month of the Badi'
Kitab-i-Aqdas. calendar.
Ism Name. (Plural: Asma'.) Kalimu'llah He Who Conversed With God:
Ism-i-A '?'.am The Greatest Name. title of Moses, given to Him in the Islamic
Ismu'llah Literally The Name of God: title Dispensation.
bestowed by Baha' u' llah on a number of Kamal Perfection: eighth month of the
believers. Badi' calendar.
Israfil Angel who sounds the trumpet on the Karbila'i Style of a Muslim who has per-
Day of Judgement. forn1ed the pilgrimage to Karbila; as a
'lzzat Might: tenth month of the Badi' cal- title it is placed before the given name.
endar. Kawthar Literally plentiful, abundant, sweet
Jabal Mountain. Jabal-i-Basi~ The Open (potion): a river in Paradise, whence all
Mountain, Jabal-i-Shadid The Grievous other rivers derive their source.
Mountain: the Bab ' s allusions to the for- Khadimu'llah Servant of God: title of Mirza
tress of Mah-Ku and the castle of Chihriq -Aqa Jan, amanuensis ofBaha'u ' llah.
respectively. Khalifih (See Caliph.)
Jahiliyyih The Age of Ignorance: denotes Khalil Friend: ( 1) (See Khali'u'llah.) (2) title
the state of paganism prevailing in Arabia of I:Iaji MuDarnrnad-lbrahim-i-Qazvini,
before the advent of MuDammad. conferred on him by the Bab.
Jalal Glory: second month of the Badi' cal- Khalilu'llah Friend of God: title given to
endar. Abraham in the Qur'an.
DIRECTORY , BIBLIOGRAPHY , GLOSSARY 1061
Khan (I) Prince, lord, nobleman, chieftain: Mashhadi Style of a Muslim who has peroriginally used as a courtesy title for officers formed the pilgrimage to Mashad; as a
and high-ranking officials, Khan came to title it is placed before the given name.
denote-placed after a given name-simply Mashiyyat Will: eleventh month of the Badi'
'gentleman' (See Big.); (2) exchange, mar- calendar.
ket; inn, caravanserai: an inn constructed Mashriqu'l-Adhkar Literally The Dawningaround a central court where caravans (trains place of the Praise of God: title designatof pack animals) may rest for the night. ing a Baha'i House of Worship.
Khanum Lady; wife : placed after a woman's Masjid Mosque: a Muslim place of worship.
given name, Khanum is a courtesy title Maydan A square or open place.
meaning 'gentlewoman' comparable with Mecca Birthplace of the Prophet Mu~ammad
Khan. and scene of the early, difficult years of His
Khi~r The Green One: a prophet, companion ministry before His emigration to Medina.
of Moses according to Islamic tradition, (See Hijrat; Ka'bih.)
associated with the unnamed personage Medina The 'City of the Prophet', Mu~am­
mentioned in Qur'an 18:60-82; believed to mad 's adoptive home after His flight from
have drunk from the fountain of life and to Mecca, and scene of the latter years of His
be its custodian, he symbolizes the true guide. ministry, during which His Faith spread
Khutbih Sermon delivered in the mosques on throughout the Arabian Peninsula, and its
Fridays at noon by the imam. social teachings were promulgated. (See
Kiblah (See Qiblih .) Hijrat.)
Kitab Book. Mihdi Literally directed, guided; one who is
Kitab-i-Aqdas The Most Holy Book: title rightly guided; The Mahdi: a designation
ofBaha'u'llah's Book of Laws and Ordi- of the Twelfth Imam; title of the Manifesnances. tation expected by Islam.
Kitab-i-Iqan (See iqan.) Mi~rab A niche in the wall of a mosque
Koran (See Qur'an.) indicating the direction of Mecca, before
Kulah The Persian lambskin hat worn by which the imam stands when leading the
government employees and civilians. congregation in prayer; the most important
Kull-i-Shay' Literally all things: the term, part of a mosque.
whose numerical value is 361, signifies Mir A contraction of amir, used, when pre-
19 cycles of 19 years in the Badi' calendar. fixed to a name, to denote descent from
Law~ Literally slate, sheet, table; Tablet. the House of the Prophet. (See Siyyid.)
Madinih (See Medina.) Mi'raj The Ascent: Muhammad's mystic
Madrisih Seminary, school, religious college. vision of the 'night journey' in which He
Ma~biibu'sh-Shuhada Beloved ofMartyrs: ascended into heaven.
title conferred by Baha' u'llah on Mirza Mirza A contraction of amir-zadih, mean-
Mu~ammad-I:Iusayn, martyred in I~fahan ing 'son of an amir'. When affixed to a
together with his brother, the Sultanu'sh- name it signifies 'Prince'; when prefixed,
Shuhada. (See Dhi'b.) it either denotes a clerk, secretary, scribe
Mahdi (See Mihdi.) or scholar, or conveys a merely honorific
Makkih (See Mecca.) sense: Mister.
Man-Yu?hiruhu'llah He Whom God Will Mishkin-Qalam Literally the musk-scented
Make Manifest: title given by the Bab to pen: title applied to Mirza I:Iusayn-ithe Promised One. I~fahani, a distinguished Baha'i calligraphist.
Mar~aba Welcome! Brave! Well done! Mu'adhdhin Muezzin: the one who sounds
Mas:i'il Questions: fifteenth month of the the adhan, the Muslim call to prayer.
Badi' calendar. Mubarak Blessed. (See Jamal-i-Mub:irak.)
1062 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Mufti Expounder of Muslim law; gives a Qa'im He Who Shall Arise: title designating
fatva or sentence on a point of religious the Promised One of Islam.
jurisprudence. Qalam Pen.
Mu~arram First month of the Muslim lunar Qalam-i-A'la The Pen of the Most High: a
calendar, the first ten days of which are designation of Baha 'u' llah.
obvserved by the Shi'ahs as part of their Qalyan Narghile, hookah, hubble-bubble
mourning period for the Imam l;lusayn, pipe: Oriental pipe in which the smoke is
whose martyrdom occurred on the tenth drawn through water in a vase by means
day, Ashura. of a long tube.
Mujtahid Muslim doctor-of-law. Most of Qawl Speech: fourteenth month of the Badi'
the mujtahids of Iran have received their calendar.
diplomas from the most eminent jurists of Qayyumu'I-Asma' (See A~sanu'l-Qi~a~.)
Karbila and Najaf. Qiblih Literally that which faces one;
Mulk Dominion: eighteenth month of the prayer-direction; point of adoration: the
Badi' calendar. focus to which the faithful turn in prayer.
Mulla Muslim trained in theology and The Qiblih for Muslims is the Ka'bih in
Islamic jurisprudence; theologian , priest. Mecca; for Baha' is, the Most Holy Tomb
Mustag.!!ath He Who Is Invoked (for Help), of Baha'u'llah at Bahji: 'the Heart and
God: term used by the Bab in reference to Qiblih of the Baha'i world'.
the advent of Baha'u'llah on the Day of Quddus Literally Pure, Holy, Blessed; title
the Latter Resurrection. conferred by Baha'u'llah on Mulla MuJ:iam-
Muta~arrif Governor: lower in rank than a mad-' Aliy-i-Barfurushi, last of the eighteen
vali. Letters of the Living at the Conference of
Nabil Learned, noble: title bestowed by Badasht.
Baha'u'llah on a number of the believers, Qudrat Power: thirteenth month of the Badi'
most prominent among whom were Mulla calendar.
MuJ:iammad-i-Zarandi, author of The Dawn- Qur'an The Reading; The Recitation; That
Breakers (Nabil-i-A'?'.am), and Mulla Which Ought To Be Read: the Book
MuJ:iammad-i-Qa'ini (Nabil-i-Akbar). revealed to MuJ:iammad; The Koran, Holy
Navvab An honorific implying Grace, High- Book of the Muslims.
ness: title of Asiyih Khanum, wife of Qurban Sacrifice.
Baha'u'llah and mother of 'Abdu' l-Baha. Qurratu'I-'Ayn Literally Solace of the Eyes:
Naw-Ruz Literally New Day: Baha'i New a term applied to an object of affection.
Year's Day, date of the vernal equinox; (I) title conferred upon Tahirih by Siyyid
according to the Persian calendar, the day Ka?'.im of Ras ht; (2) term used by the Bab
on which the sun enters Aries. in the Qayyumu 'I-A sma' to refer both to
Nuqtih Point. Baha'u' llah and to Himself.
Nuqtiy-i-Ula The Primal Point: a title of Rabb-i-A' la Exalted Lord: one of the desthe Bab. ignations of the Bab.
Nur Light: fifth month of the Badi ' calendar. Rabi'u'l-Avval Third month of the Muslim
Pahlavan Athlete, champion: term applied lunar calendar.
to brave and muscular men . Rabi'u'th-Thani Fourth month of the Mus-
Pasha Honorary title formerly given to a lim lunar calendar.
Turkish officer of high rank such as mili- Ra~mat Mercy: sixth month of the Badi'
tary commander or provincial governor. calendar.
Pish-Kish Present, tip, douceur. Ra'is President, head, leader. Lawh-i-Ra'is:
Qa<;H Muslim judge-civil, criminal or ec- Tablet addressed by Baha'u ' llah to ' Ali
clesiastic. Pasha, the Ottoman Grand Vizier.
DIRECTORY , BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY 1063

Rajah Seventh month of the Musl im lunar Shah-Bahram World Saviour and Promised
calendar. One of the Zoroastrians, identified by
Rama"an Ninth month of the Muslim lunar Baha'is with Baha'u'llah.
calendar in which the Fast is observed. Shahid Martyr. (Plural: Shuhada; see
Raqsha The She-Serpent: appellation ap- Ma~bubu'sh-Shuhada; Siyyidu'shplied by Baha'u' llah to Mir Muryammad- Shuhada; Sultanu'sh-Shuhada.)
I:Jusayn, the Imam-Jum'ih of I~fahan, Sharaf Honour: sixteenth month of the Badi'
accomplice of Shaykh Muryammad-Baqir. calendar.
(See Dhi'b.) Shari'at, Shari'ah Literally path, way; cus-
Ri"van Literally good-pleasure, favour, tom, law: Muslim canonical law.
acceptance; garden, paradise: name of Shavval Tenth month of the Muslim lunar
the custodian of Paradise. The holiest and calendar.
most significant of all Baha'i festivals, Shaykh Venerable old man; tribal or village
commemorating Baha'u'llah's Declaration chief, patriarch, sheik; learned man, elder,
of His Mission to His companions in 1863, professor; clerical dignitary, superior of
a twelve-day period extending from 21 Ap- dervish order. (See Shaykhu'l-Islam.)
ril to 2 May, and celebrated annually. Shaykhi (Follower) of the school founded
~ad The seventeenth letter of the Persian by Shaykh Arymad-i-Al}sa ' i. Among his
alphabet. Ar"-i-~ad Literally Land of doctrines, in addition to the imminent dual
!$ad: I~fahan. Advent, was that the Prophet Muryammad' s
Sadratu'l-Muntaha The Divine Lote Tree, material body did not ascend to heaven on
The Tree beyond which there is no passing: the night of the Mi'raj.
symbolic of the Manifestation of God. Shaykhu'l-Islam High Priest, Grand Mufti:
(See Sidrih.) highest rank in the Muslim religious hier-
~adr-i-A ''.?am Grand Vizier, Prime Minister. archy; also, title of the head of a religious
~afar Second month of the Muslim lunar court, appointed to every large city by the
calendar. Shah.
~a~ibu'z-Zaman Lord of the Age: one of Shi' ah, Shi'ih Literally fraction, party, sect:
the titles of the promised Qa'im. Ya ~a~­ partisans of' AH and of his descendants as
ibu 'z-Zaman! Rallying cry of the early the so le lawful 'Vicars of the Prophet'.
Bab is. The Shi'ahs reject the first three Caliphs,
Salam Peace, salutation. Salamun 'Alaykum believing that the successorship in Islam
Peace be with you! a greeting among belonged by divine right to 'Ali (first
Muslims. Va's-Salam And peace (be with Imam and fourth Caliph) and to his
you): formula used to conclude an epistle descendants. Originally, the successoror dissertation, indicating that the author ship was the vital point of difference, and
has nothing further to say. Islam was divided because Muryammad's
Salsabil Pure, limpid water: a fountain in (albeit verbal) appointment of ' AH was
Paradise. disregarded . (See Sunnah; Imam .)
Samandar Literally salamander; phoenix: a Shi'i, Shiite Member of the Shi' ah (or Party)
mythical creature indestructible by fire. of'Ali; Muslim of the Shi'ah branch oflslam.
Title bestowed by Baha'u'llah on Shaykh Shin The sixteenth letter of the Persian alpha-
Ka?im-i-Samandar of Qazvin. bet. Ar"-i-Shin Literally Land of Shin:
Sarkar-Aqa Literally The Honourable Master: Shiraz.
a designation of 'Abdu ' l-Baha. Sidrih Lote tree. (See Sadratu'l-Muntaha.)
Sha'ban Eighth month of the Muslim lunar ~irat Literally path, way; the Way of God;
calendar. the Religion of God; 'The Bridge ' leading
Shah King, especially of iran. to heaven. Denotes the True Faith of God.
1064 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Sirr Secret, mystery. Ar9-i-Sirr Literally the Taj Literally crown: tall felt head-dress
Land of Mystery: Adrianople. adopted by Baha'u'llah in 1863, on the day
Sirru'llah The Myste1y of God: a designation of His departure from His Most Holy House
of 'Abdu'l-Baha, conferred on Him by in Bagb.dad.
Baha'u'llah. Tajalliyat Effulgences: title of one of the
Siyah-Chal Black Pit: the subterranean Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the
dungeon in Tihran to which Baha'u'llah Kitab-i-Aqdas.
was consigned in August 1852. Here, Takyih Religious house, monaste1y; hostel
chained in darkness three flights of stairs for pilgrims; religious theatre for presenting
underground, in the company of some Muslim passion-plays; place at which the
150 thieves and assassins, He received martyrdom of I:Jusayn is commemorated.
the first intimations of His world Mis- (See J:Iusayniyyih .)
sion; regarded by Baha'is as the holiest 'farazat Ornaments: title of one of the Tablets
place in Iran's capital. ofBaha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-
Siyyid Literally chief, lord, prince: descen- Aqdas.
dant of the Prophet MuDammad. Tuman Discontinued unit of Iranian cur-
Siyyidu'sh-Shuhada Prince ofMartyrs: title rency.
oflmam I:Jusayn. 'Ulama Literally learned men, scholars;
~ufi An exponent of Sufism, a Muslim mystic clerical authorities, theologians, divines:
or darvish . the Muslim re ligious hierarchy.
Sultan Sovereignty: (I) seventeenth month Umm Mother.
of the Badi ' calendar; (2) king, sovereign, 'Urvatu'l-Vuthqa The Sure Handle, Firm
monarch, sultan. Cord: a Qur'anic term, used in the Baha' i
Sultanu'sh-Shuhada King of Martyrs: title Writings to symbolize the Covenant and
conferred by Baha' u'llah on Mirza Testament.
MuDammad-I:Jasan, martyred brother of Ustad Teacher, professor; mechanic, artisan,
the Ma~bubu'sh- Shuhada. craftsman.
Sunnah Literally way, custom, practice; The Va~id Single, unique, peerless: title of
Way of th e Prophet as reported in the Siyyid YaI:iyay-i-Darabi, hero of the
J:Iadith. Designates by far the largest sect Nayriz upheaval.
of Islam, which includes the four so-called Va~id Literally unity; one, single, unique;
orthodox sects: Hanbalites, Hanafites, Mali- the One, Indivisible God: the word,
kites and Shafiites. Swmis accept the Caliphs whose numerical value is nineteen, denotes:
as legitimate, believing that the position of (!)a ' unity' or section of the Bayan. The
Caliph is elective. (See Shi'ah; Caliph.) Persian Bayan consists of nine VaDids of
Sunni, Sunnite Muslim of the Sunnah branch nineteen chapters each, except the last,
oflslam. which has only ten chapters; (2) the eigh-
Slirih Name of a chapter of the Qur'an; used teen Letters of the Living (the Bab's first
by the Bab and Baha'u'llah in the titles of disciples) and the Bab Himself, who
some of Their Own Writings . together constitute the first VaQ.id of the
Slirih-i-Muluk Silrih of the Kings: Tablet Babi Dispensation; (3) each cycle of
revealed by Baha'u'llah while in Adrianople. nineteen years in the Badi' calendar. (See
Ta The nineteenth letter of the Persian alpha- Kull-i-Shay' .)
bet, with a numerical value of nine. Ar9- Vali Guardian.
i-Ta Literally Land of Ta: Tihran. V ali Governor (of a province).
'fahirih Literally the Pure One: title con- Vali-'Ahd Crown prince, heir to the throne.
ferred on Zarrin-Taj by Baha'u'llah at the Varaq ih Leaf' often used metaphorically in
Conference of Badasht. the Baha'i Writings to refer to a woman.
DIRECTORY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, GLOSSARY 1065
Varaqiy-i-'Ulya Literally The Most Exalted Zadih Born; offspring, son: used as a suffix
Leaf; the Greatest Holy Leaf title of after a proper name it means 'Son of -'.
Baha'iyyih (or Bahiyyih) Khanum, saintly (See Imam-Zadih; Mirza.)
daughter ofBaha'u'llah and ' the outstand- Zarrfn-Taj Literally Crown of Gold: title by
ing heroine of the Baha'i Dispensation'. which Fatimih, daughter of Mulla $ali~-i­
Varqa Bird, nightingale; the Heavenly Dove. Baraqani of Qazv in-better known as
Va's-Salam (See Salam.) Tahirih-was designated by her family
Vazir Vizir, minister (of state), vizier. and kindred.
Vazir-i-A'pm: Grand Vizier, Prime Zawra' A term signifying Bag!!dad.
Minister. Zamzam Literally copious (water): sacred well
Vilayat Guardianship. within the precincts of the Great Mosque
Waqf Literally bequeathing (for charitable in Mecca. Though salty, its water is much
uses); pious bequest, religious endowment, esteemed for pious uses, such as ablutions,
estate held in mortmain: denotes landed and drinking after a fast.
property endowed to the Muslim commu- Zaynu'I-Muqarrabin Literally Ornament of
nity; in Iran, the estate of the expected the Near (or Favoured) Ones: title bestowed
Imam. by Baha'u'llah on Mulla Zaynu'l- 'Abidin
Ya Vocative particle meaning 'O'. (See ofNajaf-Abad, faithful apostle and trusted
Baha'u'l-Abha; ~a~ibu'z-Zaman.) scribe.
PART SEVEN

LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS
1068 THE BAHA' I WORLD

The Prison Cell in the Most Great Prison of 'A kka, where Baha 'u 'llah and His family were
incarcerated for two years, two months and five days.
I
ESSAYS AND REVIEWS

1. THE SUFFERING, TRIBULATION, EXILE, CAPTIVITY AND
CONFINEMENT OF BAHA'U'LLAH
COMPILED BY DONALD R. WITZEL

INTRODUCTION

B AHA' U 'LLAH tells us: The understanding of His words and the comprehension
of the utterances of the Birds of Heaven are in no wise dependent upon human learning.
They depend solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit. 1 The memorization of quotations from Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha is not only important but vitally
necessary for the deepening of the believers and their teaching the Faith.
The sanctified souls should ponder and meditate in their hearts regarding the methods of
teaching. From the texts of the wondrous, heavenly Scriptures they should memorize
phrases and passages bearing on various instances, so that in the course of their speech
they may recite divine verses whenever the occasion demandeth it, inasmuch as these
holy verses are the most potent elixir, the greatest and mightiest talisman. So potent
is their influence that the hearer will have no cause for vacillation. I swear by My life!
This Revelation is endowed with such a power that it will act as the lodestone for all
nations and kindreds of the earth. 2
To deepen in the Cause means to read the writings of Baha'u'llah and the Master so
thoroughly as to be able to give it to others in its pure form. There are many who have
some superficial idea of what the Cause stands for. They, therefore, present it together
with all sorts of ideas that are their own. As the Cause is still in its early days we must be
most careful lest we fall into this error and injure the Movement we so much adore. There
is no limit to the study of the Cause. The more we read the Writings , the more truths we
can find in them, the more we will see that our previous notions were erroneous. 3

Spiritualization can be a step towards spiritual transformation which the Universal House
of Justice mentioned in its Ric;!van message:

Baha ' u'llah, The Kitab-i-iqan (Wilmette: Baha ' i 3 Shoghi Effendi, quoted by the Universal House of
Publishing Trust, 1974), p. 211. Justice, Wellspring of Guidance-Messages from
Baha' u ' llah, Tablets of Ba ha 'u 'I/ah revealed after the Universal House of Justice 1963-1968
the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1970),
1978), p. 200. pp. 88- 89.
1070 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Souls must be transformed, communities thereby consolidated, new models of life thus
attained. Transformation is the essential purpose of the Cause ofBaha'u'llah, but it lies in
the will and effort of the individual to achieve it in obedience to the Covenant. Necessary
to the progress of this life-fulfilling transformation is knowledge of the will and purpose
of God through regular reading and study of the Holy Word. 1
The act of kindling the light of love in every heart "through being ... set aglow with the
fire of the love of God", of maintaining this "fire of love" and of increasing it daily, can be
achieved by reading or listening to the scriptures about the suffering, persecutions and sacrifices of Baha ' u' llah on a daily basis. If we understand what He did for us and we keep it
always before our eyes, this will increase our love for Him. The purpose of Baha'u'llah's
forty years of sacrifice and tribulation was to redeem mankind. We have to fall in love with
the Blessed Perfection. This love has to grow daily in our hearts. Then we have to become
lovers of Baha'u'llah. All the things in this life grow; our love for Baha'u'llah also has to
grow. Gradually this love has to convert itself into a great fire as we arise to serve the Cause
of God with pure hearts full ofa new spirit. This is the transforming power ofBaha'u'llah!
We live the Baha' i life and follow the laws of God for the love of Baha ' u'llah. For this
reason we are firm and constant in God's Covenant.
The new be lievers must be deepened in the Covenant. This is really the only source of the
fire of the love ofGod. 2

A. THE DAY OF GOD AND ADVENT OF THE PROMISED ONE

The announcement
Behold, how the divers peoples and kindreds of the earth have been waiting for the
coming of the Promised One. No sooner had He, Who is the Sun of Truth, been made
manifest, than, lo, all turned away from Him, except them whom God was pleased to
guide. We dare not, in this Day, lift the veil that concealeth the exalted station which
every true believer can attain, for the joy which such a revelation must provoke might
well cause a few to faint away and die. 3
Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of
the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance
hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth eve1y man to blot out the trace of every idle
word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the
signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens ofHis glo1y. 4
Great indeed is this Day ! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day
of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger,
hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise,

1 3 Bah:i'u'llah, Glea11ingsfro111 th e Writings of
Universal Ho use of Justice, "To the Baha ' is of the
World", Ridvan, 1989. Bafia 'u 'I/ah (W ilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust,
2 Shoghi Eff~ndi, quoted in Th e Covenant of 1976), pp. 9-10.
Baha 'u 'I/ah (A compilation), (Manchester: Baha ' i ibid., pp. 10-11.
Publishing Tru st, 1950), p. viii.
LIT ERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1071

yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested
itself in the heaven of God's Will, than all, except those whom the A !mighty was pleased
to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless. 1
0 thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the
earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His call. God grant that the
light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, "the Kingdom is God 's",
may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.2

B. EN ROUTE TO THE SiYAH-CHAL OF TIHRAN
An old woman with a stone
As He was approaching that dungeon, an old and decrep it woman was seen to emerge
from the midst of the crowd, with a stone in her hand, eager to cast it at the face of
Baha' u' llah. Her eyes glowed with a determination and fanaticism of which few women
of her age were capable. Her whole frame shook with rage as she stepped forward and
raised her hand to hurl her missile at Him .... "!adjure you," she pleaded, as she ran to
overtake those into whose hands Baha' u' llah had been delivered, "give me a chance to
fling my stone in his face!" "Suffer not this woman to be disappointed," were
Baha' u ' llah's words to His guards, as He saw her hastening behind Him. "Deny her not
what she regards as a meritorious act in the sight of God. "3

C. THE SiYAH-CHAL, THE BLACK PIT

God alone knoweth what befell Baha'u'llah
We were consigned for four months to a place foul beyond comparison. As to the dungeon
in which this Wronged On e and others similarly wronged were confined, a dark and
narrow pit were preferable .. .. Th e dungeon was wrapped in thick darkn ess, and Our
fellow-prisoners numbered nearly a hundred and fifty souls: thieves, assassins, and highwaymen. Though crowded, it had no other outlet than the passage by which We entered.
No pen can depict that place, nor any tongue describe its loathsome smell. Most of these
men had neither clothes nor bedding to lie on. God alone kn oweth what befell Us in that
most foul-smelling and gloomy place!4
The pri son into which my father had been cast was a terrible place, seven steps below the
ground; it was ankle-deep in filth, infested with horrib le vermin, and of an indescribable
loathsomeness. Added to this, there was no glimmer of li ght in that noisome place.
Within its walls forty Babis were crowded; murderers and highway robbers were also
imprisoned there. My noble father was hurled into this black hole, loaded with heavy
chains; five other Babis were chained to him nig ht and day, and here He remained for
four months. Picture to yourself the horror of these conditions.

1 4
ibid ., p. 11 . Baha ' u' ll ah, Epist le to the Son of the Wo lf
ibid . (Wi lmette : Baha' i Publishing T rust, 1979),
Nabil-i-A á~am, Th e Da wnbreakers (Wilmette: pp. 20-2 1.
Baha'i Pub lishing Trust, 1974), pp. 607-608.
1072 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Any movement caused the chains to cut deeper and deeper not only into the fl esh of one,
but of all who were chained together; whilst sleep or rest of any kind was not poss ible. No
food was provided, and it was with the utmost difficulty that my mother was able to
arrange to get any food or drink taken into that ghastly prison. 1
Jamal-i-Mubarak (a name given to my father, i.e., literally the Blessed Beauty) spoke
very little of the terrible sufferings of that time! We, who saw the marks of what he had
endured, where the chains had cut into the delicate skin, especially that of his neck, hi s
wounded fee t so long untended, evidence of the torture of the bastinado, how we wept
with my dear mother.
He, on his part, told of the steadfast faith of the friends , who had gone forth to meet their
death at the hands of their torturers, with joy and gladness, to attain the crown of
martyrdom. 2
'Abdu ' l-Baha tells how one day He was allowed to enter the prison yard to see His
beloved Father when He came out for His daily exercise. Baha'u'llah was terribly altered,
so ill He could hardly walk. His hair and beard unkempt, His neck galled and swollen
from the pressure ofa heavy steel collar, His body bent by the weight of His chains .. .. 3
Describing His confinement in the Siyah-Chal, the Blessed Beauty recall ed: The weight
of the chain placed about Our neck was difficult to bear (the heaviest chain used weighed
over fifty kilos), but having the thumbs of both hands bound together behind the back was
even more aggravating. Th e royal guards were unyielding, but the executioners would
show us kindness. One even offered Me tea and some grapes, but as I was freighted with
chains and My hands were bound, I was unable to accept them. 4
For three days and three nights, no manner of food or drink was given to Baha'u'llah.
Rest and sleep were both impossibl e to Him. The place was infested with vermin, and the
stench of that gloomy abode was enough to crush the very spirits of those who were condemned to suffer its horrors .5

Descent of the Holy Spirit-the "Most Great Spirit"
One night in a dream these exalted words were heard on every side: "Verily, We shall
render Thee victorious by Thyself and by Thy p en. Grieve Thou not for that which hath
befallen Thee, neither be Thou afraid, for Thou art in safety. Ere long will God raise
up the treasures of the earth-men who will aid Thee through Thyself and through
Thy Name, wherewith God hath revived the hearts of such as have recognized Him . "6
During the days I lay in the prison of '[ihran, though the galling weight of the chains
and the stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in those infrequent moments of
slumber I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast, even as

1 4
Bahiyyi h Khanum , quoted in Lady Blomfi eld, 'A li-Akbar Furutan, Stories of Baha 'u 'I/ah
Th e Chosen Highway (Wilmette: Baha'i (Oxford : George Rona ld, 1986), p. 108.
5 Dawnbreakers, p. 608.
Publishing Trust, 1967), pp. 41-42.
6 Baha ' u ' llah, quoted in Shoghi Effend i,
ibid., pp . 44-45.
Esslcrnont, John E., Balza 'u '/tah and the New Era God Passes By (W ilmette: Baha'i Publi shing Trust,
(Wi lm ette: Baha'i Publi shing T rust, 1980), p. 5 1. 1987), p. I OI.
LITERARY AND MUS ICAL WORKS 1073
a mighty torrent that precipitateth itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty mountain. Every limb of My body would, as a result, be set afire. At such moments My tongue
recited what no man could bear to hear. 1
This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade
Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath
caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow .... This is but a leaf which the
winds of the will of Thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred ... 2

D. THE HORRIBLE JOURNEY FROM TrnRAN To BAGHDAD

The first exile
My God, My Master, My Desire! ... Thou has created this atom of dust through the consummate power of Thy might, and nurtured Him with Thine hands which none can chain
up .... Thou hast destined for Him trials and tribulations which no tongue can describe,
nor any of Thy Tablets adequately recount. The throat Thou didst accustom to the touch
of silk Thou hast, in the end, clasped with strong chains, and the body Thou didst ease
with brocades and velvets Thou hast at last subjected to the abasement of a dungeon. Thy
decree hath shackled Me with unnumbered fetters, and cast about My neck chains that
none can sunder. A number of years have passed during which afflictions have, like
showers of mercy, rained upon Me .... 3
How many the nights during which the weight of chains and fetters allowed Me no rest,
and how numerous the days during which peace and tranquillity were denied Me, by
reason of that wherewith the hands and tongues of men have afflicted Me! Both bread
and water which Thou hast, through Thy all-embracing mercy, allowed unto the beasts of
the field, they have, for a time, forbidden unto this servant, and the things they refused
to inflict upon such as have seceded from Thy Cause, the same have they suffered to
be inflicted upon Me, until, finally, Thy decree was irrevocably fixed, and Thy behest
summoned this servant to depart out of Persia, accompanied by a number offrail-bodied
men and children of tender age, at this time when the cold is so intense that one cannot
even speak, and ice and snow so abundant that it is impossible to move. 4

E. BAGHDAD: THE SORROWS AND BLACK WOES
Malice and jealousy were constant
The wrongs which l suffer, have blotted out the wrongs suffered by My First Name (the
Bab) from the Tablet of creation .... 0 Maryam! From the Land of Ta (Tihran), after
countless afflictions, We reached 'Iraq, at the bidding of the Tyrant of Persia, where,
after the fetters of Our foes, We were afflicted with the perfidy of Our friends. God
knoweth what befell Me thereafter!. .. I have borne what no man, be he of the past or
the future, hath borne or will bear. 5

I ibid. 3 ibid., p. I 09.
2 4
ibid., p. I02. ibid.
5 Baha ' u'llah quoted in God Passes By, p. 11 8.
1074 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Oceans of sadness, have surged over Me, a drop of which no soul could bear to drink.
Such is My grief that My soul hath well nigh departed from My body.. .. Give ear, 0
Kamal! to the voice of this lowly, this forsaken ant, that hath hid itself in its hole, and
whose desire is to depart from your midst, and vanish from your sight, by reason of that
which the hands of men have wrought. God verily, hath been witness between Me and His
servants. 1
Noah 'sflood is but the measure of the tears I have shed, and Abraham 'sflre an ebullition
ofMy soul. Jacob's grief is but a reflection ofMy sorrows, and Job 's afflictions a fraction
of my calamity.... Pour out patience upon Me, 0 My Lord! and render Me victorious over
the transgressors.2
In these days, such odors ofjealousy are difji1sed, that ... from the beginning of the foundation of the world ... until the present day, such malice, envy and hate have in no wise
appeared, nor will they ever be witnessed in the future.3
Woe is Me, woe is Me! ... All that I have seen from the day on which I first drank the pure
milk from the breast of My mother until this moment hath been effaced from My memOJy,
in consequence of that which the hands of the people have committed.4
These creatures are the same creatures who for three thousand years have worshipped
idols, and bowed down before the Golden Calf. Now, too, they are flt for nothing better.
What relation can there be between this people and Him Who is the Countenance of
Glory? What ties can bind them to the One Who is the supreme embodiment of all that
is lovable ?5

F. KURDISTAN THROUGH THE DESERT MOUNTAIN AND SULAYMANiYYIH

Two years in the wilderness
The one object of Our retirement was to avoid becoming a subject of discord among the
faithful, a source of disturbance unto Our companions, the means of injwy to any soul,
or the cause of sorrow to any heart.... Our withdrawal contemplated no return, and Our
separation hoped for no reunion. 6
I roamed the wilderness of resignation traveling in such wise that in My exile eve1y eye
wept sore over Me, and all created things shed tears of blood because ofMy anguish. Th e
birds of the air were My companions and the beasts of the field My associates. 7

G. BAGHDAD ONCE AGArN
"Be patient, be patient"
There was a time in 'Iraq, when the Ancient Beauty ... had no change of linen. The one
shirt He possessed would be washed, dried and worn again. 8

I ibid. 5 ibid., p. 119.
ibid. 6 ibid., pp. 11 9- 120.
ibid. , pp. 11 8- 119. ibid. , p. 120.
ibid., p. I 18. 8 ibid. , p. 137.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1075
I saw the Prophets and the Messengers gather and seat themselves around Me, moaning,
weeping and loudly lamenting. Amazed, I inquired of them the reason, whereupon their
lamentation and weeping waxed greater, and they said unto me: "We weep for Thee, 0
Most Great Mystery, 0 Tabernacle of Immortality!" They wept with such a weeping that
I too wept with them. Thereupon the Concourse on high addressed Me saying: " ... Erelong shalt Thou behold with Thine own eyes what no Prophet hath beheld.... Be patient,
be patient." ... They continued addressing Me the whole night until the approach of
dawn. 1

H. THE DECLARATION OF BAHA 'u'LLAH

Ri~van: "The Most Great Festival", "The King of Festivals" and
"The Festival of God"
Rejoice, with exceeding gladness, 0 people of Baha! as ye call to remembrance the Day
of supreme felicity, the Day whereon the Tongue of the Ancient of Days hath spoken, as
He departed from His House proceeding to the Spot from which He shed upon the whole
of creation the splendors of His Name, the All-Merciful ... Were We to reveal the hidden
secrets of that Day, all that dwell on earth and in the heavens would swoon away and die,
except such as will be preserved by God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Such is the inebriating effect of the words of God upon the Revealer of His undoubted
proofs that His pen can move no longer. 2
The Divine Springtime is come, 0 Most Exalted Pen, for the Festival of the All-Merciful
is fast approaching .... The Day-Star of Blissfulness shineth above the horizon of Our
Name, the Blissful, inasmuch as the Kingdom of the Name of God hath been adorned with
the ornament of the Name of Thy Lord, the Creator of the heavens.... Take heed lest
anything deter Thee from extolling the greatness of this Day-the Day whereon the
Finger of Majesty and Power hath opened the seal of the Wine of Reunion, and called all
who are in the heavens and all who are on earth .... This is the Day whereon the unseen
world crieth out: "Great is thy blessedness, 0 earth, for thou hast been made the footstool of thy God, and been chosen as the seat of His mighty throne. "3

I. THE EXILE FROM BAGHDAD TO CONSTANTINOPLE
"Mounted on His steed, a red roan stallion of the finest breed,
the best His lovers could purchase for Him ... "
He (God) it was Who enabled Me to depart out of the city (Bagf!:.dad), clothed with such
majesty as none, except the denier and the malicious, can fail to acknowledge. 4

ibid., p. 147. 3
ibid .
ibid. , p. 154. 4
ibid., p. 155.
1076 THE BAHA'i WORLD

J. THE EXILE FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO ADRIANOPLE

Expelled during freezing weather
... the place which none entereth except such as have rebelled against the authority of the
sovereign.... They expelled Us from thy city (Constantinople) with an abasement with
which no abasement on earth can compare .... Neither My family, nor those who accompanied Me, had the necessary raiment to protect them from the cold in that freezing
weather.... The eyes of Our enemies wept over Us, and beyond them those of every
discerning person. 1
Whatever action the ministers of the Sultan took against Us, after having become
acquainted with its contents, cannot be regarded as unjustifiable. The acts they committed before its perusal, however, can have no justification. 2

K. ADRIANOPLE: THE PROCLAMATION OF Hrs MISSION TO THE KINGS OF
THE EARTH

Baha'u'llah's Anguish due to the Machinations of Mirza Yal}ya and
Siyyid MuJ:iammad: "The Most Great Separation",
Expulsion of the "Most Great Idol"
He who for months and years I reared with the hand of loving-kindness hath risen to take
My life.. .. The cruelties inflicted by My oppressors have bowed Me down, and turned My
hair white. Shouldst thou present thyself before My throne, thou wouldst fail to recognize
the Ancient Beauty, for the freshness of His countenance is altered, and its brightness
hath faded, by reason of the oppression of the infidels .... By God! No spot is left on My
body that hath not been touched by the spears of thy machinations. 3
Thou hast perpetrated against thy Brother what no man hath perpetrated against
another.... What hast proceeded from thy pen hath caused the Countenances of Glory to
be prostrated upon the dust, hath rent in twain the Veil of Grandeur in the Sublime Paradise, and lacerated the hearts of the favored ones established upon the loftiest seats. 4

Call to the Kings and Rulers of the World
(Suriy-i-Muluk-Tablet to the Kings-addressed collectively to all the monarchs of
the East and the West disclosing the character of His Mission)
0 Kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The Kingdom is God's,
the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship none but God, and, with radiant
hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to
which whatever ye possess can never be compared, could ye but know it.5
0 Kings of the earth! The Most Great Law hath been revealed in this Spot, this Scene of
transcendent splendour. Every hidden thing hath been brought to light, by virtue of the

I ibid ., p. 161. 5 Baha ' u'llah , The Proclamation ofBa/l(i áu 'I/ah to
2 the Kings and Leaders of the World (Haifa: Baha ' i
ibid., p. 160.
3 World Centre, 1972), p. 5.
ibid. , p. 169.
ibid. , pp. 169- 170.
LITERARY AND MUS ICAL WORKS 1077
Will of the Supreme Ordainer, He Who hath ushered in the Last Hour, through Whom the
Moon hath been cleft, and every irrevocable decree expounded. 1
Ye are but vassals, 0 kings of the earth! He Who is the King of kings hath appeared,
arrayed in His most wondrous glo1y, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in
Peril, the Self Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of
Revelation; lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the
Creator of heaven. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath
created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems
ofHis sovereignty. 2
The one true God, exalted be His glo1y, hath ever regarded, and will continue to regard,
the hearts of men as His own, His exclusive possession. All else, whether pertaining
to land or sea, whether riches or glory, He hath bequeathed unto the kings and rulers of
the earth. From the beginning that hath no beginning the ensign proclaiming the words
'He doeth whatsoever He willeth ' hath been unfurled in all its splendour before His Manifestation. What mankind needeth in this day is obedience unto them that are in authority,
and a faithful adherence to the cord of wisdom. The instruments which are essential to the
immediate protection, the security and assurance of the human race have been entrusted
to the hands, and lie in the grasp, of the governors of human society. This is the wish
of God and His decree.. .. We cherish the hope that one of the kings of the earth will,
fo r the sake of God, arise for the triumph of this wronged, this oppressed people. Such a
king will be eternally extolled and glorified. God hath prescribed unto this p eople the
duty ofaiding whosoever will aid them, ofserving his best interests, and ofdemonstrating
to him their abiding loyalty. Th ey who fo llow Me must strive, under all circumstances, to
promote the welfare of whosoever will arise for the triumph of My Cause, and must at all
times prove their devotion and fidelity unto him. Happy is the man that hearkeneth
and observeth My counsel. Woe unto him that faileth to fidfil My wish.3

L. THE PRISON CITY OF 'AK.KA-THE MOST GREAT PRISON
Arrival at 'Akka
"Know thou, " Baha'u' llah, wishing to emphasize the criticalness of the first nine years of
His banishment to that prison-city, has written, "that upon Our arrival at this Spot, We
chose to designate it as the 'Most Great Prison. ' Though previously subj ected in another
land ([ihran) to chains and fetters, We yet refi1sed to call it by that name. Say: Ponder
thereon, 0 ye endued with understanding! "4
.. . we had reached 'Akka, the end of our journey. The landing at thi s place was achieved
with much difficulty; ... All the townspeople had assembl ed to see the arrival of the prisoners. Having been told that we were infidels, criminals, and sowers of sedition, the
attitude of the crowd was threatening. Their ye lling of curses and execrations filled us
with fresh misery. We were terrified of the unknown! We knew not w hat the fate of our

I ibid. 3 ibid ., pp. 13- 14.
2 4
ibid., pp. 5-6. God Passes By, p. 185.
1078 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

party, the friends and ourselves would be. We were taken to the old fortress of ' Akka,
where we were crowded together. 1
Having, after a miserable voyage, disembarked at ' Akka, all the exiles , men, women and
children, were under the eyes of a curious and callous population that had assembled at
the port to behold the "God of the Persians," conducted to the army barracks, where they
were locked in, and sentinels detailed to guard them. "The first night, " Baha'u'llah testifies in the Law~-i-Ra ' fs , "all were deprived of either food or drink ... They even begged
for water, and were refused. " So filthy and brackish was the water in the pool of the
courtyard that no one could drink it. Three loaves of black and salty bread were assigned
to each, which they were later permitted to exchange, when escorted by guards to the
market, for two of better quality . Subsequently they were allowed a mere pittance as substitute for the allotted dole of bread. All fe ll sick, except two, shortly after their arrival.
Malaria, dysentery, combined with the sultry heat, added to their miseries. Three succumbed, among them two brothers, who died the same night, "locked," as testified by
Baha ' u' llah, "in each other's arms. "The carpet used by Him He gave to be sold in order
to provide for their winding-sheets and burial. The paltry sum obtained after it had been
auctioned was delivered to the guards, who had refused to bury them without first being
paid the necessary expenses. Later, it was learned that, unwashed and unshrouded, they
had buried them, without coffins, in the clothes they wore, though, as affirn1ed by
Baha'u ' llah, they were given twice the amount required for their burial. "None," He
Himself has written, "knoweth what befell Us, except God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing
... From the foundation of the world until the present day a cruelty such as this hath
neither been seen nor heard of "2

The Prison
"He hath, during the greater part of His life," He, referring to Himself, has, moreover,
recorded, "been sore-tried in the clutches of His enemies. His sufferings have now
reached their culmination in this ajjlictive Prison, into which His oppressors have so
unjustly thrown Him. "3
Behold how this wronged One is now, whilst surrounded by a "generation of vipers, "
calling aloud and summoning all men to Him Who is the world's Ultimate Desire, the
Summit and Day-Spring of Glory.4

Tragic Loss of Mirza Mihdi, the Purest Branch
I have, 0 my Lord, offered up that which Thou hast given Me, that Thy servants may be
quickened, and all that dwell on earth be united. 5
Thou art the Trust of God and His Treasure in this Land. Erelong will God reveal
through thee that which He hath desired.6

1 Bahiyyih Khanum, quoted in Lady Blomfield, 4
Gleanings, p. 345 .
5 Ba ha ' u ' lla h, quoted in God Passes By, p. 188.
The Chosen High way, p. 66.
God Passes By, pp. 186- 187. 6 ibid.
3 ibid. , p. 187.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1079
The Proclamation of His Mission to the Kings, Rulers and
World's Religious Leaders (continuation)
Upon Our arrival at this Prison We purposed to transmit to the kings the messages of
their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Though We have transmitted to them, in several
Tablets, that which We were commanded, yet We do it once again, as a token of God's
grace. 1
[Baha 'u ' llah] .. . proclaimed Himself to be "the King of Kings" and "the Desire of all
Nations'', declared them [the kings and rulers] to be His "vassals" and "emblems of His
sovereignty"; .. . 2

TABLET TO QUEEN VICTORIA

We have been informed that thou hast forbidden the trading in slaves, both men and
women. This, verily, is what God hath enjoined in this wondrous Revelation ... . We have
also heard that thou has entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well.for thereby the foundations of the edifice
of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow,
whether high or lo w, will be tranquilized.3
In His Tablet to Queen Victoria He, moreover, invites these kings to hold fast to "the
Lesser Peace, " since they had refused "the Most Great Peace"; exhorts them to be reconciled among themselves, to unite and to reduce their armaments; bids them refrain from
laying excessive burdens on their subjects, who, He informs them, are their "wards " and
"treasures"; enunciates the principle that should any one among them take up arms
against another, all should rise against him; and warns them not to deal with Him as the
"King of Islam " and his ministers had dealt. 4

SECOND TABLET TO THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH, NAPOLEON Ill

For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire
shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought. Then
wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred. Commotions shall seize all the people in
that land, unless thou arises! to help this Cause, and followest Him Who is the Spirit of
God (Jesus Christ) in this, the Straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My
Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast by this firm
Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless. It behoveth
thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from the seat of glo1y to cast away all that
thou possesses!, and c1y out: "Here am l 0 Lord ofall that is in heaven and all that is on
earth! "5

BAHA'U'LLAH PREDICTED THE FALL OF THOSE
WHO PARTICIPATED IN HIS BANISHMENT . ..

.. . such as Fu'ad Pasha-Minister of Foreign Relations for Turkey. He was expelled from
his post and died in France from a heart attack. His colleague, the Prime Minister-'Ali

ibid. , p. 206. 4
God Passes By, pp. 206--207.
God Passes By, p. 206. 5
The Proclamation of Baha 'u 'I/ah,
The Proclamation ofBa ha 'u '//ah, pp. 33-34. pp . 20- 21.
1080 THE BAHA'I WO LD

Pasha-was fired soon after the prediction ofBaha'u'llah. Then came the overthrow and the
death of Sul~an 'Abdu '1- ',Aziz and the loss of the Turkish territories in Europe.

THE FALL OF NAPOLEON III ...

. . . came in less than a year due to the disastrous Franco-Prussian War. The invasion of the
papal estates and the annexation of Rome by the forces of the new Italian Kingdom came
only a few months after a statement ofBaha'u'llah addressed to the Pontiff Pope Pius IX.
Abandon thy kingdom unto the kings, and emerge from thy habitation, with thy face set
towards the Kingdom, ... Be as thy Lord hath been ... Verily, the day of ingathering is
come, and all things have been separated from each other. He hath stored away that
which He chose in the vessels ofjustice, and cast into the fire that which befitteth it. 1

BAHA'U'LLAH STRONGLY WARNED THE GERMAN KING-WILLIAM I.. .

. . . whose government provoked the war with France and established the new "German
Empire".
0 banks of the Rhine! We have seen you covered with gore, inasmuch as the swords of
retribution were drawn against you; and you shall have another turn. And We hear the
lamentations of Berlin, though she be today in conspicuous glory. 2

IN THE TABLET TO THE RULERS OF AMERICA
AND THE PRESIDENTS OF ITS REPUBLICS ...

He announced the arrival of the Day of God and closed with a call that is unparalleled
with His other messages. Truly it is a mandate.
Bind ye the broken with the hands of justice, and crush the oppressor who jlourisheth
with the rod of the commandments ofyour Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise. 3

Revelation and Promulgation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas
In Baha'u'llah's words, the Kitab-i-Aqdas is the "Most Sacred Book'', the "new heaven",
the "new earth'', "the Tabernacle of God'', the "Holy City'', the "Bride'', "New Jerusalem
coming down from God", the "Holy City", this "Most Holy Book", the "Most Great Law",
and the "Unerring Balance"; and in the words of Shoghi Effendi: "Charter of the future
world civilization."
Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have
unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power. To this beareth witness
that which the Pen of Revelation hath revealed. Meditate upon this, 0 men of insight! 4
Blessed those who meditate upon it! Blessed those who ponder its meaning! So vast is its
range that it hath encompassed all men ere their recognition of it. Erelong will its sovereign power, its pervasive influence and the greatness of its might be manifested on earth. 5

4 Saha ' u ' llah, Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-
I ibid. , pp. 85- 86.
2 ibid., p. 39. i-Aqdas the Most Holy Book of Baha áu '//ah (Haifa:
3 ibid., p. 63. Baha'i World Centre, 1973), frontispiece .
5 Baha'u ' llah, quoted in God Passes By , p. 216.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 108 1

.. . the Kitab-i-Aqdas, revealed from first to last by the Author of the Dispensation Himself, not only preserves for posterity the basic laws and ordinances on which the fabric of
His future World Order must rest, but ordains, in addition to the function of interpretation
which it confers upon His Successor, the necessary institutions through which the integrity and unity of His Faith can alone be safeguarded. 1
"We, verily, " wrote Baha' u ' ll ah, surveying, in the evening of His life, from His Most
Great Prison, the entire range of this vast and weighty Revelation, "have not fallen short
of Our duty to exhort men, and to deliver that whereunto I was bidden by God, the
Almighty, the All-Praised." "Is there any excuse," He further has stated, "left for any one
in this Revelation? No, by God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne! My signs have encompassed the earth, and My power enveloped all mankind. "2

M. BAHA'U'LLAH'S CAPTIVITY: THE PURPOSE FOR Hrs SUFFERING
What Could Possibly Cause Him Shame?
My captivity can bring on Me no shame. Nay, by My life, it conferreth on Me glory. That
which can make Me ashamed is the conduct of such of My followers as profess to love
Me, yet in fact follow the Evil One. They, indeed, are of the lost. 3
The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be
released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most
mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to
its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding
joy, and be filled with gladness. This is of the mercy of your Lord, the Compassionate,
the Most Merciful. We have accepted to be abased, 0 believers in the Unity of God, that
ye may be exalted, and have suffered manifold afflictions, that ye might prosper and
flourish. He Who hath come to build anew the whole world, behold, how they that have
joined partners with God ha ve forced Him to dwell within the most desolate of cities! 4

Why did He suffer so much?
THE LOVE OF GOD

As My tribulations multiplied, so did My love for God and for His Cause increase, in such
wise that all that befell Me from the hosts of the wayward was powerless to deter Me
from My purpose. Should they hide Me away in the depths of the earth, yet would they
find Me riding aloft on the clouds, and calling out unto God, the Lord of strength and of
might. I have offered Myself up in the way of God, and I yearn after tribulations in My
love for Him , and for the sake of His good-pleasure. Unto this bear witness the woes
which now afflict Me, the like of which no other man hath suffered. Every single hair of
Mine head calleth out that which the Burning Bush uttered on Sinai, and each vein of
My body invoketh God and saith: "O would I had been severed in Thy path, so that the

God Passes By, pp. 213- 2 I4. 3 Gleanings, pp. 117- 118.
ibid. , p. 220. ibid. , pp. 99- 100.
1082 THE BAHA'I WORLD

world might be quickened, and all its peoples be united! " Thus hath it been decreed
by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. 1

THE LOVE OF Goo FOR HUMA NITY

Consider to what extent the love of God makes itself manifest. Among the signs of His
love which appear in the world are the dawning-points of His Manifestations. Whal an
infinite degree of love is reflected by the divine Manifestations toward mankind! For the
sake of guiding the people they have willingly fmfeited their lives to resuscitate human
hearts. They have accepted the cross. To enable human souls to attain the supreme
degree of advancement, they have suffered during their limited years extreme ordeals and
difficulties. 2
Observe how rarely human souls sacrifice their pleasure or comfort for others; how
improbable that a man would offer his eye or suffer himself to be dismembered for the
benefit of another. Yet all the divine Manifestations suffered, offered their lives and
blood, sacrificed their existence, comfort and all they possessed for the sake of mankind.
Therefore consider how much They love. Were it not for Th eir love for humanity, spiritual
love would be mere nomenclature. Were it not for Their illumination, human souls would
not be radiant. How effective is Their love! This is a sign of the love of God; a ray of the
Sun of Reality. 3

TH E LOV E OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF Goo

Nine days before His passing, 'Abdu ' l-Baha gave a talk in His home in Haifa to some
Baha' is who had gathered there for a meeting with Him. These notes of 'Abdu'l-Baha 's
address were taken down in Persian at that meeting and later translated:
His Holin ess the Christ loved both His disciples and believers to such an extent that He
sacrificed His life for them. His Holiness the Supreme (the Bab), loved the friends to such
an extent that He gave His life for them. The Blessed Beauty (Saha 'u 'llah) loved the
friends so much that for their sakes He accepted a thousand difficulties and ajjlictions.
Four times He was exiled. He was banished from one place to another. His properties
were confiscated. He gave all-His family, His relatives, His possessions. He accepted
imprisonment, chains and fetters. His Holy Person was imprisoned in the fortress of
'A kka . ... He was made lo suffer more calamities, ajjlictions and difficulties than could be
enumerated. He had not a moment's rest. He had not an hour's comfort. He was continually under the greatest hardships and ordeals. What great persecutions He endured from
his enemies! What great ajjliclions He bore from His own relatives! He accepted all these
trials for our sakes so that He might educate us, so that He might make us illumined, so
that He might make us heavenly, so that He might change our character, change our
lives, so that He might illumine our inmost self. All these troubles He accepted for our
sakes. He did indeed sacrifice His life for us. This love is the real love. This is the inner
attachment and the genuine friendship. This is the love which sacrifices one's all, one's
life. This is the reality of love ... 4

1 4
Epi stle to the Son of the Wolf, pp. 52-53. 'Abdu ' l-Baha, "The Universal Language of the
2 Spirit", Siar of//1e Wes!, vol. VIII, no.7, October
'Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity (Wi lmette: Baha ' i Publi shin g Trust, 1979), p. 89. 1922, pp. 163- 164.
ibid. , p. 90.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1083

N. THE PURPOSE OF BAHA'u'LLAH'S SUFFERING

To sanctify people from all earthly defilements
Say: We have accepted to be tried by ills and troubles, that ye may sanctify yourselves
from all earthly defilem ents. Why, then, refuse ye to ponder Our purpose in your hearts?
By the righteousness of God! Whoso will reflect upon the tribulations We have suffered,
his soul will assuredly melt away with sorrow. The Lord Himself beareth witness to the
truth of My words. We have sustained the weight of all calamities to sanctify you from
all earthly corruption, and ye are yet indifferent. 1
His Holin ess Balui 'u 'll6.h endured ordeals and hardships sixty years. Th ere was no persecution, vicissitude or suffering He did not experience at the hand of His enemies and
oppressors. All the days of His life were passed in difficulty and tribulation; at one time
in prison, another in exile, sometimes in chains. He willingly endured these difficulties for
the unity of mankind, praying that the world of humanity might realize the radiance of
God, the oneness of humankind become a reality, strife and warfare cease and peace and
tranquillity be realized by all. In prison He hoisted the banner of human solidarity, proclaiming Universal Peace, writing to the kings and rulers of nations summoning them to
international unity and counselling arbitration ...
Therefore we also must strive in this pathway of love and service, sacrificing life and
possessions, passing our days in devotion, consecrating our efforts wholly to the cause
of God, so that, God willing, the ensign of universal religion may be uplifted in the world
of mankind and the oneness of the world of humanity be established. 2
Briefly, this Wronged One hath, in the face of all that hath befallen Him at their hands,
and all that hath been said of Him, endured patiently, and held His peace, inasmuch as
it is Our purpose, through the loving providence of God-exalted be His gl01y-and
His surpassing mercy, to abolish, through the force of Our utterance, all disputes, war,
and bloodshed, from the face of the earth. Under all conditions We have, in spite of what
they have said, endured with seemly patience, and have left them to God. 3
Who can ever believe that this Servant of God hath at any time cherished in His heart a
desire for any earthly honor or benefit? The Cause associated with His Name is far above
the transitory things of this world. Behold Him, an exile, a victim of tyranny, in this Most
Great Prison. His enemies have assailed Him on eve1y side, and will continue to do so
till the end of His life. Whatever, therefore, He saith unto you is wholly for the sake of
God, that haply the p eoples of the earth may cleanse their hearts from the stain of evil
desire, may rend its veil asunder, and attain unto the knowledge of the one true God- the
most exalted station to which any man can aspire. Th eir belief or disbelief in My Cause
can neither profit nor harm Me. We summon them wholly for the sake of God. He, verily,
can afford to dispense with all creatures. 4
Thou hast known how grievously the Prophets of God, His Messengers and Chosen Ones,
have been afflicted. Meditate a while on the motive and rea!fon which have been responsible for such a persecution. At no time, in no Dispensation, have the Prophets of God

Gleanings, p. 307. Baha ' i Publi shin g Trust, I 976), pp. 230-23 1.
'Abdu ' l-Baha, Balza 'i World Faith- Selected Writ- Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 34.
ings of Baha 'u 'I/ah and 'Abdu '/-Balza (W ilmette: Gleanings, p. 85.
1084 Tl-IE BAl-IA'i WORLD

escaped the blasphemy of their enemies, the cruelty of their oppressors, the denunciation
of the learned of their age, who appeared in the guise of uprightness and piety. Day and
night they passed through such agonies as none can ever measure, except the knowledge
of the one true God, exalted be His glmy. 1
Ponder a while on the woes and afflictions which this Prisoner hath sustained. I have, all
the days ofMy life, been at the mercy of Mine enemies, and have suffered each day, in the
path of the love of God, a fresh tribulation. I have patiently endured until the fame of the
Cause of God was spread abroad on the earth ...
It beseemeth all men, in this Day, to take firm hold on the Most Great Name, and to establish the unity of all mankind. There is no place to flee to, no refi1ge that any one can seek,
except Him .2

0. SUMMARY OF THE PURPOSE OF ALL His SUFFERING
The Ablui Beauty Hims elf- may the spirit of all existence be offered up for His loved
ones-bore all manner of ordeals, and willingly accepted for Himself intense ajjlictions.
No torment was there left that His sacred form was not subjected to, no suffering that
did not descend upon Him. How many a night, when He was chained, did He go sleepless
because of the weight of His iron collar; how many a day the burning pain of the stocks
and fetters gave Him no moment's peace. From Niyavaran to '[ihran they made Him
run- He, that embodied spirit, He Who had been accustomed to repose against cushions
of ornamented silk- chained, shoeless, His head bared; and down under the earth, in
the thick darkness of that narrow dungeon, they shut Him up with murderers, rebels and
thieves. Ever and again they assailed Him with a new torment, and all were certain that
from one moment to the next He would suffer a martyr's death. After some time they
banished Him from His native land, and sent Him to countries alien andfar away. During
many a year in 'lraq, no moment passed but the arrow of a new anguish struck His holy
heart; with every breath a sword came down upon that sacred body, and He could hope
for no moment of security and rest. From every side His enemies mounted their attack
with unrelenting hate; and singly and alone He withstood them all. After all these tribulations, these body blows, they flung Him out of 'Iraq in the continent of Asia, to the
continent of Europe, and in that place of bitter exile, of wretched hardships, to the wrongs
that were heaped upon Him by the people of the Qur'an were now added the virulent
persecutions, the powe1ful attacks, the plottings, the slanders, the continual hostilities,
the hate and malice, of the people of the Bayan. My pen is powerless to tell it all; but
ye have surely been informed of it. Then, after twenty-four years in this, the Most Great
Prison, in agony and sore ajjliction, His days drew to a close.
To sum it up, the Ancient Beauty was ever, during His sojourn in this transitory world,
either a captive bound with chains, or living under a sword, or subjected to extreme
suffering and torment, or held in the Most Great Prison. Because of His physical weakness, brought on by His ajjlictions, His blessed body was worn away to a breath; it was
light as a cobweb from long grieving. And His reason for shouldering this heavy load and
enduring all this anguish, which was even as an ocean that hurleth its waves to high

I ibid., pp. 57- 58. ibid., p. 203 .
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1085
heaven-His reason for putting on the heavy iron chains and for becoming the ve1y
embodiment of utter resignation and meekn ess, was to lead every soul on earth to
concord, to fellow-feeling, to oneness; to make known amongst all peoples the sign of the
singleness of God, so that at last the primal oneness deposited at the heart of all created
things would bear its destined Fuit, and the splendour of 'No difference canst thou see
in the creation of the God of Mercy, ' 1 would cast abroad its rays. 2

Qur'an 67:3 'Abdu '/-Bahri (Haifa: Baha'i World CentTe, 1978),
'Abdu ' l-Baha, Se/eclionsfi'om the Writings of pp. 262- 263.
THE BAHA'i WORLD

2. THE CONCEPT OF LAW IN THE BAHA'f FAITH AND THE
LAW OF l:IUQUQU'LLAH
DR. AMiN BANANi

THE approaching confluence of two mo- from? This is the concept of law in human
mentous events at the beginning of the Baha'i societies from the beginning until now. We
Holy Year in Ric;!van of 1992-publication are obliged to use words that are familiar,
of the translation of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, and words which have had certain connotations
the universal implementation of the Law of in the past; but Baha'u'llah intends to infuse
I:Iuququ'llah-is an opportune time to re- them with new meanings; and it is for us to
flect on the concept of law in the Revelation think and reflect on the nature of these new
of Baha'u'llah, and to view the Law of meanings and the key that He has given us.
I:Iuququ'llah in the light of that concept. It is All the words that we use in all languages
understood that the purpose of Divine Laws to describe laws- in Arabic, for instance,
is to aid humans to realize the goodness that we speak of hudud (limits) or ahkam (comis within them and to curb the potential for mandments )-immediately bring to mind the
lapses from that goodness which may also image of those who live under those laws as
tempt them. The laws of Baha 'u'llah are people bound by them. The notion oflaws as
aimed at nothing short of a transfo1mation of limits or commandments carries with it the
our nature. corollary of those who are limited, com-
Where would be a better place to begin manded and forced to obey. BaM'u'llah tells
our reflections on the concept of law us that His Laws are not like that at all. They
in Baha'u'llah's Revelation than the very are, rather, like the choice Wine.
opening passage in the Kitab-i-Aqdas where That is indeed an interesting metaphor. It
Baha'u'llah makes use of a beautiful poetic is not merely a poetic phrase. At the outset
metaphor to describe the nature of His Laws. we may ask ourselves what is the function of
He says: choice Wine? and what is the relevance of
this metaphor in the context of laws? On a
Think not that We have revealed unto you
very superficial level we may note that both
a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We
in Islam and in the Baha'i Faith ordinary
have unsealed the choice Wine with the
1 wine is a substance forbidden by law. Obvifingers of might and power.
ously the metaphor is not to be understood
We may often pass over this passage on that superficial level. It is the impact
simply moved by the beauty of the image or produced by the choice Wine, the spiritual
perhaps even perplexed by the intent of the analogy of good stráong wine, on the individmetaphor, but it is, in fact, the key that ual which is just the opposite of binding him
Baha'u'llah has provided us for understand- with limits. It is hue liberation. When you
ing the nature of His Laws. have imbibed of this choice Wine you are
What, we may ask, is the mere code of freed from inhibitions. Baha'u'llah tells us
laws that Baha'u'llah disassociates Himself that His Laws are not intended to bind but to
liberate us . That is the purpose of the key
1 Baha'u'llah, A Synopsis and Codification of the Laws that He provides us in the opening of His
and Ordinances of the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Haifa: Baha' i Book of Laws.
World Centre, 1973), fronti spiece.

From a talk given by Dr. Amfn Banani at the Arabic Session of Landegg Academy, August 1991.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1087
When we think of it in that way we real- ourselves for the universal observance of
ize that we are witnessing the dawn of a new this Sacred Law. This education is not just
phase of the spiritual evolution of the human for the western friends who did not observe
race, a spiritual evolution that results in the it before. It is for all of us, eastern and westtransformation of human nature. It is within ern, to acquire a deeper and more mature
this evolutionary process that law ceases to understanding of this Law.
be an external limit imposed upon us and While looking at the implications of this
begins to be a liberating energy arising from Law as a liberating force, we should also
within us . keep in mind that none of the Laws of
Baha'u'llah intends for us that His Laws Baha'u'llah stand in a vacuum in isolation
become a self-generated part of our con- from the others. They are all part of an intescience to protect us from lapses. By freeing grated fabric, the ultimate purpose of which
us from our baser motives it bestows true is building the World Order of Baha'u'llah.
liberty upon us . This is not to say that human All of His Laws-and the Law of I:Iuquqnature, which has the potential of achieving 'u 'llah is no exception-are building materials
perfection, is necessarily perfect at all times. for raising the edifice of His World Order.
For this reason the Kitab-i-Aqdas delineates Also, as in many of the other Laws of
categories of wrongdoing and specifies Baha'u'llah, there is more than one aspect to
punishments for them. But when it comes to the Law ofI:Iuququ'llah. There is the purely
motivations for avoiding these lapses, it is personal aspect which has to do with purifialways based on the spiritual strength and cation of our motives and the spiritualization
moral stamina of the individual. Protection of our mundane cares and concerns. The
is built from within, not by erecting walls other aspect has to do with binding the body
without. Should we fail to grasp this novel of humanity in a fair and equitable way. In a
concept of law as an instrument of liberation beautiful phrase in the Ri~van 1991 message
rather than limitation, Baha'u ' llah states in of the Universal House of Justice, the Law of
that same opening passage of the Most Holy I:Iuququ'llah is referred to as "a profoundly
Book that the primary agent for the private act of conscience that promotes the
enforcement of His Laws is not fear of the common good." The two aspects are, of
consequences, but the love of His beauty: course, integral and inseparable. Because
"Observe My commandments, for the love our attention is usually drawn to the personal
of My beauty." blessings with not much attention given to
Those of us who by accident of birth and the public benefits of this Law, here we may
mother tongue or acquired second language reflect more on the "common good".
have had access to the Kitab-i-Aqdas for In a beautiful and profound Tablet, 1
nearly a century, have been tráying to live up 'Abdu'l-Baha likens the whole of human
to its commandments, not so much out of a society to the human body. The cooperation,
deep and full understanding of their purpose collaboration and balance among the limbs
and implications but for the love of His and organs of the human body that are
Beauty. And now the Universal House of necessary for its health and well-being, He
Justice is on the verge of promulgating one asserts, are the same as interdependence and
of these laws which some of us have been equitable relationships within the entire
observing for the love of His beauty, as the human family, and I:Iuqt'.1qu'llah is a means
universal and loving obligation of the entire of achieving that balance.
Baha'i world. Noting the desire of the entire
Baha'i community to share in the blessing of 1
Huqiiqu '//ith, Comp ilation by the Research Departthe Law of I:Iuqt1qu'llah, the House of Jusment of the Universa l House of Justice (Haifa:
tice has asked us to educate and prepare Baha'i World Centre, 1985), pp. 14-15.
1088 THE BAHA'i WORLD

J::Iuququ'llah is a major instrnment that Assemblies, and only an infinitesimal num-
Baha 'u ' llah has given us for achievement of ber ever have the honor of serving on the
economic justice and a more equitable distri- Universal House of Justice. And as the
bution of wealth. Narrowing the tragic and Baha'i population of the world grows, the
dangerous gap that exists between the few percentage of those who are elected to serve
rich and many poor of this world is an urgent on the different levels of that pyramid will
need of our time. If not out of altruism, then become smaller and smaller. So the direct
out of enlightened self-interest even the rich connection of the individual to the source of
nations of the world are groping for ways to authority in the Faith becomes more and
reduce this gap. But the obsolete barriers of more occasional and infinitesimal except in
the old world order have so far made all such observance of the Law ofJ::Iuququ'llah, where
efforts futile . every individual has the continuous privilege
In contrast, at this embryonic stage of of sustaining the very apex of the pyramid.
emergence of the Baha'i world community Baha'u'llah has given us the charter for
the channel for a meaningful beginning of His new World Order, created the instituredistribution of wealth is already in place tions for governance of the Baha'i world,
in the Law of J::luququ' llah. To have but one and in the Law of J::luququ ' llah, He has
example of this fact it is enough to reflect legislated a regular and continuous source of
that out of more than one hundred and fifty revenue for the worldwide operation of the
national Baha'i communities in the world supreme authority of His Faith. We may
today, perhaps fewer than ten percent are think of it, therefore, as a global tax for the
financially self-supporting. The rest-and benefit of the global authority in the Faith.
those are communities with the largest Baha'i This limited analogy to taxation is both
populations, the most dynamic teaching instructive and eye-opening. We know a good
activities, and most important of all , the deal about the history of taxation in human
most active proj ects for social and economic societies and, sad to say, much of it is indisdevelopment- depend on generous, well- tinguishable from extortion. Even in the more
coordinated and sustained financial support democratic societies where taxes are apfrom the Universal House of Justice. proved by the elected representatives of the
In the same Ri<;lvan 1991 message of people, and where the generality of the public
the Universal House of Justice we come recognizes the need for taxation for its own
across another profound phrase describing protection, no tax system can be upheld with-
J::luququ'llah as the Law " ... which directly out the strong arm of the law to enforce it.
connects the individual believer with the Where does the power of enforcement of
Central Institution of the Faith .... " J::luququ'llah res ide? Only in the innermost
In describing the structure of the Admin- depth of our own conscience. As we contemistrative Order of our Faith we often make plate the enormity of this fact we begin to
us e of the form of a pyramid, with the realize the concrete reality behind that other-
Local Spiritual Assemblies at the base, the wise platitudinous sounding phrase which we
National Spiritual Assemblies in the inter- often pass over: "spiritual solutions for ecomediate place and the Universal House of nomic problems." What kind of tax system
Justice at the apex of the pyramid. Now is this that requires a "profoundly private act
if we try to think of the connection of the of conscience" fo r its enforcement? It places
individual Baha'i to this pyramid of author- a premium upon spiritual growth and matuity we realize that some of us are elected to ration and not upon raising of revenue.
various Local Spiritual Assemblies and thus The impetus for spiritual growth does not
connected to that strncture of authority. Far end with the private assumption of responsifewer are elected to the National Spiritual bility for upholding the law. Baha'u' llah
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1089
adds a further condition to that act of private established. l:fuququ'llah is a portion of our
conscience, and that has to do with a certain wealth which by God's Law is His Right.
spiritual attitude. That is the attitude of We simply return it to Him. What is required
joyful and radiant acquiescence. If we do of us in discharge of our l:fuququ'llah oblinot have it, He tells us, we are not ready to gation is accountability and trustworthiness.
observe the Law. Here is another important What we give to the other Funds is out of our
difference between I:Iuququ'llah and other own substance, summoned by our sense of
systems of taxation: if in calculation of our generosity and sacrifice.
I:Iuququ'llah obligation we look for loop- The difference between l:fuququ'llah and
holes, we have not yet achieved that degree the other Funds can best be illustrated by
of spiritual maturity that Baha'u'llah wishes the difference between the Daily Obligatory
for us, and in a sense we are not yet qualified Prayer and the wealth of all the other prayers
to observe the Law. This is another demon- and meditations that we have available to us.
stration of "spiritual solutions for economic We are free, indeed strongly urged, to enrich
problems." and sanctify our lives with frequent recourse
Baha'u'llah is asking of us nothing less to those prayers; but they do not take the
than a complete reversal of habitual human place of the Daily Obligatory Prayer. One
behavior when it comes to payment of is a legal obligation, the other a moral obli-
I:Iuququ'llah. Payment of taxes has often gation, if we remember the nature of
been accompanied by coercion, reluctance Baha'u'llah's Laws in the first place.
and avoidance. Baha'u'llah makes I:Iuququ- If in calculation of our I~Iuququ'llah obli-
'llah voluntary, joyful and radiant. It was gation we wish to count our contributions
Benjamin Franklin who spoke of two to the other Funds as part of our 'needful'
unavoidable calamities by saying you cannot expenses, the House of Justice has told us
escape death and taxes . We are already that we may do so. But it should be inconfamiliar with Baha'u'llah's utterance in The ceivable that those contributions should rule
Hidden Words that, "! have made death a out the discharge of our l:f uququ 'llah obligamessenger ofjoy to thee .. . " 1 Now we learn tion in the same sense that it is inconceivable
that taxes too are to be paid with joy. that saying of constant prayers should leave
The transfo1ming power and the liberat- us no time to perfo1m our Daily Obligatory
ing influence of the Law of I:Iuququ'llah is Prayer.
as yet dimly experienced by us . It is a Law Another question that often comes up in
that is a test offirnmess in the Covenant, and our educational gatherings and must be on
a joyful way of building the strong fabric of the minds of many friends has to do with the
the World Order ofBaha'u'llah. timing of the universal implementation of
As we approach the universal implemen- the Law of l:fuququ'llah in Ri<;lvan 1992. Is
tation of the Law of l:fuququ ' llah, often the it because of the unusual need for financial
question is asked by the friends about the resources at this time when the Arc on
relationship of l:fuququ ' llah to other Funds Mount Carmel is being completed? The
in the Faith. The answers are, of course, answer is both yes and no without any
fully given in the Compilation from the Writ- equivocation and contradiction. It is yes in
ings of Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha, Shoghi the sense that already for the last hundred
Effendi and the Universal House of Justice, years the preponderant share of the funds
and the priority of l:fuququ'llah is clearly needed for all the development and expansion
of our World Centre has been provided by
I:Iuququ'llah, and the completion of the Arc
Baha' u'llah, The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1979),
will be no exception. But if we think that
Arabic, #32: p. 11. the universal implementation of the Law of
1090 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

I:Iuququ'llah is merely another exigent fund- I:Iuququ'llah will continue to build and
raising device to meet the current needs at invigorate and reinforce the World Order of
the World Centre, then we are completely Baha'u'llah for centuries and centuries to
missing the point, and the answer is come, and will be an integrated part of the
emphatically no. This Arc will be built and power and authority of the Universal House
completed in a short time, but the Law of of Justice.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS

3. INTERDEPENDENCE OF BAHA'f COMMUNITIES-
SERVICES OF NORTH AMERICAN BAHA'i WOMEN TO IRAN
BY BAl-IARIEH ROUl-IANI MA' AN!

INTRODUCTION

"All men have been created to cany forward generating influence of the spiritual forces
an ever-advancing civilization." 1 At the heart released, the receptivity of the people, the
of such a civilization is the spiritual, eco- commitment of the followers of the new
nomic and social well-being of humanity. creed to champion the cause of change, the
Religion has no claim to validity and cannot availability of means, and the nature and
make progress if it is without concern for timeliness of activities undertaken all play a
spiritual health, economic development, and crucial role . This article presents the findimprovement in social conditions. ings of a study of North American women's
The amount of time needed to make espousal of the Baha'i Faith and their
meaningful change depends on several fac- response to the social needs of their Iranian
tors. The power of the creative Word, the coreligionists.

THE SPREAD OF THE BAHA'f FAITH IN AMERICA

The Name of Baha'u'llah was first men- the nineteenth century. BaM'u'llah's enuntioned publicly in North America in 1893. 2 ciation, in the latter half of that century, of
This was one year after BaM'u'llah had teachings and laws to unite humankind in a
passed away in what was then Palestine, and common cause, provided the focus. His
His eldest son, 'Abdu'l-BaM, had been ap- advent renewed hopes of salvation and
pointed as BaM'u'llah's successor and the released spiritual forces needed to prepare
Centre of the Covenant. The first American the way for establishing universal peace.
follower of BaM'u'llah, Thornton Chase, After Thornton Chase, many receptive
embraced the Baba ' i Faith in Chicago in souls entered the Faith, including a number
1894. of prominent women. Some of them sought
The swift spread of the Baha'i Faith to 'Abdu'l-Baha's permission and embarked
the West was due not only to the applicabil- upon a historical voyage to 'Akka, His place
ity of its message, but also to the needs of of exile in Palestine. Their intention was
the time and the availability of means of twofold: first, to make a pilgrimage to the
conununication and travel. The need for a land where the Prophet-Founder of the
fresh spiritual stimulus was strongly felt in Baba 'i Faith spent the last twenty-five years

Baha' u' ll ah, Gleaningsji-0111 tlze Writings of 23 Sept. 1893, quoted in his speech words that
Bahn '11 '/litlz (Wil mette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, Baha'u'llah had spoken to Edward G. Browne in
1983), p. 215. 1891. E.G. Browne was the onl y orienta list granted
A mi ssionary based in Syria, in a sess ion of the an interview with Baha'u' ll ah. The interview took
Wo rld 's Parliament of Religions held in Chi cago on place in Baha ' u ' ll ah's place of ex il e in 'Akka.

This essay, rev ised for incl usion in the international record, originally appeared in The Journal of Bahit 'i Studies,
vol.4,no.l,May 199 1.
1092 Tl-IE BAHA'i WORLD

of His life and where He is buried; and, process of integration of the East and the
second, to meet 'Abdu ' l-Baha and partake West-a process which evolved and entailed
of His divine wisdom. Their an-ival in the many significant developments and under-
Holy Land in 1898 signalled the dawn of the takings.

EARLY AMERICAN BAHA'f WOMEN
WHO RENDERED OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO IRAN

Louisa A. Moore (Lua Getsinger) Through her efforts other women in the
Among the first group of pilgrims was Lua West, such as Phoebe Hearst and May Ellis
Getsinger. She was in love with the Faith Bolles, "the mother teacher of Europe,"
she had espoused and wished to devote her embraced the Faith and rendered outstandlife to its service. 'Abdu'l-Baha saw in her mg service.
the potential to undertake and accomplish Lua Getsinger was chosen by 'Abdu ' lgreat tasks . He nurtured her zeal and enthu- Baha to undertake an important mission on
siasm, and provided her with spiritual behalf of her co-religionists in Iran-the
guidance and momentum. Her intense love first service of its kind undertaken by a
for Baha'u'llah' s Revelation and her selfless Wes tern believer. In 1902 she was sent to
way of conveying Baha'i teachings to others meet Muzaffari ' d-Din Shah, the Shah of
made her a remarkable teacher of the Faith. Iran, dur.ing his secondvisit to Paris, 2 to
'Abdu ' l-Baha surnamed her Liva (Banner) acquaint him and his Prime Minister, Mirza
and Ummu '!-Mu 'minin (Mother of the 'Ali A~ghar Khan-i-Atabak, with the situation of the oppressed Baha'i community in
Iran, to seek restitution of Baha'i rights, and
to appeal for justice on their behalf. The Iranian Baha' i community had been persecuted
since its inception. The Muslim clerical
class had used every opportunity to incite
the population against the Baha'is, and the
governn1ent had often condoned the maltreatment of the Baha ' is by the fanatics.
'Abdu'l-Baha saw the time as propitious, the
place favourable, and the personality of Lua
fit for the task He wanted undertaken.

A title of di stincti on gi ve n to spec ifi c beli evers who
rendered outstanding servi ces to the Baha' i Faith
durin g the mini stry of 'A bdu' l- Ba ha.
2 A meeting with a sovereign who enj oyed absolute

power over the inhabitants of the co untry he rul ed by
a member of the fe male sex, regard ed as inferior and
Lua Getsinger, whom 'Abdu 'l-Baha named un worthy in Muslims' eyes- especiall y one who had
"Liva" (Bann e1), and "Unmrn'l-Mu ' minin" espoused a reli gion unrecognized and persecuted in
(Moth er of the Believers) . iran- was a unprecedented event. The envoy prev iously sent by Baha' u' ll ah to prese nt Hi s Epistl e to
N a~ iri 'd-Din Shah , the grandfather and predecesso r
Believers). Shoghi Effendi called her " the of Mu ~affa ri ' d-Din Shah, had bee n brutally tortured
mother teacher of the West", and designated and put to death. I-le was a seventeen-year-o ld youth,
her as one of 'Abdu ' l-Baha's Disciples. 1 entitled Saeli' (Wonderful) .
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1093

Mu~tafa Khan (left) looking at (fiáom left to right): Miss Lillian Kappes, Dr. Sarah Clock,
and Dr. Susan Moody, with a woman named Tahirih Khanum in Tihran, fran, circa 1912.

Lua received the necessary instructions the situation of the Baha'is in Iran was laid
and set out to accomplish the mission. She before the King and his Prime Minister.
secured an appointment through the Persian They could no longer use ignorance of facts
Embassy in Paris, then wrote a petition in as an excuse for their inaction to redress the
English and had it translated into French by injustices inflicted upon the Baha 'is. Hence,
a notable French Balla 'i, Hippolyte Dreyfus. a task inconceivable in Iran was accom-
Accompanied by Dreyfus, she met with the plished. An official petition on behalf of the
Shah in the grand reception hall of the Iranian Baha'i community was made to its
Elysees Palace Hotel, where the King and temporal rnler by an ardent American female
his entourage were staying in September Baha'i.
1902. She was greeted with kindness and Lua Getsinger submitted a second peticourtesy, and received favorable responses tion to the Shah, through official cham1els in
to her petitions. 1 However, subsequent events 1903, when disturbances in Iran claimed the
in Iran show that very little practical im- lives of several Baha'is in Yazd, I~fahan ,
provement was made in the treatment of and other places. In that petition she said:
Baha'is for a number of reasons. Islam was, "And be assured that this Light will never be
as now, the state religion; the clerical class extinguisl1ed, even should you permit the
was in ascendancy; and the government's blood of the Baha'is to rnn in rivers throughinterests dictated its compliance with the out your land, for it is evident that the blood
desires of the clergy. The requirements of of the Persian Baha'is is but the oil which
social justice were, therefore, overshadowed has fed and will feed the flame in the Lamp
by the self-seeking interests of the authori- of the Cause of Baha'u'llah .... " 2 This petities and ecclesiastics. But Lua's mission tion produced some relief, and for several
served one important purpose: the truth of years the persecutions ceased.

Star of the West, vol. XV, no.8 (Nov. 192 1), p. 231. 2 ibid., p. 233 .
1094 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Dr. Susan Moody- Amatu 'l-A 'Id (Hand- appeal without hesitation. She arranged her
maid of the Most High) affairs and left for Iran in November 1909. In
The initiation of development projects in Tihran, she joined the team of Balla' i doctors
Iran goes back to the early years of 'Abdu'l- who had established a hospital called ~il.iat.
Baha's ministry. The Baha'i community in The vital services Dr. Moody provided to
Tihran established a boys' school in 1900; the community of Iran were acknowledged
later a group of doctors came together to set in the following notice and editorial, pubup a hospital. A female doctor was needed to lished in a newspaper in Tihran. It reads :
treat the female patients, who could not be Doctor Moody-American lady-Not
examined by male physicians. When a group only does she know medicine, but also
of Baha' is from the United States visited gynecology, obstetrics and women's
Iran in 1908: diseases. Her good qualities and kind
. .. some Iranian doctors asked if it would attributes, her love for her Persian orienbe possible to induce an American tal sisters, are all equal. Every day from
woman doctor to come to Tihran, Iran, morning till noon she is in her office,
to live, for the purpose of caring for the No. 10 Avenue Aladauleh, receiving her
women of Iran who at that time were so patients for consultation, examination and
deprived of skilled medical care. Stop- treatment, excepting Friday and Sunday
ping in 'Akka, Palestine, on their return, afternoons, when she goes to the Hospital
the Americans communicated this wish Sehat (Hospital of Health), where she
to 'Abdu' l-Baha who asked them if they meets the patients of the higher and
knew of such a doctor. The name of wealthier class.2
Dr. Moody was presented, and she received The editorial reads:
word without delay from 'Abdu'l-Baha We give the utmost thanks and gratitude
telling her she had been chosen for this to such a noble woman, to such a
great medical work in Iran. "I knew respected person, whose presence here is
then," Dr. Moody often remarked, "why a great privilege to the country of Persia.
I had felt the urge so strongly to study On account of the great care of this
medicine; I was obliged to study medi- blessed person, the sick of all nationalicine in order to come to Iran." When ties, moslems, et al., become healthy and
the call came from 'Abdu' l-Baha, she well. We beg of God to keep this blessed
proceeded immediately on her journey. 1 and respected person with us. 3
Susan Moody was born on 20 November Dr. Moody's services in Tihran were not
1851 in Amsterdam, New York. She became confined to the medical field. She worked
a Balla 'i in 1903 after making an in-depth closely with Baha'i women who were eager
study of the tenets of the Faith with Isabella to improve their lot, encouraging them in
Brittingham, one of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Disciples their quest for emancipation and equality,
in the West. She had first studied music, and lending them effective help to achieve
painting and sculpture, but had later switched their objectives. She recognized the need
to medicine. She had graduated from a med- to educate women if change of a permanent
ical college in Chicago. nature was to be realized, and did all she
The same spirit of willing obedience could to bring about the establishment of a
which characterized Lua Getsinger's unqual- formal Baha'i girls' school, similar to the
ified response to 'Abdu 'l-Baha's instruction Tarbiyat Boys ' School that had been estabprompted Susan Moody to respond to His lished in 1900.

1 The Bahn 'i World, 2
vol. VI ( 1934- 1936) (Wilmette: Star, vol. I, no.15 (20 August 19 10), p. 9.
Baha'i Publi shing Trust, 1980), p. 483. ibid.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1095
Those genuinely concerned with the
education oflranian Baha'i children had tried
for some time to raise money to establish a
formal girls' school in the capital, but the
needs of the boys' school and the lack of
sufficient means had delayed its realization.
Their efforts were augmented by the endeavors of the American Baha'is, particularly the
women, who met the challenge of providing
financial assistance and qualified personnel.
In January 1910 the Persian-American
Educational Society was established in the
United States, with its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Approved by 'Abdu'l-Baha, it
was an attempt to streamline cooperative
enterprises between the two countries. One
of the services it provided was financial
assistance to ensure the continued functioning of the Tarbiyat Boys' School, which was
experiencing financial difficulty. The secre- Dr. Susan Moody in Tihran, fran, with two
tary of the Society wrote in his first report: young children, circa 1912.
On account of the political conditions and
general demoralization of internal affairs, name of this Society to Persian-American
the founders of this school, before that Interdependence Society so that in the
time men of means, found themselves future it may include all points, such as
unable to continue its activities because commerce, industry and education so that
of lack of funds .... As an outcome of the spiritual and material results and benefits
interest manifested, and considering the might be produced. 2
greater needs of the East, as well as the And in another Tablet 'Abdu'l-Baha
opportunity for a Baha'i demonstration wrote:
from the West to the Orient, this Society The believers of God must give great
was formed. 1 importance to this Society and arise to
As the Persian-American Educational perform its fundamental principles and
Society evolved, 'Abdu'l-Baha encouraged essential duties with heart and soul. ...
its basic aims and gave the members insights Persia and America are in great need of
to see things in a different light. The Tablet such a Society, even to matters pertaining
of 'Abdu'l-Baha, dated 3 April 1910, to material relations between these two
addressed to Officers of the Society, reads in countries, especially America .... 3
part: Later in his address to the Orient-Occi-
According to the reports . .. in these days dent Unity Conference held in Washington,
the Persian-American Educational Soc- D.C., 'Abdu ' l-Baha said:
iety is organized in America and the May the material civilization of America
friends of God and the maid-servants of find complete efficacy and establishment
the Merciful with the utmost zeal and in Persia, and the spiritual civilization of
enthusiasm are engaged in the solidarity Persia find acceptance and response in
of this Society. If possible, change the
ibid., p. 4.
1 3
Star, vo l. I, no.5 (5 June I 910), p. 2. ibid.
1096 THE BAHA'i WORLD

America .... May they become one race girls' school was initially very slow.
endowed with the same susceptibilities. The 1913 report of the Executive Secre-
May these bonds of amity and accord be tary of the Persian-American Educational
fomly established .... I have traveled this Society, based on Dr. Moody's submission,
long distance, crossed the Atlantic Ocean offers an interesting analysis regarding subto this western continent in the desire and sidized education. First of all, it shows that
hope that the strongest bond of unity may the friends and institutions in Iran, despite
be established between America and Per- economic difficulties, were providing some
sia .... May this American democracy be financial help. Second, it shows that the
the first nation to establish the foundation girls ' school was still held in a rented place.
of international agreement. May it be the Third, it indicates that Dr. Moody herself
first nation to proclaim the universality of offered generous financial assistance not
mankind. May it be the first to upraise the only towards the education of Baha'i
standard of the "Most Great Peace," and children in Tihran, but also to non-Baha'i
through this nation of democracy may educational institutions. Finally, the report
these philanthropic intentions and institu- provided a list of the children sponsored by
tions be spread broadcast tluáoughout the the friends and Assemblies in the United
world. 1 States. Of the 77 names listed, 18 were girls
A new era of cooperation, based on spir- and 59 boys. The sponsors consisted of
itual principles, had begun. Development 18 Assemblies, 3 couples, and 67 individuprojects and cooperative ventures between als: 45 women and 22 men.3
the Baha'i corrmmnities of North America In July 1915, Dr. Moody info1med the
and iran translated the principle of unity of Society in the United States of the
the Baha'i world into practice. The interde- creation of a building fund. The plan was
pendence of the East and the West in both to set aside "any margin which may
spirihial and material matters grew steadily accrue after deducting from the scholarand yielded remarkable results. In February ship fund of$18.00 per annum, the achial
1910 Dr. Moody wrote to the American expenses of h1ition, books, etc. To this
Baha'is and conveyed the joyous news: will be added such special amounts as the
The girls' school is assured. They will start American friends may contribute from
with accommodations for fifty pupils .... time to time." 4 Her letter stated "This
Please tell any who want to help that it year nine of the American boy pupils
will take only $1.50 per month to educate received sixth grade certificates from the
a girl. There are many here too poor to university. In all forty-tluáee boys passed.
pay and this is the way to help lift Persia From the Girls' Tarbiet, twelve girls
from her otherwise hopeless condition .... 2 received the same certificate. We are very
As soon as the establishment of a girls' proud of them, as they have had so few
school became a reality, Dr. Moody helped years of preparation." 5
the Iranian friends to secure the services of a Other American Baha'i women went to
qualified American Baha ' i teacher to take Iran and served in different capacities. These
charge of the school and ensure its proper women joined with Dr. Moody and other
functioning and development. At her sug- interested people in the country to ensure
gestion Lilian Kappes took up the challenge. that the young girls received Baha'i educa-
We will later learn of Miss Kappes's tion, similar to that provided to the boys.
services in Iran. The development of the
3 Star, vol. IV, no.1 3 (9 November 19 13), p. 221 -223.
1 4
Star, vol. XV, no. 8 (November 1924), p. 235- 236. Star, vol. VI, no.7 (1 3 Jul y 1915), p. 54.
2 Star, vo l. I, no. 2 (9 April 19 10), p. 11. 5 ibid.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1097

Women sitting, from left: Lillian Kappes, Muchul Khanum, Dr. Susan Moody, Dr. Sarah
Clock and Elizabeth Steward; with four children and a maidservant, Tihran, iran, c. 1912.

In May 1914, Dr. Moody reported: The establishment of a women's assem-
We have established twelve centres for blage for the promotion of knowledge is
teaching girls the foundation principles of entirely acceptable, but discussions must
the Baha' i Revelation-the teachers met be confined to educational matters. It
on Saturday last. .. . In about a month we should be done in such a way that differwill hold a large meeting for examining ences will, day by day, be entirely wiped
the various centers. The boys have had out, not that, God forbid, it will end in
similar classes for three years and their argumentation between men and women .
examination this year was a great suc- . . . Now the world of women should be a
cess.1 spiritual world, not a political one, so that
The presence of American Baha' is in a it will be radiant. .. I am endeavoring, with
country where women had no voice in the Baha'u'llah's confirmations and assisdecision-making process served another valu- tance so to improve the world of the
able purpose. They provided the examples of handmaidens that all will be astonished .. ..
how women could become assertive and Ye need to be calm and composed, so
claim their God-given rights . The Iranian that the work will proceed with wisdom,
Baha'i women gradually began to ask otherwise there will be such chaos that
questions. When their petitions for equal ye will leave everything and run away.
treatment remained unanswered, they wrote "This newly born babe is traversing in
to 'Abdu'l-Baha and complained. It is unfor- one night the path that needeth a hundred
tunate that the texts of such petitioning years to tread ." In brief, ye should
letters are not available, but from the now engage in matters of pure spirituality
contents of the responses they received one and not contend with men. 'Abdu'l-Baha
can gain insight into the women' s appeals: will tactfully take appropriate steps. Be
assured . In the end thou wilt thyself
1 exclaim, "This was indeed supreme
Star, vo l. V, no. 5 (5 June 1914), p. 74.
1098 THE BAHA'I WORLD

wisdom!" I appeal to you to obliterate four-year visit to the United States. She
this contention between men and women . ended her visit and left to return to iran late
. . . No one can on his own achieve any- in 1928, in response to the expressed wish of
thing. 'Abdu'l-Baha must be well pleased Shoghi Effendi:
and assist. 1 I pray that you may soon in the company
Two points in the above Tablet attract of a capable and devoted American coattention. First is the emphasis on the word worker, resume your historic labors for
now. 'Abdu' l-Bahi says: "Now the world of our beloved Cause in Tihran. 2
women should be a spiritual world, not a Susan Moody was 77 years old when
political one ... " and "ye should now engage she went back to Iran. She traveled in the
in matters of pure spirituality and not con- company of Adelaide Sharp, visiting Haifa,
tend with men." 'Abdu ' l-Baha knew- had Palestine, on the way, and confen-ing with
in fact said in other contexts-that in time Shoghi Effendi. She spent the remaining
women would have to enter the "political years of her life in Iran, dying in Tihran on
world" if they were to attain their equality 23 October 1934. Her funeral, attended by
with men, but the time was not propitious several hundred Baha'is, was a testimony to
then. The second point is the need for the inestimable esteem in which her highly
"wisdom" which prompted 'Abdu'l-Baha 's prized services were held by the friends;
appeal to the women. it was a magnificent mark of honor for a
Parallel with His appeals to the women, person to whom the Baha'i community felt
'Abdu' l-Baha sent Tablets to the community eternally indebted. Shoghi Effendi's cable to
in general promoting the principle of the the friends in the United States reveals the
equality of the sexes, emphasizing the impor- worth of her services:
tance of educating the women and explaining Passing dearly beloved Susan Moody
the benefits thereof. Here one can discern deprives Baha'i world (of the) far-famed
'Abdu'l-Baha 's wisdom in neither overruling pioneer who, through her indomitable
the men abruptly, nor immediately granting spirit, ceaseless services, earned unique
the women's petitions, even though these distinction. (She) forged first link in (the)
actions were within the scope of His author- chain uniting (the) spiritual destinies (of
ity and in line with the principle of equality the) cradle of our faith (i.e., Persia) and
prescribed by Baha'u'llah. In one Tablet (the) community (of its) stalwart defend-
'Abdu'l-Baha appealed to the women not to ers in (the) great American Republic.
press for equality at a tin1e when the Faith (I am) instructing Persia rear monument
was making progress, saying that pressing perpetuating memory (of) her noble
for equality at that time would hamper the mission. (I) am gladly defraying whatever
advancement of the Cause and paralyze its expense incurred as token (of) my admiinstitutions. He was fully aware of the men's ration for community (i.e., America) to
fierce resistance to equality at that early which she originally belonged and on
stage in the development of the Cause. He which her sacred life shed imperishable
had sent them living examples of what lustre. Advise holding befitting Memorial
educated women could do and intended to gathering (in) Temple Foundation Ha!l. 3
continue the practice until the goal was In a message to the National Spiritual
realized. Assembly of Iran dated 12 November 1934,
Dr. Moody served in Iran for more than Shoghi Effendi said Susan Moody excelled
twenty-five years, broken by one nearly those of her kind in faith and certitude. He
1 refen-ed to the projects she had initiated as
Women, a Co mpilation. Compil ed by the Research
Department of the Unive rsal I-louse of Ju st ice The Balin 'i World, vo l. YI (I 934- 36), p. 486.
(London: Baha'i Publi shin g Trust, 1990), p. 5. ibid.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1099
examples worthy of emulation by others and male teacher for the Tarbiyat Boys ' School.
gave the glad-tidings that the Baha'is in The nature of the request reveals the vast
America would follow in her footsteps and difference between the curriculum of the
would hasten to the sacred land of Iran, boys ' school and the one for girls:
would continue her undertakings, and would They have written from Tihran that there
engage in the praise and commendation of is need of a scientific teacher for the
her luminous and extensive services. 1 School of Tarbiat. He must be efficient in
science as well as the English language;
Lillian F. Kappes for at present there is no man in the
One of the receptive souls in the West who School ofTarbiat who is a scientist or linenlisted under the banner of Baha'u'llah guist. They are in need of both, science
before the tum of the century was Lillian F. and the English language .. ..3
Kappes. She was a teacher by profession, Before the anival of Miss Kappes, some
and became a Baha' i in New York in 1898- Baha'i women in Tihran had responded to
99. She met 'Abdu'l-Baha in Thonon-les- the educational needs of girls by initiating
Bains on Lake Geneva in October 1911, private proj ects on a small scale. With
when she was on her way to Iran in response ' Abdu 'l-Baha's constant encouragement and
to a request for a competent female Baba' i to guidance, and Dr. Moody's perseverance
serve as the principal as well as teacher of and assistance, the education of girls was
the first Baha 'i girls' school in Tihran. finall y institutionalized. The Baba 'i girls'
In early 1911 , the Baha' is in Tiluáan had school, although operating under the auspices
appealed to 'Abdu'l-Baha for assistance of an existing all-male Education Commitfrom the West in the form of educators. The tee, was run competently by Lillian F.
request had been approved, and 'Abdu'l- Kappes . She became the women's spokes-
Baha had revealed a Tablet asking the person with regard to their educational needs
Baha 'is in the United States to: and served as liaison between them and the
... select a woman teacher who may fill the Committee.
position of principal as well as teacher, It is apparent from the following that,
and send her without delay. The woman after 'Abdu ' l-Baha's approval was sought,
must have a share of the knowledge of the friends in Iran specifically requested
sciences and be proficient in woman's Miss Kappes 's services:
work, such as sewing, housekeeping, Word has come from Dr. Moody that
hygiene and household economics, etc. 2 the Tihran Board of Consultation has sup-
This passage of 'Abdu ' l-Baha 's Tablet plicated 'Abdu'l-Baha that Miss Lillian
reflects the nature of the petition in response Kappes might be permitted to come to
to which the Tablet was revealed, and indi- that c"ity to teach in the Girls' Baha'i
cates the perceived needs of the Persian School. ... 4
women at the time, society's expectations of Lillian Kappes arrived in Iran in October
them, and the influence of tradition on the 1911. Her first report, dated 19 December
Baha'i community's list of priorities when stated:
women 's secular education was first After the first week of almost incessant
addressed. It also shows the high expecta- calling or meeting of friends at special
tions that people had of women teachers. In gatherings, I began my work in the main
the same Tablet 'Abdu'l-Baha asked for a boys' school and took charge of the girls '
school. .. I give the highest class in the
Shoghi Effend i, Ta wqi'itt-i-Mubitrakih 1922- 1948
(Tihran: Baha'i Publishing Committee of the
Nati onal Assembl y ofiran , 130 B.E.), pp. 126-127. ibid.
2 4
Star, vo l. II , no. I (2 1 March 1911 ), p. 6. Star, vol. I, no. 7 ( 13 July 19 10), p. 14.
1100 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Miss Lillian Kappes with boys in a class that she was teaching at the Tarbiyat School in
'[ihran, !ran, circa 1912.

boys' school. The boys have had several seemingly insurmountable obstacles and the
years of English, so my work there is resultant stress she experienced threatened
easier, but the girls' school was only her health. Initially, the school had been
started last spring and of the three classes established as a department of the boys'
of girls I teach only the highest has had school and the Education Committee was
instruction in English ... The native teach- principally concerned with the needs of the
ers here are lovely women but have never boys. A letter sent by Dr. Sarah Clock in
been educated themselves, except the 1916 to some of the Baha' i women in the
directress who learned or studied fifteen United States described the situation:
years ago in the mission school here. So Yesterday Miss K.(Kappes) was simply
the work is seriously handicapped and my abused by the meeting of 5 men, came
hands are full, indeed. But during the home in perfect nervous collapse & was
three months, or, rather ten weeks, I have awake all night from sheer nervousness &
been here, we are slowly evolving into worry ... Not long ago a Tablet came to a
some show of system. 1 Persian here praising Miss K & her work
She went to iran intellectually aware of in the school. . . she has the moral support
the plight of women in that counhy, of the of many of the best men, all the women
domination of men over all affairs including who in an excited meeting all stood by
that of women's education, and of the derog- her.
atory manner in which women were tiáeated .. .if Miss Kappes were not a Bahai or not
even within the nascent Baha' i community. less than a saint she would not have put
Her meeting with 'Abdu'l-Baha in Thonon up with all she has, for five years her
had to some degree prepared her, but despite hands have been tied, that is they have not
her readiness to meet the challenge, the allowed her to use her own advanced
ideas as to a school. .. some of the good
Star, vol. II , no. 18 (7 February 1912), pp . 12-13. men are entirely with her. They offer to
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1101
open another school for her & several of fund that she had established for the school
the nicest of the girls will teach for noth- continued after her death as the "Lillian
ing.1 Kappes Memorial Fund" and helped in the
'Abdu'l-Baha's loving advice and encour- expansion of the school.
agement, conveyed through his Tablets
revealed in honor of those who were
concerned with the situation, and Lillian Sarah Clock and Elizabeth Stewart
Kappes's own perseverance finally reaped Dr. Moody had the good fortune of having
results. A society was fonned in Tihran to two other American Baha'i women helping
oversee the education of both the girls and her in the discharge of her duties. They were
the boys. Although the society's member- Dr. Sarah Clock and Miss Elizabeth Stewart.
ship was all male, the men worked with Sarah Clock left the United States for
Miss Kappes and followed her suggestions Haifa and Persia in September 1910. Her
"even in the working of the boys school first letter dated 20 March 1911, written
where she taught English until last year from Iran, contains some salient points:
when they permitted her to devote all her All Americans will certainly love Persia
time to the girls .. .. " 2 if they feel as I do. I am very happy
Lillian Kappes' devotion and conscien- here ... No one can over-estimate the joy
tious services to the cause of women's of the Persians in anticipation of the comeducation were decisive factors in the ing of Americans. Everything having any
success of the girls' school. The project had connection with America is attractive to
started on a very modest scale, initially with them... The eagerness for education
only between thirty and fifty pupils, but by makes the young people and children
the time it was closed by the govemment3 it very apt and only those who are with
had seven hundred and fifty Baha'i and non- them are able to realize it. .. if one wants
Baha'i students, and it was considered the to be convinced of a very practical side of
best girls' school in Iran. the Revelation, they should see the
Lillian Kappes' struggles in Iran lasted improvement in the way of living here. It
for nine years. In 1920 she contracted is more apparent here than anywhere. 5
typhoid, which claimed her life. She died Dr. Clock, although not a teacher by proin Tihran and became the first Western fession, taught English in 'filuáan for a while.
believer to die in active Baha'i service in Her aforementioned letter makes this point
Iran. Shoghi Effendi later designated her as clear:
one of 'Abdu'l-Baha's Disciples. In the A young man had been kind to us when
report of her visit with 'Abdu 'l-Baha, Lillian we first came here and I offered to do
Kappes said "He iterated and reiterated: 'I something for him in return. His sister
am sending you to Persia that you may serve wanted to study English and although I
in Persia, so that all the friends and all the had never taught anyone, I felt I must try,
people will praise you. "'4 The educational and before the end of a week I had a room
full and finally was invited to a little
Quoted in Smith, Peter, In Iran, Studies in Babi and school and take my class with me . .. Two
Baha 'i Histoiy, vol. 3 (Los Angeles: Kali mat Press,
I 986), p. 190.
hours a week is very little to give to such
Studies, vol. Ill, pp. 190-191. bright, eager people, and I want to do
Baha ' i schools in iran were closed on all Baha'i more. The opportunity will soon be mine,
holy days. The government refused to recogn ize the for another school is to be opened this
Baha'i Faith and would not tolerate the observance of
Baha'i hol y days. The authorities used this as an
excuse to order the closure of al l Baha'i schoo ls Star, vol. II , no. 18 (7 February 1912), p. 2.
in 1934. Star, vo l. II , no. 3 (28 April 191 l) , pp. 6--7.
1102 THE BAHA'I WORLD

('Abdu ' l-Baha) that Miss Elizabeth H.
Stewart might be permitted to come to
Teheran as professional nurse to assist the
doctor in her medical work." 3
Elizabeth Stewart travelled to Iran in
the company of Lillian Kappes, visited
'Abdu'l-Baha in Thonon, and arrived in Iran
in October 1911. She worked with Dr. Moody
as a team and "working under the most
difficult circumstances, not only saved hundreds of lives, but helped to bring the Baha'i
Communities of Persia and America more
closely together." 4
Before leaving the United States,
Elizabeth Stewart had been appointed to the
Unity Band, a Baha'i Committee established
in the United States in 1910 for the purpose
of corresponding "every month with one of
the twelve Women's Assemblies of the
Standing: Dr. Sarah Clock (left) and Orient." 5
Dr. Susan Moody (right). Sitting, Lillian In 1925, Elizabeth Stewart, in the com-
Kappes (lefi) and Elizabeth Stewart (right) pany of Dr. Susan Moody, returned to the
in '[ihran. 1913. United States for health reasons. She died
in the United States in October 1926.
week. Some of the pupils know English
but want experience in talking and I will Genevieve Coy
give them at least two hours each week. 1 Lillian Kappes's untimely death deprived
The Executive Secretary of the Persian- the Tarbiyat Girls' School of its valiant
American Educational Society reported on patron and created a vacuum. 'Abdu'l-Baha
13 July 1915: "Dr. Clock and Miss Kappes encouraged the Baha'is in the United States
are interested in establishing centers to teach to send another person to Iran to serve in a
manied women to read and write, and work- similar capacity. In the interim, Qudsiyyih
ing with the advanced girl students as Ashraf, 6 the first American-educated Perteachers. " 2 sian Baha'i woman, took charge of the
Sarah Clock died in Tilm\n on 24 January school. During the North American Baha' i
1922. Very little is known about her background and the nature of her services in iran. 3
Slnr, vol.l,no.7 (1 3 Julyl910), p.14.
Elizabeth Stewart was introduced to the 4
Whitehead, Zebbie. Some Enrly Bnhn 'is of I he West
Faith in 1899 by her renowned aunt (Oxford: George Ronald , Pub! is her, 1977), p. 13 1.
5 ibid .
Isabella Brittingham, herself an early
convert to the Baha'i Faith in the United
Qudsiyyih A~rafwas one of the few Baha' i women
who attended the American mi ss ionary school in
States. Miss Stewart immediately recog- Tihran. Through Dr. Moody 's instrumentality and
nized the truth of the Cause and paid with the help of so me American women believers ,
allegiance to it. When Dr. Moody settled she continu ed her education in the United States.
in Iran, she "personally supplicated After nine years she returned to Iran with a master's
degree in education . The Mini stry of Education
refused her employment on the ground that she was a
I ibid. , p. 6. Baha'i. She later went to Beirut and studied public
Slnr, vol. VI , no . 7 (13 Jul y 19 15), pp. 54--55. health .
LITERARY AND MUSI CAL WORKS 1103
Baha'i educational institution .. . are today
subj ects of gravest concern to the elected
representatives of our suffering brethren and
sisters in Persia." He began his message thus:
The situation as I see it calls for the
devoted efforts of one or two capable
workers who, untrammelled and with
independent means, can quietly, tenaciously and tactfully, pursue over a
considerable length oftime the meritorious
work of fostering the cause of Baha' i
education, for both boys and girls, in the
swiftly changing capital of a promising
country. 2
In the same message he made the following appeal:
I would strongly urge the friends to
consult most earnestly with that devoted,
experienced and indefatigable handmaid
Dr. Genevieve Coy during her visit to Haifa of Baha'u'llah, Dr. Moody, whose past
in April 1922 on her way to take up her post services have ennobled the record of
at the Tarbiyat Girls ' School in Tihran. collaboration of East and West for the
furtherance of the Cause of Baha'u'llah.
Convention of 1921 , Dr. Genevieve Coy, It would be highly satisfactory and
who held a doctorate in psychology, was in1mensely helpful if our beloved sister
chosen to replace Lillian Kappes. Dr. Coy, could find it possible and convenient
born in 1886, had accepted the Faith in 1911. to accompany such a carefully-chosen
'Abdu'l-Baha approved her appointment. By person on the way to Tihran, and, by her
the time she visited Haifa on her way to Iran umivaled experience and loving-kindto take up her post in early 1922, 'Abdu'l- ness, assist personally in the fulfillment
Baha had died and Shoghi Effendi had suc- of this pressing need. 3
ceeded Hin1. Genevieve Coy served as the Speaking of the ordeals awaiting the cho-
Director of Tarbiyat Girls' School in Tihran sen person and of the rich spiritual rewards
for nearly two years. She returned to the that such service would attract, Shoghi
U nited States in 1924. 1 Effendi wrote:
Whoever steps into this field will find,
Adelaide Sharp as he settles down to his work, that the
After the departure of Genevieve Coy, the environment is extremely disheartening,
fortunes of Tarbiyat Schools in Tihran that restrictions are oppressive, that the
suffered a setback. Shoghi Effendi refen-ed to amenities of social life are lacking, that
this in his message of 14 November 1926: the forces of opposition are determined
"the prolonged absence of competent teach- and organized. But let him realize also
ers and organizers that can revive the that, however tedious and exacting his
declining influence of a hitherto renowned labors, however precarious and thankless
Genev ieve Coy continued her servi ces in the United
States until 1958 when she pioneered to Salisbury, Shoghi Effendi , Bnha 'i Administrntion (Wilmette:
Rhodes ia (later Harare, Zimbabwe). She died there Baha 'i Publishi ng Trust, 1968), pp. 119- 120.
on 31 July 1963 . 3
ibid.
1104 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Miss Adelaide Sharp with the Baha'i Youth Group in '[ihran, !ran. circa 1937.

his task, the pioneer services it is his Clara Sharp, to join her. Upon anival in
unique privilege to render in this time of Tihran, Adelaide Sharp took charge of the
stress will forever live in the annals of affairs of the Tarbiyat Girls ' School and
God's living Faith, and will prove a worked hard to restore its prestige. She consource of inspiration to the countless tinued her work as Director of the school
workers who, in happier times and with until 1934, when the government closed the
better means at their disposal, will con- school. At that time the National Spiritual
sununate the spiritual regeneration and Assembly of Iran sought Shogh.i Effendi's
material rehabilitation of Baha'u'llah's guidance regarding the services of Miss
native land. 1 Sharp. He informed the Assembly that it was
The person who responded to this earnest necessary for her to reside in the capital and
appeal was another female Baha'i from the pariicipate in different Baha'i activities. He
United States-Adelaide Sharp. Her enthu- also advised both the National Assembly of
siasm and spirit of devotion matched those Iran and the Local Assembly of Tihran to be
of her predecessors. She arrived in iran in very considerate of her and to provide the
1929, accompanied by Susan Moody, who necessary encouragement and guidance to
was returning to Iran from the United States. enable her to be of service. 2
They visited Haifa on their way and spent Adelaide Sharp served on several importwelve days, receiving spiritual sustenance tant committees, including the Unity of the
and guidance from Shoghi Effendi . East and the West Committee. She also
Two years after her anival in Iran, organized study classes for Baha' i youth on
Adelaide Sharp requested and received per- the Baha'i Writings in English.
mission from the Guardian for her mother,
Shoghi Effendi , Tai vqi"irt-i-Mubirrakih 192 7- 1939
I ibid. (Tihrim: Baha ' i Publi shing Institute. vol. 111), p. 147.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1105
In 1954, when the Guardian announced Sharp whose selfless labour nearly five
that women in Iran could serve as elected decades community Cradle Faith in edumembers of Baha'i administrative bodies, cating its children inspiring enriching
Adelaide Sharp became the first woman spiritual life its youth researching transelected to the National Spiritual Assembly. lating writings consolidating its adminis-
Her services on that institution spread over a trative institutions and as first woman
period of fourteen years. She served as the member its National Spiritual Assembly
foreign correspondent secretary of the will always be lovingly remembered stop
Assembly for many years. Her devoted services won her praise
Miss Sharp died in Tihran in October beloved Guardian reinforced ties binding
1976 and was buried there. The cable sent American Baha' i Community to friends
by the Universal House of Justice to the Baha'u ' llah's native land stop Fervently
National Spiritual Assembly of Iran after her praying Holy Shrines continuous progress
passing, summarizes the manifold services her soul Abba Kingdom stop Advise hold
she rendered to the Baha' i community in iran: befitting memorial gatherings honour her
Deeply grieved passing dedicated steadfast name stop NSA US holding memorial
promoter Cause dearly loved Adelaide gathering Mashriqu'l-Adhkar. 1

WOMEN'S SERVICES IN IRAN ASSUME A NEW DIMENSION

Shoghi Effendi continued 'Abdu'l-Baha's Keith Ransom-Kehler-The First
method of using the force of example to American Martyr
familiarize the Iranian believers with the Keith Ransom-Kehler embraced the Baha'i
potential contributions of women believers. Faith in the United States in 1921. She was a
He was well aware of the deep gap that university lecturer and a writer. Before she
existed between the component parts of the undertook her historic trip to Iran in 1931,
Iranian Baha'i community, a gap that tradi- she visited Australia and India, where she
tion had created by affording the men every rendered memorable services. She then travopportunity to render effective service to the eled to Haifa, visited the Baha'i sacred
Cause and depriving the women of attaining shrines, met Shoghi Effendi, and received
their potential. guidance and direction regarding the mission
In addition to supporting in Tihran one or he encouraged her to undertake . Thereafter,
two fema le Baha'is from abroad, Shoghi she proceeded to Iran carrying a letter dated
Effendi nurtured the enthusiasm of capable I 0 June 1932 addressed by the American
and brilliant international Baha'i travelling National Spiritual Assembly to Ric:la Shah
teachers, such as Keith Ransom-Kehler and Pahlavi. The letter introduced her as the
Martha Root. He sent them to the land National Assembly's chosen representative
of Baha' u' llah's birth and instructed the to present in person the renewed appeal of
National Assemb ly of the country to arrange removing the ban on entry of Baha'i literaa befitting welcome, to receive them lov- ture to Iran. The letter read in part:
ingly and with pride, to lend them whatever Mrs. Keith Ransom-Kehler, an American
assistance they required, to ensure their citizen, a member of the Baha'i commusafety and protection by using wisdom and nity of this country, and a distinguished
tact, and to make arrangements for them to student of the teachings and history of the
visit other parts of Iran. 2 Baha'i Faith, can, with your Majesty's

1 2
Th e Balui 'i World. , vol. XVII ( 1976- 1979), p. 420. Tawqi'at, vol. Ill , pp. 128- 129.
1106 THE BAHA'i WORLD

gracious permission, ampl ify and supple- She apprised the Court Minister of these
ment the statements made by this Assembly incidents.
in the written petition addressed to your She also met with the secretary charged
Majesty under date of January 12, 1932. with American affairs at the Foreign Office
... The appointment of a representative to and sent a report of the meeting to the
journey to Tihran for the purpose of pre- National Assembly. The secretary had
senting in person the petition of this confirmed that Baha' i literature could not
Assembly will make it evident to your circulate in Persia at that time for three
Majesty how profoundly the American reasons:
Baha'is are moved by their inability First, that it is contrary to the constitution
to communicate fully with their fellow- of Persia to recognize any religion founded
religionists in Persia by reason of the after Islam and, since the Baha'i religion
Postal regulations still prohibiting the cannot legally receive recognition, it folentry of Baha'i books and magazines lows that our literature must remain
published in the United States and Can- unrecognized. Second, that it is contrary
ada.1 to the constitution of Persia to permit the
Upon arrival, Keith Ransom-Kehler circulation of any literature [which the
received a loving welcome from the friends government considers] opposed to Islam.
in Tabriz, Milan, Saysan, Mianej, and Third, that the circulation of Baha' i litera-
Qazvin. "Her entrance in Tihran was like the ture at this time might cause grave intervisit of a queen, amid the acclamations of nal disorders that would bring much
thousands of rejoicing Baha' is. Never had suffering to the Bah a' is themselves. 4
Tihran so welcomed any guest from the Keith Ransom-Kehler addressed a com-
West." 2 munication to the Shah on 25 February 1933,
On 20 August 1932 Keith Ransom-Kehler refuting the above reasons for not granting
cabled: "Mission successful. " The cable was perm1ss1on:
followed by a report to the National Spiritual In my report to America I shall be
Assembly of the same date. It confirmed constrained to admit that I must have miswhat the cable had conveyed: understood completely the purpose and
On August 15 I saw His Highness Taymur intent of the interpreter, for exhaustive
Tash and received from him the direct, investigation reveals no reference in the
unqualified assurance that Baha' i litera- Constitution of Persia to the status of
ture wo uld be admitted freely into Persia religions founded later than Islam.
and permitted to circulate. 3 Since every Baha'i before he can so
Keith Ransom-Kehler acted on the assur- designate himself must accept the validity
ance of the Court Minister and had her of the Prophet Mu~ammad and display
Baha' i books sh ipped from Beirut. Soon she toward the Qur'an the same reverence as
discovered the betrayal of the promise and that shown by the most orthodox Muslim ,
the imposition of further restrictions. Her and since this attitude is inculcated
books were confiscated. The Governor- through Baha'i literature, the point of
General of Adharbayjan refused to receive excluding it because it is opposed to
her during her visit to that province, and Islam will, I fear, be incomprehensible ...
police orders forced the local Baha' is to I shall await your Majesty's authority to
abandon the meetings arranged in her honor. submit the result of my conversation with
the Foreign Office, herein set forth, to the
1 Quoted in Th e Balui 'i World, vol. V (1932- 1934),
proper Baha'i centers throughout the
p. 391.
ibid. , p. 392.
3 ibid., p. 393. 4
ibid.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1107

Keith Ransom-Kehler at the seventh National Convention of the Baha 'is in Persia, 1933.

world; for I have no desire, a second time, and seeking justice on their behalf. In the
to find myself mistaken as to your same letter she made the following bold
Majesty's intention. I statement:
Her appeals to the Shah received no The Baha' is of Persia are not a weak and
response. The National Assembly addressed helpless minority; we stand in numbers
another letter to the Ruler of Iran through its next to the State religion; but as the
representative. A part of this letter reads: League report further says, 'The Baha'is
Infom1ation has been received which are by their religion, tenets and character
leads us to believe that the permission of an extremely conciliatory disposigranted in your Majesty' s name by your tion '.3
Majesty's Minister of Court some months For that reason they patiently endure
ago removing the ban on the entrance of whatever hardships are imposed upon
Baha'i literature into Persia has now been them by their governments, and for that
withdrawn ... The responsibility seems same reason they are worthy of the
now resting upon us to inform the press utmost trust and confidence from those in
that our previous communication, made authority .... The numerous communicain perfect good faith, must now be with- tions ... which I have had the honor of
drawn.2 addressing to the Crown since my inter-
One year after her stay in Iran, on 8 June view at the Foreign Office have had but
1933, Keith Ransom-Kehler sent a detailed one purpose: that of ascertaining in defiletter to the Shah, voicing her deep concerns nite and dependable form whether or not
at the maltreatment of the Baha'is of Iran the amazing and feeble statements given

ibid. 3
I Minutes of the Twenty-Second Session of the Permaibid. nent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations.
1108 THE BAHA'i WORLD

me there were really in accord with your security under the shadow of the power
Majesty's intent and desire. 1 and grandeur of His Majesty Shahanshah
Keith Ransom-Kehler sent a final letter to Pahlavi, may our souls be sacrificed for
the Shah on 3 July 1933, the day she was him, and they benefit equally from the
informed that the photographs of 'Abdu'l- privilege of existing laws. But in the
Baha had been burned by officials in meantime new publications which are
Kirmanshah. She closed the letter with the considered contrary to the official relifollowing plea: gion of the country or its political aspect
I now with the most intense fervor suppli- can not be agreed to. 4
cate and implore your Majesty to put a Keith Ransom-Kehler's strenuous efforts
final stop to these fanatical persecutions in Iran to accomplish the specific mission
that disgrace in the eyes of men the annals with which she had been entrusted, although
of Persia's fo1mer rulers, by removing appearing initially successful, did not achieve
this ban against Baha'i literature, that bids the desired result for several reasons. First,
fa ir if it continues to involve the world in although her mission was purely religious
contempt for this sacred land. 2 in nature, she was dealing with politicians
On the same day she also sent a challeng- whose honesty of purpose and integrity of
ing letter to every cabinet minister and to the character could not be trusted. Second, the
President of Parliament, saying: system of government and the prevailing
It would give me great pleasure to place bureaucracy made it impossible for Keith
in your hands portions of our Baha' i liter- Ransom-Kehler to have direct access to the
ature in order to prove the great contribu- Shah. Her meeting with the Minister of the
tion that it has made to the advancement Court brought about the confusion that cost
of Islam in countries unfriendly to its his eventual dismissal. For this reason, the
reception; but although Jewish, Christian National Spiritual Assembly of the United
and Zoroastrian literature, all opposed to States and Canada sent a delegation of three
Islam is permitted to circulate, our Baha'i to present to the Persian Minister in Washliterature that upholds and conve1is to ington its letter of 10 July 1933, addressed to
Islam is denied this privilege. Therefore the Shah. The letter summarized the outcome
I have nothing available to present to you . of efforts made by Keith Ransom-Kehler
In the Post Offices and Customs of and expressed optimism for a favorable
Persia, however, are thousands of volumes result. It remained unanswered.
that have been confiscated. Even a brief The third reason Keith Ransom-Kehler
survey of any one of these will prove that was not able to fulfill her mission was her
Baha'u'llah lays down as fundamental , sudden and untimely death on 27 October
loyalty to one's government, and the 1933. While on a visit to I:;;fahan, she consanctity and verity oflslam. 3 tracted smallpox, which claimed her life.
This challenge could not be ignored. The Before she died she wrote:
Minister of Education responded in a letter . .. I have fallen, though I never faltered.
dated 28-4-1312 [19 July 1933]: Months of effort with nothing accom-
I would inform you that today all individ- plished is the record that confronts me. If
uals and inhabitants of the cotmtry, whether anyone in future should be interested in
Mul)ammadan or people of other nations , this thwarted adventure of mine, he alone
are resting in the cradle of tranquility and can say whether near or far from the
seemingly impregnable heights of complaisance and indifference, my tired old
Th e Bahir 'i World, vol. V, pp. 394-395.
ibid ., p. 396.
3 4
ibid ., p. 395. ibid., p. 396.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1109
body fell. The smoke and din of battle are Shoghi Effendi took further steps to show
to-day too dense for me to ascertain the high station of Keith Ransom-Kehler.
whether I moved forward or was slain in In his message of 1 November 1933, he inmy tracks. 1 structed the Tihran Assembly, together with
Shoghi Effendi's message of 30 October representatives from Shiraz, Kirman, Abadih,
1933 described Mrs. Ransom-Kehler's station Yazd, and the southern ports of Iran, to visit
and the worth of her services: her resting place on his behalf. In that
Keith's precious life offered up in sacri- message he refened to Keith Ransom-Kehler
fice to beloved Cause in Baha'u'llah's as the standard bearer of the rights of the
native land. On Persian soil, for Persia's persecuted community, the true and peerless
sake, she encountered, challenged and helper of the believers in Iran, the object of
fought the forces of darkness with high envy of her Baha'i brothers and sisters in
distinction, indomitable will, unswerving, the Western counháies, the one who strengthexemplary loyalty. The mass of her help- ened spiritual links between the friends in
less Persian brethren mourns the sudden the East and the West and the one who, both
loss of their valiant emancipator. American in life and death, was the cause of glory, elebelievers grateful and proud of the mem- vation, and victory of the Cause of God and
ory of their first and distinguished martyr. the exaltation of His Word. 3 On 3 November,
Sonow stricken, I lament my earthly sep- he informed the National Assembly of the
aration from an invaluable collaborator, United States:
an unfailing counsellor, an esteemed and Instructed I~fahan Assembly to inter
faithful friend. I urge the Local Assemblies Keith in the vicinity of the grave of Sultabefittingly to organize memorial gather- nushushuada,4 surnamed by Baha'u'llah
ing services entitled her to an eminent "King ofMartyrs." 5
rank among the Hands of the Cause of He also advised the Assembly to dissemi-
Baha'u'llah.2 nate his cabled messages among the Baha' is
Shoghi Effendi's designation of Keith of provinces, that all may learn of and know
Ransom-Kehler simultaneously as the first about the lofty station of Keith Ransom-
American Baha'i martyr and a Hand of the Kehler.
Cause of Baha'u'llah was a unique honor.
Furthern1ore, he refened to her as his "un- Martha Root
failing counsellor", "invaluable collaborator'', Another outstanding person who conse-
"esteemed and faithful friend" and the "val- crated her life to the service of the Cause
iant emancipator" of "her helpless Persian was Martha Root. She used her professional
brethren." Such attributes used to eulogize a training as a journalist to travel extensively,
female believer caused the Iranian Baha'is taking the message of the oneness of humanto pause in reflection. They saw that in the kind to people of all ranks and met with
Baha'i Faith women are not only capable of remarkable success.
scaling the same heights claimed by men but Martha Root was born on 10 August 1872
are able to surpass them. They also saw that at Richwood, Ohio. She fmished her univerthe contribution of such women was recog- sity education in Chicago, heard of the
nized and rewarded by the head of the Faith. Message ofBaha'u'llah in 1909, and began
Thus, psychological barriers to the emancipation of Baha ' i women in Iran were removed 3
Tnwqi 'at, vol. Ill , p. 128.
one by one and preparations made for their 4
Siyyid Hasan , entitled Su//anu á~-Shuhnda (King of
full pariicipation in all Baha'i services. Martyrs), was condemned to death for his belief and
publicly executed in I ~fa han in 1883. He was desig-
I ibid., p. 409. nated as an Apostle of Baha'u' ll ah.
2 5
ibid ., p. 398. The Baha'i World, vo l. V, p. 398.
1110 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Martha Root with some Baha'i women in Tihran, Iran . c. 1937

her life of service a decade later, in 1919, soul, this precious personage. They
when she embarked on her extensive travels should offer hospitality with utmost
for the Faith. When Tablets of the Divine respect and loving kindness; convene
Plan 1 were unveiled in the United States, gatherings and meetings with the wisdom
she was the first to arise in response to and dignity that is in keeping with the
'Abdu'l-Baha's smmnons. Her world jour- Cause of God, celebrate, and prove in
neys took her to South America, Europe, words and deeds their pride in being
Africa, Asia, and Ausháalia. related to a person chosen by God to
In December 1929, when Martha Root elevate the name of Baha'u' llah's Faith.
was on her way to Iran, Shoghi Effendi For this peerless believer has, with astonaddressed a letter to the Trustees of the ishing might, unsurpassed bravery and
Central Assembly (precursor of the National amazing steadfash1ess, raised the cry of
Spiritual Assembly of Iran) and the Ya Baha'u' l-Abha in the highest places;
members of Local Spiritual Assemblies she has brought the sacred name of
throughout Iran, inháoducing her thus: the Faith of God to the attention of the
Miss Martha Root. .. foremost among the potentates of the earth, be they rulers,
male and female Baha'i teachers, is ministers , learned, or sovereigns; and has
proceeding to Iran. It is incumbent upon glorified and endeared the oppressed and
all the friends of God and the handmaids sh-uggling community of that land in the
of the Merciful to receive, with heart and eyes of the prominent people of the
world .2
These Tab lets, fourteen in all, were revealed by
' Abdu ' l-Baha in 191 6 and 1917. The Tabl ets ,
addressed to the Baha' is in North Ameri ca, were
received by them in 1919. Shoghi Effendi has called Ta wqi'itt, vol. Il , pp. 150- 151, freely trnnslated by
the Tabl ets " the supreme charter for teaching." the writer.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1111
Despite the inadequacy of the means of These historic labours, pursued singletravel, Martha Root visited many provinces handed and in circumstances of financial
in Iran. Wherever she went, she was met stringency and ill-health, have been
with a tumultuous welcome by Baha'is, characterized throughout by a spirit of
large numbers of whom would await, with fidelity, of self-effacement, of thoroughreverence and pride, her arrival several kilo- ness and vigor that none has excelled.
meters outside the city limits. In Qazvin her He ended his message with the following
adventurous spirit guided her to the family extraordinary appeal:
of Tahirih, from whom she gathered infor- I appeal to individual believers and
mation for her book entitled '[ahirih-The Baha'i Assemblies alike to... respond
Pure. speedily and entirely to every request that
Martha Root was a prodigy of her time. from time to time she feels moved to
She had served the Faith in ways that no address to her fellow-workers in every
other had dared. She had introduced a land, to strive to attain the high standard
crowned head, Queen Marie of Romania, of stewardship that she has set, and to
and her daughter, Princess Ileana, to the pray from the very depths of their hearts
Cause of Baha'u'llah. She had met with for the uninterrupted continuance of her
King Faisal of 'Iraq, and with many other noble endeavors. 1
renowned personalities of the world. The When Martha Root died, Shoghi Effendi
Guardian of the Faith has sununarized her sent a cable to the National Spiritual Assembly
services in the following tribute contained in of the United States and Canada on
his message of 12 February 1929: 3 October 1939 and referred to her as "fore-
. . .I wish, in a few words, to pay a tribute, most Hand which 'Abdu'l-Baha's Will has
however, inadequate, to the magnificent raised up in first Baha'i century", "the first,
services rendered by that exemplary and finest fruit which the Formative Age of t11e
indefatigable teacher of the Cause, our Faith of Baha'u'llah has as yet produced"
dearly-beloved sister, Miss Martha Root. and "one whose acts shed imperishable lustre
Her international travels on behalf of the on American Baha' i conununity." In the same
Baha' i Faith, so wide in their range, so message the beloved Guardian advised the
extensive in their duration, so inspiring in National Assembly about sharing the expenses
their results, will adorn and emich the of"erection of monument in symbolic spot,2
annals of God's immortal Faith. Her the meeting-place of East and West, to both
earliest journeys to the southernmost of which she unsparingly dedicated the full
limits of the American continent, to India force of her mighty energies ." 3
and to South Africa, to the eastern In his review of the history of the first
confines of Asia, to the islands of the Baha'i century, Shoghi Effendi singled out,
southern Seas and the Scandinavian coun- ... for special reference her who ...
tries of the North; her more recent contact through her prodigious and indeed unique
with the rnlers and crowned heads of exertions in the international teaching
Europe and the impression which her field , has covered herself with a glory that
undaunted spirit created in royal circles in has not only eclipsed the achievements
the Balkan countries; her close affiliation of the teachers of the Faith among her
with international organizations, peace contemporaries the globe around, but has
societies, humanitarian movements and
Esperantist circles; and her latest victories 1
Bnha 'i Administration, p. 174.
in the university circles of Germany-all 2
In Honolulu, Hawaii, which links the two continents
constitute a compelling evidence of what of Asia and America.
the power of Baha'u'llah can achieve. The Bnha 'i World, vol. VIII (1938- I 940), p . 646.
1112 THE BAHA'i WORLD

outshone the feats accomplished by any immense potential latent in the world of
of its propagators in the course of an entire women?
century. To Martha Root, that archetype In 1954, when Shoghi Effendi gave the
of Baha'i itinerant teachers and the fore- "glad-tidings" to the Baha'i women of Iran
most Hand raised by Baha'u'llah since that during Ri~van of that year they would
'Abdu'l-Baha's passing, must be awarded share with the men the right of membership
... the title of Leading Ambassadress of on the Local as well National Spiritual
His Faith and Pride of Baha'i teachers, Assemblies, he counselled them to not be
whether men or women, in both the East satisfied with administrative equality. He
and the West. 1 encouraged them to surpass the men in the
Brilliant and celebrated Ba ha' is like fields of teaching and pioneering, to outdo
Martha Root and Keith Ransom-Kehler, them in the arena of service, to become more
who had achieved outstanding successes in courageous, more audacious and more
the teaching field, were sent by Shoghi detached. He persuaded the women to emu-
Effendi to Iran, where they could neither late the example of their spiritual sisters in
speak the language nor teach the inhabitants . America who, he said, had excelled the men
One may ask: Why? Could it not be for the in opening up countries to the Faith. Martha
need to remind the Baha' is in that land of the Root was mentioned by name. 2

THE IMPACT OF THE SERVICES OF THE AMERICAN WOMEN
ON THE IRANIAN BAHA 'i COMMUNITY

The Baha ' i conummity of Iran which had, women proved that notion wrong. Several
from the inception of the Faith, nmtured the decades of constant and courageous service
tree of the Cause with the blood of unnum- provided the Iranian Baha'i community with
bered martyrs and had helped spread the proof that women were capable of shouldering
new Faith to the Western hemisphere, had a administrative and decision-making responbasic problem at home. Unwarranted con- sibilities, and that the time had arrived for
servatism was preventing the women from the Iranian women to try their hand in such
recognizing their potential and attaining their works.
rights . Role models were needed to prove the It is notew011hy that when the time for the
falsity of the culture's perception of women. election of women to the national and local
The calibre of the American women who Baha'i institutions arrived, the only woman
went to Iran was o great significance. They elected to the National Assembly was Adewere well educated, independent, audacious, laide Sharp, an American resident in Tihran.
inflexibly devoted to the Cause of God, It took the Baha'i community longer to realhighly motivated, and firmly committed to ize that the Iranian women believers were
the work they had set out to do. These were capable for the job. Bahiyyih Nadiri was the
qualities Iranians had believed belonged first Persian woman to be elected to the
exclusively to men, and the Western Baha'i National Assembly. 3 Thereafter, until the

1 Shoghi Effendi , God Passes By (Wilmette: Baha'i was suspended. The first issue (four in one), which
Publishing Trust, 1970), p. 386. reported the names of members of the new National
2Tawqi'lzt1952-1957, pp . 190- 191. Assembly, came out in June 1960. Mrs. Nadiri was
3 In 1955, widespread persecutions spearheaded by also on the National Assembly in l 980 when the
Mul)ammad Falsafi circumscribed the admini stra- Islamic Revolutionary Guards abducted the nine
tive activities of the Baha'i Faith in lran. During that members. They have not been heard from since .
time the publication of Af0.biir-i-Amri (Bahn 'i News)
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1113
time of the Assembly's disbandment by the steps to convince members of the commu-
Islamic Revolutionary Government in 1984, nity, especially in the East, of women's
the number of women on the National As- potential to undertake responsible tasks.
sembly fluctuated between zero and two. However, in His lifetime, 'Abdu'l-Baha did
Tracing the process that culminated in the not pronounce the women in Iran eligible for
election of a woman or two to the National membership on elective Baha'i institutions
Assembly of Iran sheds light on the wisdom and did not appoint them as Hands of the
which necessitated the gradual implementa- Cause of God. Also, no Iranian woman was
tion of women's rights to equality with men. designated as 'Abdu'l-Baha's Disciple. But
The Bab had appointed a woman as one of in the West the story was very different.
His Letters of the Living. 1 Tahirih removed Of the nineteen Baha'is the Guardian desigthe veil, championed the cause of change nated as 'Abdu'l-Baha's Disciples, six were
and refused to honor traditions which kept women. Some were also designated as Hands
women backward. The Bab supported her of the Cause posthumously. This welcomed
views and actions which gave hope and change was so gradual that its repercussions
courage to other Babi women. In Nayriz and were not felt in the East, where the men
Zanjan Babi women fought side by side with would not hear of the prospect of women
men to defend themselves against the assault serving with them on the institutions of the
of their enemies. Faith.
Baha'u'llah did not follow the Bab's revo- A letter written on behalf of Shoghi
lutionary way of introducing sudden change Effendi in July 1936 included the statement
in the fabric of society, but used a gradual that, according to a Tablet from 'Abdu'lprocess to prepare His followers for spiritual Baha, "the membership of the Universal
transfo1mation. His Mission was to save the House is confined to men .. . [but that] In the
moribund body of humanity; He diagnosed local as well as the national Houses of
the illness and prescribed the remedy. The Justice ... women have the full right ofmemworld in general, and the Muslim world in bership."2 This instruction notwithstanding,
particular, was not ready for the application women in Iran were not given the right to be
of the principle of equality during His Min- elected to an Assembly until 1954, at the end
istry. Men and women alike would have of the first year of the Ten Year Global Plan.
suffered the adverse consequences of a dras- And this despite the fact that women in India
tic change. He enunciated the principle of and Burma (non-Islamic Eastern countries)
equality, emphasized the tenets of unity and had been made eligible for election since
equity, acknowledged the women's contri- 1923. Shoghi Effendi likewise did not name
bution to the development of His cause, and any Persian Baha'i woman as a Hand of the
praised their achievements. But the scope Cause, although several of his appointees to
for the implementation of practical change the rank in the West were women.
in the status of women remained, of neces- When the Boards of Counsellors were
sity, limited to inconspicuous improvements appointed by the Universal House of Justice
during His Ministry. in 1968, no Baha'i woman in Iran was
'Abdu '1-Baha continued the practice of appointed a Counsellor. However, in the
gradual implementation of change. He spoke western Asia zone Shirin Boman, a woman
most forcefully about the need for women's of Persian background living in India, was
emancipation and progress, and took practical appointed to the position in 1970. Later,
more women of Iranian origin were
The first eighteen believers in the Bab. They indepen- appointed Counsellors in India, and by the
dently searched for and found Him. They were des ignated as Hunif-i-Hayy (Letters of the Living). The
numerical value of'Hayy' is eighteen. Women: a Compilation, p. 12.
1114 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Six Year Plan Persian Baha'i women had race, and have been fulfilling a giant share in
been designated Counsellors in Africa, Aus- the execution of' Abdu 'l-Baha 's Divine Plan.
tralasia, and Europe. They have produced at home and abroad
The paucity of female leaders points to exemplary pioneers, teachers, administrators,
the tremendous difficulty associated with and even martyrs, some of whom have been
change in the status of Iranian women; yet, in their teens .
the change had to be made for the community The argument that the implementation of
to confo1m to the Teachings of the Blessed the principle of equality should take longer
Beauty. Change required sacrifice, which than it already has involves a danger. The
the American Baha'i women made through problem with too slow a process of change is
their selfless service. Their anguish, self- that slowness itself becomes a practice and
abnegation, loving labors, long years of creates a pretext under which the natural and
suffering in acquiescence, steadfastness, per- timely consummation of the desired change
severance, and hard work won them success . is indefinitely delayed. This stifling process
Baha'i women in Iran, who had received was detected by 'Abdu'l-Baha, Who wisely
enlightenment through their belief in Baha'u- reversed its course with the dispatch of auda-
'llah but had generally remained backward cious Baha'i women to Iran. Their services
because of their lack of secular education, will be remembered for the essential changes
learned, tluáough long years of association they inháoduced in the Baha' i community,
with the American Baha'i women, the value especially in the area of implementing the
of education which gave them insights into principle of the equality of men and women.
smrnounting the barriers erected in their way. Their sacrifices will have borne fruit when
They gradually began to scale the heights of the women in Iran and Iranian women
glory destined for members of the human abroad attain full equality with men.

CONCLUSION

The heroic and sacrificial services of the the traditional belief in their "divine right"
American Baha'i women between 1909 to to assume superiority over women.
1976 achieved two basic purposes. First, Second, American Baha'i women proas skilled and professional Baha'is, they vided the means by which women in Iran
bore eloquent testimony that, given equal could claim their rights. They offered girls
oppo1tw1ity, women were fully capable of education similar to that which the boys
ascending to the heights claimed by men in enjoyed, not only providing the requirements
the field of service to humanity. This was an of a secular curriculum, but also offering
important lesson for the Baha'i women of enlightenment with regard to what equality
Persia, whose confidence in their ability to meant and how it could be implemented. The
succeed in what they thought was men's services of the American women believers
domain had been shattered over long centu- in Iran were maintained until the women's
ries of deprivation and denial of their rights equal right to education and to service on
in a Muslim country. The lesson was equally local and national Baha'i institutions was
valuable to male Baha'is, who had held onto attained.
LITERARY AND MUSlCAL WORKS

4. JAMAL EFFENDI
ELHAM AFNAN
(lLHAM AFNAN)

THE Indian sub-continent has come to be There he found the Faith and became a
one of the strongholds of the Faith of devoted and enthusiastic believer. Thence-
Baha'u'llah. India boasts the largest Baha'i forward, he dedicated his life to the service
national community, one of the first National of the Cause. He was never married and
Spiritual Assemblies in the Baha'i world, spent the remainder of his days travelling
established in 1923, and one of the most and teaching.
beautiful edifices ever raised to the glory of Jamal Effendi put on the garments of a
God, the Baha'i Temple in Bahapur outside dervish and travelled to the Holy Land, where
New Delhi, dedicated in December 1986. "for a time he rested under the protection of
Now, at a time when we are witnessing the the Ancient Beauty; .. . gained the honor of
entry of tens of thousands of souls into the entering the presence of Baha 'u '!!ah, and
Cause of God in India, it is befitting to listened to momentous teachings from His
remember the origins of the Faith in that holy lips." 2 Following his pilgrimage, he
land. travelled extensively throughout the Ottoman
One of the Letters of the Living was Empire, hoping to teach the Faith. He was
Sa'id-i-Hindi, an Indian, who met the Bab in in Istanbul in 1874 (1291 A.H.), where he
Shiraz. Another Indian, a dervish, whom He met Shaykh Ka~im-i-Samandar. Realizing
named Qahru ' llah attained His presence in that the people there were not yet ready to
Chihriq. Yet another, Siyyid Ba~ir, accepted embrace the Faith, he finally returned to
the Bab and had the bounty of meeting 'Akka.
Baha'u'llah in Nik But none of these men At about this time, the Afnans in lndia,
left a permanent trace of his work in his realizing the Indians' receptivity to the Faith,
native land. Later, several of the Afnans sent a petition to Baha'u'llah, asking that a
established a trading company and a printing knowledgeable and experienced teacher be
press in Bombay. Bombay thus became a sent to India. Baha'u'llah sent Jamal Effendi,
centre for the Ba ha ' is, especially those trav- who arrived in Bombay in 1878 (1295 A.H.),
elling to the Holy Land. However, no effort accompanied by Mirza I:Jusayn, one of his
had yet been made to teach the native people kinsmen. He travelled widely throughout
the Faith. The distinction of first bringing India and adjacent countries for eleven years,
the Faith ofBaha ' u'llah to a large number of until 1888.
Indians was to belong to Sulayman Khan-i- He was sustained in his labors by numer-
Tunukabuni, surnamed Jamali ' d-Din by ous Tablets he received from Baha'u' llah.
Baha'u'llah, and known as Jamal Effendi. He sowed the seeds of knowledge and love
Su layman Khan was the son of 'Isa Khan, for the Faith through his great spiritual power,
a wealthy and influential man. He was born in his vast experience and deep understanding,
Tunukaban, in the province of Mazindaran. his beautiful words and upright character.
'Abdu'l-Baha says that from childhood, "he He talked to people of every class and
had high ambitions and noble aims, and he
was honor and aspiration personified. " 1 1
' Abdu ' l-Baha. Memorials of the Faithful (Wilmette :
He moved to Tihran hoping to achieve an Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1971), p. 134.
important position in government circles. 2
ibid., p. 135.
11 16 THE BAHA' i WORLD

visited dignitaries in every land. Many were fell into a river from the top of a steep mouninformed of and attracted to the Faith and tain. Also, he met some savage and warlike
many embraced it through him. He delivered tribes of the Ism a' iii sect who treated him
the Tablets revealed for these believers and cruelly. Much grieved, he decided to return
was himself the recipient of many Tablets via Kabul and wrote to ' Abdu'r-RaI:iman
from the Most Exalted Pen. Later he also Khan, the governor, for pem1ission. In reply
published and disseminated Baha' u'llah ' s to the letter, in which he had mentioned
The Seven Valleys, in Persian. the wounds afflicting his feet, the governor
In Madras, he met Siyyid Mu~tafay-i­ wrote "that should he come to Kabul , his
Rumi, a young and deeply religious man, hands would go the way of his feet". 1 Diswho was soon attracted by Jamal Effendi ' s appointed, Jamal Effendi proceeded to
charm and radiance. He embraced the Cause Balkh and Badakhshan, thence to Laddakh
of God and was set aflame with the fire of and Srinagar in Kashmir, and to other parts
the love of Baha' u ' llah. He served the Faith of India. J:Iaji Faraju ' llah passed away in
with great distinction, in both the teaching Bombay in 1894.
and administrative fields in Burma. The most Jamal Effendi ' s travels were filled with
illustrious of Jamal Effendi's converts, he numerous incidents and anecdotes, only a
was posthumously named a Hand of the few of which have so far been recorded
Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi in 1942. by historians. One concerns the Navvab of
Jamal Effendi and Mirza J:Iusayn visited Rampur, who knew and greatly respected
Ceylon and its capital, Colombo, which was Jamal Effendi. One of the Navvab's relaa centre of Buddhism. There they faced tives, a young man, had turned away from
severe opposition from the religious leaders his religion and become an agnostic. The
and suffered greatly. Mirza J:Iusayn became religious leaders to whom the Navvab had
ill and passed away there, thereby becoming turned to guide the young man had failed.
the first Baha' i to be buried on that island. He therefore wrote to Jamal Effendi and
In 1888, Jamal Effendi set out for ' Akk:a invited him to his seat, sending some digniwith two new believers, one a hatter and the taries to welcome and escort him to Rampur.
other an engraver, and a child named Bashir At a meeting arranged for the purpose and
who served him . However, he had been in attended by the young man's friends and
Baha' u' llah 's presence but a short time companions, Jamal Effendi entered into diswhen the Blessed Beauty dispatched him cussion with him, using the Socratic method
once again back to India. Thus in that same of question and answer. He proved his point
year, on 20 March, Jamal Effendi sailed to so convincingly that the man's friends all
India, this time attended by J:Iaji Faraju 'llah- confessed the truth of Jamal Effendi ' s posii-Tafrishi. He resumed his travels there, tion. The young man, however, felt humiligoing to places he had not visited previously, ated and enraged and wrote a letter to Jamal
such as Java, Siam, Singapore, Kashmir, Effendi saying, "In retaliation for what you
Tibet, Yarkand, Kokand and Russian Turki- have done, I shall spread far and wide your
stan. He taught souls everywhere and in Java reputation as a Babi so that all may arise to
particularly was able to attract several of the oppose and persecute you." Jamal Effendi
rulers and dignitaries. replied: "My friend, should you keep your
These travels took a year and six months word and make me known as a Babi, I shall
during which he suffered much hardship. be deeply grateful to you and reward you
His feet were fro zen and wounded from with a costly Kashmir shawl."
travelling in the snowy mountains between
Kashmir and Tibet. At one point, he lost all 1 Bal yuzi, 1-1.M . Eminent Bahti 'is in the Time of
his belongings, books and Tablets when they Balui 'u 'l/rih (Oxford: George Ronald, 1985), p. 124.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1117

Jamril Effendi, standing in back row fourth from left (with white beard), with friends in
Egypt including the Hand of the Cause Mirza Mu~ammad Taqi (seated seventh from right).

Another story tells how Jamal Effendi the Cause and were deepened in it by Mirza
taught the Faith to 6,000 people in Mandalay, MaJ:iram.
Burma. Because they were not yet ready for Jamal Effendi, after twenty years of conit, he did not disclose to them that Bahci'u- tinually teaching the Faith in India and its
'llah had established a new Dispensation. neighboring countries, returned to the Holy
Thus, although they acknowledged the truth Land, about five years after Bahci'u'llah's
ofBaha'u'llah's Message, they continued to ascension. Some time later, 'Abdu'l-Baha enpractice Islamic laws and rituals. After trusted him with another important mission.
Jamal Effendi had left India, 'Abdu' l-Baha Shortly before the ascension of Baha'u'llah,
sent Mirza MaJ:iram, another great teacher, two outstanding believers, Hand of the Cause
to Mandalay, where he announced to the J:Iaji Akhund and the Trustee ofJ:Iuququ'llah
people the independent character of the Faith J:Iaji Amin, were imprisoned in Qazvin. The
and told them of its laws. Nearly two-thirds Prime Minister at the time, Aminu's-Sultan,
of the believers were so agitated that they was sympathetic to their plight, realized the
rejected the Faith entirely and even tried to injustice of their imprisonment and made
put Mirza MaJ:iram to death. Had it not been kind remarks about them. Baha'u'llah was
for the interference of a British police pleased at this and, according to 'Abdu ' lofficer, the mob would have succeeded in Baha, said,
killing him. The policeman, a Christian,
Should someone go to Persia, and manasked Mirza MaJ:iram what he had said so to
age to convey it, this message must be
inflame the crowd. He replied, "I said the
delivered to Aminu 's-Sul{an: you took
same thing that Christ said in His day." 1
steps to help the prisoners; you freely
Nevertheless, the remaining 2,000 embraced
rendered them a befitting service; this
service will not be forgotten . Rest assured
Taherzadeh, Adib. The Revelation of Bah a 'u 'I/ah, that it will bring you honor and call
Mazra 'ih and Bahji: 1877- 92 (Oxford: George
Ronald, 1987), p.184.
down a blessing upon all your affairs. 0
1 118 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Aminu 's-Sul{an! Every house that is addressing the Khan he said: "! had
raised up will one day fall to ruin, except given up hope. If this longing is fulfilled,
the house of God; that will grow more I will arise to serve; I will preserve and
massive and be better guarded day by uphold the friends of God. " ...
day. Then serve the Court of God with all Jn brief, the Minister pledged himself
your might, that you may discover the to serve the friends, and Sulayman Khan
way to a home in Heaven, and found an took his leave. The Minister then desired
edifice that will endure forever. " 1 to give him a sum of money to defray the
expenses of his journey, but Sulayman
Some years later, Aminu's-Sultan once
Khan refused, and despite the Minister's
again was able to aid one of the Baha' i
insistence, would accept nothing. The Khan
teachers, Siyyid Asadu'llah-i-Qumi, and gave
had not yet reached the Holy Land on
him sanctuary at a time of severe persecuhis return journey when Aminu 's-Sul{an
tion. Shortly thereafter he lost favor with the
was recalled from exile and immediately
Shah and was exiled to another town.
summoned to the Premiership again. He
'Abdu'l-Baha took the opportunity to fulfill
assumed the position and functioned with
His Father's wishes by sending Jamal
full authority; and at first he did indeed
Effendi to deli ver a "prayer and missive" to
support the believers, but toward the
Aminu 's-Su l!an.
end, in the case of the Yazd martyrdoms,
The prayer besought God's aid and he was neglectful. He neither helped nor
bounty and succor for the fallen Minister, protected the sufferers in any way, nor
so that he might, from that corner of would he listen to their repeated pleas,
oblivion, be recalled to favor. Jn the letter until all of them were put to death.
we clearly stated: "Prepare to return to Accordingly he too was dismissed, a
Tihran. Soon will God's help arrive; the ruined man. 2
light of grace will shine on you again;
Jamal Effendi returned to 'Akka, where
with full authority again, you will find
before long he passed away on 9 November
yourselffree, and Prime Minister. This is
1898 (24 Jamadiyu'!!!-Thani 1316 A.H.). He
your reward for the efforts you exerted on
is buried in 'Akka and the inscription on
behalf of a man who was oppressed. " ...
his gravestone, revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha,
From Tihran, Sulayman Khan journeyed
reads:
to Qum, and according to his instructions
went to live in a cell in the shrine of the Jamali 'd-Din, the renowned traveller in
Immaculate .... Sulayman Khan inquired every region, the disseminator of the
after the fallen Minister and expressed fragrance of the love of God, has become
the wish to meet him. a tra veller in God's domains which are
When the Minister learned of this, he sent hidden from the eyes of those who are
for Sulayman Khan. Placing all his trust shut out as by a veil. D. 1316 A.H.
in God, Sulayman Khan hastened to the
Minister 's house and, meeting him in
Other Sources:
private, presented the letter from 'Abdu 'l- - Sulayrnanii, 'Azizu'll ah. Ma~l1bi(1-i-Hidayat ,
Baha. The Minister rose, and received vol. 8 (Tihran: Baha'i Publishing Trust, BE I 30,
the letter with extreme respect. Then [AD 1973]).

1 2
'Abdu ' I-Baba. Memorials, p. I 36. ibid. , pp . I 37-38.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS

5. THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE:
AGRICULTURE AND THE PROMISE OF PEACE

PAUL HANLEY

THE vision of a "peaceable Kingdom" has long been an impelling human aspiration
generating rich literary and artistic expression, fueling secular ideologies and pervading
faith and scripture. Often, descriptions of an ideal future are replete with bucolic imagery of
agricultural bounty. This agrarian conception of God's Kingdom was eloquently voiced by
Isaiah, 1 whose prophecy anticipates the conflux of a future peace and an effective, just and
sustainable agriculture.
This prophetic theme is continued and developed in the Baha'i Writings. In the Tablet of
the World, Baha' u' llah clearly established the importance of agriculture in His World Order:
Whilst in the Prison of 'Akkci, We revealed in the Crimson Book that which is conducive
to the advancement of mankind and the reconstruction of the world. The utterances set
forth therein by the Pen of the Lord of Creation include the following which constitute the
fundamental principles for the administration of the affairs of men .... The first four principles given were the promotion of the lesser peace, the adoption of a universal auxiliary
language, adherence to that which will promote fellowship, kindliness and unity, and universal
education. Continuing with the fifth principle, Baha'u ' llah stated: Special regard must be
paid to agriculture. Although it hath been mentioned in the fifth place, unquestionably it
precedeth the others. 2
That agriculture should be placed "unquestionably" first among these "fundamental
principles for the administration of affairs of men ," which are "conducive to the advancement of mankind and to the reconstruction of the world," is remarkable. In it is grounded the
quest for peace, no longer a pious dream but intrinsically linked with the concrete task of
human development.
Baha'u' llah 's statement demands a broad definition of the term agriculture; not farming
alone, but agriculture in the fullest sense with economic, social, and spiritual connotations
referring to the food and agricultural system as a whole. He leads us to conclude that the
development of sustainable agriculture will play a leacling role in the process of peacemaking itself, and that the outcome of this process will be an economic, social and
administrative order guided to a great extent by its agricultural priorities.
Aside from Baha'u'llah's emphatic statement in the Tablet of the World, there are few
specific references to agricu lture in the Writings. Nevertheless, a survey of the Writings
yields much that is relevant to a study of agriculture and related concerns. Furthermore, the
agriculturalist sees in the basic tenets of the Faith the preconditions for successful agricultural development.
A reflection, then, on the general principles of the Faith as they apply to agriculture is
presented prior to consideration of ideas specifically related to agricultural concerns.

Isaiah , 2:4; 11: 1-9. the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre,
Baha ' u ' llah, Tablets of8al11i'u'l/ah revealed after 1978), pp. 89-90.

Adapted from an article publi shed in The Journal of Balza 'i Studies, May 1990.
1120 THE BAHA'I WORLD

A. THE PRECONDITIONS FOR
SUCCESSFUL AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
The Baha'i approach to any major question-whether related to the economic, political, or
social order, to health, education or social services, to the a1is or to agriculh1re-is by definition wholistic, recognising not only the integrity of the human species but also the coherence
of the physical and spiritual dimensions of creation. For a Baha'i, no problem can be solved
in isolation as none is isolated. The agricultural question is a prime example.
Successful development requires a world view and institutions which reflect a profound
understanding of who we are and why we are living here and now. Humans have been
placed by the Creator at a point between the material and spiritual dimensions of His Creation. Our role on the planet is to be its consciousness, to bring the Kingdom of God to eaiih
and to establish its good order. The Revelation of Baha'u'llah defines the requirements,
establishes the processes, and illuminates the qualities and values required in the shaping of
a new order which is at once the goal and the means of transforming its constituent systems.
The animating, pivotal principle of the World Order ofBaha'u'llah is unity. Three facets
of the principle- unity embraces all of creation, the material and spiritual requirements for
life are interconnected, and personal and socia l responsibility must be balanced-greatly
influence the development process as we work to build a new order with a renewed
agriculture sector.

Unity embraces all of creation
The principle of unity has far-reaching implications. It causes us to widen our perception
of ourselves, our human relationships and our relationships with nature. "The essential oneness of all the myriad forms and grades of life" wrote Esslemont "is one of the fundamental
teachings ofBaha'u'llah." 1 The Baha'i view of unity, embracing the whole of creation, is the
paradigm for our age. The acceptance of the paradigm in the collective consciousness is the
key to development both in peace and in man/nature co-evolution.
The first and most important stage in the unity paradigm is acknowledgment of the unity
of the human race . ... until the minds of men become united, 'Abdu' l-Baha stated, no important matter can be accomplished. 2 In fact, Baha'u' llah wrote, ... th e áwell-being of mankind,
its p eace and security are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established. 3
Disunity explains most of our modern fa ilures in agriculhIIe- our failure to ensure
universal nourishment or to adequately husband natural resources such as soil and forests.
Unbridled nationalism, racism, sexism, and religious animosity allow small groups of
people to wantonly devour the lion's share of the eatih's bounty. Greed for power and profit
bear a large measure of responsibility for the misappropriation of resources. Poverty and
hunger intensify as a powerful elite grows fat yet remains unfulfilled. This desire to conháol
and profit from others is reflected in our attitude towards nature.
The light of unity can eclipse divisive prejudices and nurture the human solidarity that
alone can support a foundation for peace and development. An acceptance of the oneness of

Esslemont, John E, Bahit 'u '//Ith and the New Em 3 Bahil'u'llah, Gleani11gsfro111 the Writings of
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publi shing Trust, l 980), p. IOI. Bahit 'u 'I/Ith (W ilmette: Baha'i Publ ish in g Tru st,
2 'Abdu'l -Baha, Selections from the Writings of l 976), p. 286.
'A bdu '/-Bahit (Haifa: Ba ha'i World Centre, 1978),
p. 297.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1121
mankind makes not only right social relationships possible but also our relationship to the
earth, whose resources, Shoghi Effendi wrote, " ... dissipated and wasted on war, whether
economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human
inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind ... " 1

The material and spiritual requirements for life are interconnected
The struggle of humanity toward the Kingdom of God on earth necessitates the infusion of
spirit into every facet of our being. "From the beginning of His stupendous mission," stated
the Universal House of Justice, "Baha'u' llah urged upon the attention of nations the necessity of ordering human affairs in such a way as to bring into being a world unified in all
aspects of its life. In unnumbered verses and tablets He repeatedly and variously declared
the 'progress of the world' and the ' development of nations' as being among the ordinances
of God for this day. The oneness of mankind, which is at once the operating principle and
the ultimate goal of His Revelation, implies the dynamic coherence between the spiritual
and practical requirements of life on earth." 2
Recognition of the spiritua l dimension of life is a condition of continued material
existence, just as the material requirements of living are conditions for the manifestation of
the human spirit. Our civilization as a whole, however, is increasingly preoccupied with the
material; the gods of wealth and power have seduced society and left it deadened. The possibility of there being spiritual remedies for social ills is not part of peoples' world view.
Commenting on this malaise, Baha ' u'llah described the current state of humanity:
Witness how the world is being ajjlicted with a fresh calamity eve1y day, its tribulation is
continually deepening ... Its sickness is approaching the stage of utter hopelessness,
inasmuch as the true Physician is debarred from administering the remedy, whilst unskilled
practitioners are regarded with favor, and are accorded full freedom to act. 3 But this
tribulation is a signal, an antecedent to awakening spirituality. "Adversity, prolonged,
worldwide, affl ictive, allied to chaos and universal destruction, must needs convulse the
nations, stir the conscience of the world , disillusion the masses." And, wrote the Guardian,
"precipitate a radical change in the very conception of society ... " 4
The new World Order which will arise will feature the broad acceptance of the coherence
of material and spiritual requirements of life, acceptance of which is a prerequisite for
successful agricultural development.

Personal and social responsibilities must be balanced
The development process succeeds to the extent that it resounds within the individual; the
Kingdom must be found within and brought out into the world. Thus personal and societal
transformation are an harmonic pair; progress results from a new way of living individually
and collectively. The Baha'i Faith, the Universal House of Justice wrote, "does not comprise
a series of specific answers to current problems, but rather the illumination of an entirely
new way of life. Without this way of life the problems are insoluble; with it they will either

Shoghi Effendi , Call lo the Nations: Extractsji"Oln Th e Baha'i Wo rld, vol. XIX ( 1983- 1986), (Haifa:
the writings ofShoghi Effendi (Haifa: Baha ' i World Baha ' i World Centre, 1994). p. 346.
Centre, 1977), p. 56. 3 Gleanings, pp. 39-40.
Universal House of Justice in a letter to the Baha'is Shoghi Effendi, Th e Promised Day is Come (Wi lof the World dated 20 October 1983. Published in mette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 196 1), p. 127.
1122 THE BAHA'I WORLD

not arise, or if they arise, can be resolved ... " 1 The new way of life aims to educe individual
potential and ensure that our contributi on-through our skills and labor, our organizational
abilities, our efforts for education or science, or in whatever field of expertise-will render
service to society.
" ... as the Baha'i community grows it will acquire experts in numerous fields," the
Universal House of Justice wrote. " ... As these experts bring their knowledge and skill to
the service of the community, and even more, as they transform their various disciplines by
bringing to bear upon them the light of the Divine Teachings, problem after problem now
disrupting society wi ll be answered." 2 For this reason a Baha' i approach to development
assigns great imp01iance to the expansion of awareness and the cultivation of virtues, and to
the design and implementation of systems supportive of the attainment of spiritual maturity.
It is clear, then, that a spiritual orientation is necessarily the starting point in the development process in general and within each field of human endeavor specifically. It is
particularly pertinent to the study of agriculture because sustainable agriculture is fundamental to solidarity and world order. A spiritual focus includes the recognition of a new
unity paradigm, of the confluence of material and spiritual requirements for life, and of the
need for a balance of individual and social respo nsibility for change. With these preconditions in mind we can begin to consider specific aspects of Baba' i approach to agriculture.

B. PRINCIPLES FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT:
A SURVEY OF THE WRITINGS
Baha'u' llah's remarkable statement that agriculture precedes even the promotion of the
Lesser Peace as a priority in establishing world order reinforces the essential connection
of development and peace. This is further emphasised by 'Abdu' l-Baha, Who said in His
public talks concerning universal peace and order that .. . the fundam ental basis ofcommunity
is agriculture, 3 and that .. . the peasant class and the agricultural class exceed other classes
in the importance of their service. 4
There are at least three reasons for the emphasis on agricu lture as the foundation of social
order. The first is obvious: although we don't live by bread alone, each of us needs food first
and foremost- before clothing, shelter, or television! Religion calls us to pay attention to
what is essentia l as opposed to what is not. Special regard should be given to ass ure that all
have a diet suffic ient to nourish full physical and mental well-being- in preference to
current economic imperatives, such as the production of armaments or frivolous consumer
items.
Second, the agricultural sector plays a significant role in any economy. Although as few
as two percent of populations are engaged in farm ing as an occupation in industrial nations, 5
as many as twenty-five percent work in the agricultura l sector in production and distribution
of food, of farm supp li es and mach inery, marketing, transportation, food sales and handling,
advertising, finance, and so on-many more if food handling at home is included. (Economists speculate that one in four devoted themselves to food gathering as far back as the
Stone Age-it seems that some things never change.) In most Third World countries a

1 3
Un ive rsa l House of Just ice, letter to the Na ti ona l 'Abdu ' l-Ba ha, Foundations of World Unity : com-
Spiritual Assembly o f the United States dated piled from Addresses and Tablets of 'Abdu '1-Balui
21 July 1968. (Wilmette: Baha ' i Pu bli shing Trust, 1979), p. 37.
2 4
Uni versa l House of Ju stice, Letter to an individual ibid ., p. 39.
dated2 1 August1977. 5 Production Yearbook. vo l. 35 . Rome: Food and

Agricu lture Organi zation.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1123

Students in the New Era Development Institute 's Community Development Facilitator
Course help Chikali women in Maharashtra, India, plant rice in the fields. The purpose was
to have the students experience rural life with their fellow Baha 'is. August 1991 .

Members of the Baha'i community of Caserta, Italy, planting acorn seedlings on a hill as an
environmental project to enhance their city. 15 March 1987.
1124 THE BAHA'i WORLD

majority are directly employed in farm work. The figure is forty-four percent world-wide. 1
Those not directly employed in the food industry, of course, allocate a sizable portion of their
income to food. The point is that everyone, not only the producer, has a high stake in the
success of the agricultural system.
Third, food has tremendous cultural significance. Our most basic human relationshipsmother to babe, parent/child, gatherings of family or friends , national, religious, or ethnic
feasts and festivals-all have nurturing through food at their center. A lso, because of the
driving need to eat we can all understand and empathise with hunger. Food and agriculture,
then, have a profound symbolic power which can be a unifying force.
Despite these factors , which should establish food production at the centre of social concern, our perception of its importance has decreased as our capacity to produce it has grown.
One farmer with modern technology can now produce enough food for fifty people. This
increases the population of non-producers, who migrate to towns and cities where they lose
touch with the land and become alienated from production. They perceive cheap food to be a
right but feel little responsibility for farm viabi lity, farm prices, or resource conservation.
Because of their majority and their administrative and economic influence, their concerns
override others and agriculture is impoverished.
The Baha' i approach resolves the modern rural/urban split by emphasising the centrality
of agriculture for all of society. The perceived division between urban and rural is repaired
as the two become mutually supportive, an advocatory rather than antagonistic relationship:
the rural nurtures the city which in tum provides full support for a vital rural community.
This strong support for agriculture, rural life, and respect for the producing class suggests
that a new order would act to halt rural-to-urban migration and to maintain a large and
healthy rural population.

Justice, equity, and world order
Our civilization's problems, including agricu ltural problems, arise from defects in its prevail ing order. The winds of despair are, alas, blowing from every direction, wrote
Bah a 'u ' llah, and the strife that divides and afflicts the human race is daily increasing. Th e
signs of impending convulsions and chaos can now be discerned, inasmuch as the prevailing
order appears to be lamentably defective.2 The major defect in the present world order is its
inherent injustice and inequity on the personal, local , national, and international fronts:
Justice is, in this day, bewailing its plight, and Equity groaneth beneath the yoke of
oppression. 3
Food is a material need, and Baha'u'llah stated clearly that justice is the key to satisfying
material needs: The purpose of justice is the appearance of unity among men .... Were
mankind to be adorned with this raiment, they would behold the day-star of the utterance,
'On that day God will satisfj; everyone out of His abundance, 'shining resplendent above the
horizon of the world. 4
'Abdu'l-Baha identifies tyranny-which might be defined in this context as the inequitable allocation of land and other food producing resources in order to benefit a minority
(individual, state, or corporate) at the expense of the majority-as responsible for much

3 Gleanings, p. 92 .
ibid.
World Order of Baha 'u 'I/ah. Selected Letters by Tablets of Baha 'u 'I/a h, pp.66-67.
Shoghi Effendi (W ilmette : Baha'i Publi shing Trust,
1974), p. 32.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1125

human misery: When we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation, He said, it
is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find tyranny. 1
Equity is parallel with justice. It is ... the most fundamental among human virtues,
Baha'u'llah wrote. The evaluation of all things must needs depend upon it. 2 Equity as
applied to agriculture might be defined as a fair sharing of production and, more importantly, of food producing resources. The objective of an equitable agricultural policy must be
to increase not production but the inclusiveness of productivity and the sharing of production.

Globalism and decentralization
The Writings call for the establishment of a just world community. At present, the connections that exist in the world are material connections-transnational systems of commerce,
trade, communication, et cetera. These connections are shaped by the ethics of power, profiteering, colonialism, and production based on exploitation of people and resources. The role
of spiritually informed people at this time is to contribute to a planet united in justice, equity,
and real co-operation as expressed by the Guardian:

The unity of the human race, as envisioned by Baha ' u'llah, implies the establishment of a
world commonwealth .... This commonwealth must, as far as we can visualise it, consist
ofa world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws
as shall be required to regulate life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all
races and peoples .... The economic resources of the world will be organised, its sources
of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilised, its markets will be coordinated and
developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated .... Destitution
on the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear .... 3

The implications of this paragraph are so far-reaching that a few of its phrases bear
repeating: " .. . a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the who le of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of the component nations .... " That is, use of the
air, land and sea will all fall under an international system of law. And these law-makers,
" ... the trustees of the whole of mankind ... will enact such laws as shall ... satisfy the needs
and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples .... " This is a very new and exciting concept of the sharing of natural resources.
This idea of globalism," .. .repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims
all attempts at uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity .... " 4
A global approach is required for a healthy food and agriculture system, unlike the
current system which is subject to practices wh ich undercut national and local self-reliance.
The foundation of a Baha'i commonwealth will be mature, self-reliant localities with a solid
agrarian base.

Interdependence and self-reliance
Globalism and decentralization correspond to interdependence and self-reliance, qualities
required to build good order. The Writings suggest an economy based first on individual and

1 2
'Abdu '1 -Baha, Paris Talks: Addresses given by Gleanings, p. 203 .
'Abdu'l-Balui in Paris in 1911-1912 (London: 3 World Order, pp. 203-204.
Baha' i Publi shing Trust, 1979), p.1 53. ibid ., p. 42.
1126 THE BAHA'I WORLD

and family, local and national self-reliance, paired with a sophisticated interdependence on
the global, national and local levels. To help us visualize a Baha'i social order, 'Abdu'l-
Baha used a number of organic (purposely non-mechanistic?) analogies-the family, the
human body, a garden. 1 His analogy of the household conesponds to the concept of oikos
(literally household), the root of the words ecology and economy. 2 Ecology deals with the
relationships between organisms and their environment, while economy in this context can
refer to regulation and management of relationships in order to assure the well-being of both
pa1t and whole. Using this analogy we can view economics then as management of
resources for the benefit of whole communities, rather than competition in a struggle to
capture wealth for individuals, a ruling class, or a state monopoly.
The Writings outline a new economic order in skeletal fom1, which will be fleshed out
under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice.

1. Economic conditions are reflections of spiritual conditions; thus the ultimate economic
solutions to problems lie in spiritual transfmmation.
We ask God to endow human souls with justice so that they may be fair, and may strive to
provide for the comfort of all, that each member of humanity may pass his life in the
utmost comfort and welfare. Then this material world will become the very paradise of
the Kingdom, this elemental earth will be in a heavenly state and all the servants of God
will live in the utmost joy, happiness and gladness. We must all strive and concentrate all
our thoughts in order that such happiness may accrue to the world ofhumanity. 3

2. Ownership of the means of production and tenure of land will take a variety of fom1s.
Entirely new systems, or those little used or known, may be employed. Private ownership is
safeguarded, but state ownership or control will also have a role to play. That Certain trustees will be elected by the people in a given village to look after these [economic]
transactions 4 suggests one new path the future will follow.
In reality, so far great injustice has befallen the common people. Laws must be made
because it is impossible for the laborers to be satisfied with the present system. They will
strike every month and every year. Finally, the capitalists will lose .... In the Bolshevistic
principles equality is effected through force. The masses who are opposed to the people
of rank and to the wealthy class desire to partake of their advantages. But in the divine
teachings equality is brought about through a ready willingness to share .... This equality
is the result of the lofty characteristics and noble attributes of mankind.5

3. Although our vision must be world-embracing, the initial stage of economic reconstruction is at the local level, begi1ming with agricultural reform.
First and foremost is the principle that to all the members of the body politic shall be
given the greatest achievements of the world of humanity. Each one shall have the utmost
welfare and well-being. To solve the problem we must begin with the faimer; there we
will lay a foundation for system and order because the peasant class and the agricultural
class exceed other classes ill the importance of their service. 6

ibid. 4 ibid., p. 40.
2 Foundations, pp. 38--43. 5 ibid 'p. 44.
3 ibid., p. 43. 6 ibid. , p. 39.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1127

4. Village reconstruction will involve the establishment of a central community institution, termed the "general storehouse" or "House of Finance," directed by a democratically
elected council of trustees responsible for the allocation of resources and services.
Jn every village there must be established a general storehouse which will have a number
of revenues.
The first revenue will be that of the tenth or tithes.
The second revenue (will be derived) from the animals.
The third revenue, from the minerals, that is to say, every mine prospected or discovered,
a third thereof will go to this vast storehouse.
The fourth is this: whosoever dies without leaving any heirs all his heritage will go to the
general storehouse.
Fifth, if any treasures shall be found on the land they should be devoted to this
storehouse.
All these revenues will be assembled in this storehouse.
As to the first, the tenths or tithes: we will consider a farmer, one of the peasants. We will
look into his income. We will find out, for instance, what is his annual revenue and also
what are his expenditures. Now, if his income be equal to his expenditures, from such a
farmer nothing whatever will be taken. That is, he will not be subjected to taxation of any
sort, needing as he does all his income. Another farmer may have expenses running up to
one thousand dollars we will say, and his income is two thousand dollars. From such an
one a tenth will be required, because he has a surplus ....
Then there must be considered such emergencies as follows: a certain farmer whose
expenses run up to ten thousand dollars and whose income is only five thousand, he will
receive necessary expenses from the storehouse. Five thousand dollars will be allotted to
him so he will not be in need.
Then the orphans will be looked after, all of whose expenses will be taken care of The
cripples in the village-all their expenses will be looked after. The poor in the villagetheir necessary expenses will be defrayed. And other members who for valid reasons are
incapacitated-the blind, the old, the deaf-their comfort must be looked after. Jn the
village no one will remain in need or in want ...
Certain trustees will be elected by the people in a given village to look after these transactions. The farmers will be taken care of and if after all these expenses are defrayed any
surplus is found in the storehouse it must be transferred to the national treaswy.
For larger cities, naturally, there will be a system on a larger scale. Were J to go into that
solution the details thereof would be ve1y lengthy. 1

5. Farmer workers, indeed all workers, should receive a fair share of profits accrued as a
result of their labor.
... the owners of properties, mines and factories should share their incomes with their
employees and give a fairly certain percentage of their products to their workingmen in
order that the employees may receive, beside their wages, some of the general income of
the factory so that the employee may strive with his soul in the work. 2

I ibid., pp. 39-41. 2 ibid., p. 43.
1128 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

6. Baha'u ' llah allows the charge of a reasonable rate of interest:
... it is lawful and proper to charge interest on money .. . However, this is a matter that
should be p racticed with moderation and fairness. Our Pen of Glo1y hath, as a token
of wisdom and for the convenience of the people, desisted from laying down its limit.
Nevertheless We exhort the loved ones of God to observe justice and fairness, and to do
that which would prompt the friends of God to evince tender mercy and compassion
toward each other ... 1
This provision eases the tremendous burden of hi gh interest on debts which now faces
fa rmers world-wide, and also encourages a more inclusive system of credit.

7. Instructions on inheritance recommend a wide dispersal of property within and also
outside of the fam ily of the deceased; thi s will also aid in limiting concentration of land
ownership.
We ha ve divided inheritance into seven categories: to the children, We have allotted nine
parts comprising five hundred and forty shares; to the wife, eight parts comprising four
hundred and eighty shares; to the father ... ; to the mother ...; to the brothers .. .; to the
sisters .. .; and to the teachers .... 2

8. Redi stribution of wealth wi ll be carried forward in international relations. As quoted
before,
The economic resources of the world will be organised, its sources of raw materials wi ll
be tapped and fully utili sed, its markets wi ll be coordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products wi ll be equitably regulated. 3
Equitable patterns of trade, finance, and production will mean maj or change for food and
agricu lture systems that now bear colonial patterns which virtua lly assure poverty in the
underdeve loped countries and the accumulation of wealth in the industri al world.

Science, technology, and moderation
Perhaps the most obvious trend in agri cultu re today is its growing mechanization . Farming
increas ingly copies the industrial model. The Baha' i approach promotes modernization to
the extent that the application of technology actually aids in the task of nourishing people
wh il e conserving resources for future generations. The adoption of modern technology,
however, usually outpaces the development of the social structures required to cope with the
consequences of mechani zati on whi ch cause dislocation of the farm population and an everintensified stress on the resource base. These problems are addressed in the Writings.
Achieving a sustainable society is centra l to life's purpose: All men have been created to
can y forward an ever-advancing civilization.4 The impl ications for agriculture of this ethic
are far-reaching; poor husbandry is w itho ut parallel in its destructi veness of so il and fo rests
and an ethic which prioritizes conservation will drastically alter farm practice. Baha' u' llah
states that one purpose of His laws is to protect the earth : Each one of the ordinances We
have revealed is a mighty stronghold fo r the preservation of the world of being. 5 The

1 3 World Order, p. 204.
Tablets of Baha '11 '//Gh , pp. 133- 134.
2 4 Gleanings, p. 2 14.
Baha ' u' ll ah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas (Ha ifa: Ba ha'i
5 Tablets, p. 69.
World Centre, 1992), p. 26.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1129

Guardian, himself a supporter of conservation efforts, states that the tasks of "protection
physical world and heri tage future generations .. . constitute yet another force working for
peace and brotherhood." 1
Foreseeing the potential consequences of the technical/scientific revol ution, Baha'u ' llah
warned of its dangers and presented a principle of moderation to guide modernization:
The civilization, so often vaunted by the learned exponents of arts and sciences, will, if
allowed to overleap the bounds of moderation, bring great evil upon men. Th us warneth
you He Who is the All-Knowing. If carried to excess, civilization will prove as prolific a
source of evil as it had been ofgoodness when kept within the restraints of moderation ...
All other things are subject to the same principle of moderation. 2
Negative aspects of growth and modernization occur when science is divorced from the
moderating influence of true religious values. (Humanity) cannot fly with one wing alone. If
it tries with the wing of religion alone it will land in the slough of superstition, and if it tries
to fly with the wing of science alone it will end in the dreary bog of materialism, 3 in the
words of 'Abdu'l-Baha.
With the love of God all sciences are accepted and beloved, but without it, are fruitless;
nay, rather the cause of insanity. Every science is like unto a tree; if the fruit of it is the
love of God, that is a blessed tree. Otherwise it is dried wood and finally a food for fire. 4
A Baba 'i approach will see agricultural science redirected to goals of nourishment, fulfilment, and permanence from those of profit, power, and production at any cost.

A right relationship to the earth
As has been stated, the Baha'i approach suggests a paradigm of unity embracing all of
creation. The separateness of man from nature which is seen in modern agriculture must be
reconsidered in this light. The Writings provide valuable insights on this complex problem,
suggesting that a right relationship is threefold, involving attitudes of humility, unity, and
detachment.
First, we are called upon to honor creation and to humble ourselves before it. The earth
is itself a revealer of God.
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is a direct evidence of the revelation within it of the attributes and the names of God, inasmuch as within every atom are
enshrined the signs that bear eloquent testimony to the revelation of the Most Great
Light. 5
Again and again this theme of revelation through creation crops up in the Writings : "No
thing have I perceived, except that I perceive God within it, God before it, or God after it. "6
Every man of discernment, while walking upon the earth feeleth indeed abashed, inasmuch as he is fully aware that the thing which is the source of his prosperity, his wealth,
his might, his exaltation, his advancement and power is, as ordained by God, the very
earth which is trodden beneath the feet of all men. There can be no doubt that whoever

1 4
Shoghi Effendi , Cabl e to the New Earth Luncheon, Baha'i World Faith (Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing
London, England, dated May 23, 1951. Trust, 1976), p. 366.
Gleanings, pp. 341 -342. 5
Gleanings, p. 177.
New Era, p. 2 I4. 6
Baha'u'llah quoting Imam 'A li , ibid., p. 178.
1130 THE BAHA'i WORLD

A papaya farm in
Dzitya, Yucatan,
Mexico, which
Baha 'is are working
as a rural development
project; 1986.

A piggery project
in Liancourt, Haiti,
conducted by the
local Baha'i community; 1987. -

The Tahirih Farm
in Moissala, Chad,
initiated by the local
Bahti 'i community
as a social and economic development
project; 1989.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1131
is cognisant of this truth, is cleansed and sanctified from all pride, arrogance, and vain
glmy. 1
This attih1de of humility is not only important to our spiritual development but underscores the requirement to conserve nature in its wholeness.
Second, the essential unity of man and nature is both implied in the unity principle and
stated in several passages:
You are well aware, praise be the lord, that both interaction and cooperation are evident
and proven amongst all beings, whether large or small. !n the case of large bodies interaction is as manifest as th e sun, whilst in the case of small bodies, though interaction be
unknown, yet the part is an indication of the whole. All these interactions therefore are
connected with that all-embracing power which is their pivot, their centre, their source
and their motive power. 2
In Some Answered Questions, 'Abdu'l-Baha described the mineral, plant, and animal as
possessing a spirit. 3 A mechanistic understanding of nahlfe is therefore inadequate; more
correct is a view of the earth as a whole, living organism. While this concept resembles
animism, it is more a balance of ancient wisdom and contemporary science. The picture is
completed as the world of the Manifestation is drawn into the image: ... all parts of the
creational world are of one whole .... All the parts are subordinate and obedient to the
whole. The contingent beings are the branches of the tree of life while the Messenger of God
is the root of that tree. 4
Third, although we are taught to honor and live harmoniously with the earth, we are also
instrncted to become detached from the physical world.
Observe how darkness has overspread the world. !n every corner of the earth there is
strife, discord and wmfare of some kind. Mankind is submerged in the sea of materialism ... They have no thought beyond earthly possessions and manifest no desire save the
passions of this fleeting, mortal existence. Their utmost purpose is the attainment of material livelihood, physical comforts and worldly enjoyments such as constitute the
happiness of the animal world rather than the world of man.
The honor of man is through the attainment of the knowledge of God; his happiness is
from the love of God; his joy is in the glad tidings of God; his greatness is dependent
upon his servitude to God.... Although it is necessmy for man to strive for material needs
and comforts, his real need is the acquisition of the bounties of God... . While possessing
physical life, he should lay hold of the life spiritual, and together with bodily comforts
and happiness, he should enjoy divine pleasures and content. Then is man worthy of
the title man; then will he be after the image and likeness of God, for the image of the
Merci.fit! consists of the attributes of the heavenly Kingdom. 5
Baha'u'llah bids us to meditate upon freedom from this nalTow world: Were ye to
discover the hidden, the shoreless oceans of My Incorruptible Wealth, ye would, of a

Bahil'u'llah, Epi stle to the Son of the Wolf 4 Bahn 'i World Faith, p. 364.
(W ilmette : Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1988), p. 44. 5 'Abdu 'l-Ba ha, Promulgation of Universal Peace
2 Bahn 'i World Faith, p. 345. (Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 335.
3 'Abdu'l -Baha, Some Answered Questions
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1981),
p. 78; pp. 143- 144.
1132 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

certainty, esteem as nothing the world, nay the entire creation.' However, "the world" is
clarified by Baha'u'llah: Know ye that by 'the world' is meant your unawareness of Him Who
is your Maker, and your absorption in aught else but Him. 2 This clarification is importantwe are not to despise the physical world, but to avoid a shallow perception of our station.
The Baha'i Writings harmonize elements of ancient and modem views of creation, overcoming unbalanced unity with or detachment from the world. The three-fold relationship of
man to nature spelled out in the Writings gives our work on the land a quality of worship.

Agriculture and worship
The relationship between agriculture and worship is ancient. "Agriculture" means literally
the cultivation of fields , but behind the word "culture" is the Latin cultus and the Sanscrit
kwel, which means to dwell , to care, and to worship. From the word agriculture, then, we are
led to a deeply religious concept imbedded in language. ,
In this Day, Baha 'u'llah has designated every kind of work as worship: It is enjoined on
every one ofyou to engage in some occupation, such as crafts, trades, and the like. We have
graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True
One. 3 'Abdu'l-Baha expanded the theme in a letter to a young friend :
Thy letter was received. Praise be to God it imparted the good news of thy health and
safety and indicated that thou art ready to enter into an agricultural school. This is highly
suitable. Strive as much as possible to become proficient in the science of agriculture for
in accordance with the Divine Teachings, the acquisition ofsciences and the perfection of
arts are considered as acts of worship. If a man engages with all his power in the acquisition of a science or in the perfection of an art, it is as if he has been worshipping God in
the churches and temples. Thus as thou enterest a school ofagriculture and strives! in the
acquisition of that science thou art day and night engaged in acts of worship-acts that
are accepted at the threshold of the Almighty. What bounty greater than this that science
should be considered as an act of worship and art as service to the Kingdom of God. 4
The acceptance of our work as worship depends on the quality, motivation, and direction
of our efforts. 'Abdu'l-Baha stated: .. .strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful
prayers. 5 And, ... all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fitllness of his heart is
worship, if it is promoted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This
is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people.6 Our work/worship
becomes worthy to the extent that we assume our responsibility for the land and to each
other by implementing sound husbandry in a just and sustainable food system.

The role of women
The important role that women play in agriculture was stressed by 'Abdu ' l-Baha: Woman
must especially devote her energies and abilities toward the industrial and agricultural
sciences, seeking to assist mankind in that which is most needfit!. By this means she
will demonstrate capability and ensure recognition of equality in the social and economic
equation. 7

Gleanings, p. 323. Bahti 'i World Faith, pp. 377- 378.
5 Paris Talks, p. 8 1.
ibid., p. 276.
3 Tablets of Bahti 'u 'lltih, p. 26. 6 ibid ., p. 176.
7 Promulgation, p. 283.
LITERARY AND MUSI CA L WORKS 1133

Emphasis on women's invo lvement in agriculture can be understood from at least three
points. First, women are in fac t the primary agricultural producers in much of the world. In
Africa, for example, women are responsible for eighty percent of agricultural production. 1
One implication of this statistic is that agricultural development proj ects should focus on
women, rather than men and machines as is often the case now.
A second point is that equal opportunity and responsibility in the agricultural sector contributes to the sexual equality which is a precondition for the appearance of the Kingdom of
God on earth. Education is an important avenue for advancing women in agriculture and
'Abdu ' l-Baha encouraged women to attend agricultural college. In the following quotation
He stressed again the importance of equality in educational opportunity and relates it to
development and peace:
[Bah a 'u 'llah] promulgated the adoption of the same course of education for man and
woman. Daughters and sons must follow the same curriculum of study, thereby promoting unity of the sexes. When all mankind shall receive the same opportunity of education
and the equality of men and women will be realized, the foundations of war will be utterly
destroyed. Without equality this will be impossible because all differences and distinctions are conducive to discord and strife ... .2
Third, there is a need to stress qualities associated with "the feminine" in our relationships
to the land and with each other. Qualities of nurturance, intuition, empathy, caring, and identification with forces of productivity and fruition are needed in our agricultural work.
'Abdu'l-Baha said, ... it is well established in history that where woman has not participated
in human affairs the outcomes have never attained a state of completion and perfection. On
the other hand, every influential undertaking of the human world wherein woman has been
a participant has attained importance. This is historically true and beyond disproof even
in religion.3

Exhortations and prohibition s
A number of the exhortations and prohibitions found in the Baha' i Writings will have an
effect on the agricultural sector.

I. Kindness to animals is one principle which will have wide repercussions in the field of
animal husbandry.
0 ye friends of God! Ye must not only have kind and merciful feelings for mankind, but
ye should also exercise the utmost kindness towards every living creature . .. . Educate the
children in their infancy in such a way that they may become exceedingly kind and merciful to animals. If an animal is sick they should endeavor to cure it; if it is hungry, they
should feed it; if it is thirsty, they should satisfy its thirst; if it is tired, they should give it
rest ...
This sympathy and kindness is one of the fundamental principles of the divine kingdom. 4
His warnings in other places about the need for kindness even to the lower creatures will
have furth er repercussions on all aspects of our interaction with ecosystems. May Maxwell's
observations in this regard are interesting: '"Abdu'l-Baha said that we should always be kind

Karl , Maril ee, Women in Development, I 983. 3 ibid., p. I 34.
Promulgation, p. I 75. 4
Baha'i World Faith, pp. 373-374.
1134 THE BAHA'i WORLD

and merciful to every creature; that cruelty was sin and that the human race should never
injure any of God's creatures, but ought to be always careful to do nothing to diminish or
extem1inate any order of living thing .... " 1
In this light we wi II have to redesign farm practice to avoid destruction of habitat and to
reduce or eliminate practices which are destructive to animal organisms. This thinking is in
keeping with ecological science which recognises the important role played by all levels of
creatures in the functioning of whole systems.

2. The change in human diet away from eating meat will have a deep impact on resource
allocation. Now, about one half of all grain protein is fed to livestock-a very inefficient use
of protein. In the future that grain will be available for human consumption.
As humanity progresses, meat will be used less and less, for the teeth of man are not carnivorous. For example, the lion is endowed with carnivorous teeth, which are intended
for meat, and if meat be not found, the lion starves ... The human teeth, the molars, are
formed to grind grain. The front teeth, the incisors, are for fruits, etc. It is, therefore,
quite apparent according to the implements for eating that man ls food is intended to be
grain and not meat. When mankind is more fitlly developed, the eating of meat will gradually cease. 2

3. Adherence to just one paragraph from The Kitab-i-Aqdas will dramatically change
agricultural resource allocation:
Gambling and the use of opium have been forbidden unto you. Eschew them both, 0
people, and be not of those who transgress. Beware of using any substance that induceth
sluggishness and torpor in the human temple and injlicteth harm upon the body. We, verily,
desire for you naught save what shall profit you, and to this bear witness all created
things, had ye but ears to hear. 3
a. Speculation on land and agricultural commodities will be either moderated or eliminated in view of this injunction against gambling.
b. The prohibition on opium, marijuana, and other narcotics will release tremendous
resources for food production. (Now, marijuana is surpassed only by corn as a cash crop in
the United States.)
c. Similarly, the terrible waste of food for alcohol production will be eliminated. In the
future the fruit, grains and vegetables used in this industry will be available to feed
humanity.

4. The tobacco industry will be phased out as more and more people read this Tablet of
'Abdu'l-Baha:
Among these latter is smoking tobacco, which is dirty, smelly, offensive-an evil habit,
and one the harmfulness of which gradually becometh apparent to all. Every qualified
physician hath ruled-and this hath also been proven by tests-that one of the
components of tobacco is a deadly poison, and that the smoker is vulnerable to many
and various diseases. This is why smoking hath been plainly set forth as repugnant ... .4

1 3
Maxwell , May , An Early Pilgrimage. (Oxford: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 75.
George Ronald, 1974) p. 29. Selections from the Writings of 'A bdu '/-Balui ,
Promulgation, p. 170- 171. pp. 147- 148.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1135

C. CONCLUSION
In summary, agricultural development is a "fundamental principle" for the advancement of
mankind, linked to the establishment of the Most Great Peace. For this reason we are
instructed to give "special regard" to agriculh1ral development- development shaped by and
serving the spiritual causes of unity, justice and equity. The agricultural system must be
redesigned to ensure economic viability for producers in self-reliant communities. These
communities must then be seen as vital cells in a global organism founded on co-operative
interdependence.
We are asked to bring a spiritual sense to our agricultural work, to elevate it to a fom1 of
worship, and in the process to transform our inner lives to correspond to God's Will revealed
in Word and nature. We are asked to conduct our lives individually and collectively in such
fashion as to ensure a sustainable society by balancing technical and spiritual development.
We are given a vision of our relatedness to the earth but are called upon to take full responsibility for carrying forward an ever-advancing civilization.
How can we aid in this transformation? We can make every effort to allow the creative
influence of the Spirit to inform our thought, feeling, and action. We can pay full attention
to the consequences of what we do as we share in the bounty of the ea1ih and the work of
producers-when we pursue education and research, or as we work on the land. The task of
agricultural development cannot be carried out in isolation from the process of spiritual
development, recognising, as ' Abdu'l-Baha says, When the love of God is established,
everything else will be realized. 1
As we witness in our time the failure of agriculture to meet even the basic need of
the people for nourishment and watch the continued decline of soil and other resources for
production, we can avoid despair and paralysis by remembering that the destiny that we
have been promised is approaching, and that while it may seem impossible in any significant
way to alleviate the growing suffering of humanity ... thanks to the unfailing grace of God,
the loving kindness of His favoured ones, the unrivalled endeavours of wise and capable
souls, and the thoughts and ideas of the peerless leaders of this age, nothing whatsoever
can be regarded as unattainable. 2

1 2
Pro11111/gatio11 , p. 239. 'Abdu' l-Baha quoted in World Order, p. 38 .
THE BAHA'I WORLD

6. THE SPIRITUAL ROLE OF ART
LUDWIG TUMAN

THE Baha'i Writings make numerous references to the arts, and from these references we
can attempt to glean a conception of the nature and ideal role of art. In this discussion, the
term "art" will be used broadly to refer to practices such as painting, poetry, dance, and
music, as well as to the design arts such as architecture, industrial design, and fashion
design. In addition, art is considered to encompass crafts such as pottery, stained-glass
setting, and rug-weaving. The following passages from the Writings refer to all kinds of art
and indeed apply to all skills and sciences as well. Regarding the nature of the arts and
sciences,' Abdu'l-Baha wrote:
What bounty greater than this that science should be considered as an act of worship and
art as service to the Kingdom of God. 1
In this great dispensation, art (or a profession) is identical with an act of worship and
this is a clear text of the Blessed Pe1fection.2
In one of his talks, 'Abdu' l-Baha stated:
... In the Baha'i Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are (counted as) worship .... Briefly,
all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is
prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity.3
That the a1is and sciences must be of benefit to humankind was emphasized by Baha'u'Ilah
in the Tablet ofMaq~ud:
Of all the arts and sciences, set the ch ildren to studying those which will result in advantage to man, will ensure his progress and elevate his rank. 4
To learn the arts and sciences is "the greatest glory of mankind," but, as 'Abdu'l-Baha
explained, only when a certain condition is met:
Although to acquire the sciences and arts is the greatest glory of mankind, this is so only
on condition that man's river flow into the mighty sea, and draw from God's ancient
source His inspiration ....
... By the one true God! If learning be not a means of access to Him, the Most Manifest, it
is nothing but evident loss. 5

1 'Abdu '1-Baha in Paris in 1911 (London: Baha'i
' Abdu ' l-Baha, Selections from th e Writings of
'Abdu'l-Bal11i (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1978), Publishing Trust, 1969), pp . 176-77.
p. 145 . Baha'u ' ll ah, Tablets of Baha 'u "//ah revealed after
2 Baha'i World Faith (Wilmette: Baha ' i Publi shing the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Haifa: Baha ' i World Centre,
Trust, 1956), p. 3 77. 1978), p. 168.
3 5 Selections, p. 110.
'Abdu' l-Baha, Paris Talks: Addresses Given by

This artic le is a modifi ed version of one of twelve chapters in a book by the same author entitled Mirror of the
Divine: Ari in the Baha'i World Commun ity (Ox ford: George Ronald, 1993).
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1137

One of the gifts sent
from the Bahci 'is of
Alaska to the Bahci 'is
of Samoa for the
House of Worship in
Apia.

The arts and sciences depend upon the pervasive grace of the Manifestation of God,
so much so that they owe their very existence and life to the Manifestation. To this effect,
Baha'u ' llah wrote:
The Sun of Truth is the Word of God upon which dependeth the education of those who
are endowed with the power of understanding and of utterance. It is the true spirit and
the heavenly water, through whose aid and gracious providence all things have been and
will be quickened. Its appearance in every mirror is conditioned by the colour of that mirror. For instance, when its light is cast upon the mirrors of the hearts of the wise, it
bringeth forth wisdom. In like manner when it manifesteth itself in the mirrors of the
hearts of craftsmen, it unfoldeth new and unique arts .... 1
To the same effect, 'Abdu' l-Baha is quoted in Star of the West as having said:
The Divine Teachers have the innate Light; They have knowledge and understanding of
all things in the universe, the rest of the world receives its light from Them, and through
Them the arts and sciences are revived in each age. 2
On another occasion, 'Abdu ' 1-Baha indicated that the radiance of the arts is but a reflection ofBaha'u'llah's divine and all-encompassing knowledge: Again among His signs is the
dawning sun ofHis knowledge, and the rising moon of His arts and skills ... .3

When in London, 'Abdu' l-Baha was reported to have sa id the following regarding the
influence of the Holy Spirit and the highest purpose of art:
All Art is a gift of the Holy Spirit. When this light shines through the mind of a musician,
it manifests itself in beautiful harmonies. Again, shining through the mind of a poet, it
is seen in fine poetry and poetic prose. When the Light of the Sun of Truth inspires the

1 2
Baha'u'llah, previously untranslated Tablet, cour- Star of the West, The Baha 'i Magazine, vo l. XX II ,
tesy of the Baha'i World Centre. no. 3 (June 193 1), p. 87.
Selections, p. 15.
1138 THE BAHA'I WORLD

mind of a painter, he produces marvellous pictures. These gifts are fulfilling their highest
purpose, when showing forth the praise of God. 1
The principle that art is a form of worship is applied to a specific art form in the following
passage from 'Abdu' l-Baha:
I rejoice to hear that thou takest pains with thine art, for in this wonderful new age, art
is worship. The more thou strives! to perfect it, the closer wilt thou come to God. What
bestowal could be greater than this, that one's art should be even as the act of worshipping the Lord? That is to say, when thy fingers grasp the paint bntsh, it is as if thou wert
at prayer in the Temple. 2
The idea that the arts have to do with the worship and glorification of God is also reflected
in a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice:
... Our Sacred Writings confirm it [music] as one of the great arts by which mankind can
express its worship of God and joy in His creation ... It is from their [Baha 'i artists']
desire to glorify God through their creative activities that new arts and sciences will gradually develop to enrich a new culture. 3

Running throughout the above passages like golden threads are three themes regarding
the nature and purpose of the arts and sciences. We might summarize them as follows:
All arts and sciences are for the worship and glorifi cation of God; the arts and sciences
should be a means of access to God; and arts and sciences should be of service to humankind. In reality, these are but different ways of saying the same thing. For in the Baha'i
teachings, the worship of God, the gaining of divine knowledge, and pure-hearted service to
humanity are inseparably woven together in the golden brocade of sp iritual growth. We saw
in a quotation above how 'Abdu'l-Baha equated worship with service. In the following
passages, moreover, Baha' u' llah reveals that the knowledge of God and access to God
depend upon one's deeds, upon one's observance of the divine teachings. Since the teachings are concerned with humankind 's spiritual and social well-being, to observe the
teachings is to render service:
The first Tajalli [Effulgence} which hath dawned from the Day-Star of Truth is the knowledge of God-exalted be His glory. And the knowledge of the King of everlasting days
can in no wise be attained save by recognizing Him Who is the Bearer of the Most Great
Name [Baha 'u 'llah} .... Attainment unto the Divine Presence can be realized solely by
attaining His presence .... True belief in God and recognition of Him cannot be complete
save by acceptance of tliat which He hath revealed and by observance of whatsoever hath
been decreed by Him and set down in the Book by the Pen of Glory. 4
For man's knowledge of God cannot develop fully and adequately save by observing
whatsoever hath been ordained by Him and is set forth in His heavenly Book. 5

1 compi lation prepared by the Research Department
Quoted in Blomfield, Lady, Th e Chosen Highway
(London: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1940), p. 167. of the Universal House of Ju st ice. p. 2.
2 "Extracts from the Writings and from the letters 3 Unpublished letter, dated 22 February 1980.
of the Guardian and the Universa l House of Justi ce Tab/els, p. 50.
5 ibid., p. 268.
on the Arts and Architecture." Unpub li shed
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1139
By emphasizing deeds, Baha'u' llah obliges the individual to make effort, to develop
personal potential, to grow spiritually toward the fulfillment of the purpose for which each
was created to know and to worship God . 1 In this li ght, all the foregoing appears to resolve
itself into one principle: the common, the most general and fundamental aim of the arts and
sciences, indeed of all human endeavors, however material or mundane they may seem, is to
foster spiritual growth.

ART AS A MEANS OF ENNOBLEMENT

Beyond this general principle, however, questions arise. How is God worshipped and glorified through the arts? How are the arts a means of access to God and a service to
humankind? How can the arts foster spiritual growth?
In the Baha'i teachings, the arts are associated with certain spiritual and educational roles
that have mystical, moral, and social facets. In one of his talks, 'Abdu'l-Baha was recorded
as saying, Music is an important means to the education and development of humanity ....
He immediately added:
... but the only true way is through the Teachings of God. Music is like this glass .. .. and
the Teachings of God, the utterances of God, are like the water. When the glass or chalice
is absolutely pure and clear, and the water is perfectly fresh and limpid, then it will confer Life .... 2
A conversation 'Abdu'l-Baha held with an actor, while in London, was described by a
believer as follows:
An actor mentioned the drama, and its influence. "The drama is of the utmost importance," said 'Abdu ' l-Baha. "It has been a great educational power in the past; it will be
so again." He described how as a young boy he witnessed the Mystery Play of ' Ali's
Betrayal and Passion, and how it affected him so deeply that he wept and could not sleep
for many nights. 3

The far-reaching implications of this statement seem worthy of consideration. For the
drama is not a single art form but usually a combination of two or more. Traditionally it can,
and in many parts of the world does, involve poetry or dramatic prose, dance, music, and
several auxi liary arts. Part of the "educational power" of such arts lies in their ability to
probe the significance and preserve the memory of important historical events, to reinforce
the divine teachings and exhortations, to demonstrate the consequences of obedience or
disobedience to spiritual law, and to reveal the human soul in action-the process of
spiritual growth. In short, such arts share with other arts the ability to impart an understanding of spiritua l reality, and this is one way they meet 'Abdu ' l-Baha's requirement that the
arts and sciences be "a means of access to Him, the Most Manifest." In so doing, they render
a service on a mystical plane; that is to say, they help strengthen the relation between
humanity and its heavenly king.

In the Sho11 Obligatory Prayer, revealed by 2
Bahri 'i Writings on Music. Comp. Research Depart-
Baha ' u ' ll ah, the believer recites: "! bear witness, O ment of the Universal House of Justice (London:
my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1973), p. 8.
and to worship Thee." (Bahri 'i Prayers, Wilmette: 'Abdu 'I-Bahri in London: Addresses and Notes of
Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 4. Conversations (London: Baha' i Pub li shing Trust,
1982), p. 93.
1140 THE BAHA'i WORLD

Roya Aschari playing
the violin during
Art Forum '91,
organized by the
Baha'i Association for
the Arts and held at
De Poort, Netherlands.

A further example of the service the arts can render on the mystical plane is given in
the following passage, in which 'Abdu'l-Baha refers to music as a means of helping to draw
the sou ls toward the radiant Source of divine love:
Thank thou God that thou art instructed in music and melody, singing with pleasant voice
the glorification and praise of the Eternal, the Living. I pray to God that thou mayest
employ this talent in prayer and supplication, in order that the souls may become quickened, the hearts may become attracted and all may become inflamed with the fire of the
love of God! 1
However, on a moral plane, where the relation between artist and public is involved, another
kind of service comes to light. As expressed by the Universal House of Justice:
... music, art, and literature ... are to represent and inspire the noblest sentiments and highest aspirations and shou ld be a source of comfort and tranquillity for troubled souls .... 2

Moreover, viewed in its educational role as an edifying and uplifting power, art finds
its moral responsibilities implied in 'Abdu'l-Baha's outline of the cardinal principles underlying Baha'i ed ucation/ram the cradle up to the age of manhood. One of the principles, He
said, is
.. .service to the cause of morality, raising the moral tone of the students, inspiring them
with the sublimest ideals of ethical refinement, teaching them altruism, inculcating in
their lives the beauty of holiness and the excellency of virtue and animating them with the
excellences and perfections of the religion of God. 3
Since the Baha'i Faith aims to provide spiritual and moral education to the whole of humanity, the above passage will be seen to apply not only to students but also to people of

1 Tablets of 'Abdu '1-Baha. Comp. Albert R. Windus! 2
Th e Baha'i World, vo l. XV III (1979- 1983)
(Ch icago: Baha' i Publi shing Society, 19 16), p. 5 12. (Haifa: Baha' i World Cen tre, 1986), p. 358.
3 Quoted in Star of the West, vol. IX, no. 9
Bahii 'i Writin gs on Music, p. 3.
(20 August 1918), p. 98.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1141

whatever age or occupation, and bears relevance not only to academic curricula but also to
the educational aspect of art.

At yet another level-the social plane, involving human relations-the arts have a vital
service to render: that of helping to unite humankind. On this theme, Baha' u'llah wrote:
The source of crafts, sciences and arts is the power ofreflection. Make ye every effort that
out of this ideal mine there may gleam forth such pearls of wisdom and utterance as will
promote the well-being and harmony of all the kindreds of the earth. 1
This power of reflection, the source of the arts, is one of the faculties the Creator has
bestowed upon human beings. 'Abdu'l-Baha, too, said such powers should be employed for
the attainment of human unity:
The truth is that God has endowed man with virtues, powers and ideal faculties .... We
must thank God for these bestowals, for these powers He has given us, for this crown He
has placed upon our heads.
How shall we utilize these gifts and expend these bounties? By directing our efforts
toward the unification of the human race. We must use these powers in establishing the
oneness of the world of humanity .... 2
Turning again to the educative influence of the arts, we find that social harmony and world
unity are also included in the above-cited outline of educational aims given by 'Abdu'l-
Baha. Education must seek
... the elimination of the causes of ignorance and social evils .... [and} service to the oneness of the world of humanity; so that each student may consciously realize that he is a
brother to all mankind, irrespective of religion or race. 3

The arts are especially well suited to promote unity, the central theme of the Baha'i
Revelation. First, when addressed to the spiritual life of humanity, the arts can highlight that
which is universal. Second, their influence can be far-reaching: a single work of art may
touch the lives of thousands, even millions of people, and in some cases may continue to do
so for centuries. And third, as time goes on, the cumulative effect of the work of thousands
of Baha'i artists can be expected to contribute substantially to the emergence of a world
environment, a world climate of thought and feeling with which all peoples feel themselves
identified.

The Baha'i teachings appear to indicate, in sum, that the principal aims and highest aspirations of the arts are as follows:
• On a mystical plane, to impart spiritual knowledge, attract the souls to the beauty of
the All-Glorious, and brighten the flame of God's love;
• On a moral plane, to "represent and inspire the noblest sentiments and highest aspirations," foster a desire for moral excellence and obedience to the divine teachings, and
"be a source of comfort and tranquillity for troubled souls";
• On a social plane, to promote social well-being, harmony, world unity, and universal
brotherhood.

Tablets, p. 72. (Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1972), p. 62.
2 3
' Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity Star, vol. IX, no . 9 (20 August 1918), p. 98.
1142 THE BAHA'i WORLD

These aims apply to the arts that are called " the fine arts." They also appear to characterize the spiritual side of the service rendered by the design arts and the crafts. In other words,
they apply as much to urban design as to poetry, as much to rug-weaving as to music. It is in
realizing such aims that the arts glorify and become a means of access to God, render a
service to humanity, and foster spiritual growth.
It would be an error to consider that the mystical aims are spiritual while the moral and
social ones are not. All three aims are spiritual in nature and are integral parts of what we
could call the spiritual role of art. For in the Baha'i teachings, as we have seen, worship,
morality, and social relations are inseparable parts of a way of life. Indeed, it is through a
divinely ordained, world-embracing administrative and social order that the Baha' i Faith
channels and incarnates the bounties of a life-giving Spirit, thereby regenerating the spiritual
life of the millions of individuals who constitute the body of its world community.
Due to their ability to render services of a mystical, moral, and social nature, the arts
constitute an effective means of conveying spiritual teachings to the public. For in realizing
such services, the arts are, directly or indirectly, making divine precepts known throughout
society, diffusing the spirit of oneness and helping to deepen the understanding, the love,
unity, and faith of humankind . The great potential of the arts in this domain was described
in a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi:
That day will the Cause will spread like wildfire when its spirit and teachings will be presented on the stage or in art and literature as a whole. Art can better awaken such noble
sentiments than cold rationalizing, especially among the mass of the people.
We have to wait only a few years to see how the spirit breathed by Baha'u'llah will find
expression in the work of the artists. What you and some other Baha'is are attempting
are only faint rays that precede the effulgent light of a glorious morn . 1
Let us attempt to summarize. Art can impa1i a knowledge of things divine; it can also
stir yearning for the Kingdom, strengthen faith in God, help instill fear of God ' s justice and
hope for his mercy, and fan the flame of the love of his beauty; and it can, thereby, affect the
will to act, to obey God's commandments, and to live in harmony with God's teachings,
which are the essence of morality and the source of spiritual growth. In so doing, art assists
humankind to attain the very purpose of its existence: to know and to worship God. Toward
this end, moreover, art can promote the formation of praiseworthy character; can disseminate
the divine teachings; can strengthen, through its unifying influence, the bonds of harmony
and human fellowship; and can reinforce throughout the world the sense of common identity
shared by members of the Baha'i community.
All such services can be implied, in a word, by saying that art has to do with ennoblement: its highest purpose is to ennoble the individual soul and the collective life of
humanity.

ART AND RELIGION

The reader familiar with the Baha'i teachings will note that the ideal aims of art outlined
above are in fact among the principal objectives of the Baha'i Faith itself and that these
aims harmonize with the spiritual values upheld by the teachings of the world's major

1 Hornby (New Delhi: Baha'i Publi shing Trust,
From a letter dated I 0 October 1932 to an indi vidual believer (Balui"i News No. 73 [May 1933] p. 7. 1988), p. 98.
Quoted in lights of Guidance. Comp. Helen
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1143
religions. What is the explanation of this unity of purpose? It is that art, when quickened by
the spirit and teachings of religion, reflects (on an infinitely lower level) the generative
process set into motion by the Word of God and attempts in its humble way to reinforce the
spiritual and social handiwork of the Almighty. This is the principle implied in 'Abdu'l-
Baha's statement that Music is an important means to the education and development of
humanity, but the only true way is through the Teachings of God. 1 This is also the reason
why the arts, throughout the history of civilization, and particularly during its spiritual high
tides, have been intimately associated with religion.
Here, though, one needs to distinguish between reli gion and religious community. In
speaking ofreligion as a whole, our focus is not upon the institutions, dogmas, superstitions,
rites, or customs associated with particular historical communities. Our focus is rather upon
the body of spiritual and moral teachings that constitute the essence and common foundation
of religion, as revealed by the Messengers of God. In the words of'Abdu'l-Baha:
Religion ... is not a series of beliefs, a set of customs; religion is the teachings of the Lord
God, teachings which constitute the very life of humankind, which urge high thoughts
upon the mind, refine the character, and lay the groundwork for man's everlasting
honour. 2

It is true that art, throughout history, has been placed in the service of the dogmas, superstitions, and customs of particular communities. But parallel with this, art has been
employed to reinforce the fundamental spiritual aims ofreligion as defined by 'Abdu ' l-Baha.
It is also true that some religious authorities, at some points in history, have imposed their
views and their will on artists and obliged them to serve the interests of religious institutions.
But that alone would not explain the worldwide and long-enduring intimacy between
religion and art. The intimacy, rather, is a spontaneous outcome of the awe or the love artists
have borne toward the Creator (however diverse the forms in which they have conceived of
that Creator), recognizing in religion a reservoir of God's grace to humankind, acknowledging that in the spiritual and moral teachings of religion are found the fountain and the
bedrock of their civilization, and desiring to promote, by embodying such teachings in their
works of art, the highest interests of their fellows.
Since the sixteenth century, the arts in the West have steadily drifted away from a religious viewpoint-a process that in the twentieth century has spread to most parts of the
world. Humanity, having turned away from God, has fallen into a spiritual and moral decline
and is now descending to its utter depths. The Universal House of Justice indicated that the
arts have not escaped the effects of the general chaos this spiritual decline has unleashed:
Every discerning eye clearly sees that the early stages of this chaos have daily manifestations affecting the structure of human soc iety; its destructive forces are uprooting
time-honoured institutions .... The same destructive forces are also deranging the political,
economic, scientific, literary, and moral equi librium of the world and are destroying the
fairest fruits of the present civilization .... Even music, art, and literature, which are to
represent and inspire the noblest sentiments and highest aspirations and should be a
source of comfort and tranquill ity for troubled souls, have strayed from the straight path
and are now the mirrors of the soiled hearts of this confused, unprincipled, and disordered
age. 3

Bahri 'i Writings, p. 8. 3 From a circular letter, dated I 0 February 1980, pub-
Selections, pp. 52-53. li shed in The Bahri 'i World, vol. XVIII. p. 358.
1144 THE BAHA'I WORLD

During an 'awareness
camp ' held in Jhabua,
Madhya Pradesh,
India, Baha 'is are
using street theatre as
a means of teaching
people principles on
development themes
such as health, education and agricultural
issues. May 1988.

For the Universal House of Justice to have made such a strongly worded generalization,
the decline blighting present-day society must have affected the spiritual and moral content
of art to a high degree. If what constitutes religion, according to 'Abdu ' l-Baha, are divine
teachings which urge high thoughts upon the mind, refine the character, and lay the groundwork for man's everlasting honour, 1 then art such as that described above would have to be
considered either irreligious or non-religious. Nonetheless, even in the twentieth century, a
significant number of works of art can be found that reflect the higher inclinations of the
human spirit, inclinations "towards transcendence, a reaching towards an invisible realm,
towards the ultimate reality, that unknowable essence of essences called God". 2 The current
state of affairs, then, does not disprove that the bond between art and religion is natural ,
vital, and timeless; rather, it simply indicates that present-day civilization has descended
spiritually to a low-water mark and that the nonreligious attitude currently reflected in the
greater part of art constitutes one of the transient exceptions to a rule that has prevai led
throughout thousands of years of world history. The matter is confirmed by the history of the
arts in the various regions of the world .3
Selections, p. 53. emergence of modem civi lization, the worldview in
2 Un iversal House of Justice, Th e Promise of World which artists were immersed , in which they li ved,
Peace (October 1985), p. 4. and to which they gave expression in their works,
3 In some cases, during a certain period of a given was usually a religious one. The concept that art is a
civilization, the State may appear to have been a manifestation of cosmology is exp lored in Ludwig
more important patron of the arts than was religion. Tuman, "Toward Critica l Foundations" (Tuman,
But even when the artist worked fo r a king, a court, Ludwig. "Toward Criti cal Foundations for a Worl d
or some other temporal instituti on, it should be Cu lture of the Arts," World Order 9.4 [Summer
remembered that througho ut the world, prior to the [ 975 ]: pp. 17- 21.)
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1145
With respect to existing primitive societies and to prehistoric peoples, in whose cases a
history of art is impossible to construct, anthropology adds its confirmation that, on the
evidence available, art and religious belief have universally gone hand in hand. In sum: the
traditional arts of Oceania, of sub-Saharan Africa, of the pre-Columbian Americas, of
Islamic domains, of Christendom, of ancient Greece and Rome, of the ancient Near East,
and of the peoples of South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Far East, one and all
give eloquent testimony to the abiding service art has rendered to the spiritual and moral
aims of religion. In its highest role, art is a handmaiden of divine truth.
What observations could be made regarding the relation between religion and art, in
the case of the Baha'i Faith? First, the important distinction between religion and religious
community should again be drawn. 1 In its relation with the Baha'i Faith, the Baha'i world
conmrnnity has a favorable position. The Writings of Baha'u'llah and those of the authorized interpreters of his Word provide for an institutional order that guides the affairs of the
Baha'i community. The Writings stipulate the few, simple rites that are observed; preclude
the formation of rigid, divisive dogmas; and shield the conmrnnity against schism by means
of an explicit and inviolable Covenant. While such measures are indispensable and greatly
aid the community in approaching the spiritual ideals upheld by the Baha'i teachings ,
it should nonetheless be remembered that the religion and its followers are different entities.
The artist's relation with the divine teachings of the Baha'i Faith is one matter; the artist's
relation to fellow believers is another.
Another important aspect of religion, as conceived of in the Baha'i teachings, is that it
envelops the whole of human life. For many, this is a difficult notion to accept. The world
has grown accustomed, in the twentieth centuty, to seeing a wide gulf between religion and
other human concerns. Indeed, many have come to regard this breach as the normal state of
affairs. Yet to separate religion from the art of living has proven fatal, for the gap between
the two has been filled by that materialistic view of life which Baha'u' llah regarded as the
chief factor in precipitating th e dire ordeals and world-shaking crises that afflict all
peoples. 2
The Baha' i Faith restores the vital bond between religion and daily living. 'Abdu'l-Baha
emphasized that deeds are the only sure proof of faith:
For in this holy Dispensation, the cro wning glmy of bygone ages and cycles, true Faith
is no mere acknowledgment of the Unity of God, but rather the living of a life that will
manifest all the p e1fections and virtues implied in such belief. ... 3

The Universal House of Justice draws this di stinc- make the mi stake of regarding the say ings and
ti on between reli gion and religious community: beliefs of certain Bah: ' is at any one time as being
" ... true rel igion , far from being the product so lely the Baha'i Faith. The Baha'i Faith is the Revelation
of human striving after truth, is the fruit of the cre- o f Baha'u'llah: Hi s Own Words as interpreted by
ative Word of God which, with divine power, 'Abdu ' l-Baha an d the G uardi an" . (Universal House
trans forms human thought and action. A Baha'i, of Justice . "The Challenge and Promise of Baha'i
through this faith in, this 'conscious knowledge' of, Scho larshi p. " In The Bahná; World. vol. XV II
the reality of di vin e Revelation, can distinguish, for [1974- 1978]. (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1986).
instance, between Chri stian ity, whic h is the divine p. 195.)
message g iven by Jesus of Nazareth, and the devel- 2 Shoghi Effendi, Citadel ofFaith: Messages to
opment of Chri sten dom, whi ch is the history of America. 1947- 1957 (W ilmette : Baha'i Publi shing
what men d id with that message in subsequent cen- Trust, 1965), p. I 25.
turies; a di stincti on which has beco me blurred if not 3 The Bahil "i Yearbook, vol. I (1925- 1926] (New
entirely obscured in current Christian theology. A York: Baha'i Publishing Committee, 1926), p. 2.
Ba ha' i scholar conscious of thi s di stinction will not
1146 THE BAHA' I WORLD

Further still, in the following passages revealed by Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu ' l-Baha, we find
that every aspect of life comes under the sheltering shade of the di vine teachings and that
every detail of civilization deri ves from the creative potenti al latent in such teachings:
Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you,
for the Book itself is the unerring balance established amongst men. Jn this most perfect
balance whatsoever the peoples and kindreds of the earth possess must be weighed, while
the measure of its weight should be tested according to its own standard, did ye but know
it. I
... even the minutest details of civilized life derive from the grace of the Prophets of God.
What thing of value to mankind has ever come into being which was not first set forth
either directly or by implication in the Holy Scriptures?2

From a Baha' i perspective, then, reli gion subsumes all of human life. And as art is a part
of li fe, religion also subsumes art. Thi s is further confirmed by Baha ' u' llah's teaching that
the arts and sciences themselves are but refl ections of the knowledge of the Manifestation of
God, and in each age are revived and stimulated by the leavening spirit the Manifestation
releases into the world:
Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with such potency as can
instill new life into every human frame.... Through the mere revelation of the word
"Fashioner," issuing forth from His lips and proclaiming His attribute to mankind, such
power is released as can generate, through successive ages, all the manifold arts which
the hands of man can produce. 3
In referring to Jesus Christ, Baha' u' ll ah gave an example of the quickening influence that
the Manifestation of God exercises over all aspects of civili zation, including the arts:
The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any
mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands ha ve produced, the influence exerted
by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening po wer released by
His transcendent, His all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit. 4
Given such unequivocal teachings, to continue to regard art and religion as two separate
powers , to continue to hold that art should be independent of reli gion, would be to perpetuate the fatal cleavage between religion and life that has undermined the basis of present-day
civili zation. 5

Baha ' u ' ll ah, Gleani11gsfr o111 the Writings of speak of art and reli gion in th e same way? It should
Balui 'u 'I/ah (Wilmette : Baha' i Publi shing Trust, be noted that Shoghi Effendi did not state th at sci -
1976), p. 198. ence is independent of reli gion, nor did he state th at
2 the two are, in all ways, eq ually potent. T he present
'Abdu ' l- Baha, Th e Secret of Divine Civilization
(Wilmette: Baha' i Publishing Trust, 1975), p. 96. writer feels that th e reco nc iling of religion and sc i-
3 Gleanings, pp. 141 - 142. ence, as spoken of in the above passage, could be
Gleanings, pp. 85-86. understood as a reconciling of two basic human
5 Shogh i Effendi w rote that sc ience and religion are powers -those of fa ith and of reason. When fa ith is
" the two most potent fo rces in human life" and that, not blind but is supported by reason, the result is a
in the world society anticipated in the Baha'i Writ- religion that Shoghi Effendi described as "sc ientific
ings, they "will be reconciled, wi ll cooperate, and in its method" (World Order (1 938 ed.] xi). Simiwi ll ham10niously develop" (World Order, p. 204). larly, when reason is in formed and illumined by
It mi g ht we ll be asked, therefore : if one can speak faith in the revea led Word o f God, then sc ience wi ll
of sc ience and relig ion as di stinct force s, why not be practi ced w ith w isdom and wi ll become imbued
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 114 7
But at this point a clarification should be made. If one says that it is in the nature of art
to serve the spiritual, fundamental aims of religion, this does not imply that the content
and style of the artist's work need be determined in all cases by the desires ofreligious insti -
tutions or by the devotional tastes of the religious community. (Here we see one reason why
it is important to distinguish between religion and community.) Nor does it imply that one
conceives of art as being constrained within the nine walls of the Baha'i Temple. It implies,
rather, that one recognizes life itself as a temple without walls, the sky as a limitless dome
that speaks of the Creator' s sovereignty, and religion (in its renewed and purified form: the
Revelation of Baha'u' llah) as the sun that rides the dome's center, shedding light and life
on all things.
Viewed from such a perspective, the domain of art would legitimately include everything
under the sun, from the first cry of a newborn chi ld to the last breath of a departing soul. To
make this statement is not only to affirm the right of artists to treat the entire range of human
experience in their work: it is also to recall the holiness of life. It is to affirm that all aspects
of life- both light and darkness, joy and suffering, triumph and setback-are contained
within the framework of a divinely ordained purpose and are designed by the Creator to
be conducive to spiritual growth. 1

BEAUTY REFLECTED IN THE CREATION AND IN ART

It is beyond the scope of this article to attempt even a brief survey of the points of agreement
and divergence between established, specific theories of beauty and the outlook derived here
from Baha'i teachings. In one case, however, we need to examine what is not so much a
theory as it is a general tendency found in much of current Western thinking on beauty-a

with divine and merciful qualities . In this case, then, because it is a pilgrim 's note; and second, because it
we are viewing religion and science in the dimen- does not specify the nature and extent of the freesion of their human practice. But to acknowledge dom involved. It would be unwarranted to assume,
that sc ience and religion can be reconciled and on the basis of this verbal account, that the Baha ' i
cooperate is not necessarily to place them on the Faith regards art as being independent of religion
same plane. lfwe view religion not in its human (the latter understood as a body of divine teachdimension, but rather as an expression of God's will ings). The most that can be safely concluded is that
through divine Revelation, then we find religion to artists, if they wish, can in certain ways be indepenbe preeminent. The all-encompassing nature of the dent of the religious community. When Baha' i
divine foundation of religion is affirmed in the fol- artists operate as individua l economic units, the
lowing statement made on behalf of the Universal style and content of their work need not respond to
House of Justice: " ... it should never be overlooked the prevailing taste of the religious community or
that the Revelation of the Manifestation of God is of the Faith ' s institutions. Historically, religious
the standard for all knowledge, and scientific state- institutions often required artistic style to remain
ments and theories, no matter how close they may within narrow limits. In the Baha' i community, artcome to the eternal principles proclaimed by God's ists are free to operate independently; even when
Messenger, are in their very nature ephemeral and they produce specifically for the use of the commulimited" (from a letter dated 2 l July 1968 to a nity or its institutions, there will be no official style
National Spiritual Assembly). Here aga in, we are to which their work will have to confom1. Even so,
led to conclude that religion envelops all of human it should be noted that Baha'i artists remain responlife . And as the arts and sciences are parts of sible for the spiritual and mora l implications of
human life, religion also subsumes the arts and their work, their ultimate background of reference
sciences. being the Baha' i teachings. Moreover, the absence
The painter Mark Tobey stated that Shoghi Effendi of an officia l Baha ' i art does not preclude the spontold him in a conversation that Bah a'i artists are taneous development of an important body of works
free to produce as they wish. Care should be taken, explicitly dedicated to religious themes .
however, not to make too much of this report: first,
1148 THE BA HA' I WORLD

tendency that compels attention in a discussion where we are concerned with fundamental
concepts.
In the West, there are several theori es of beauty reflecting the idea that beauty is an end
in itself, that it has no purpose outside the giving of some form of pleasure. The kind of
pleasure emphasized may be sensual (as in hedonistic theory). The pleasure may be derived
from the intellectual appreciation of design and pattern (as in naturalistic theory) . It may
arise from the recognition of artistic patterns corresponding to instinctive mental patterns (as
in Gestalt theory) ; from an intuitive appreciation of qualitative vividness (as in contextualistic
theory) ; from an appreciation of the work of art as an integrated organic whole (as in organistic theory); and from the recognition and appreciation of ideal forms (as in formistic
theory) . It may also involve satisfaction which the artist derives from the expression of
emotion and the public from emotional arousal (as in expressionism). Each theory stresses a
different facet of the experience of beauty, but what they have in common is the basic notion
that beauty's essential characteristic is to give sensual, intellectual, or emotional pleasure
without higher purpose. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, philosophers and theorists
have gon e to considerable lengths to elaborate upon this concept. 1
What is the origin of this widespread, modern view of beauty? In the late Middle Ages,
philosophers of Christian Europe certainly did not look upon beauty as a source of pleasure
without purpose, but rather as the attractive power of spiritual perfection. 2 Is it a coincidence
that modern theories viewing beauty as an end in itself emerged and were developed in the
centuries following the Renaissance, when Europe drifted away from the shores of a religious world outlook into the seas of secularism and materialism?
Surely few would deny that beauty gives pleasure and that such pleasure may be of a
sensual, emotional, intellectual, or even spiritual nature. In this regard, the findings of the
various modem theories of beauty are most valuable for their analysis and insights into some
of the ways in which beauty is experienced. Such studies, however, do not appear to go
far enough . They deal intensively with the "how" of beauty, but scarcely with the "why."
They focus on the ways that the experience of beauty engages the senses and the mind but
offer little explanation as to what purpose this subtle and delicate process may serve except
to give pleasure. The point here is to suggest that pleasure is not the end of beauty; it is only
a natu ra l part of the experience that beauty offers.3
The Great Architect designed the creation such that all creatures take pleasure in that
which is natural to their lives. The dog enjoys romping about. The infant delights in play.

For an overview o f occidental theori es, see Monroe the human so ul. The very word aesthetic implies a
C. Beardsley, Aesthetics: Problems in the Philoso- view ing of art more as a sensory and mental ex periphy of Criticism (Indianapolis: Hackett Publi shing ence than as a spiritual on e. Th e term therefore
Co. , 198 1). Aesthetics fi"o m Classical Greece to the appears in appropri ate fo r use in a di scussion where
Present (New Yo rk : Macmill an, 1966). the essenti al nature, purpose, and effect of bea uty
2 are held to be spiritual. Coined in the eig hteenth
Coomaraswam y, Ananda K. Christian and Oriental
Philosophy of Art (New York: Dover Publicatio ns, century by th e thinker A lexander Baumgarten, it
1956), p. 11 2. takes as its roo t the Greek aesthesis, whi ch in
3 Some theo ries observe that beauty has edu cational Hell enic usage meant simply sense percepti on or
va lue because it hones sensory di scrimin ati on, or phys ica l sensati on. Its o pposite is the medical term
psycho logical value because it prov ides a release anaesthetic, re ferring to the in ab ili ty to fee l such
fo r pent-up emotions, or social value in th at its phys ical sensa ti on. See the arti cles. v. " aesthetics"
employment in art can rein fo rce cul tural identi ty. in Th e New Encyclopaedia Britannica; Macropae-
Such theori es, however, stop short of recogni zing dia I , p. 150. See also Coomaraswamy, Christian
that beauty affects not only hum an beings' senso ry, and Oriental Philosophy , pp. 16, 46, and 64 .
mental, and social life but also a ffects, above all ,
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1149

The body, when tired after a day's work, is refreshed by a night of rest. In each of these
instances, there is not only pleasure but also divine wisdom in the service of a higher
purpose. For exercise is indispensable to the dog's health. Through play, the child develops
both body and mind. And sleep affords not only a pleasant restoration but also, to the Baha'i,
a preparation for further service. In this connection, 'Abdu '1-Baha wrote:
... man must become evanescent in God. Must forget his own selfish conditions that
he may thus arise to the station of sacrifice. It should be to such a degree that if he sleep,
it should not be for pleasure, but to rest the body in order to do better, to speak better,
to explain more beautifully, to serve the servants of God and to prove the truths. 1

We note that 'Abdu'l-Baha did not deny the pleasure involved in sleeping but held that
such is not its ultimate purpose.
This principle of pleasure channeled into the service of a divine purpose would seem to
apply not only to humanity 's physical life but also to its higher, spiritual life:
It is natural for the heart and spirit to take pleasure and enjoyment in all things that show
forth symmetry, harmony, and perfection. For instance: a beautiful house, a well
designed garden, a symmetrical line, a graceful motion, a well written book, pleasing
garments-in fact, all things that have in themselves grace or beauty are pleasing to the
heart and spirit ....
What is music? It is a combination ofharmonious sounds. What is poetry? It is a symmetrical collection of words. Therefore, they are pleasing through harmony and rhythm ...
All these have in themselves an organization, and are constructed on natural law. Therefore, they correspond to the order of existence like something which would fit into a
mold .... When it is so, this affects the nerves, and they affect the heart and spirit. 2

These words of' Abdu'l-Baha, which refer to all the principal mediums (visual, spatial,
gestural, verbal, and auditory) in which art is constituted, show that beauty does indeed
give pleasure, in this case to "the heart and spirit." But what higher end might such pleasure
serve within the scheme of divine creation, within the framework of God's purpose for
humanity? If it were to serve no such higher end, then the enjoyment of beauty in the arts
would be little more than a frivolous pastime, hardly worthy of the noble distinction
accorded to all arts and sciences in the Writings.
In a religious worldview, all things are found to have a reason for being. The fundamental
purpose all created things have in common is to enab le humankind to know and to love God:
Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, [God] .. . chose to confer
upon man the unique distin ction and capacity to know Him and to love Him-a capacity
that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation .... 3
Within the framework of this broad purpose, every created thing, from the humblest atom
to the greatest spiritual law, has a specific role to play and an assigned purpose to fulfil.
Baha'u' llah affirmed this ancient teaching in the following way:

1 3
Baha'i World Faith, p. 384. Gleanings, p. 65.
'Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i Writings, pp. 8-9.
1150 THE BAHA ' i WORLD

... when the light of My Name, the All-Pervading, hath shed its radiance upon the
universe, each and every created thing hath, according to a fixed decree, been endowed
with the capacity to exercise a particular influence, and been made to possess a distinct
virtue. 1
And addressing the world of humankind, Baha'u'llah wrote:
Out of the wastes of nothingness, with the clay of My command I made thee to appear,
and have ordained for thy training eve1y atom in existence and the essence of all created
things .... And My purpose in all this was that thou mightest attain My everlasting dominion and become worthy of My invisible bestowals. 2

Even the towering principle of justice-which Baha'u'llah called the best beloved of all
things in My sight3, which he made to be the axis of the Baha'i World Order, and whose name
He gave to the supreme governing body of the Baha'i world community-is but a means to a
higher end. The purpose ofjustice, Baha' u'llah disclosed, is the appearance of unity among
men .4 And unity itself, the central theme of the Baha' i Revelation, stands revealed in another
passage as a means to a still further end: ... unity and concord ... in turn are conducive to the
maintenance of order in the world and to the regeneration ofnations. 5 In view of this consistent pattern, can we doubt that beauty, too, must have some role to play?
The Baha'i Writings make many references to beauty, but space permits us here to
consider briefly only a few passages from the Divine Pen of Baha' u' llah. In the first, there
seems to be a distinction between the Beauty that is of God and the beauty found in the
creation. The Beauty of God is inherently glorious, primary, original; whereas that of
creation is subordinate, secondary, reflected:
I beseech Thee, 0 my God, by Thy Beauty that shinethforth above the horizon of eternity,
a Beauty before which as soon as it revealeth itself the kingdom of beauty boweth down
in worship, magnifying it in ringing tones, to grant that I may die to all that I possess and
live to whatsoever belongeth unto Thee. 6
But since the Creator is sanctified above all attributes and holy above all names, 7 it is utterly
impossible for humanity to perceive the beauty of God ' s essence:
Too high art Thou exalted for the eye of any creature to behold Thy beauty, or for the
understanding ofany heart to scale the heights of Thine immeasurable knowledge. 8
The most humanity can hope to perceive of a beauty that pertains to God is the beauty
revealed in the attributes and perfections of God's divine Messengers, the founders of the

Gleanings, p. 189. or Ba ha ' u ' llah . For the purposes of our discussion,
Baha ' u'llah. The Hidden Words of Baha ' u' ll ah though, it is the same w hethe r the passage refers to
(Wilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 1939), divine beauty in the abstract or as personified in a
Persian #29, p. 32. Manifestation of God , just as it is the same whether
3 we speak of the sun's rays in genera l or as reflected
Hidden Words, Arabic #2, p. 3.
Tablets, p. 67. in a fl aw less mirror. For what concerns us here is
Tablets, p. 36. not the individuality of the mirror, but the li ght.)
6 7
Balui á;Prayers (Wilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust, Baha á; Prayers, p. 12.
8 Baha ' u' llah , Prayers and Meditations by
1985), p. 241. (It is possible that the word beauty,
when capitali zed in Shoghi Effend i's translations Baha 'u 'I/ah (Wilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust,
of the Baha'i Writings, refe rs in some cases to a 1969), p. 88.
Manifestation of God, such as Jesus, Mul)ammad,
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1151

Detail of a tapestry
made by Vickie Hu
Poirier called "Holding Up Half the Sky."
It was made as a gift
for the first Sino -
American Women's
Conference, held in
Beijing in 1990.

world's great religions. Regarding the relation between such Messengers and the Supreme
Creator, Baha'u'llah wrote:
Every one of them is a mirror of God, reflecting naught else but His Self. His Beauty,
His Might and Glory, if ye will understand. All else besides them are to be regarded as
mirrors capable of reflecting the glory of these Manifestations Who are themselves the
Primaiy Mirrors of the Divine Being, ... 1
These sanctified Mirrors, these Day Springs of ancient glory, are, one and all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe,... The beauty of their
countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless
glory .... By the revelation of these Gems of Divine virtue all the names and attributes of
God, ... are made manifest. 2
In this connection we note that Baha'u'llah is often referred to in the Baha'i Sacred Writings
by the titles "the Blessed Beauty" and "the Ancient Beauty."
Divine beauty stands revealed, perfect and consummate, in the Manifestations of God;
but, on the level of the creation, it is reflected by each created thing in a limited way, "each
according to its capacity and rank."
... the revelations of Thy matchless Beauty have at all times been imprinted upon the
realities of all beings, visible and invisible. 3

1 3
Gleanings, p. 74. ibid., p. 63.
ibid., pp. 47-48.
1152 THE BAHA'I WORLD

From the exalted source, and out of the essence of His favor and bounty He hath
entrusted eve1y created thing with a sign of His knowledge, so that none of His creatures
may be deprived of its share in expressing, each according to its capacity and rank, this
knowledge. This sign is the mirror of His beauty in the world of creation. The greater the
effort exerted for the refinement of this sublime and noble mirror, the more faithfully will
it be made to reflect the glo1y of the names and attributes of God, and reveal the wonders
of His signs and knowledge. 1
Upon the inmost reality of each and eve1y created thing He hath shed the light of one of
His names, and made it a recipient of the gl01y of one of His attributes. Upon the reality
of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and
made it a mirror of His own Self Alone of all created things man hath been singled out
for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty. 2

It is important to observe that in the above passages Baha'u'llah equates beauty with the
glory of the names and attributes of God.
Though one can know absolutely nothing of God's essence, one can, however, appreciate
God's Beauty as revealed in the Messengers or Manifestations. This capacity is mentioned
in the following passage, whose context is a warning that those who tum away from
Baha'u'llah and His Revelation will be held responsible before God:
... every man hath been, and will continue to be, able of himself to appreciate the Beauty
of God, the Glorified. Had he not been endowed with such a capacity, how could he be
called to account for his failure? 3
By the same token, when one contemplates the beauty reflected in the creation, and in the
human heart itself, one finds that it leads to the same divine Source:
Every created thing in the whole universe is but a door leading into His knowledge, a
sign ofHis sovereignty, a revelation ofHis names, a symbol of His majesty, a token ofHis
power, a means of admittance into His straight Path ... .4
The Creator's purpose in endowing humanity with the capacity to appreciate beauty is to
enable the human soul to recognize and feel attracted to God and to the Manifestation. This
capacity is alluded to in a passage from a prayer revealed by 'Abdu'l-Baha:
0 Lord, make me hear Thy call, and open before my face the doors of Thy heaven, so that
I may see the light of Thy gl01y and become attracted to Thy beauty. 5

Deprived of such a capacity, humanity, though surrounded by the evidences of God's
presence, the signs of God's dominion, and the revelation of God's attributes, would be
unable to respond to them, would remain insensible to their drawing power, and would feel
no attraction to them. In such a condition, we would have no desire to make divine attributes
our own and to reflect them in our way of life: no desire either to know God or to grow
spiritually. We would lie wrapped in a paralyzing ignorance, and all our distinctive powers

Gleanings, p. 262. 4 ibid., p. 160.
2 ibid., p. 65. 5 Bahná; Prayers, p. 62
3 ibid ., p. 143.
LITERARY AN D MUSICAL WORKS 1153

would remain dormant and undeveloped. How much difference would there be, in such a
case, between human and anima1? 1
Beauty may be regarded as an attracting quality that radiates from the Manifestation of
God, is reflected in all of God's handiwork and is felt in the human heart as a stirring and
awakening of love. Beauty, then, plays an essential role in aiding humanity to fulfil the very
purpose of its existence: to know and to love God. In the words of' Abdu'l -Baha, Real love
is impossible unless one turn his face towards God and be attracted to His Beauty.2
Humanity's love of God, in turn, generates a powerful desire to obey the Creator's
wil l. What would a person not do for someone he or she loves? To obey God for the love of
His beauty requires greater spiritual maturity than does an obedience motivated solely by
fear of God or by hope for divine reward. 3 Yet Baha'u'llah, in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, calls for
humankind to aspire to such maturity:
The Tongue of My power hath, from the heaven ofMy omnipotent glory, addressed to My
creation these words: "Observe My commandments, for the love ofMy beauty. "4

To be sure, the Long Obligatory Prayer itself (one of the three prayers destined by
Baha' u ' llah to be regularly recited throughout the Baha'i world for at least a thousand years)
opens by supplicating God to enable the believer to perceive the Creator's beauty:
I beseech Thee by them Who are the Day Springs of Thine invisible Essence, the Most
Exalted, the All-Glorious, to make of my prayer afire that will burn away the veils which
have shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy
Presence.5
Towards the end of the prayer, we find that the perception of divine beauty is linked with
obedience to God's will:
I entreat Th ee .. . to ordain that I may gaze on Thy beauty and observe whatsoever is
in Thy Book. 6

The result is an ascending spiral of cause and effect: beauty calls forth love; love
motivates observance of the divine teachings ; observance leads to greater knowledge and
understanding, and stimulates spiritual growth; while growth, in turn, increases the capacity
to respond to beauty and to love God. The final objective of this ascending spiral is to enable
the human soul so to attune itself to the will of God that it may, in the words ofBaha 'u'llah,
be to all eternity the revelation of My everlasting being. 7

In m ystic theory, one finds an approach to art and of art philosophy in the Orient, see Thomas Munro,
beauty resembling th at taken in this articl e. The Oriental Aesthetics.
mystic approach predominates in a large part of 2
Bahri 'i World Faith , p. 364.
traditiona l Ori enta l theory and practice, notably in 3
Th e Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab.
Ind ia and China. But even here it shou ld be no ted Comp. Research Department (Haifa: Baha'i World
tha t some mystic th eory regards beauty primaril y as Centre, 1976), pp. 77-78.
a stimulus conduci ve to a state or ecstatic union 4
Synopsis and Codification of the Laws and Ordiwith God or with the uni verse, whereas the accent nances of the Kitab-i-Aqdas (Haifa: Baha'i World
in this essay is on beauty as a means to the knowl- Centre, 1973), p. 12.
edge of divine attributes and as a stimulus in the 5 Baha 'i Prayers, pp. 7- 8.
dai ly process of sp iritual growth. For an overview
ibid. , pp. 13- 14.
The Hidden Words, Arabic #64, p. 19.
1154 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

In Vanuatu, Baha 'is
are performing a
custom dance during
a spiritualization
institute organized
by Auxiliary Board
members and held in
Lawital, on Tanna.
January 1992.

One common and current notion of beauty is to regard it as a kind of exalted prettiness.
Beauty as we have conceived of it here is not incompatible with loveliness, but it is,
however, of a different order. In the Baha'i Writings, beauty is associated not merely with
sensual and intellectual pleasure but with divinely revealed truth, with the spiritual principles and teachings that constitute truth insofar as we can know it, and ultimately with the
attributes of God .. .. the pure heart, wrote 'Abdu'l-Baha, becometh the mirror of the beauty
of truth. 1 Thus viewed, beauty is not an end in itself but a means to an end. Its purpose in the
world of creation is to draw the human soul into a spiral of spiritual growth, carried upward
on the wings of love toward the kingdom of the most great Beauty. Its purpose in the realm
of human creativity is the same. Art attracts the soul, through beauty, to a work in which the
knowledge of things divine is imparted, by which attitudes to life are spiritualized, morality
is strengthened, and service is rendered to the cause of spiritual growth. Acting as an agent
of spiritual attraction, beauty thus plays an essential role in the process whereby art seeks to
help ennoble the human soul.
This is not to suggest, however, that the subject matter of Baha' i-engendered art need
always be serene, harmonious, delicate, or blissful. It is also legitimate for art to portray the
workings of the lower side of human nature, provided the latter is viewed in proper relation
to the higher, spiritual side. On the subject of human nature, ' Abdu'l-Baha taught:
In man there are two natures; his spiritual or higher nature and his material lower
nature. In one he approaches God, in the other he lives for the world alone. Signs of both
these natures are to be found in men. In his material aspect he expresses untruth, cruelty
and injustice; all these are the outcome of his lower nature. Th e attributes of his Divine
nature are shown forth in love, mercy, kindness, truth and justice, one and all being
expressions of his higher nature. Every good habit, every noble quality belongs to man's
spiritual nature, whereas all his imperfect and sinful actions are born of his material
nature. If a man 's Divine nature dominates his human nature, we have a saint. 2

1 2 Paris Talks, p. 60.
Baha'i World Faith, p. 333.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1155

Man has two aspects: the physical, which is subject to nature, and the merciful or divine,
which is connected with God. If the physical or natural disposition in him should overcome the heavenly and merciful, he is, then, the most degraded of an animal beings; and
if the divine and spiritual should triumph over the human and natural, he is, verily, an
angel. The Prophets come into the world to guide and educate humanity so that the
animal nature of man may disappear and the divinity of his powers become awakened. 1

If an artist portrays aspects of humankind's lower nature-such as greed, antagonism,
hatred, and selfish struggle-in such a way as to demonstrate the truth of what Baha'u'llcih
taught on such subjects, is this not a service as valuable as that rendered by an artist whose
works are permeated with undisturbed peace? What is important is not only the subject
matter but also the way the artist treats it; not only the cognitive and emotional content
manifest in a work of art but also, and especially, the effect such content is intended to have
on the knowledge and the feelings of the participant.
In another passage from the pen of 'Abdu'l-Baha, we find reason to feel that artespecially the narrative arts such as literature, theater, and dance-in fulfilling an edifying
role, can legitimately treat aspects of humanity 's lower animal nature:
... things are often known by their opposites. Were it not for darkness, light could not be
sensed. Were it not for death, life could not be known. If ignorance did not exist, knowledge would not be a reality. It is necessary that each should exist in order that the other
should have reality. Night and day must be in order that each may be distinguished. 2

However, for art merely to display the workings of humanity's lower nature is not
enough: if art is to be edifyi ng, the portrayal needs to be placed within a spiritual context,
with in the framework of God's purpose in creating humankind. For it is only against such
a framework that darkness can be perceived as the lack of light, evil as the absence of good.
Only against such framework can viewers, listeners, or readers of a work of art measure
their own potential and be stimulated to grow spiritually. In other words, if artists refer in
their work to the darker as well as the brighter side of human nature, they shou ld try to do
so in such a way as to engender within the participants' souls an experience that will aid
them to journey on "the road which leads to divine knowledge and attainment." In the words
of ' Abdu' l-Baha:
Man must walk in many paths and be subjected to various processes in his evolution
upward. Physically he is not born in full stature but passes through consecutive stages of
fetus, infant, childhood, youth, maturity and old age .... Unless you have passed through
the state of infancy, how would you know this was an infant beside you ? If there were no
wrong, how would you recognize the right? If it were not for sin, how would you appreciate virtue? If evil deeds were unknown, how could you commend good actions? If
sickness did not exist, how would you understand health? Evil is nonexistent; it is the
absence of good. Sickness is the loss of health; poverty, the lack of riches .... Without
knowledge there is ignorance; therefore, ignorance is simply the lack of knowledge.
Death is the absence of life. Therefore, on the one hand, we have existence; on the other,
nonexistence, negation or absence of existence.

1 2
'Abdu' l-Baha, Th e Promulgation a/Universal Peace ibid ., p. 82.
(Wi lmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust, 1982), p. 41.
1156 THE BAHA ' i WOR LD

The Bahri 'i puppet
theatre group known
as El Retablo de!
Mosquito,from the
May Maxwell Cultural
Centre in Buenos
Aires, Argentina,
presenting a play in
a park in I 988.

Briefly, the journey of the soul is necessary. The path way of life is the road which leads to
divine knowledge and attainment. Without training and guidance the soul could never
progress beyond the conditions of its lower nature, which is ignorant and defective. 1
The principle of making things known by their opposites has been applied in Western
theater from ancient times, notably in the Greek concept of tragic drama. Consider, for
example, a story about a person who was given a unique opportunity to establish justice but
who exploited the chance instead for personal gain and in the end Jost everything. In this
story, injustice, worldly desire, and selfishness may figure prominently. If such negative
qualities are presented in the light of Baha'i teachings, however, they will be recognized
as but the shadows cast by the positive qualities of justice, spiritual enkindlement, and
altruism, and, if well conceived, the work may inspire in the reader or spectator a desire to
attain these qualities and to shun their opposites. It is thus possible for art to be edifying even
when its subject matter is apparently base, to be beautiful even when its subject matter is
superficially unappealing; for beauty, as we have seen, is associated with divine truth and
spiritual attributes. 2
An important conclusion can be drawn from the foregoing discussion: One of the primary
responsibilities of Baha' i artists is to take care that the beliefs, values, attitudes, and emotions manifested in their art, on the one hand, and those that are intended to be stimulated

Promulgation, pp. 295-296. between beauty and truth . See Coo maraswamy,
Note the para llels here with Keats, and with Orien- Christian and Oriental Philosophy, pp. I 07-109.
tal and medieval Christian thinking on the relation
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1157

and reinforced in the participant, on the other, vibrate in harmony with the teachings of the
Baha' i Faith. This is the best artists can do to make it likely that the experience their art
engenders in the participant will have an ennob ling effect.

EMOTION IN ART

Our consideration of the subject of beauty enab les us now to h1rn to the closely related
theme of emotion in art. One of the most popular and widespread views on this subject
is that the purpose of art is to express the emotions of the artist or to stimulate those of the
public. There is no doubt that certain fee lings of artists may in fact become manifest in
their work and that the emotions of the public are affected. Emotion, like beauty, is surely
an important element in the experience of art. A ll the principal theories of art take emotion
into account. But if we were to view art mainly as an opportunity to give expression to the
a11ist's feelings, or if we were to value it primarily for the emotional stimulus it provides
the public, would we not be giving disproportionate prominence to one element in the
experience of art to the detriment of the others? Would we not, moreover, be losing sight of
the highest aim of art, which is spiritual ennoblement?
To hold that the ultimate purpose of art is to provide emotional express ion or stimulation
is simi lar to holding that the value of beauty lies only in the pleasure it gives: in both cases
means are mistaken for ends. We have seen that, according to the Baba' i teachings, all
created things serve some purpose and are a means to some further end, that of beauty being
to attract the human soul toward its Creator and thereby to faci litate spiritual growth. We
have seen, too, that beauty can accomplish such ends not only in the creation as a whole but
in art as well. Might we not conclude that emotion, likewise, should be viewed from the perspective of its role in human life, and within the framework of the hi ghest objectives of art?
In daily living, emotion serves to energize the mind and to activate the will. 1 Similarly,
the emotions that art seeks to elicit, if appropriately managed and channeled by the artist,
can aid the artist to fulfil art's mystical aspect by stirring up a joyous attraction toward the
kingdom of God. Such emotions can assist the artist to realize the moral aspect of the role of
art by arousing in the public, hope for God's bounty and fear of disobedience to divine law,
and by imparting feel ings of comfort and tranquillity to troubled souls. They can, furthermore, help the artist to render a social service by stimulating love toward humanity and
sentiments of brotherhood and world unity. 2
Emotion plays a key role in the realization of all the spiritual objectives of art, whether of
a mystical, moral, or social nature. An example of its importance in the first case is found in
the fo llowing passage from the writings of' Abd u 'I-Baba:

See Emotion: A Comprehensive Phenome110/ogy of They are often not th e same. Grief expressed by
Th eories and Th eir Meanings f or Th erapy. Ed . actors on a stage may inspire in the spectator not
James Hillman (London : Routledge and Kegan grief but pity. In a novel , the fright expressed by a
Paul , 1960). See also Tuman, "Toward Critica l plotter whose scheming backfired may inspire in
Foundations" , pp. 30-33 for parallels between the the reader not fe ar but sati sfaction. (See Ne lson
ro le of emotion in cognition generall y and in the Goodman, Languages of Art: An Approach to a
cogn ition of art specifically. Th eo1y a/Symbols [Indianapolis: Hackett Publish-
We must distingui sh between the emotions mani- ing Co. , 1976], pp. 249- 250.) Our focus here is on
fe sted by the work of art itself and those stirred the emotions stirred by art within the participant.
with in the person who experiences the work of art.
1158 THE BAHA'I WORLD

Therefore .. .set to music the verses and the divine words so that they may be sung with sou/-
stirring melody in the Assemblies and gatherings, and that the hearts of the listeners may
become tumultuous and rise towards the Kingdom of 'Abha in supplication and prayer. 1
A further example of the effect of emotion, thi s time on a moral plane, is afforded by
Shakespeare's tragedies, whose underlying spiritual laws concerning human motivation and
conduct could never be so effectively highlighted and driven home without that eloquent
terror and consternation to which the violation of such truths inevitably leads. And for an
illustration of effectiveness of emotion on the social plane, we have only to observe that the
linking of appropriate verse with music can inspire such sentiments of national identity and
cohesion that one of the earliest acts of a newly formed State is to commission the writing
of a national anthem.
In brief, emotion in art is not an end but a means. By carefully designing works of art with
the intention of inducing an experience in which the participant's emotions are selectively
aroused and oriented, the artist can help ensure that the spiritual content of his or her work
is effectively communicated, vividly felt, long remembered, and therefore the more likely
to help broaden the vision, deepen the understanding, spiritualize the sentiments, and affect
the thought and even the conduct of those who wish to receive it. Art can thereby assist the
fundamentally joyous Baha'i attitude to life, and with it the whole range of human emotions,
to sail and find safe anchor in the harbor of God's remembrance.

Baha'i World Faith, p. 378.

A painting by a prisoner in Yazd, Iran, showing nine felled trees representing the seven martyrs
of Yazd in 1980, and two in 1984. The artist explained: "The earth is covered with snow.
Jn some areas the snow is melting and thousands oftiny trees are growing out ofthe large roots.
'Verily God hath made adversity as a morning dew upon His green pasture. '"
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS

7. ALTRUISM AND EXTENSIVITY IN THE BAHA'i RELIGION
WENDY M. HELLER AND HODA MAHMOUD!

HUMAN history abounds with examples that human nature is not innately and inof oppression and injustice inflicted by one coITigibly aggressive and egocentric-that
group on another. Over the centuries, ideo- human beings are genuinely capable of selflogically sanctioned patterns of prejudice, lessness and extensive behavior toward all
distrust, and suspicion have given rise to people, regardless of the group to which they
norn1s of exclusiveness, aggression, and vio- belong. This article will examine some of
lence toward those outside one's own social the ways in which the Baha'i Faith combines
group. Ironically, religion, which has the the unifying function of religion with altruism
potential to transcend other group affiliations in its aspiration to develop an altruistically
in uniting people into a community, has itself oriented global society.
been the cause of some of the most bitter, Located in over two hundred countries,
violent, and seemingly unsolvable conflicts the Baha'i Faith has recently been identified
between peoples. Yet, even while religion has as the second most widely distributed religion
often been used to justify prejudice and hos- (geographically) after Christianity. I Although
tility against other groups, religious scriptures the Baha'i Faith originated in nineteenthhave furnished inspiring appeals to altruism century Iran, the vast majority of its multiand enduring exhortations to embrace the racial and multicultural membership is now
"other". located in other countries, especially in the
Despite the pattern of group divisiveness, Third World, with the largest national comhuman history also contains examples of munity being in India. The Baha' i religion
acts that defy this pattern: individuals who has no clergy; its community administrarisk their lives to save others, who refuse tion is conducted by elected councils of nine
to collaborate in acts of oppression even members at the local, national, and interthough in doing so they set themselves apart national levels. The Baha'i teachings are
and risk ostracism or even death. Yet, in contained in the writings of Baha'u'llah,
spite of the high cultural regard for valiant 'Abdu'l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi. Baha'is
individual examples of moral heroism, soci- accept these works as authoritative texts and
eties have generally been slow to promote the definitive model for belief and behavior,
altruistic behavior as a model to be emu- as well as the blueprint for social transforlated; they have not deliberately encouraged mation and for the global social order that is
the development of "altruistic personalities" the religion 's ultimate goal. 2
able to transcend self-interest and group
affiliation. However, it is precisely in those 1
Banet!, D.B., "World Religious Statistics." Encyexamples of altruistic acts that a glinlmer of
clopedia Britannica Book of the Year (Chicago:
hope can be discerned for a solution to the Encyclopedia Britannica, 1988), p. 303.
monumental dysfunction that plagues human 2
Universal House of Justice, Th e Promise of World
societies today, as well as solid evidence Peace (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1985).

Th is paper was originally presented at an internationa l conference , "Theoretical and Social Impli cations of Rescuing People in Extreme Situations: Another Look at Altru ism," held in Radziejowice, Poland, June 12- 15, I 989.
A version of the paper has been publi shed in Embracing the Other: Philosophical, Psychological, and Historical
Perspectives on Altruism, (New York University Press, 1992).
1160 THE BAH}\'i WORLD

Baha'is aim to transform civilization by Such an emphasis on collective progress
transforming themselves and their own social has important implications for the relationship
institutions on the basis of principles con- of individual entities-whether individual
tained in the Baha'i scriptures. Both altruism persons, nations, or other groups- to the
and extensivity-a pattern of personal com- larger society of which they form a part. As
mitment and responsibility that embraces Shoghi Effendi wrote in 1936, that relationdiverse groups of people 1-are fundamental ship is essentially based on the principle
components of Baha'i belief and practice, of the subordination of "every particularistic
a factor that has important implications for interest, be it personal, regional, or national,
the global society Baha'is are attempting to to the paramount interests of humanity .... " 3
construct. This principle, in tum, is based on the idea
The social change envisioned by Bahci' is that, in a world of inter-dependent peoples
involves interrelated and interactive processes and nations the advantage of the part is best
of individual and structural transfom1ation. to be reached by the advantage of the whole,
Individual transformation embodies more and that no abiding benefit can be conferred
than a profession of belief; it is viewed as upon the component parts if the general
a process of acquiring distinctive personal interests of the entity itself are ignored or
characteristics and demonstrating them in neglected.
social interactions as well as in working, Yet, the interests of humanity as a whole
together with other Baha'is, to develop the are not conceptualized in terms of a vague
emerging Baha'i social institutions. abstraction that could be appropriated by a
In the Baha'i view, spiritual life is not particular dominant group and interpreted as
separated from the realm of social relations identical with its own interests, but rather as
but integrated with it. The Baha' i teachings a complex dynamic relationship between the
shift the primary focus of religious practice parts and the whole, in which the viability of
from individual salvation or enlightenment the whole is served by ensuring the wellto the collective progress of humanity as a being of all its individual parts, an enterprise
whole.2 Those teachings address social con- for which all share responsibility.
ditions and global problems as directly This conception is demonstrated at its
related to the individual's spiritual life: issues most basic in the relationship of the individof world peace, the equality of men and ual person and society. Although that
women, harmony between science and reli- relationship is, as Shoghi Effendi has stated,
gion, the equitable distribution of wealth and "essentially based on the principle of the
resources, and the elimination of prejudice subordination of the individual will to that
are, for Baha 'is, inseparable from religious of society," a complex balance is sought bebelief and practice. tween individual freedom and responsibility,
in which the individual is neither suppressed
nor excessively exalted. Cooperation between
Oliner, Samuel P., and Pearl M. Oliner, " Promoting
society and the individual is stressed, as is
Ex tensive Altrui stic Bonds: A Conceptu al the fostering of"a climate in which the untold
Elaborati on and Some Pragmatic Impli cations." In potentialities of the individual members of
Embracing the Other: Philosophical, Psychologi- society can develop .... "4
cal, and 1-listorial Perspective on Altruism. ed. Pearl
3 Shoghi Effendi, Th e World Order of Bahti '11 '//tih:
M . Ol iner, et al (New York : N ew York University
Press, 1992). Selected Letters (Wil mette: Baha' i Publ ishin g
2 Arbab, Farzam, "The Process of Soc ial Transforma- Tru st, 1974), p. 198.
tion ." In Th e Balza 'i Faith and Mat~tism: Uni versa l Ho use of Justice, Individual Rights and
Proceedings of a Conference Held Januat y 1986 Freedoms in the World Order of Bahti 'u '//tih:
(Ottawa: Association for Baha ' i Studies, 1987), A Statement by the Universal Hous e ofJustice
p. 10. (Wilmette: Bah:i ' i Publi shing Trust, 1989), p. 20.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1161

The Huxtables-a Baha 'i
family on St. Helena Island,
in th e South Atlantic.
From left to right: Delia,
Robert, Clifford, and Jane.
1986.

Jn Ma lawi, fi"iends
help to get the car
of a visitor up the
road. August 1990.

Members of the
Spirit of Badi'
teaching project in
New Zealand enjoying a moment of
relaxation.
1988.
1162 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

Such a relationship, as it is envisioned, Thus, he concludes, the Baha'i path of
"must allow 'free scope' for 'individuality to spiritualization "should not be confused with
assert itself through modes of spontaneity, one that defines goodness passively and proinitiative and diversity that ensure the via- duces a human being whose greatest virtue
bility of society." Thus, even while the will is not to harm anyone; it is a path to create
of the individual is subordinated to that of social activists and agents of change." 4
society, "the individual is not lost in the Altruism is a major component of that
mass but becomes the focus of primary desired social change and figures promidevelopment. ... " 1 The fulfillment of individ- nently in the Baha'i texts. Many scriptural
ual potential is to be sought not in pursuing exhortations delineate altruistic norms
self-centered desires but in contributing to explicitly, holding in high regard those who
the well-being of others, and the honor and nurture altruistic aims and plans for the
distinction of the individual consist in this, well-being of their fellow men .... 5 and urgthat he among all the world's multitudes ing individuals to be ready to lay down your
should become a source of social good. 2 lives one for !he other, and not only for
As Farzam Arbab has noted, this shift of those who are dear to you, but for all
emphasis to the progress of humanity is also humanity.6
reflected in the importance given to specific Other teachings reflect values and attiqualities that Baha'is are enjoined to acquire, tudes that, as Oliner and Oliner report in Th e
qualities that promote prosocial behavior and Altruistic Personality, are conducive to an
lead to unity: for example, justice is stressed altruistic orientation. These include a sense of
more than charity, and the acquisition of atti- unity with and responsibility toward others
tudes conducive to human solidarity is valued beyond one's own social group, a strong
over simple tolerance. Even the qualities of family orientation, emphasis on relationship
love and of detachment from the material rather than on status, generosity, trustworthiworld are conceived of as active and social ness, appreciation of diversity, as well as
rather than passive and inwardly directed: ethical values of justice and caring.
... the social dimension is also enhanced Unity and interdependence, and their link
through the expansion of the meaning of to helping behavior, are prominent themes
most qualiti es to include a social vision. in the Baha'i texts, often expressed through
Love includes the abolition of social prej- organic metaphors, as in this passage from
udices and the realization of the beauty of the Writings ofBaha'u'llah:
diversity in the human race. Detachment The utterance of God is a lamp, whose
from the world is not taught in a way that light is these words: Ye are the fruits of
leads to idleness and to the acceptance of one tree, and the lea ves of one branch.
oppression: it is acquired to free us from Deal ye one with another with the utmost
our own material interests in order to ded- love and harmony... . So powerful is the
icate ourselves to the well-being of others. light of unity that it can illuminate the
To this expansion of the meaning of whole earth. 7
almost all qualities is also added a constant endeavor to acquire social skills, to ibid.
5 'Abd u' l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of
participate in meetings of consultation, to 'Abdu '/-Baha (Haifa: Baha'i World Centre, 1978),
work in groups ... to reach and carry out p. 72.
collective decisions. 3 6 'Abd u' l-Baha, Paris Talks : Addresses given by
'A bdu '/-Baha in Paris in 191 I (London: Baha ' i
I ibid. , pp. 20- 21. Publishing Tru st, 1969), p. 170.
2 7 Baha ' u ' llah , Gleanings from the Writings of
'Abdu '1-Baha, The Secret of Divin e Civilization
(Wilmette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1975), p. 2. a
Bah 'u '/tah (Wilmette: Baha ' i Publishing Trust,
3 Arbab, "Process", p. 11. 1976), p. 288 .
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORK S 1163

Explaining this metaphorical reference, of worship, the Baha'i religious tradition
'Abdu '1-Baha writes that because all humans accepts all the great spiritual teachers as
are interconnected and mutually dependent, equals. Baha'is are expected to revere
they must "powerfully sustain one another" Buddha, Zoroaster, Moses, Jesus, and
by caring for each other: MulJammad, as well as Baha'u'llah, recog-
Let them at all times concern themselves nizing in them all the same spirit of the
with doing a kindly thing for one of their mediator between God and humanity. Thus,
fellows, offering to someone love, consid- although the body of teachings composing
eration, thoughtful help. Let them see no the Baha'i religion itself cannot accurately
one as their enemy, or as wishing them ill, be called eclectic, the Baha'i religious
but think ofall humankind as their friends; tradition includes all of the previous dispenregarding the alien as an intimate, the sations, which are viewed as "different stages
stranger as a companion, staying free of in the eternal history and constant evolution
prejudice, drawing no lines. 1 of one religion, Divine and indivisible, of
The theme of inclusiveness is emphasized which it [the Baha' i Faith] itself forms but
in every aspect of Baha'i individual and an integral part." 2
community life, beginning with the funda- From the Baha'i perspective, the princimental teachings of the oneness of humanity ple of the unity of religion and progressive
and the unity of religion. The Baha'i teach- revelation restores the unific role of religion
ings view divine revelation not as a static, in society, providing a basis for resolving
unique event, but as a continuing process long-standing, apparently unbridgeable divithat is the central feature of human history. sions among religious communities as well
The spirit that inspired all the founders of as a resolution of the dilemma posed by the
the great religions of the past, the Manifesta- existence of numerous religions, each claimtions of God, is recognized as one and the ing divine origin. For Baha'is, the principle
same. Their original teachings contain the removes any pretext for disunity deriving
same basic, unchanging spiritual and ethical from religious affiliation; in fact, all religious
precepts, prominent among which are the conflict is forbidden. The Baha'i writings
teachings that promote altruism. The tenets direct Baha'is to love .. . all religions and all
that change from one religious dispensation races with a lo ve that is true and sincere and
to another are the social laws and practices, show that lo ve through deeds ... ;3 to exert
which apply those precepts in specific forms. their efforts so that the tumult of religious
Thus, religious truth is understood to be dissension and strife that agitateth the
relative, progressive, and developmental. peoples of the earth may be stilled, that
Such a perspective implies more than eve1y trace of it may be completely oblitertolerance for the equality of individual ated. 4 That the divers communions of the
religions as separate entities to be respected earth, and the manifold systems of religious
in a pluralistic society. It redefines the belief, Baha'u'llah writes, should never be
nature of their relationship to one another allowed to foster the feelings of animosity
and thus sets new terms for a definition of among men, is in this Day, of the essence of
identity based on connection rather than sep- the Faith of God and His Religion. 5 Affirmaration. Unlike religious groups who define ing the preeminence of the principle of
themselves by their distinction from other religious inclusiveness and unity, the Baha'i
groups based on the claim that their founder writings go so far as to state that if religion
was the sole or the final source of truth or
that their practices are the only correct form World Order, p. 114.
Selections, p. 69.
Gleanings, p. 288.
1 5
Selectio11s, pp. 1-2. ibid., p. 287.
1164 THE BAl-1..\'i WORLD

Children in Baha'i literacy classes in the Upper Corentyne District of Berbice, Guyana,
finding letters which spell out "I Love Guyana"; 1990.

An American Baha'i Youth Year of Service volunteer who lived in Botswana in 1987
used a globe to help convey concepts while deepening some of the jhends.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1165
becomes the cause of division and disunity, Far from being an abstract principle reit is better to have no religion at all. 1 moved from the real social conditions, the
Closely linked to the principle of the unity of humankind must be lived in practice,
unity of religion is the distinguishing feature as 'Abdu'l-Baha told a gathering in Europe
of the Baha'i dispensation: the principle of in 1912:
the oneness and wholeness of humanity. The Do not be content with showing friendfull equality of all members of the human ship in words alone ...
species and their close relationship to one When you meet a [stranger]. .. speak to
another requires that Baha' is regard people him as to a friend; if he seems to be lonely
from all racial, religious , ethnic, class, and t1y to help him, give him of your willing
national backgrounds as members of one service; if he be sad console him, if poor
global family. Rather than offering mere succour him, if oppressed rescue him ...
"symbols of internationalism" in the hope What profit is there in agreeing that unithat these might, as Allport suggested, "pro- versal friendship is good, and talking of
vide mental anchorage points around which the solidarity of the human race as a
the idea of world-loyalty may develop," 2 the grand ideal? Unless these thoughts are
Baha'i religion begins with áthe underlying translated into the world of action, they
principle of world loyalty and human unity, are useless. 5
which is itself the anchorage point, "the Although the Baha'i writings speak of the
pivot," according to Shoghi Effendi, "round absolute equality of all, the intent is not
which all the teachings of Baha'u'llah sameness of conformity to a dominant culrevolve .... " 3 The extension of the individual's ture, nation, race, class, or any other group.
personal commitments and relationships In theory and in practice, cultural and racial
to include the diverse groups composing diversity is valued in the Baha'i community.
humanity is repeatedly urged in Baha'i texts Along with the expression of the ideal, a
in the strongest terms possible-that is, as conscious awareness exists that effort is
no less than a divine commandment: necessary to break down age-old baITiers
In every dispensation, there hath been of prejudice and separation. The cultivation
the commandment offellowship and love, of friendships with people of different backbut it was a commandment limited to the grounds is repeatedly encouraged, but perhaps
community of those in mutual agreement, the most notable evidence of the Baha'i
not to the dissident fo e. Jn this wondrous commitment to inteITacial unity is the attiage, however, praised be God, the com- tude toward inteITacial maITiage, which is
mandments of God are not delimited, not actively welcomed and encouraged in the
restricted to any one group of people; Baha'i writings.
rather have all the friends been com- In consonance with the prosocial orientamanded to show forth f ellowship and tion of the Baha'i teachings, the ideal Baha'i
love, consideration and generosity and personality, as implied in the Baha'i scriploving-kindness to eve1y community on tures, is other centered, extensive, and altruistic.
earth. 4 In one passage, 'Abdu'l-Baha makes altruism itself the touchstone for a new definition
'Abdu' l-Baha , Promulg ation a/Universal Peace:
of true human nature:
Talks D elivered by 'Abd11 '/-Bahit during His Visit to ... man should be willing to accept hardth e United States and Canada in 1912. (Wilmette: ships for himself in order that others may
Baha'i Publi shing Trust, 1975) p. 117. enjoy wealth; he should enjoy trouble for
A llport, Gordon W. , Th e Nature of Prejudice himself that others may enjoy happiness
(Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954), p. 44.
World Order, p. 42.
4 5
Selections, pp. 20- 21. Paris Talks, p. 16.
1166 THE BAHA'i WORLD

and well-being. This is the attribute of without direct reinforcements." 4 Yarrow,
man .. .. Scott, and Waxler conclude that "generalized
He who is so hard-hearted as to think altruism would appear to be best learned
only of his own comfort, such an one will from parents who do not only try to inculnot be called man. cate the princip les of altruism, but who also
Man is he who forgets his own interests manifest altruism in everyday interactions." 5
fo r the sake of others. His own comfort The role of parental influence in fostering the
he forfeits for the well-being of all. Nay, development of the altruistic personality has
rather, his own life must he be willing to been further w1derscored by Oliner and Oliner
forfeit for the life of mankind. 1 in The Altruistic Personality, their study of
Although personal transformation is seen rescuers of Jews during World War II. 6
as a lifelong process, according to the Baha'i Another area of related emphasis is
texts, the foundations of altruistic behavior parental discipline. The Baha' i writings state
can be developed in childhood. Children are that, It is incumbent upon every father and
believed to be born with the capacity for mother to counsel their children over a long
good or bad behavior; during the course of period, and guide them unto those things
their development they can be influenced which lead to everlasting honour. 7 The
by their social interactions, especially in development of good character and behavior
the family. Thus, the development of the in children, however, is to be encouraged
prosocial individual begins with the training through the love, understanding, and wise
and socialization of children. The Baha' i guidance of the parents, using reason rather
writings urge parents to teach [children} to than force. Baha'i texts strongly discourage
dedicate their lives to matters of great im- the use of physical punishment or verbal
port, and inspire them to undertake studies abuse of children, stating that, it is not .. . perthat will benefit mankind. 2 So crucial is the missible to strike a child, or vilify him for the
teaching of prosocial behavior that training child 's character will be totally perverted if
in morals and good conduct is far more he be subjected to blows or verbal abuse. 8
important than book learning. 3 The Baha'i view on parental discipline
However, teaching children lofty ideas is supported by contemporary social psycholis not considered sufficient on its own. Em- ogists. Hoffman, as well as others, suggests
phas is is repeatedly placed upon behavior that the use of physical power or material
rather than professions of belief-on deeds, resources to control a child 's behavior (power
not words. Thus, the most powerful method assertion) is least effective in developing
by which children can be taught a prosocial consideration for others. Power-assertion
orientation is the model of parents whose techniques of discipline promote in children
actions reflect the ideal personality charac- aggressive behavior, self-centered values,
teristics. and an unwillingness to share with other
The impact of modeling on children has
received significant support in the li terature 4
M usse n, P., and N. Eisenberg-B erg, Roots of
on altruism and prosocial behavior. Mussen Caring, Sharing, and Helping: The Development of
and Eisenberg-Berg write, "A substantial Prosocial Behavior in Children (San Franc isco :
Freema n, 1977), p. 3 I.
proportion of the individual 's helping and 5 Yarrow, M.R., P. Scott, and C.Z. Wax ler, " Learni ng
sharing responses is acquired through obser- Concern fo r Others." Developmental Psychology
vation and imitation of a model's behavior ( 1973) , p. 256.
6 Oliner, Samuel P., and Pearl M. Oliner, The Altruis-
'Abdu'l-B aha, Foundations of World Unity (W il- tic Personality: Rescuers ofJews in Nazi Europe
mette: Baha ' i Publishing Trnst, 1979), p. 42. (New York: Free Press, 1988) .
2 7
Selections, p. 129. Selections, p. 134.
3 8 ibid., p. 125.
ibid ., p. 135 .
LITERARY A N D MU S ICAL WORKS 1167

children. 1 In contrast, the disciplinary tech- the "feminine" ethic of caring,4 'Abdu'lnique of induction-reasoning and explanation Baha had written: "Th e Kingdom of God is
based on the impact of the child's behavior founded upon equity and justice, and also
on others- encourages prosocial behavior. 2 upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to
Baha'i child socialization aims to develop every living soul. Strive ye then with all your
a prosocial orientation in children, who are heart to treat compassionately aU humanencouraged to recognize themselves as kind ... . " He then qualified this statement,
members of a community that begins with asserting that oppressio,n must be opposed:
the family and extends to include all of "Kindness cannot be shown the tyrant, the
humanity. They are encouraged to develop deceiver, or the thief, because, far from
a sense of personal spiritual responsibility awakening them to the error of their ways, it
to act toward others with empathy and com- maketh them to continue in their perversity
passion as well as justice and equity, and as before. " 5
to sacrifice their own material self-interests The Baha' i teachings recognize that the
for others in need. As adults, Baha'is are transformation of individuals into altrui stic
expected to make a commitment to continue persons cannot take place outside the social
internalizing such patterns until they become context, which must provide a matrix for
the foundation of the personality itself. that transformation. Recent research has
Spiritual development is seen as an infinite drawn attention to the importance of group
process of self-transformation- that is, a norms in motivating moral behavior, whether
continual, conscious refining of one 's be- directly, as a response to the social expectahavior in the crucible of social interaction. tions as such, or indirectly, as internalized
The cultivation of spiritual, altruistic qualities personal norms. 6 The findings of Oliner and
remains the aim and central focus of life for Oli ner, outlined in Th e Altniistic Personality,
the adult Baha'i. further emphasize the importance of the
In light of recent research, it is note- "normocentric" orientation in motivating the
worthy that both the ethical principles of altruism of rescuers of Jews during World
justice and of caring, important motivators War II.
of altruistic behavior (see Oliner and Oliner, Such findings imply that, while altruistic
The Altruistic Personality), are emphasized qualities must be fostered in individuals, a
in the Baha' i writings, where they are not social framework must also be provided withviewed as contradictory or exclusive but as in which extensivity and altruism are valued
inseparably connected. Even when the ethic and represent the norms of the group itself.
of justice is enjoined, it is usually as a The creation of such a society is inseparable
practice to be performed out of concern for from the development of individual altruistic
others. Justice is presented as the practice of personalities, for, so long as groups value
equity, often linked with safeguard[ing} the egocentrism, unfettered individualism, status
rights of the downtrodden ....3 The Baha'i seeking, dominance, and a materialistic ori -
conception of justice means that all have a entation, altruism will remain an exception
right to receive care. to the rule, and the altruistic personality will
Well over half a century before Carol
Gilligan called attention to the complemen- 4
G illigan, Caro l, Jn a Different Vo ice: Psychological
tarity of the "masculine" ethic of justice and Th eory and Women's Development (Cambridge:
Harvard Uni versity Press, I 982).
1 5
Ho ffman, Martin, " Moral Internalization, Parental Selections. p. I 58.
Powe r, and the Nature o f Parent-Child Interaction." 6
Reykowski , Janusz, " Motivation o f Prosocial
Developmental Psychology I I (I 975) pp. 228-23 9. Behav ior." In Cooperation and Helping Behavior:
Musse n a nd Ei senberg-Berg, Roots. Th eories and Research. ed. V.J . Derlaga and J. Gri-
Gleanings , p. 247 . zelak (New York: Academic Press, 1982), p. 359.
1168 THE BAHA'I WORLD

appear as deviant in comparison to the rest allows the "clash of differing opinions" that
of the group. In Baha'i society, this situation can strike the "shining spark oftruth".2 Each
is reversed: member of the consultative group has an
Altruism is not an aberrant behavior con- equal right of expression, and no blocs, factrary to convention because the normative tions, or any subdivisions of the group are
expectations (which individuals are ulti- permitted. Inseparable from the Baha'i conmately expected to internalize) are altruistic. sultative process is the development of
It is beyond the scope of this discussion sensitivity and respect for the different voices
to describe in its entirety the social order whose expressions of opinion may not fit
Baha'is envision and to which they are into conventional or dominant cultural modes
committed. However, they believe that of communication. Since the group attempts
much of it will be the fruit of the process to work toward consensus on an issue,
of integration of now isolated or even voting only as a last resort, the process does
hostile races, groups, and nations who, as not necessarily require reduction to duality:
they come together and unite in the same alternatives need not be narrowed down to
cause, become transformed and help the two poles "for" and "against". Instead,
transform each other, and bring to the ris- the consultative process itself, drawing on
ing institutions of a new World Order the the interactive contributions of all its diverse
richness of different cultures and of dif- members, is looked to as the creative source
ferent social thought and experience. 1 of new solutions.
Thus, in the Baha'i view, it is through the Consultation is regarded both as a method
individual practice as well as the institution- for generative decision making and conflict
alization of the principle of unity in diversity resolution as well as an instrument for reinthat human society can evolve to an unprec- forcing the unity of a diverse group. It is the
edented level of cohesion and cooperation, method by which the Baha'i administrative
and transcend the limitations implicit in the institutions conduct the affairs of the Baha'i
current state of separation and competitive- community, but Baha'is are also encouraged
ness. While the Baha'i conception of unity to use consultation in all aspects of their
in diversity should not be conshued as lives, whether in the family, neighborhood,
merely a version of liberal pluralism, the or workplace.
safeguarding and encouraging of diverse Another way in which Baha'i administraelements within the Baha'i community is a tive institutions are structured to implement
major institutional principle. It is embedded unity in diversity involves practices intended
within Baha'i institutions through practices to ensure the participation of minority etlmic
that require the participation and support of populations. (The definition of what constithe entire Baha'i community because they tutes a "minority" is left to the discretion of
apply at all levels of administrative and the national institution in each country.) "To
community functioning-local, national, and discriminate against any race, on the ground
international. of its being socially backward, politically
Most prominent of these practices is con- inm1ature, and numerically in a minority'',
sultation, a group decision-making process is considered to be "a flagrant violation
whose goal is to reach solutions to problems of the spirit" of the Baha'i teachings. 3 In
by consensus. Baha'i consultation encourages principle, protecting the "just interests of
the open and frank expression of diverse any minority element within the Baha'i
views on the topic under discussion in an
atmosphere of love and respect that also 2
Bahn 'i Administration, p. 21.
Shoghi Effendi , Th e Advent of Divine Justice (Wi l-
1 mette: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1984), p. 35 .
Arbab. "Process," p. 11.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1169
community" and ensuring that all have the
opportunity to contribute their perspectives
to collaborative efforts of the group, is considered so important that representatives of
minority populations "are not only enabled
to enjoy equal rights and privileges, but they
are even favored and accorded priority." 1
Baha' i communities are instructed that it is
their duty to ensure that "Baha'i representative
institutions, be they Assemblies, conventions, conferences, or committees, may have
represented on them as many of these divers
elements, racial or otherwise, as possible." 2
One way in which the principle is
practiced is the minority tie rule of Baha'i
elections. In the course of elections for
Baha'i administrative institutional membership-elections conducted without nominations
or campaigning and decided by plurality
vote-if voting results in a tie between persons, one of whom represents a minority,
"priority should unhesitatingly be accorded
the party representing the minority, and this At the Baha 'i Vocational Institute for Rural
for no other reason except to stimulate and Women in Kalyanpura, Madhya Pradesh,
encourage it, and afford it an opportunity to India, women learn how to read and write.
further the interests of the community." 3 In 1988.
addition to its direct effect in increasing
minority representation on Baha'i administrative institutions, the practice of this rule leading to the development of an altruistic
heightens the sensitivity of the group to global society. Such a society, in the Baha'i
its minority membership and reaffirms the context, begins with the individual striving
group commitment to valuing and encourag- daily toward personal transforn1ation-the
ing minority participation. For the individual deliberate internalization of spiritual teachbeliever, conceding a tie vote to the minority ings incorporating altruistic, extensive values
representation becomes a concrete opportu- as personal norn1s. The Baha'i teachings
nity to practice sacrifice of self-interest for strive to imbue individuals with an inclusive
the other within a context of social approval. orientation transcending, though not sup-
Whether applied in community adminis- pressing, other group loyalties and valuing
tration, in the family, in education, or in the the well-being of the entire planet and all its
economy, the Baha'i principles and practices inhabitants . Throughout the Baha'i writings,
are viewed as catalysts whose application will the vision imparted to the individual is that
ultimately bring about social transforn1ation of a peaceful, just, and caring civilization
whose foundation rests on the cornerstone
of the unity of all human beings, a unity that
Un iversal House of Justice, Messages from the
Universal House ofJustice 1968- 1973 (Wilmette,
is to be consolidated and protected by insti-
Baha'i Publi shing Trust, 1976), p. 49. tutions which reflect and promote the
Advent, p. 36. principles of unity, equity, and altruistic
ibid., p. 35. service as normative expectations.
II
VERSE

THIS IS FA ITH THE V ISIT

To walk where there is no path "That Church no di exist for here again,"
To breathe where there is no air that old woman said,
To see where there is no light - pointing a bony finger at the abandoned
This is Faith. I:Ia~iratu ' l-Quds
now overgrown with grass and sadly derelict
To cry out in the silence, like an old man who has neglected his beard.
The silence of the night, Rumours of witchcraft had frightened the
And hearing no echo believe villagers away.
And believe again and again -
This is Faith. We knew what we must do:
Summon the hosts of Abha to action, and
To hold pebbles and see jewels with machets sharp and lean,
To raise sticks and see forests conquer the witchcraft and the grass.
To smile with weeping eyes - Soon the green tufts were cleared from the
This is Faith. roof,
the path was made smooth,
To say: "God, I believe" when others deny, the interior straightened and ordered.
"I hear" when there is no answer, We gathered some children,
"I see" though naught is seen - taught them songs and prayers.
This is Faith.
By evening, word had spread,
And the fierce love in the heart, the children carrying the news
The savage love that cries of our meeting to their families.
Hidden Thou art yet there!
Veil Thy face and mute Thy tongue Sixteen Baha'is came
Yet I see and hear Thee, Love, and two women inquirers.
Beat me down to the bare earth, The fruit of the meeting was the resolution
Yet I rise and love Thee, Love! never to neglect again
This is Faith. the "church of Balla" -
the center where all may come
- Ruhiyyih (Israel) in peace and unity.
(Amatu '/- Balza R1if1iyyih Khanum)
-Samuel Tanyi-Tambe
(Cameroon Republic)
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1171
LIVIN G TOGETH ER

On flax-clad hill I lie At last we are one, at last we are grafted
watching the sun set together,
colours so thick I should You the outspread wing and I the feather.
wrap them round me; We are the sail and the mast
keep out the evening chill. We are the wind and the weather;
We are the song birds sing . ..
Increase my wonder and And the honey drawn from the heather.
amazement at Thee, 0 God
We are one! We are parting and meeting,
My children come to me. Voice . .. and the echo replying.
Running. We are farewelling and greeting,
Sharky smiles on grubby Living . . . and dying.
little faces.
Instant action response to We are one ... the known and unknowing,
this energy; The wi ld wind blowing each to the other.
life At last, at last we are one,
At last we are grafted together,
Increase my wonder and You ... the outspread wing
amazement at Thee, 0 God and I... the feather.

Smooth profiles woman of -Kate March (Australia)
candle-glow
curved in devotion.
Breathing sculpture.
Timeless.
Her beauty gladdens
my heart.

In crease my wonder and
amazement at Thee, 0 God
Baha'u'llah is the Prophet of God
I hear of a man. 'Abdu ' l-Baha is His son,
One man. and They both shine under the sun.
One They are a good two
man because They gave away Their cloth
whose life is changing the and shoesworld and that is the poem ofBaha'u'llah
changing me. and His son.
He was real, no myth .
-Geojji-ey Cameroon (Canada)
'Abdu'l-Baha.
(Age 8)

In crease my wonder and
amazement at Thee, 0 God

~Fay Sweetman (New Zealand)
1172 TH E BAHA'I WORLD

PROMISE F ULFILLED THE D ANCE

With lucent newsong, (Dedicated lo the Pygmy people of Mugambiro, Zaire,
who tried to teach me the reality of Joy)
dawn breaks.
With springsong and madrigals,
0 star catchers, 0 forest dancers, your
flowering roseháees and
heads only reach my breasts, but your vision
nightingales trilling,
takes in the universe . Your laughter
dawn breaks .
echos in my head, your joy is a
With a sun of hope,
suspended crystal reflecting light. You
day is born.
give me a new name, Kahinda, the one
Lightening shadows,
greening deserts ,
who rouses the people to move. You
uniting peoples and races,
teach me to see in the dark, you
defeating prejudices,
teach me to move to the rhythm of
day comes surging.
my heart, by moonlight.
With two morning stars,
dawn comes now, - Kathleen LeMone (United Stales)
with a chorus of cocks
sudden and sharp,
and with a song of lights and flowers ,
a cry of great love,
and hope for a new day ...

Oh Best Beloved!
Oh Living Faith! I am a rose,
Of Glory of Glories! single and alone-
Oh Promise Fulfilled! but I know the Wind.
No one can stop You.
You come, breaking the dawn. - Kateya Robbie (Canada)
(Age 9)
You come, bearing day.

With seven hundred fifty rifles,
they would darken the day.
Oh, Your weeping, Your pain.
Streams of blood
irrigate Your holy earth;
roses and lost stars
bring in the dawn.

- Jose Gre (Chile)
(Translation by Ja nel Ruhe-Schoen,
Jaleh Ruhe, Em il Groth)
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1173
I III

EVERYTHING IS OF GOD BAHA'U'LLAH IN A DREAM

They are of God The eyes
all the virtues hard, sharpened diamonds
the merits of indefinable steel penetrated
the most luminous gems the dream
the arcane knowledge sweet-light as fragrant bread
that the baker has just
They are of God removed from the oven
all future good You came at dawn
life and death the day of my years
time and You toasted with crystalline
poetry springwater that
the hand and the pen quenches every thirst
the Intellect and the heart from every throat
all that is searched for in the night In the torment
and is lost of contorted thoughts
among the stars of the sky in the nucleus of a swooning soul
I was devastated
mutely cringing on the bed
II among a festive gathering
of tender, unknown friends
FROM INFINITE DISTANCES
The dawn filtering through the window
The Well-Beloved was calling me found me astonished and without voice
the Nightingale of the prison of 'Akka The room tasted of
the Exile Whom even mint and of poetry
the guards venerated
with sympathetic smiles of understanding (Selected stanzas from "The March of Utopia")
and I heard His voice
intoning an inesistible song
- Daniele Giancane (Italy)
I was caught by a lasso (Translations by lskander Tinto and
one time Elizabeth Peedo)
and forever
like a weary eagle
after a crazy race
of a dozing donkey
1174 THE BAHki WORLD

NOTES POSTMARKED THE MOUNTAIN Beyond his window confident stars
OF Goo form new configurations,
effortlessly shaping themselves
Beginning into the alphabet of homecoming.
Arrival

The plane touches down at Ben Gurion. Day On e
Like a latter-day Noah he is disgorged Visit to the Shrine of the Bab
to move groggily tluáough humid air,
the smell of warm tarmac The first glimpse brings assurance,
and the hum of Levan tine confusion. like learning that the Alps
Everywhere, the seduction of orange resemble the postcards, and a sense
blossoms. of familiarity, of longstanding personal
The luggage he struggles with ownership.
bulges with untried convictions, Mingling at Pilgrim House he finds himself
rusted resolve and umelinquished lightheaded with happiness and anticipation,
disappointments. his hopes fleshed, his expectations peopled.
He has brought more clothing A sense of belonging invades him, causes
than he will have time to wear. the others to seem like family .
Hope, his best provision, He recognizes even the furniture as that of
is crammed in among random indiscretions, home.
outworn hesitancies and inappropriate The luxury of saying Allah-u-Abhir.
tweeds. cloistered from offence or ridicule,
Had he not guessed this venture calls for the immediate acceptance, are as he has
the lightweight wardrobe of beginnings? dreamed,
a minor private confirmation.
The journey has taken longer
than the airline's tidy prediction. The visit to the Shrine takes place
The passenger has known false starts, in an easy but awesome silence.
obscure delays and ill-judged detours The crunching of tile shards underfoot as
but feels he has at last he moves in file with the others towards
attained the suburbs of authentic anival. the goal
helps anchor him to his purpose from which
Outside the airport, as he hails a cab, he might be pulled by exquisite details
Israel opens itself to him of the garden
offers its noise, vitality and or even the unself-conscious trill of a bird
curiously familiar foreigm1ess , that clothes in song his mounting ecstasy.
presents the gift of palpable certainty His senses collude with the beauty to delay
that this is a holy land. his pace
and postpone the rewarding confrontation.
Alone, he offers a small prayer But then he is there with the othersthrough fatigue-numbed lips , too soon
sunenders his weariness and jetlag and far from soon enough- and the door,
to the Tel Aviv hotel bed giant-tall and heavy and swung on its
and, mumbling like a drowsy child, hinges ,
Tomorrow, Haifa and the Mountain of God, extends its inesistible invitation.
falls into a welcoming chasm Attar of roses becomes his oxygen.
ofrestorative sleep. The pattern in the carpet provides
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1175
occupation to his insatiable eyes "See, Azerbaijan,
till he raises them to see the petal-strewn this constant flame
threshold which casts no shadow."
and, beyond, the inner chamber screened by
golden mesh. And then he sleeps.
Are the prayers offered here invested with
a special potency? he wonders, In a troubling dream he sees the face
but his words of the girl
seem impertinent in this setting and whom he had hoped long ago to companion
leave no imprint on his mind. on pilgrimage
He blushes, concerned that he might (when such excursion was but a phantasmal
have spoken aloud, impulse)
and cannot tell, but whom he had driven away
so articulate is this silence, so resonant through his awkward and in1mature
of all the anguish deposited there. insistence
He hears a fellow pilgrim weep that she-puzzled and ill preparedand longs to have his own heart break wear the cloak of his vision
or conflagrate that he might rush forward, though her spirit drew her elsewhere.
ashes dribbling from his cupped hands, He remembers their last despairing
to scatter them upon the threshold. conversation,
A scornful voice in his head causes hin1 to a classic pas de deux of misunderstanding,
squirm the telephone receiver heavy in his hand,
in discomfort, but shrugging it away his head throbbing, his voice clotted
he finds it possible to recite prayers with hurt,
and then he slowly takes his leave the long imponderable silences
wondering what he may have left thick with unspoken accusations.
on the threshold He had imposed on her blindly his singular
where the petals gave their lives. need
to feel he was her rescuer,
As day expires he reflects oblivious to the mystery of her own
on the Bab's captivity, integrity,
turns to his journal, writes: her private and necessary rebellion, the
personal choices
"He Who had no candle through which she found protection and
has here, ensconced in circled circle, fulfillment
amid adoring flowers and, eventually, the contented life
and green deferential trees, he could never have afforded her.
this whitest marble taper
tipped with gold. In the dream he sees a sooty congregation-
It gleams serenely from Carmel, crows he supposes-arranged high overhead
inextinguishably lights the world, along a telephone wire, their light-struck
our reverential hearts feathers
the willing wick. glinting with vague menace.

"This light will melt He awakens with a start from his broken
remotest snows, rest,
outlast the names greets his mirrored reflection raw-eyed and
by which we know it. ruefully,
1176 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

thinking: One brings one's past on As dawn takes command of the sky
pilgrimage and- he offers the prescribed prayer,
what? Does one leave it here unassimilated, then, extemporizing, supplicates : As daytangled light appropriates the darkness
and opaque, or take it home transmuted, may God's will appropriate mine-
God's providence that had been concealed and with quiet elation prepares leisurely
in the calamity revealed at last? to descend to breakfast.

He is flooded with a sense of relief All that one relinquishes of the past is not so
and freedom . consciously shed, he thinks, as the wake-up
With pre-dawn chill invading the room call
and mourning doves beginning to voice which he forgot to cancel cuts through his
their nonspecific discontent, sleep proves revene
impossible. with an imperious ring.
An image from his dream tickles his mind.
Opening his notebook he scribbles hastily
"Punctuation" Da y Two
and sets down the poem that presses itself Th e Trouble with Mountains
upon him:
Leaving the hotel with others
"Tentative as commas in the light camaraderie of pilgrimage
they balance on wing-swung wires he remembers with renewed astonishment
along which our voices speed, that the sun-drenched vista presenting
itself before them
"preside with feigned indifference is the mountain of God. At last the unattainover crackling reports of our triumphs, able attained.
our dissembled defeats; our garbled
anguish, He thinks of mountains he's known,
remembers the Rockies, Kilimanjaro, San
"and sometimes rise, excitedly cawing, Jacinto,
a flurry of black exclamation marks the snow-furred lions of Vancouver's
against the sky's pale slate coastal range .
And now this rocky hill, Ca1mel's bony
"pointing, perhaps, a lover's spme
voluble avowals or the finality from whose grudging soil these gardens
of a choked goodbye, were coaxed
and jacaranda persuaded to grant its mauve
"then settle nervously benefaction.
on their high-strung perch, But nature was here before the designer
a dark ellipsis, imposed his Order
resigned to brood on the ambiguous intent upon the ravishment of human vision
tongue and the pilgrims' eyes are furnished proof,
of those who cannot soar." seared by the sight of a brilliant red poppy
defiant among the tangle on the untended
That is the past, or part of it, he thinks, outcrop
closing his book and walking to the window beyond the garden 's boundary.
before his inner dissenting voice
presents its inevitable quibble.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1177
He thinks of his father "And do not hear the battered bird
who found mountains claustrophobic, high in the torturing wind: Pass! Pass!
and of the upward climb of the soul, With adamant soul
and of the early pilgrim who was reminded and sharpest sight
by Shoghi Effendi, when she protested on f eet of brass! "
the slope
and the challenging paths, I shall call it, he reflects as he falls asleep,
that Baha'u 'llah bids us advance on feet of "The Trouble with Mountains'',
brass though the trouble is with us.
led by Him on feet of steel.
A bird invades his dreams of labouring
He wonders why he has waited so long upward
to approach this unprepossessing hill urging him forward with sharp little cries
that so daunts him and whether and sometimes dipping to gaze into his eyes.
his commitment
is adequate to aid him up its incline At breakfast he asks a fellow pilgrim
where a panorama and enhanced perspective to whom he related his dream,
are the rewards. He imagines himself "Was it Dickinson who wrote
at the crest, flushed and breathless, Hope is the thing with feathers?"
looking and pointing- Th ere! There! Th ere! Although knowing the lines well,
barely able to withstand the beauty, he hoped to explore their implications,
the acuity of vision, the intensive joy. savour the meaning of his experiences
behind the locked door of sleep
Extraneous thoughts, and postpone entry
but that evening he writes: into the day 's experience.
But poetry has no place
"We come to this mountain late amid the clatter of cutlery
in laggard wonder and the pilgrims' hasty preparations,
and atrophied awe, is dismissed with a sluug by his companion
in distrust of the promptings of angels, who, delirious with anticipation,
the voice in the thunder. pores over a city map
and charts an unscheduled visit
"Like the old plainsman brought dazed to a holy site.
to the coast to die,
needing to hate The insistent world is never far away,
Vancouver and his death, he thinks,
who glared sullenly at its peaks gulping coffee that has not had time to cool.
which to outwit defeat
he 'd never try
protesting they block the view Da y Three
and stifle breath. Choreography of Reverence

"An ant's dusty truth. We gaze Another day of soul-reeling busyness,
at our thorn-stabbed feet. of gluttonous banquets of the spirit
ft is too late, too late, and ample feastings of the eyes.
the bruising stones reveal He is a magpie gathering memories
to follow to the summit seizing and sorting and storing
One Whose feet were steel. a miscellaneous haul to nourish him
1178 THE BAHA'i WORLD

after the banishment of departure, Day Four
time's cruellest farman. The Perfect Journey

In the courtyard, as he chats with a pilgrim, The pilgrimage a meal,
her young daughter rushes up each day a different course,
in the uninhibited exuberance of six but no cessation of hunger.
fresh from her private possession Why had he waited to walk
of 'Abdu ' l-Baha 's Shrine on the mountain that had known
which had been momentarily deserted. the footstep of the King?
With shining eyes she announces Had he a shadow self intent upon
that within the Master's tomb the sabotage of his best interests,
filled with forgiveness and soft pink light the shipwreck of his growth?
she had ached to leave Him something All day, in quiet moments,
so broke into a small rapturous dance he gives himself to this question,
having nothing else to offer. jingling it in the pocket of his mind
He had been so lonely as a prisoner, like a worn but favourite coin.
she tells them, then, exulting, Later, alone and sated with the
she floats away day's unassimilated sensations and delights,
fulfilled, a rush of swirling skirts he writes:
and evanescence, oblivious to her mother's
apprehensive glance. But the Shrine beams "This, the perfect journey; this alone
back approval. Although the spurious brother came
with petulant demand
Leaming, always learning, he was substanceless in all that light.
is his late-night thought,
the skipping child's smile still with him "The choices leading to this holy stone
and her assuredness in tendering I blessed in silence but could not name;
her spontaneous gift. outstretched a timid hand
Tired as he is , he yet takes up his journal, but heard the banished sobbing in his
writes of "the choreography of reverence" night.
and then:
"Turned to embrace him then. To claim
"We, deft practitioners this home,
of protocols of piety an angel spoke, enter whole or else
are stranded on uncertainty remain
who had entered and then left Eden's orphan; understand- the brother
that rare Presence, blesses, too,
rehearsed petitioners, though is not blessed with sight. "
joylessly
and empty-handed." He has been at Bahji. He sees the heart of
Carmel aglow
Other phrases suggest themselves at sunset as the bus returns to its starting
but he is too fatigued and point,
laden with impressions to carry the thought feels the shadow self offering conciliation,
further. a tenuous tiuce, the wholeness
That night he dreams of the biblical widow that makes one human,
offering her mite, her face shining, the unity from which one can choose
her eyes full of light. And she is dancing. between
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1179
the dark and the light, the murk and the an unbearable weight, and his intractable
gleam. will that clasps his wrists in an icy grip?
He remembers reading the Master's avowal
that the mere mention of the name of the From the shore he looks across
Magdalene to the mountain
brought a smile to the face ofBaha'u'llah- where have been raised in marble
she had risen from shade and obscurity, the vindicating structures which,
chosen the light that is unfading, in the play of shimmering light,
and while the men wept and cowered grow luminous.
became the first among Christ's followers to At the crest he glimpses the imposing edifice
know. where God has seated justice
and raised the nine men ofBaha to serve her.
The mountain in his sleep that night
is drenched with light, 'AbbUd's house, all majesty and power,
covered with velvety grass and starred gives him solace. From its balcony he looks
with flowers from which tears flow. down
The hearts of the lovers, he murmurs on the congested alleys of 'Akka
in the Pidgin of half-consciousness then gazes at the room where
but the dream ends and sleep draws him the Kitab-i-Aqdas
closer to her anesthetizing breast. was revealed, its Author commanding a full
view
of the neighbour 's petty transgressions and
Day Five their lines of
A Metropolis of Owls flapping laundry, limp as the flags of defeat.

'Akka disturbs him, unrelievedly grey, Though he knows in the late hours
brooding, and malevolent. Its menacing walls that on subsequent visits
give off an exhausted, sour odour, 'Akka will be the bustling town of
refusing to reflect the light vivacious people he glimpsed
and giving foothold, in their crevices, like an artists ' underdrawing
to only the hardiest weeds. behind the historical overlay
He knows he sees it through the eyes his distress superimposed upon it,
of the exiles. his journal bears the brunt of his dismay .
He walks through the city's narrow lanes He pictures 'Akka as an ageing courtesan,
hoping fancifully to hear the footstep of the cold-hearted, and abandoned to beg her
Master bread,
or glimpse Him at a window. then writes:
But 'Akka is a shuttered world,
confining and oppressive and filled with an "With disconsolate dusk
air of loss, the carnival of her bazaar subsides
the clanging iron of deprivation. leaving her in darkness, with no warming
Denial lurks in every doorway. fire,
leaning toward the water' s edge
He enters the cell as though hobbled in where the mortified day will expire.
heavy chains
picturing it dank, dark and verminous. "Low squatting, knees clasped
He shudders. Is it his heart he trails to her thin, unsuccouring chest,
behind him, she does not raise her bat-encircled head
1180 THE BAHA'i WORLD

at the hawk's cry, the haggling of housewives,
nor heed the quernlous questions of the and leering merchants' trivial affairs.
owl.
The pale paste jewel of her lighthouse "She rises shivering, and disfiguring her
beckons wanly but the senile, impotent face,
mosque rehearses a grotesque, coquettish smile
can only lewdly smile. She does not see for her reeking market-place;
the stricken night huddling comf01ilessly but leaving, looks back to where
by her garment's soiled, unfastened hem the denunciatory waves recede,
nor hear her own demented keening her unspeakable, lip-locked, bosomechoed in the surfs low moan, buried crime
much Jess gaze adoringly at Carmel (till their eve's retelling)
extreating greenly from across the bay. a secret aqueously kept:
Indifferent to the lascivious mist To have seen the loneliness of God
obscenely fingering her lank hair and not have wept! "
her stare is inward,
fixed upon her private stunning grief, The pain of reviewing the Beloved's
turned from the world, tribulations leaves him spent and restless.
consumed beyond self-pity or contrition. "We are saved not once
but once in every moment'', he broods, "witl1
"She knows the moment when she chose every
her death, breath we must choose grace. Stasis is death."
knows it, lives it, nightly
as the murmurous sing-whispering Sleep, when it comes, brings him Mazra ' ih,
waves pile in, soothes him with echoes of laughter.
forty upon forty, restless with accusation: He is surrounded in dream by
verdancy and dehiscence, the hibiscus
the Cargo of cargoes ignominiously gaping in wonder,
spewed ashore; their leaves clapping green hands
the metallic futile protest of the in jubilation,
rnsted chain; and sees delineated in an unwavering light
the thickening indignation of the sor- the spareness and simplicity
did, misled mob; of the architecture of happiness.
the unwilling lock-key turning
in a prison cell;
the infamous farman piously read Day Six
(she knows it well, the parchment The Refi1ge of Cowards
crackling wildly in her reeling
brain); Every hour new bounties to catlogue.
the shattered skylight and the frai l Bahji is an oasis, its garden a
youth' s twisted frame; rare and living carpet,
the mother's sob-and then, and its walks the very corridors of heaven.
then, It draws the pilgrin1s to it with quiet power
Oh then, unbearably, the scratching that causes their hearts to shake.
ofa Pen! He, with the others, approaches
in an exquisite fear
"The dawn releases her to trinkets, plastic with háembling knees. What will be asked of
wares, him here?
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1181
But beyond the stately doors He wanders through the garden's tapestry
the atmosphere wondering at the art of it, the sheer beauty,
is all compassion and unquestioning the suitability of its spoked paths
welcome. to hold the jewel set there within which lies
God's Own Gem.
He feels as though the silence-its punctation, birdsong- And struck by the simplicity, he writes,
comprehends all, answers all; that no word leaning against a tree:
has yet been coined to describe this fragrant
hush. "Is this then all there is, a simple garden,
Had he expected lightning to cleave him, And a silence that displaces need for
choirs of angels to strike up ethereal hymns? words?
The feel of the threshold when his brow What portent in the blood-red wayside
touches it poppy?
is that of a father's worn hand extended in What message in the music of the birds?
forgiveness ,
soothing, warming, calming, and offering "The hero's heart is hoisted on a cypress,
the "There, there, little one" comfort that a The saint's is softly folded as a rose;
parent But mine lies shattered here among the
provides a fretting child exhausted from pebbles
sobbing. On the only path the fainting coward
All prayer save that transcending knows."
syllables and soundsthe pluáase drifts to him from a Pleased with his efforts he hums,
half-remembered prayer- fitting a melody to the words,
seems inappropriate here where till he is called back by a waving pilgrim
supplications sing to the bus-to-catch realm, the arena of need,
in the pulse and praise ascends in the breath uncertainties and sudden departures.
of every moment.
An industrious ant toils across the mosaic of "I came here to war with my soul
petals and I think I've lost the battle,"
that uncomplainingly accept its slow a pilgrim remarks as they stroll
progress. through fading light to the hotel.
"The beauty of the gardens alone
He remembers having written at one time, was enough to capture the castle."
imagining this present visit:
In his room the words will not leave him.
" .. .Stillness gives us back with scented He plays with the conceit, decides on the
breath: title "Dispatch from a War Zone" and
Who chooses love of Me must first writes:
choose death."
"Spring's unheralded invasion
The words seem too stark for this restful anows of light ambush intention
haven zeppelin clouds in an azure assault
where he would gladly close his eyes and vision held hostage by verdancy
sleep
blissfully, innocently, securely, "shrapnel of petals
his own breathing his lullaby. the air' s fragrant artillery
1182 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

bombards the reeling senses suddenly cancels the green day
unconditional surrender demanded presenting to him a mirage, a trackless
desert,
"rhetorical birds with a suddenness that takes his breath
melodious saboteurs away.
forecast capitulation Fishing for his notebook he remembers
the conscripted grass assumes its green the desert place of Matthew, Mark and Luke
uniform and writes , resting on a low stone wall:

"landmines of flowers in red pools "In the sandy convolutions of this land
ranks of bauhinias scape
camouflaged in twigs engage in grainy, parched and impersonal as God's
espionage brain
plot pink and white cannonades perception shifts and shimmers
and the crazed hot wind mutters
"sap rises in the trees like adrenalin apocalyptically.
buds of affirmation on every branch Here, we are beyond the known and
and the heart explodes into bloom possible.
always the first casualty."
"Can anything survive the unquenchable
The critic somewhere deep inside of him sun?
offers the accustomed ridicule A solitary lizard darting from invisibility
but, lighthearted and chuckling, he counters: to invisibility like a fleeting thought
"If you're my still, small voice-be still! leaves no trace.
This is my pilgrimage, my response, my
poem!" "The stinging eye, amazed,
Within minutes, sleep brings armistice sees the heat as a solid malignancy
and he hears no sound till morning. hulking on the horizon
mesmerizing and merciless.
The combustible soul might vanish in a
Day S e ven puff
Conditional Truces leaving the charred self to stumble back
into the verdant world
Surfeited with bright social exchanges, wild-eyed and jabbering incoherently
he eludes the convivial congregation of about last things.
pilgrims,
sets out for the Shrine of the Master, "Small wonder the Prophets were placed
walking slowly, relishing the scent, in this oven
the gentle morning sunlight, his solitude, where the heat consumes all but
picking his way among-he smiles at a knot compassion
of youngsters bound for school- the that they might return to our midst,
children of Israel, igneous and authoritative, but speaking
savouring the metaphor, Isaiah's words redemptive words glacially austere
flitting to cool our raging fever."
lightly across the screen of his mind,
... and y e shall be gathered one by one, His effort restores to his eye the palette,
0 y e children of Israel ... when the refracted the greens returning with heightened
light intensity,
LIT E RARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1183
the flowers riotously coloured, the sky cavorting animatedly in a ray, but hears the
indelibly blue. bruised petals reply
He imagines he sees Baha'u'llah's pitched Accept! Accept! and the Master's warm
tent, laughter
the imprint of His sandals and, in the that offers renewal of courage and the
distance, intimacy of an embrace.
'Abdu'l-Baha striding away rapidly On what conditions must I accept? But,
bent on some errand for His Father, unanswered,
His cream-coloured 'aba swirling behind the trite words sink into the plushy carpet
Him, with the arrival of other worshippers.
His white hair glinting where it escapes His
turban. An evening stroll, listening to his own
footfall,
The Sirrine again compels him. He draws he thinks of the mind's spat with the heart,
close the quintessential row, the lastingness of it,
overwhelmed by a desire to protect it, the tentative and conditional truces between
even to feel responsible for it, on a plane skirmishes.
exalted above private ownership,
that it become part of the heritage A rhythm begins in his head and, stopping
of coming generations. Reaching it for coffee
as tourists in a quiet cafe, he takes up a paper napkin
begin to arrive, busload after busload, and writes:
he stands aside watching, touched by their
subdued bearing "A lifetime is composed of rows
that is incongruous with their festive and grudges daily borne.
clothing, Though evening calm repairs the breach
their holiday mood, their cameras and the quarrel resumes each mom.
sunhats.
The rows of shoes they leave outside stab "If my lifetime were dumbstruck as peace
him with tenderness, I would bicker as a ruse
as though this small obeisance has left them and set it warring with my heartvulnerable and, too soon comes final truce."
unweighted by leather, they might float
away skyward, "Something is owed to Emily Dickinson,"
delirious with delight, never to be seen again. his internal voice scorns,
Is it not theirs too, though they may not yet but ignoring his fractious mentor he walks to
claim it? the lookout
The Revelation, warrant for service for all, that places in view a crescent of winking
the Shrine its emblem, the Covenant its seal. lights
stretching around the bay from Haifa to
Alone, later, in his chosen ventricle, 'Akka
delivered of his prayers, like a discarded tiara. "All poets owe somehe offers wordless gratitude, remembers thing to all poets,"
friends, he retorts, emboldened by the darkness
experiences a tranquil sense of well-being, and his need to etch the scene in memory.
almost a coziness, in the diffuse rosy light.
What tithe is asked here? he asks the He is glad to join the small circle of friends
dustrnotes in the hotel lobby who are postponing sleep
1184 Tl-IE BAl-IA'i WORLD

reviewing the day's treasures, which is carried away on a tide of
whispering, giggling, or in awe, exhaustion
enjoying their own recounting. Their affable to a deep cool place where no sound can be
chatter heard
restores his social self, bonds them to him above the gentle plashing of water among
even more deeply, makes parting difficult the fems.
though his pillow beckons and his eyes droop.
Rising to go the words "Seventh day!" are
on every lip. Day Eight
Has it for them, too, passed too swiftly? A Call on the Sleepers

But sleep is elusive. The reality of leaving Here on the mountainside are the graves of
Mount Carmel begins to bear in. He recon- holy ones
structs the chaste white colunms of their markers,
for his journal lines he had written smooth as alabaster, standing
long years before he embarked on this in umeproachful dignity.
pilgrimage Now his most tenuous prayer uttered almost
when he had wondered about the "What inaudibly
now?" seems to give ready access
that he felt must be every suppliant's to these choicest of the choice
nervous, parting plea: whose sacrifice and service
earned them proximity to their Beloved
'"O my Beloved', the pilgrim said, in this palm-fringed setting.
'I am filled with childish dread.
You send me forth. But where? And at the mountain's foot another cluster of
Do not leave me in despair, sleepers
tell me what now lies ahead. who dropped their labours here at the
What strange, dark roads must I tread?' world's heart
rest in a genial garden where warm sunlight
"'Go gladly without a care, plays hide-and-seek among the eucalyptus
naught shall harm a single hair and pine.
of your dear, faithful head. There is no sorrow here, only triumph
Wherever you may be led and a companionable silence. Sweet promptknow this: I shall be there ings pervadebeside you. I shall be there."' he might, on impulse, hug the markers,
recite aloud the victorious tenants ' names.
The voice of derision casts up its scorn. He feels a need to knit and purl himself
"They'll say you've been reading George into history, to gain a sense of belonging,
Herbert," as though his choice of the Faith
he hears as he closes his notebook. had ostracized him from the ordinary,
expunged his record, denied him common
"Had I Herbert 's purity of heart privileges,
I could make it needle to my compass, left him without citizenship or passport.
launch my frail craft of faith Now in this hushed colony
on the turbulent sea that laps the shores of the gravemarkers like unfurled scrolls
'Yea, verily!"', offer their mute, comforting testimony,
he thinks, eyes shut, but cannot rescue the the verification of heaven 's handful.
thought In the rnstling of the palms he hears
LITERARY AND MU S ICAL WORKS 1185
Accept! Accept! "Let the dreaming, lovely drowned
who loll and bob in bubbled wonder
Here lies Winnifred Harvey who passed to tell us why, returning,
him weeping without sound,
the chalice containing the immortal draught. we stand, wistful and incredulous,
It had come to her from Rowland Estall along the shore."
who had accepted it from May Maxwell's
hands. At Pilgrim House later he feels
The link contemplating its place in the an unearned excruciating happiness
chain. amid the happy babble of voices rising and
This Faith so young one can trace ancestry, falling in soft exclamations of reunion.
dare hope secretly for kinship of spirit. Am I feeling this, or is it that
But he turns abruptly from the presumptuous I feel I should feel it? an inner voice chalclaim. lenges,
He thinks of those who have laid their bones but he turns from it to render a small service
in farflung tombs-those victors to a pilgrim. Was the gesture sincere?
in whose wake all advance-and of the voice persists, the bicameral mind
Thomas Breakwell in his lonely unmarked a constant observer, ever disdainful,
grave. tireless in spying on even his most private
moments.
Familiar names now meet his gaze, carved "Prithee desist, Hamlet", he chides himself,
on white tombstones formal as engraved clumsily counterfeiting Shakespeare,
invitations : "lest thou bar thy way back to innocence."
Horace Holley, Fugita, The notion of return seems feasible here
the Revell sisters, John Esslemont, in this sea of fellowship and warm
many distinguished and obscure. acceptance.
Waves of admiration sweep over him.
For each dear name a smile of recognition Preparing for bed, thinking of Esslemont,
and a prayer. he chuckles remembering Samuel Johnson' s
"Much may be made of a Scotchman
From the cemetery he looks up to Carn1el ifhe be caught young." He takes up his pen
needing always to have replenished to his to write a tribute, imagines the graveside
VISlOn trees remarking This bonny lad did well
the slope's white ornament, its dome and pauses, pleased with his inventiveness.
gleaming in the sun; Let Esslemont stand for all the faithful ones
and looks out to the sea, Alfred de Musset's whose memory we keep, he thinks, before
words Et j e me demandais: Est-ce assez sleep
dáadmirer? engulfs him in a black cloak of
coming to his mind, casting a small shadow forgetfulness.
across his contentment. The sea. The Most
Great Ocean.
"It is not enough to marvel; the sea asks Day Nine
more", Souvenir
he recites aloud, remembering an early
poem The day bursts open like a pod
he had written, but only a fragment comes to in this complex garden
him: dispensing the promise of a potential
fulfilled.
1186 THE BAHA'f WORLD

The silky air canies the commingled scents He smilingly removes the fragile token,
of roses and mysteries a scented receipt, places it in his prayerbook.
and the faint echo of unanswered questions Almost furtively he passes the disinterested
that have come to rest among the placid cypresses that point heavenward,
flowers the wind in their uplifted boughs sighing
or tumble fretfully on the grass Accept! Accept!
where pools of sunlight soothe them.
On the trees the enviable oranges A sense of urgency pervades him .
glow like contented stars in their green uni- but he is reluctant to part from the garden
verse. where now the jasmine's perfume captivates
Was it submission that taught them his sense,
roundness, paralyzing his will.
passion that set them ablaze?
Their juices have the sharp taste of renuncia- "Laughter is divine antidote to pomposity;
tion. art is a bulwark against fanaticism;
there are many molds ofholiness"-
Does one weary of nightingales and all he had reasoned he rehearses here,
peacocks? panning for affirmations. But he has been
he wonders inelevantly, pausing by statuary, given
teasing out his progress. all the nuggets his heart can hold.
But no preparation is adequate to what
awaits. A rosaiy of farewells at Pilgrim House,
promises to keep in touch.
All paths lead to the centre where The pilgrims' faces glow with earnestness
- aspiration given form- and gratitude: they have won through,
the marble marvel holds up1ight gathered to them their trophies.
its golden head above dust that altered Dazedly they call "Good-bye! God bless!"
history. His affection affords each head a nimbus.
Entry gained, the pilgrim knows
this is the breeding place of questions, He leaves through the gate's lacy iron barrithis ideal model of the heart 's own cade
chambers, which yields daily to the ardency of lovers
this humbling vault where, to resume his ordinary life
head on carpeted threshold, in the world of contention and crises and
the suppliant hears whispered in his veins clocks.
Accept! Accept! Already, deadlines tug at his sleeve
and schedules jostle one another
Must I accept, he wonders, that my life is clamouring for his attention.
the sum of my questions, my answers ? He looks back wistfully to his refuge
That I must make a higher will my own? then returns to his room to pack
He frowns at the uselessness of words, the belongings he would gladly jettison
the fruitlessness of speculation, though already his bag feels weightless.
smiles at his wish to wring from that reticent He is gnawed by a sense of having forgotten
place some vital possession, wonders what
a formula for perfection, then emerges to he may have unwittingly relinquished
stumble among the petals or lost like a cherished
from sanctuary into demanding daylight. talisman along some pebbled path. A failed
A petal has clung to his moist forehead. self?
LITERARY AND MUSI CAL WORKS 1187
Later, there is one more good-bye aptness of his purchased bric-a-brac
as the cab flashes past his loved landmark, despairingly matching gift to receptor.
just a glimpse, a pang, As dawn musters its luminous rose
the bloodless death of separation affirmation
under a moon coolly indifferent to this he turns in his dream to his truest souvenir:
wrenching. Many pilgrims. Many questions.
The car speeds on, bent obsessively One unalterable answer:
on effecting his expulsion from all he knows Accept! Accept!
of Eden.

At the airport, seeking consolation, Roger White (Israel)
possessive, hoping to bolster memory,
he buys a last postcard
of the building with the gold tiled dome, [The poem do es not follow strictly the
makes his seat selection, program ofpilgrimage nor does it allude to
smuggles his convictions past Customs every point of historic interest visited by
and, aboard the aircraft, in the fretful Bahri 'i pilgrims during the course of their
sleep of the traveller, broods on the stay in the Holy Land.]
1188 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

SEE THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY
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Lift your eyes and be - hold the new ere - a - tion,

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Lift your eyes and be - hold the new ere - 3 - tion ,

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LI TE RARY AN D MUS IC AL WORKS 1193

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W ord
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W ord of God e - ter - nal , Ba - ha _ _ _ ' u' llah.

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W ord of God e - ter - nal, Ba - ha _ _ _ 'u ' llah.
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Word of God
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An - cient voice
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An - c ient_ voice of the Wronged One is ca ll - ing,

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1194 THE BAHA ' I WORLD

,..,. " "' •
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"' en - ter now the King - dom, Ba - ha ' u' llah. Re -

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en - ter now the King - dom , Ba - ha 'u' llah. Re -

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en - ter now the
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dom , Ba - ha _ _ ' u' _ _ _ !lah. Re -

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- j oice! Re -joice ! this is the pro-mised day, Re -
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- joice! Re- joice !
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this is the
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pro-mised day,
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- JO!Ce. Re -joice ! this is the pro-mised day, Re -

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- joice ! Re - joice ! this is the pro-m.ised day, Re -

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LIT ERARY AND MUS ICAL WORK S 11 95

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- joice! Re- joice! this is the pro - mised day! The

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- joice ! Re - joice! this is the pro-mised day!
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' - joice! Re- joice! this is the pro -mised day!

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- joice! Re- joice! th is is the pro - mised day!

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most great peace, the most great peace, the

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the most great peace, the most great peace shall
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peace the most great peace, the most great

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most great peace, the most great peace, the

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11 96 TH E BAH A' i WORLD

great peace shall come!

shall co me !
,.--,...._

peace, _ _ __ the peace shall come!_ __
~.il.

most great peace shall come!

D G Dbsus4 Db Gb Cb/Gb

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See the light of His
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See the light of His
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See the light of His

See the light of His

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Db Gbsus4 Gb Gb Cb/Gb
LITERARY AND MUS ICA L WORKS I 197

glo ry, 0 peo pie, shi ning be - fo re you, Ba -

glo ry, 0 peo ple, shi ning be - fo re you, Ba -

shi ning be - fore you, Ba -

ry, 0 peo shi ning be - fore you, Ba -

D ~/G~ Gbsus4 Gb B~
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......__.,.
- ha__ ' u' ll<ih. Lord of Lords, King of Kings, He is won - drous,

......__.,.
- ha __ 'u' llah. Lord of Lords , King of Kings, He is won - drous,

......__.,.
- ha __ ' u' Uah. Lord of Lords, King of Kings, He is won - drous,

- ha __ ' u' llah. Lord of Lords, King of Kings, He is won - drous,

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Dbsus4 Db G~ Gb Cb/G b Db/Gb Gbsus4 Gb
l 19 8 THE BAHA'I WORLD

-.....__.-
E-ver-las.-ting Fa - ther, Ba - ha_ ' u' llah. Re - joice ! Re-joice! this

-.....__.-
E-ver-las.-ting Fa - ther, Ba - ha _ ' u' ll ah. Re - joice! Re-joice! this

-.....__.-
ther, Ba - ha _ 'u' llah. Re - j oice ! Re-joice ! this
..--...

' u' llah. Re - joice ! Re-joice! this

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is the pro - mised day, the day of God,

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is the pro-mised day, the day of God,

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is the pro-mised day , the
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day of God,
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the most great peace shall
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is the pro - mised day, the day of God, the most great peace shall

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LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 11 99

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the most great peace shall come, the most great peace shall
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the most great peace shall come, the most great peace shall
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" come, the most great peace shall come, the most great peace shall

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Re - joice! _ _ __ __ Re - joice! _ __

------
Re - joice! - - -- - -

Re - joice! _ _ __ _ _
Re - joice! _ __

Re - joice! _ __

Re - joice! - - - - - - Re - joice! _ __
1200 THE BAHA'I WORLD

0 PEOPLES OF THE WORLD
Words of the Bab Music by Jean SOUTH

SOPRANO
Moderato "if a tempo
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0 pea -pies of the world!
!':'. !':'.
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p poco rit "if a tempo
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0 pea - pies of the world! What - so - e - ver ye have

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p
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of- fered
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in the way of the one
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LITERARY AND MUS ICAL WORKS 120 1

pp poco rit.

of the one true God, Ye shall, in - deed, find pre-served

a tempo

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- tact at God ' s Ho--ly
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1202 THE BAHA'I WORLD

PRAYER FOR THE
HANDS OF THE CAUSE
For Mixed Chorus (S.A.T.B.) Bah:i'u'llah, The Tablet of the World
A Capella Music by Tom Price

_," " SOPRANO I

Light and glo - ry, gree-ting and praise be u - pon the
"" ALTO

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Light and glo - ry, gree-ting
-
and praise
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be
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the
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Light and glo - ry , gree-ting and praise be u - pon the _
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Light and glo - ry, gree-ting and praise be u - pon the
I

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I I I I I I I I I I
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Hands
--
of His Cause,
~
light and
I
g lo - ry, gree-ting and praise
" ...
ti .g ... ... u
Hands of His Cause, light and glo - ry, gree-ting and praise
" ... I I

Hands _ of His Cause, light and glo - ry , gree-ting and praise
I I I I I

I-lands of His Cause, light and
"
glo - ry ,_
---- gree - ting _
I

and praise
I I I

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1 s I TT JJ 1
I I I
''I I I I I I

Copyright © 1993 G lobal Music Inc. 134 Gatone Dr., Hendersonville,1N, 37075, USA. Tel: 615-822-1822 Fax: 615-822-8720
LITERARY AN D MUSICAL WORKS 1203

u - pon the _ Hands of His Cause, through whom the light of for - ti-tude, through

u - pon the_ Hands of His Cause, through whom the light of for - ti-tude, through

be u - pon the_ Hands of His Cause, through whom the light of for - ti-tude, through

be u - pon the_ Hands of His Cause, through whom the light of for - li-tude, through

1 1

of for - ti-tude, through whom the light of for - ti-tude

of for - ti-tude, through whom the light of for - ti-tude

of for - ti-tude, through whom the light of for - ti -tude

of for - ti-tude
1204 TH E BAHA ' I WORLD

and the truth hath been e - stab -lished that au - tho - ri - ty to

shone forth and the truth hath been e - stab - lished th at au - tho - ri - ty to

forth and the truth hath been e - stab-lished th at au - th o - ri - ty to

hath shone forth and the truth hath been e - stab-lished th at au - th o - ri - ty to

..____,..
God, with God, _ _ the Pow - er - ful , the Migh-ty, the

God, with the Pow - er - ful , the Migh-ty, the

with God, _ _ the Pow - er - ful , the Migh-ty, the

God, with God,__ the Pow - er - ful, the Migh-ty, the
LITERA RY AND MUSIC AL WORKS 1205

.,,, " "
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y -
r,
I

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I

-- -- -- --
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Un - con - strained! We be - seech Him, ex - al - ted is He,

"" - - -- -- .. "
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Un - con - strained! We be - seech Him, ex - al - ted is He,

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Un - con - strained! We be - seech Him, ex - al - ted is He,

, .. - - - "- - - --
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- - - - - -- -- I I I I

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I'Un - con - strained! We be - seech Him , ex - al - ted_ is He,

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shield them through the pow' r of His hosts, we be -

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shield them through the pow'r of His hosts, we be -

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--
the __ pow- er of His hosts,
I

we
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" shield the m through the pow' r of His hosts, we be

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1206 THE BAH A' I WORLD

...,,,. J!. I I I I
- -- - -
I I

I -
- seech Him, ex - al - ted is He, shield them through the _ pow' r of His
A J!.

- seech Him, ex - al-ted is He,
"''
shield
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them through the pow'r of His
- -
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JJ. I I I I

, - seech Him, ex - al -ted
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is He,
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shield
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them through
u

the
u
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pow' r of His

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" - seech Him , ex - al- ted _
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is He, shield them through the pow'r of His

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po - ten-cy, pro - tect them through His po - ten-ey, pro -

pro - tect the m through His po - ten-cy, pro - tect them through His po - ten-ey, pro -

pro - tect the m through His po - ten-cy, pro - tect them through His po - ten-ey , pro -

pro - tect the m through His po - ten-cy, pro - tect the m through His po - ten-ey, pro -
LIT ERARY AN D MUSICAL WORKS 1207

po - ten-cy, aid thenLthroughHis_ strength, light and glo - ry,

po - ten-cy, aid them through His strength , light and glo - ry,

po - ten-cy, aid them through His strength, light and glo - ry,

aid them through His strength, light and glo - ry,

be u - pon the Hands of His Cause! _ _

be u - pon the I-lands

be u - pon the Hands __ of His Cause! _ _

be u - pon the I-lands of His ----
Cause! _ _

J1J
1208 THE BAHA'I WORLD

WHO IS THE PROPHET?
Saul Accouche

4•s J ; ~ IJ j ~ IJ j J IJ r ,,~I~~ ~
Who is the Pro - phet of God for to - day?
...___..,.
Ba - ha ' u' - llah_

t'J r j IJi J, u 'f I
J ; J IJ j J
Ba - ha' u' - Uah Who came ex - act - ly as

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fore- told by Christ? Ba - ha'u'- Uah _ _ Ba-M' u'- llah _ _ Ba-

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~He brought
j J1
- ha' u'..llah came _ for all man - kind _ us love _ and

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peace of mi nd_ He said men_ should live as one_

D.C.
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There is no _ _ place for _ us to run. _ _

Verse 1. Who is the Prophet of God for today - Baha'u' llah, Baha' u' llah.
Who came exactly as foretold by Christ - Baha'u' llah, Baha'u'llah.

Chorus Baha'u ' ll ah came for all mankind
He brought us love and peace of mind
He said men should live as one
There is no place for us to run.

Verse 2. Who brought this message oflove to mankind - Baha'u'llah, Baha'u' llah.
Who said that justice was best in His sight - Baha'u'llah , Baha'u'llah.
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 1209

ONE FAMILY
Red Grammer

(Verses)
Fadd2 3

$~tJ JJft] J I It J J J IA i©J J I
1. Light on the ho-ri - zon off s tar-board bow feel the spi-rit ri - sm
2. Lead-ers at the ta - ble talkin' 'bout an end to war but we need more than chess
3. Feel the ex-pee-ta - tion all the world around ev - e - ry-one is wait- in'
Bb/Fmaj7

hear the mi - ghty shout
4A IJ n J J J j
=
oh - oh
..._,
watch the whole ere - a - tion
moves we've gotta open up the door and let a lit - tie sun - light
Lo hear the j oy-ful sound oh oh of all the na-tions sing - ing
Fadd2 Dm
lift] )J J J
turn-ing in side _ out He's ma -kin' His Will made known
shine on each and every face and in the light of morn - ing
sing -ing out in har- mo - ny there's a new world in the mak-ing
1 '2&1f (Chorus)
if . :II - uáI
the time for peace is now We are
let them bless the human race singing
won•t you sing along, sing along with me
Fadd2 Bb/Fmaj7

$~rá {Jn1 '.r11J liQnJIJ ft...._, I
one fa - mi-ly we are too close not to le t it ~ we are
Gm F/A Bb C Fadd2 1 D.C.

$~)?1Jf? !JJ. JI dttf tLJF IJ114
_ sis - lers and bro-thers~ a coat of_ ma-ny_ co - lors, you and me
.....--ibridge)

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# 2 Bbmaj7 Am7

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Shout it from the moun - tain - top, sail it on the breeze the
F/A Bb

J h J J. :J I r
on - ly way we're gon-na have peace is when we come to see _ _ _ __
uá 1
we are
(last chorus)
Bbmaj7/F
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Fadd2

one
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fa - mi-ly
n. J Ji o n 3bYIJ '
we are

too close not to let it
!J. I
we are _
Gm F/A Bb C Fadd2

$~ :!?JJ. "j !J. J. :JIEiUJittiF 10J4
- s is - ters _ and bro-thers _ a coat of_ ma - ny _ co - !ors, you and me_
Bbmaj7/F Fadd2

~~ - r F I4&t.Jl-@). I- t tr Irá @UJl@§JJ II
you and me, we are one fa - mi-ly.
1210 THE BAHA'I WORLD

YA BAHA'u'L-ABHA
Music by Hooper Dunbar
Arranged by Torn Price

SOPRANO

Ba - ha ' u' l-Ab - ha, Ya 'A - lfy-yu 'l - A - ' Ia,

u
Ba - ha ' u'l- Ab - ha, Ya 'A - lfy-yu 'l-A - ' la,

Ya 'A - lfy- yu'l-A - 'la,

Ba - ha ' u'l - Ab - Ya 'A - lly - yu' l- A - 'la,

u
Ba - ha ' u'l -Ab - h~ Ya 'A - lfy-yu'l- A - 'la,

Ya 'A - lfy-yu ' l- A - 'la,

Ya ' A - lfy - yu' l - A - ' la,

r
LITERARY AND MUSICAL WORKS 12 11

Ya 'A - lfy-yu'l-A - 'la,

'--'
ha 'u' l -Ab - ha _ _ _ __ Ya 'A - liy-yu' l-A - 'la, _ _ __

Ba - ha 'u' l - Ab - ha _ _ _ __ YL 'A - lfy-yu'l-A - 'la,

Ya 'A - lfy-yu' l-A - 'la,

~
ha _ __ _ Ya 'A - lfy- yu' l-A - 'la.

'--' u-
Ba - ha ' u'l- Ab Ya 'A - lfy-yu'l- A - 'la.

Ba - ha 'u'l-Ab ha Ya 'A - lfy-yu' l -A - 'la.

ha _ _ __ Ya 'A - lfy-yu'l-A - 'la.

J J